The final stages of the Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela are emotionally intense. I reflect on five weeks of walking and say goodbye to my trail family.
In March 2025, I walked the Camino Francés from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. During the walk, I kept a journal, and these are my trip reports from the fifth and final week. Missed last week? Then read: Camino Francés week 4: The final stretch begins.
Camino day 27: A turning point in Sarria
We leave today with the entire trail family from Triacastela, but the group soon splits up. There are two route options: a shorter one via San Xil (18 kilometers) and a longer one via Samos (25 kilometers). Tony and Gene go for the short one, but Yoshi, Fran and I feel like that’s just a bit too short, so we opt for the longer trail.
The day starts with a winding road along steep cliffs, and then shifts to smaller inland trails. It’s very different from yesterday’s big views. Today it’s all about tiny villages, waterfalls and narrow forest paths, just like I remember from my last time hiking in Galicia. One of the highlights is the Monastery of Samos, beautifully nestled in the valley.
We take a short break in a café in Samos, but after that, there are hardly any places to stop. The trail stays more or less the same: up, down, a little village, another forest path. We barely meet anyone and keep a steady pace.
We reach our destination, Sarria, around one in the afternoon. This town is one of the most important points on the Camino. If you want to receive your Compostela, you have to walk at least 100 kilometers, and Sarria is the last possible starting point to qualify.
It’s also the town with the most albergues on the Camino, and from here on we expect to see a lot more (new) pilgrims. This definitely gives the Camino a different energy. While we’re happy Santiago is getting close, we’re also a bit nervous about the potential crowds. Are our worries justified? We’ll find out soon enough.
Tony and Gene found a nice hostel where there’s still plenty of space. Besides our little group, there are only three other pilgrims. The garden makes it a lovely spot to relax, and we finally get some hand laundry done. Thanks to the warm weather, everything dries quickly.
For dinner, we go out for pizza and bring along Spanish Lucy, who’s also staying in our hostel and will be starting her Camino tomorrow. I hope we didn’t scare her off with all our stories about snoring pilgrims! In Sarria it feels like a reunion, I keep seeing familiar faces from the past few weeks. The atmosphere is really great. Still, I’m curious about tomorrow. Will it really be as crowded as everyone says?
- Kilometers today: 25
- Kilometers total: 681
- We stayed in: Obradoiro – A bit hidden behind a souvenir shop. Spacious dorms and curtains between the beds.
Camino day 28: Galicia is beautiful!
It’s quite foggy when we leave in the morning, which creates a somewhat spooky atmosphere, especially in the wooded areas we pass through regularly. As expected, the Camino feels quite different now in terms of atmosphere. We see dozens of other pilgrims, most of them looking very “fresh,” with spotless clothes and tiny backpacks, their luggage is clearly being transported. Still, it never feels crowded or too busy.
There are also more and more souvenir shops popping up along the trail. You can tell that locals are trying to earn something from the Camino. It makes sense, this path is their lifeline in many ways.
We run into Rob several times today. It’s still incredible that he’s doing this at 81, carrying his own full pack and walking just like us for around 30 kilometers a day. Chapeau!
The trail today is wonderfully varied and very rural. You can smell the cows almost everywhere. Narrow forest trails alternate with small country roads, meadows, and quiet villages. I’m enjoying it, once again, to the fullest.
Together with Tony, Fran, and Yoshi, I have lunch in Portomarín. It’s the first time pulpo (octopus) appears on the table, and I already knew from a previous visit to Galicia how good it is. The guys are totally into it too. I’m cracking up because the three of them are such foodies. They can’t stop talking about how tasty everything is.
With full bellies, we climb out of town again, which is pretty tough in the heat and humidity. Thunderstorms and rain are predicted, so we push on to make it to the albergue in time. This time we stay in a basic municipal hostel in Gonzar, and I know most of the people sleeping there. That gives me a bit of that “real” Camino feeling again.
Unfortunately, the nearby restaurant turns out to be closed, and the next one is too far away. So we raid our food bags for dinner: cheese, sausage, Doritos, nuts, and candy. Not ideal, but it fills us up and at least our backpacks will be lighter tomorrow. Around 9 p.m., the long-awaited rain starts falling. Lovely!
- Kilometers today: 32
- Kilometers total: 713
- This is where we stayed: Albergue Municipal de Peregrinos de Gonzar – Basic, but not too large or impersonal. Just note that there’s no restaurant nearby.
Camino day 29: The final touches
I leave just before sunrise with Tony, Yoshi and Fran. I feel a bit strange today. With just under 85 kilometers to go, the end is really in sight. It feels like everything has gone by so fast. I’m not quite ready for it to be over. Not much is open in the countryside this morning, so it takes us a while to find a bar where we can have breakfast.
After that, the group splits up. Yoshi and Tony fly ahead, I slow down deliberately, and Fran walks somewhere in between. For the first time in ages, I put on my headphones and use the next few hours to think and reflect. Not just about the past few weeks, but also about myself and what’s next.
In a tiny village, I run into Fran again and from there we walk the rest of the day together. Good conversations, lovely weather, and the green Galician landscape make for a really pleasant walk. Meanwhile, the kilometers keep ticking down. In this region, there’s a marker every few hundred meters showing how many kilometers you still have to go to Santiago. It kind of gives me the creeps.
At kilometer 53, we arrive in Melide. At the (very nice) hostel, we are greeted by Tony, Yoshi and Gene. A little later, Rob walks in too. In the end, we’re the only guests, and it’s super cozy. We have great food at the pulpería, enjoy some ice cream and play a round of Uno. I’m already not looking forward to saying goodbye in a couple of days. These are truly good people.
- Kilometers today: 32
- Kilometers total: 745
- Amazing stay at: Albergue Melide – One of the nicest hostels on the Camino. Spacious dorm with curtains and a great common room with a bar.
Camino day 30: Sentimental and emotional
When I decided to walk this Camino, I mostly had practical reasons. I wanted to complete another long-distance walk and finally cross the Camino off my bucket list. An extra bonus would be good weather, beautiful scenery, charming villages, and good food. The thing I secretly looked forward to the most was the community. As an introvert and loner, interacting with lots of people usually doesn’t energize me. But wow, the Camino really surprised me in that area.
That’s what’s been circling in my mind all day as I watch the kilometers count down. From 53 to 49, to 39, to 29… The end is inevitable. I can barely remember anything about the actual walking today. I think it was mostly forest (lots of eucalyptus) and we passed through several small villages. But all the while, my “guys” – Yoshi, Tony, and Fran – were nearby. No one walked far ahead today. And from our conversations, it’s clear I’m not the only one feeling a bit sentimental.
With only 23 kilometers to go to Santiago, we check into the very last albergue of the trip. It’s a public one, which I like. And to make it extra special: I know everyone here. Gene, Andrew, and Rob are all staying too. Like a few days ago, there doesn’t seem to be a place to eat, but luckily a nearby restaurant agrees to cook something for us anyway.
It turns into a memorable evening with our little trail family, full of good conversations, good food, and maybe a little too much wine. I don’t even want to think about the goodbye tomorrow.
- Kilometers today: 32
- Kilometers total: 777
- We stayed in: Albergue de peregrinos de Santa Irene – A basic municipal albergue, not too large. There are a few restaurants nearby, but be mindful of opening hours.
Camino day 31: Santiago
If you stick to the stages in my guidebook, you’re supposed to arrive in Santiago after 31 days. Well, ever since day three, I’ve barely looked at it and didn’t follow the stages at all, but somehow, I still managed to arrive in exactly 31 days. Because yes, today I’m actually arriving in Santiago.
Together with Yoshi, Tony and Fran, I leave the hostel a little after 7:30. The weather is drizzly, and I soon have to put on my raincoat and the cover on my backpack. We’re walking near each other, but no one really says anything. We’re all wrapped up in our own thoughts. I find myself doing a kind of mental recap: how did these past 31 days go?
After about six or seven kilometers, we start seeing more and more pilgrims. Most of them clearly haven’t been on the road as long as we have. The closer we get to Santiago, the more people there are. It feels pretty surreal. Something so personal suddenly becomes something massive. I’m extra glad I walked this Camino in March. If it’s already this crowded now, I don’t want to imagine what it’s like in May or June.
The green hills slowly give way to the city, and we’re really walking into Santiago. We’re chatting more by now, and laughing again. Our little group starts growing too, Gene, Rob and Andrew join us. The seven of us enter the old town together, which I still remember from my previous visit. But how different it feels this time.
A little before one in the afternoon, we step into the main square in front of the cathedral. We made it. We even form a guard of honor with our walking sticks for Rob. So much respect for this 80-something who just did it. And there, in the square, I’m greeted by my old Camino friends Patrick and James. It’s so good to see them again after three weeks.
We take a lot of pictures and pick up our official Compostela. Now it’s “real.” The rest of the day is all about celebrating. There’s plenty of wine and beer, and I end the evening very emotionally with my “core family”: Tony, Fran and Yoshi.
When I walk back alone to the apartment I booked, tears roll down my cheeks. Out of happiness. Not just because of the beautiful walk, but especially because of all the wonderful people I met. I’m going to miss them so much. The Camino turned from a bucket list check into an emotional adventure. Who would’ve thought?
- Kilometers today: 23
- Kilometers total: 800
- To treat myself, I booked: Apartamentos Turísticos Concheiros 5 – Modern, comfortable apartment right on the Camino Francés, just a ten-minute walk from Santiago’s historic center.
What more can I say? As you’ve probably noticed, my journal entries became more emotional toward the end. I’m incredibly happy and grateful that I was able to do this. And to meet such an amazing group of people.
For me, the Camino is not the most beautiful hike I’ve ever done in terms of scenery, but it’s without a doubt the most beautiful one in terms of community. I’m sure I’ll stay in touch with the wonderful people I met along the way for a long time.
Muchas gracias, amigos!
Read more about the Camino
Did you enjoy reading my experience story and are you curious about more Camino adventures? These books are a great way to dive deeper:
It’s Your Camino: One Couple’s 500-mile Pilgrimage Across Spain
Two Million Steps: band-aids, cocktails, and finding peace along Spain’s Camino de Santiago
You can also find more Camino tips on my website. Check out these articles:
- Camino Francés Guide: practical tips and personal experiences
- Camino Francés stages explained: route planning & where to stay
- The ultimate packing list for the Camino de Santiago
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