Lin’s Camino: Camino Day 1 - Santa Marta to Vigo

16.3 miles (total for the day, which may be longer than the city-to-city distance)

I woke with a light and happy heart. I’m in Spain! And today I get to do something I’ve been dreaming about for years — walk the Camino de Santiago!

I started my day with an Americano and biscuit at the hotel bar, then set off! Since we’re staying at the same place for two days, I only needed to carry my daypack. My plan was to walk south and then return. My travel companions were spending the day visiting Maggie at her school program, but I just couldn’t wait to get started walking the Camino!

Within two blocks of our hotel, I immediately stumbled upon Santuario Maria Auxiliadora, the first of many beautiful and historic Catholic Churches we would visit.

Vigo is very hilly, and it’s one of the largest cities in Galicia. I had a city map, and I was in no hurry, so I got to explore every interesting spot I encountered. Parks, monuments, fountains, hills, and busy streets. I found another historic church. The building, the cemetery and shrines were amazing.

I found the municipal museum of Vigo and got my first stamp for my Pilgrim’s passport! The formal gardens were absolutely beautiful! I stopped at a cafe for the Menu del Dia (menu of the day), an egg and rice dish with tomatoes.

Finally I made my way to the southern edge of Vigo and found the Camino. My first Camino yellow arrow! And I saw a few other pilgrims with backpacks — my first fellow pilgrims! What a joyful feeling.

The Camino in this area has an alternate path, so I walked south on the nature path following the Rio Minho, then north on the coastal path by Vigo Beach. It was amazing to see the Atlantic Ocean from the opposite coast.

My walk back to the hotel got to be very long and hot. My phone battery died about a mile and a half from the hotel. I had a map, and my husband had given me a tiny compass, but the multi-layered city roads were very confusing. I was super happy to get back, because tomorrow we start our journey north to Santiago!