It felt so good to be on the final stretch to Santiago which was almost 9 miles because we took a longer route to avoid the crowds.

The trail started out on a rustic old path that pilgrims have traveled for centuries.

The best part was the fact that we had a beautifully sunny day to walk into Santiago.

A short time into the walk we were serenaded by this artist.

We passed the old Areeira Pilgrim’s Inn which welcomed pilgrims & muleteers starting in the 18th Century which is now an old farm house. On its wall is a statue showing San Antonio Abade who is the patron saint for animals. Notice the piglet at his feet. Until a few years ago, this statue was still being taken down to be used in processions during which the locals would offer alms to it to cure their sick animals.

A few fun things we saw along the way.

With a few miles to go, we reached the small Chapel of St. Mary Magdalena in Milladoiro which is located at the place where pilgrims on the Camino Portugués get their first glimpse of the Santiago cathedral’s twin spires in the distance.

All along the route there are always mileposts, signs, & yellow arrows pointing the way to the cathedral; but, when you are in big cities, for some reason, the path is not well marked. Of all places, that same thing happened in Santiago which is why it is handy to have an app on your phone to use to stay on the Camino.

We finally arrived to the glorious Cathedral Santiago de Compostela! Always a great feeling & such a marvelous ending destination.

This arrival was markedly different from our arrival in 2023 when we hiked the Camino Frances.

Upon arriving, the last step is to obtain the final stamp in your Pilgrim Passport to receive your certificate of completion. The administrators closely check the recorded stamps to ensure you walked the entire route before issuing the final stamp & completion certificate.

Outside the official Camino registration office is the final mileage maker.

I had so many stamps in my passport I ran out of room & was putting them in odd places! Both sides were fully covered. No doubt that I had walked the official 280 km.

We walked 178.5 miles in 16 days with 2 very rainy days on the route,

Our hotel for the evening was an old monastery called the Hospederia San Martin. Many pilgrims stay here after completing the Camino. It’s easy to tell the pilgrims by their clothes, backpacks, & looks of relief combined with jubilation.

On our last stay in Santiago, I found an old grocery store that has been open since 1929 called Victoria. I went there again with their main attraction being their homemade cinnamon rolls. They are almost exactly like the ones I made when I was growing up. A well deserved treat indeed!

Old Santiago looks like a medieval city with stone streets & buildings. It is a fun place to wander around. Most buildings contain souvenir shops & restaurants.

We were told that an American couple who we had seen off & on the trail since Pontevedra had paid to have the Botafumeiro swung at the evening mass in the cathedral. The Botafumeiro is a giant censer used for burning incense. Eight priests use ropes & a pulley system attached to the cathedral’s ceiling to swing the giant censer & fill the cathedral with perfumed smoke. Its name comes from the Galician words “botar fumeiro” meaning “to throw smoke”. 

This rite is usually reserved for special Holy Days; but, anyone can pay to have it done at any mass.

The mass was a nice way to end our 2025 Camino Portugués adventure.