37,430 steps – 24.73 kms

We were up and walking by 7:30 a.m., setting out along the beautiful sidewalk beach walk. We had one goal in mind – catch the first boat of the day. First departure was at 9:00 a.m., and we were not going to miss it. It was a unique and memorable start to the morning. We boarded the boat directly from the beach and it was a short 10 minutes trip to Santona.

We had already decided that once we disembarked we would take the ocean view route. What followed was both breathtaking and, at times, nerve-wracking. The narrow paths wound along dramatic coastal cliffs with stunning views of the sea stretching endlessly before us. There were a few sections where our hearts were racing, knowing that one wrong step could have meant a dangerous plunge. Despite, the intensity, the beauty surrounding us made every step worthwhile.

Eventually, we emerged onto another gorgeous beach by Noja. Ready for a break, we stopped at a biker bar for coffee, tea and a much needed rest. While we sat there recovering, the rain began to fall outside.

By this point, a sore back was making it increasingly difficult to continue. We decided it would be best to adjust our plans and not push on to Guemes as originally intended. Instead, we planned to stop earlier. Unfortunately, relying on the map app led to an unexpected mistake – we unknowingly booked a hotel that turned out not to be on our Camino route at all.

Along, the way, just outside San Miguel de Meruelo, an older gentleman struck up a conversation with us. When he asked where we were headed for the night and we told him, he became visibly concerned and immediately told us we were going the wrong direction.

When we explained that we had already booked and paid for a room and would need to take a taxi, he insisted on personally walking us into town to the taxi stand to make sure we safely got where we needed to go. Today, he truly felt like our guardian angel.

When we arrived, there was unfortunately no driver with the taxi waiting there, so we stepped into the nearest bar to ask for help. The people there were incredibly kind and called a taxi for us. About half an hour later, it arrived.

That evening, we stayed in Escalante at Posada Los Gallos, a wonderfully charming inn complete with a lovely balcony. By then, both of us were completely exhausted. A hot shower helped tremendously, and spending time texting and talking with our children for Mother’s Day lifted our spirits even more.

Later, we went out for a small meal and began discussing what the next day should look like. After talking it through, we realized that what we truly needed was a bit of recovery time. We decided we would find transportation to our next lodging destination and resume walking the Camino the following day instead.

Before bed, we booked a bus from Escalante to Santander for the next morning. With a plan finally in place, both of us slept much better that night.

“The Camino’s favourite question is: ‘How attached are you to that plan?’”