Camino Portuguese 19: A Guarda to Oia

Friday, June 20, 2025

Camino Portuguese: Day 19 – A Guarda to Oia

I slept surprisingly well in the dorm last night and it didn’t end up getting as hot as I expected. Many pilgrims were up early this morning to head out onto the Camino. My alarm was set for 06:15 though, so I had a little bit of a sleep-in today. Today’s walk was a very short 18km, so I had no need to rush to get started. After getting ready and packing my bags, I returned to the café where I’d eaten dinner the night before. They offered a pilgrim breakfast of coffee and a croissant, which was a pleasant way to start the day. Finally, at 07:45, I started walking.

The Camino stuck to the coastline today and the weather was absolutely perfect for walking – cloudy and cool. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocky coast was very soothing and peaceful as I began the day’s walk. There was only one part of the path that became rocky, but they were large rocks and easy to walk over (not at all like the torture paths in Portugal).

When the Camino eventually began following alongside a major road, there was a wonderful pedestrian and cycling path where I could walk. I felt much safer there than I ever had along the many major roads in Portugal. The Camino had already undergone major improvement since entering Spain! Despite being on the road, I could still see out to the ocean to my left, past rolling green fields. Shortly before reaching the first proper village, the route went through a lengthy tree-lined area. There were quite a few hills to climb up as well, so I was glad to finally reach a stopping point.

My coffee break this morning was at a delightful café set up primarily for pilgrims with an outdoor patio overlooking the ocean. The woman running the place was very welcoming. I ordered coffee, along with my first slice of Santiago Cake! I loved relaxing on the patio, listening to the sounds of the waves, while sipping my coffee. Several pilgrims arrived as I was having my break, but not a single one of them wanted to engage in conversation with me.

I had roughly two hours left to walk today before reaching Oia. I walked at a steady pace, but slower than my usual pacing. The Camino alternated between following the road and deviating down some dirt paths. The views everywhere I looked were amazing, especially since the sun had come out during my break. Today was becoming one of my favorite days of the Camino.

Oia itself is a small town spread along the coast. The town center has a large church perched atop a mighty stone wall. My hotel for the night was about 20 minutes’ walk outside of the town center, so I continued along the Camino for a little while. This area of Spain is truly beautiful and I was very glad to be walking the coastal route.

I arrived at the hostel slightly too early for check in, so I walked to a nearby café to have a cold drink while I waited. As I sat there, another customer approached me and asked if I was doing the Camino as well. We soon struck up a lengthy conversation. His name is John and he’s from New York City. He too was walking the Camino solo and had experienced the same antisocial issues as me, so I didn’t feel quite so alone. We stayed at the café talking for about an hour before leaving to check in at our hostels, but we exchanged WhatsApp numbers so we could meet for dinner.

My hotel tonight was basic, but comfortable. I had a private room with a shared bathroom. It felt so good to lie down and stretch out in the bed for a little while during the afternoon. After walking for 19 days straight, I was getting very sore and tired – though my feet were doing much better nowadays.

At 19:30 John and I met up for dinner, returning to the same café where we’d met in the afternoon. They weren’t serving the usual menu, but had a buffet option that looked good. The waitress spoke to us exclusively in Spanish, but I was happily able to understand the vast majority of what she was saying! I am always amazed at how quickly my Spanish returns to me whenever I’m in a Spanish-speaking country. I am not claiming to be fluent or anywhere near that level, but I remember more than expected and can have some conversations with locals. I had some pork, lasagna, rice, and some other food (not sure what it was, but it was good). Included with the buffet was coffee and dessert (rice pudding).

John and I spent several hours chatting during and after dinner. He too is planning to arrive in Santiago on the 27th of June – he is attending a wedding there that evening! He doesn’t have his route as clearly planned out as I do, but he is an experienced traveler and knows what he’s doing. One of his ankles has been hurting the past day or two, which has slowed down his pace a bit, unfortunately. I really enjoyed our evening together – I had finally made a friend on the Camino! We talked about our travels, jobs, personal lives, etc. He asked me a lot about living abroad because it’s something he is longing to do, though he said his current girlfriend is not the type of person who would want to move outside of the States. We glanced at our phones and were shocked to discover that it was 22:00 – we had lost track of the time, which was made all the easier because the sun had not yet set today! Sunset is so late at night here in Spain at this time of year; it stays light outside until 23:00 or later. We quickly paid for our dinners and walked back to our hotels. We planned to message one another in the morning when we were preparing to leave – if our times coincided, we could walk together for a bit! Yay – a Camino friend!

Distance Walked: 18.79 km
Steps Walked: 24,981

Total Distance: 532.77 km
Total Steps: 708,880