The People Who Work on the Camino

DisCamino is an association run by volunteers that helps people with disabilities to do the Camino de Santiago. "No matter who you are, the Camino means hope and adventure. Reaching the end of the Camino gives anyone tremendous satisfaction. But even more so for people with disabilities. Because at some point in their lives, they may have thought they couldn't do it, or that their physical, intellectual, or sensory conditions would prevent them from doing it. Or because society told them they couldn't."

Lucía is a Michelin-star chef at the A Tafona restaurant in Santiago de Compostela. "I'm lucky to be at the end of the Camino, so I can see travelers as they arrive in Santiago de Compostela, get to know their stories, find out about them, and see how more people come back again year after year. Many of them use the last day to come and eat at my restaurant, and they tell me how their journey went, what they experienced, and if they learned any life lessons. In a way, they make me feel like I was on the journey with them."

"Every time I accompany a group on the Camino de Santiago, I start our journey by pointing out to them that there are many hiking trails in Spain, maybe even more beautiful ones, but this trail is so much more. The Camino de Santiago is its history, architecture, nature, gastronomy, music, towns, and people. Travelers can learn a great deal on the Camino de Santiago: respect, the true value of things, cooperation, and, above all, self-improvement."

Lucía is a ceramist, and her workshop is very close to the Northern Way (Camino del Norte). "I learned this craft from traditional potters, who in turn inherited this knowledge from their ancestors. With each generation, this work has become more individual and personalized. But I still lean on their collective knowledge, much like the pilgrims who make their pilgrimages along the Camino de Santiago alone but follow the same path as thousands of pilgrims before them."

O Camiño Empeza Agora (The Way Begins Now) is a store that offers quality products related to the Camino as well as an understanding of and empathy for the pilgrims who have just arrived in Santiago de Compostela. Jose and Isa, who actually met while doing the Camino, are the people behind this idea. Their store is a manifestation of a certain nostalgia they themselves felt when they finished the Camino.

Begoña, a pilgrim's hostel in Finisterre, defines hospitality as the friendliness and care that draws visitors and international guests to one's home or country. "Throughout the years, we've been hosts to those who come to our hostels every day while walking along the Camino de Santiago."

Mónica and Silvana are two sisters who have been pilgrims since they were 13 and 14 years old. In 2016, they decided to follow their own path together and founded Ideas Peregrinas, a space dedicated to welcoming pilgrims. "In some ways, being in contact with the Camino makes us feel like we're going on a pilgrimage every day. Being hosts on the Camino means we give it our all, but we also get something back in return. We always learn something new, make connections, forge friendships, and receive the same energy that we give out."

Javier and his brother Carlos have run Mochila Express since 2006. Their business is dedicated to transporting pilgrims' luggage. Javier is aware of the importance of his work, as he "transports pilgrims' lives in their backpacks." He finds his work rewarding as people who are the same age as his parents can do the Camino with the only weight on their shoulders being the satisfaction they feel with every step they take.

Espido Freire captured the story of her pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in her book. On her trip, she also found her family roots. "The Camino de Santiago is one of the few journeys that transports me not only in space, but also in time. Apart from feeling close to the region's heritage and landscapes, for me, doing the Camino means walking in the land of my childhood, where I grew up, where my family lived, and hopefully where I'll grow old, too."

In 2004, José Díaz Bernárdez opened Peregrinoteca, a supplies store designed to pilgrims' every need. "Running a store on the Camino de Santiago is a great responsibility, and attending to the needs of pilgrims who travel from east to west is a big deal. Afterall, over the years, they were the ones who've told us what they need. Although we live here, the world that the travelers live in is unknown to us, the natives."

Virginia works at Taboada y Ramos, a construction company that, among its other activities, works to maintain the Ways of the Camino de Santiago. One of the most memorable moments in her time there was when an ancient Roman road was discovered. "This type of work is a way of contributing to the preservation of the history of the towns that the Camino de Santiago runs through. It's a way of going back in time."

Segundo was a Dean of the Cathedral of Santiago and is now the director of the Pilgrim's Office, which is separate from the Cathedral of Santiago. He is responsible for welcoming pilgrims as they arrive at the city. "Pilgrimage is a meeting that, since the most ancient times, people have had with themselves, with nature, with others, and, for many, also with God. It's a meeting that helps people dig deep into who they are."