Gallop around the Globe

03/10/2026

✨New post✨

As is always the way, I had intended to get this one out earlier in the year, but summer in the UK started at the end of April and only finished at the end of August! So, I've been spending every spare moment outside enjoying the sunshine 😁🌞😎

This post is about my experience of walking the Camino Portuguese back in March this year. I started from Porto, followed the Coastal Route to Vila do Conde, and then swapped over on to the Central Route, which I followed as far as Pontevedra. I then picked up the Spiritual Variant (a quieter alternative that heads out towards the coast and passes a couple of stunning monasteries) and finished up back on the main route from Padron to Santaigo de Compostela.

If you're thinking of doing something similar next year, hopefully this guide will help you to plan your trip 😀

https://galloparoundtheglobe.com/walking-the-camino-portuguese-central-route-and-spiritual-variant/

A comprehensive guide to walking the Camino Portugese Central Route & Spiritual Variant, including accommodation, route planning & resources.

02/10/2026

By the time you read this, I should hopefully be in the sky on my way to Madagascar! 🤞

This was meant to be last year's big trip but everything got cancelled two days before we were due to fly, because trouble had broken out in the country. So, we're trying again this year!

I'm not sure what the internet situation is like in the country (and we'll be camping for 4 days out of the 14 we'll be there), so I'll post updates - probably on Instagram - as and when I can.

In the meantime, I've got a post scheduled for publication tomorrow, so check back here in the morning to read my guide to walking the Camino Portuguese Central Route and Spiritual Variant.

It's a beautiful route that was all the more spectacular as a result of the amazing weather I had for the entire duration of my walk 🌞🌞

15/09/2026

✨️Scenes from Santander✨️

After completing the Camino San Salvador, I had to hop on a bus to Santander in order to fly home (it's the closest airport to Oviedo), so I gave myself a few hours here for a bit of a mooch.

The weather wasn't the best so I headed back to the city's modern art gallery (I swear it gets weirder everytime I visit 😂), followed by a wander through the streets searching for inspiration. It appears that Sunday is not the best time to find it, with lots of shops/bars/restaurants closed. The funicular was also closed, so I climbed all the steps for what turned out to be a non-existent view. Still, a good work out for the calves all the same 😁

I sensibly ordered a salad for dinner and then caught a bit of live music and a spectacular sunset on my walk home 🎶🎸

13/09/2026

✨️Scenes from Oviedo✨️

Due to my flight schedule, I had a full day in Oviedo after finishing the Camino San Salvador.

I tried to spend that day seeing and doing things that I didn't get around to when I was here a couple of years ago before starting the Camino Primitivo.

However, it seems that, although I only had a half-day in the city then, I actually managed to tick a huge number of items off the itinerary, including making the 3-mile out and back hike up to the Iglesia de Santa María del Naranco!

This time, because the weather wasn't as good as the last, I visited three indoor attractions - the Mercado de Fontán, Museo de Bellas Artes and the Archeological Museum - as well as returning to Campo de San Francisco (because I love it there 😊)

I also tried Carbayones and Moscovitas, dined in a traditional c***r house, and found a restaurant that offered vegetarian alternatives of traditional Asturian dishes like Fabada Asturiana and Cachopo 😋

Pictured:

🔸️Views from Campo de San Francisco
🔸️I was craving a breakfast like this one at Coffee Stories after very limited food choices in the mountains.
🔸️Exhibits at the Museo de Bellas Artes
🔸️BBVA Bank building
🔸️El Palomar, Campo de San Francisco
🔸️One of Oviedo's many bronze statues dotted around the city
🔸️Looking down Calle Fierro at the Mercado de Fontán and Iglesia de San Isidoro el Real
🔸️Buying Moscovitas from Cafe Rialto
🔸️Exhibit at the Archeological Museum
🔸️One of the side streets leading away from the cathedral

12/09/2026

Day 5 on the Camino San Salvador: Pola de Lena to Oviedo 🙌

The fifth and final day on the Camino San Salvador was a bit underwhelming after the spectacular mountain scenery of the last few days.

However, the trail threw in a few sneaky climbs after leaving Olloniego, the most brutal of which started at mile 15 of a 20-mile day.

Thoughts about the San Salvador:

🔸️Whilst lots of people describe it as one of the most challenging Caminos, I think the challenge is not the walking itself (yes, there are a few steep climbs and descents but nothing worse than the Primitivo), but the lack of services along the way. It requires a bit more planning than other routes in order to ensure that you have enough water and food, and have somewhere to sleep at the end of each stage.
🔸️This is not a busy Camino. I saw a few other hikers along the trail, but still managed to have the albergue in Llanos de Somerón to myself - in August!
🔸️You will struggle on this trail without a basic level of Spanish. Pablo at Albergue Cascoxu in Llanos de Somerón spoke excellent English, but he was the exception rather than the rule.
🔸️It's not a safe trail to do in bad weather. I was lucky that, although it was cloudier than I'd hoped it would be at this time of year, I only got caught in one torrential downpour on day 1, and the weather was pretty warm throughout. If you luck out with good weather, all that stunning mountain scenery will look absolutely incredible! ⛰️🏞👌

06/09/2026

Day 4 on the Camino San Salvador: Llanos de Somerón to Pola de Lena.

➡️ 20.2km/ 12.6 miles
⏫️ 348m

Somewhere along the 'Ruta por Munistiriu' variant, I lost the trail part the way up the side of a very steep hill 😳

Fortunately, I spotted another hiker from between the undergrowth through which I was scrambling, and managed to navigate my way successfully back on to the trail 🙌

This path is generally really well signposted, but I've definitely found that in places where you need the markers the most, they're not there 🤷‍♀️

🔸️When faced with a choice of paths just outside Llanos de Somerón, I took the 'difficult' high route. The only thing that's difficult about it is the the propensity for losing your way (if you're me, at least!). It's beautiful though - you'll walk through woodland with stunning mountain views off to your right 😀

🔸️Despite the forecast being for the possibility of rain all day, I only got caught in a few light showers and the sun stayed out for most of the morning.

🔸️Whereas yesterday had been very up and very down, today was more undulating.

🔸️Loved the little village of Herias 😊

🔸️I felt very relieved that the sunshine had dried up the surface of the rocks underfoot on the descent to Campumanes - it's steep!

🔸️The Church of Santa Cristina de Lena was the first church I've found on route that was actually open (just before 1pm). Plus, the nice lady inside offered me a stamp for my credential.

05/09/2026

Day 3 on the Camino San Salvador: Poladura de la Tercia to Llanos de Somerón

➡️ 19.4km/12 miles
⏫️ 810m

Today has probably been my favourite so far 😀

🔸️It was all up to Puerto de Pajares and then all down to San Miguel, with another cheeky little up to reach Llanos de Somerón, and very few flat sections in between.

🔸️After watching Days We Spend (Lainey and Shawn) 's vlog about being charged by cows on this section, I was rather wary every time I heard the jangle of cow bells in the distance and then spotted one or more of them along the trail. I also only have my umbrella to use as weaponary, as I do not hike with poles. But, fortunately, none of them seemed that bothered as I skulked on past 🐄🐄

🔸️Although I saw a couple of hikers in front of me stroll on past the El Mirador de Pajares cafe (the only cafe along today's section), I was very pleased I stopped for a spot of breakfast tortilla, a coffee and some incredible views. The sun had showed its face just in time 🌞

🔸️I crossed over into Asturias shortly after I left the cafe 👣

🔸️At the decision point, I followed the way of the broken sign (the sign pointing in the other direction was still on its post and made the route to Pajares look a lot more encouraging 😆) to San Miguel. It turned out to be a great choice: the views from this point onwards were incredible and it really helped to have a bit of sunshine to bring all the landscapes to life 😊

🔸️When I arrived in Llanos de Somerón, the rains arrived too. I'd timed it perfectly 🙌

🔸️Pablo, the owner of Albergue Cascoxu, informed me that I was the only guest at the hostel this evening (I assume the other hikers I saw were stopping at Pajares 🤷‍♀️ as this is the only accommodation in the village of Llanos), so I have a 10-bed dorm all to myself and Pablo is cooking an entirely vegetarian 3-course dinner just for me 🙌

03/09/2026

Day 2 on the Camino San Salvador: La Robla to Poladura de la Tercia

➡️23.3km / 14.5 miles.
⏫️624m elevation gain.

🔸️Today mostly stayed dry, but was a lot less sunny!

🔸️The trail mainly follows the road until Buiza. From there, it's a very steep, very long climb up into the mountains. The scenery up here is stunning. Shame about the lack of sunshine and blue skies 🫤

🔸️I had to jump over/duck under quite a few 'electric' fences that were blocking my path ahead. When I caught my pack on one of them, I discovered that they weren't actually live (thank God!) - probably just designed to keep cattle where they want them? 🤷‍♀️

🔸️The hospedaje I'm stopping at tonight only serves set meals at both lunchtime and dinner, and they'd informed me in advance that they were unable to offer me a non-meat option at dinner. So, I needed to make it before they stopped serving lunch at 3pm. I arrived at 2:20 🙌 My dehydrated spinach dahl (my back-up meal) will have to wait until another time...😅

26/08/2026

✨️Day 1 on the Camino San Salvador: León to La Robla✨️

Day 1 on the Camino San Salvador started with a crack of lightning and a loud rumble of thunder ⚡️⛈️

I should've known that, as I'd been so lucky with the weather on the Camino Portugués back in March, my luck would surely run out on this one.

But, have to admit, I'd gotten a bit complacent after months of sunny weather back home. My main concerns prior to arriving were of forest fires and not being able to carry as much water as i needed in the heat, when in reality, it's water-logged trails, sodden shoes and being struck by lightning that I should have been worried about 😆

However, on a positive note, there were some beautiful moments of sunshine in between the storms 🌞

Today was fairly easy walking and time passed pretty quickly.

The only downside (apart from the weather 😆) was the flies. I appreciate that i'm walking a fairly quiet trail through the mountains on my own, but having an army of flies constantly surrounding me was not the kind of protection I had in mind, especially when they decided to dive bomb my eye balls everytime I stopped to take a photo 🙃

It hasn't stopped raining since I arrived in La Robla so I'm holed up in my (very nice) room eating snacks I picked up from the supermarket 😁

Pictured:

🔸️Monument to the Pilgrim, Plaza de San Marcos, León
🔸️The first shell I found on the streets of Léon, after setting off from the city's cathedral.
🔸️The first sign of sunshine after the thunderstorm.
🔸️I love hiking Spain at this time of year as all the grapes are ripe on the vine.
🔸️It was absolutely hurling it down at this point, so finding these cute little figures carved into the tree put a smile on my face.
🔸️I saw lots of damsons growing in the trees too.
🔸️Rather than the shells you'll see in Asturias, these are the kind of trail markers (along with yellow arrows) that you'll find in Castile y Leòn.
🔸️There was actually a whole series of these crocheted tree decorations in one particular part of woodland I walked through.
🔸️Views from the bridge that lead from the trail over to the village of La Seca de Alba.
🔸️La Robla's street art offerings were on point 👌

25/08/2026

✨️Scenes from León✨️

I factored in a zero day in Léon before starting the Camino San Salvador and I'm so glad I did 😀

Despite being home to around 125,000 people, León feels like a really manageable size when you're exploring on foot, and it's possible to see a large chunk of its attractions in just one day. I racked up over 35,000 steps while just 'having a wander around' - that's over 17 miles!! A good warm up for my upcoming hike through the mountains 😀

Pictured:

🔸️Fachado del antiguo Palacio de Renedo Valdetuéjar o de Los Prado - once a palace, now a hospital. Stumbled upon by accident on my early morning wander along the remaining sections of the old city walls.
🔸️Museo Casa Botines - one of only three Gaudi-designed buildings outside of Barcelona. Now a museum and art gallery. I particularly loved the Dali exhibition on the top floor.
🔸️Monasterio de San Marcos. The majority of this place has now been converted into a luxurious Parador hotel, but you can still visit the small musem and wander the cloisters free of charge.
🔸️The exterior of the Monasterio de San Marcos and grand entrance to the Parador.
🔸️MUSAC. This is León's museum of contemporary art and is an absolute must for art lovers! I loved the colourful design of the exterior just as much as I loved the exhibits inside.
🔸️I've no idea what this stunning building is but it's located on Plaza de San Marcelo.
🔸️Love that this guy is just happily sitting here reading his book whilst the buzz of life in Plaza de San Marcelo happens around him.
🔸️One of the many back streets offering views of the cathedral. This one is Calle Dámaso Merino.