Carlos in front of Santiago Cathedral. Photograph provided by Carlos.
Interview and editing: IacoBoom team · Testimony and photographs: Carlos (@el.peregrino.digital)
Walk the Camino de Santiago alone or with others? Carlos does not choose just one answer. He has enjoyed listening to other pilgrims and sharing the kilometres, but also walking at his own pace and taking time for himself.
Behind @el.peregrino.digital is someone who wants to share his experience to help people who do not yet know the Camino. We spoke to him about his routes, passing through O Cebreiro, an encounter that stayed with him and the advice he would give someone thinking about setting off.
How el.peregrino.digital began
The idea came to Carlos while he was training in the mountains. He thought that what he had learnt could help people starting from scratch: helping them prepare and dispelling some of the ideas that circulate about the Camino.
I thought my experience could help people who knew nothing about the Camino to prepare well and dispel some of the ideas that build up around it.
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His first Caminos: school and friends
Looking back at his beginnings, Carlos mentions a school trip and a Camino with friends that he experienced in “holiday” mode. Two memories of his early encounters with an experience he has returned to on different occasions.
Backpack, shell and walking poles. Photograph provided by Carlos.
The Portuguese Way from Tui, the French Way and O Cebreiro
Among the Caminos he has walked, he mentions the Portuguese Way from Tui and the French Way, covering different distances. The longest journey he remembers totalled, as he tells us, 310 kilometres from León.
When we ask him about a special place, he singles out O Cebreiro:
Passing through O Cebreiro is, so far, one of the best things I have experienced.
Walking alone or with others: listening to others and to yourself
Carlos has no fixed preference. For him, walking with other people and walking alone offer different experiences, and both have their place.
I have walked with others and I love listening to them and sharing the Camino; and I have also walked alone, listening to myself and battling my own fears and demons.
An encounter that stayed with him
Of the people he has met, he especially remembers a pilgrim who had recovered from a stroke. What impressed him was that pilgrim's willpower.
That willpower really stayed with me. You always meet lots of people and keep a little bit of each of them with you... I think that is the magic of the Camino.
A detail bearing the greeting “Buen Camino”. Photograph provided by Carlos.
What if you want to walk the Camino, but are afraid to go alone?
One of the fears Carlos mentions is getting lost. Drawing on his experience, he encourages those who are unsure to step outside their comfort zone and take time for themselves. He also says that, even when he starts out intending to walk alone, he ends up sharing moments with other people.
His advice focuses on what that time for yourself can offer, without suggesting there is only one way to experience the Camino.
Sometimes it is good to step outside your comfort zone and take some time for yourself.
The advice he would take on his first Camino
When we ask what he would have liked to hear before setting off, his answer is not about equipment or kilometres:
Leave your fears behind and learn to listen to yourself.
What he shares on social media and what he is preparing for Xacobeo 2027
On @el.peregrino.digital he shares information, apps, routes and stages related to the Camino. Now that he is preparing for another journey, he also shares his training routes.
His next Camino is still a secret. What he does tell us is that he wants his Xacobeo 2027 Camino to be special:
My next Camino is still a secret (hahaha). Next year is Xacobeo and I want it to be a little more special in every way.
An image from Carlos's personal collection. Photograph provided by Carlos.
His thoughts on IacoBoom and an idea for improvement
After trying IacoBoom, Carlos highlights the way it helps people find plans or groups of people who want to walk the Camino. He also suggests adding a playful element, such as collecting objects or items.
The conversation gives us both his feedback and a suggestion to keep thinking about how to make IacoBoom more appealing to pilgrims.
The way you can find plans or groups of people who want to walk the Camino is very useful.
Thank you, Carlos, for sharing your experience and photographs. You can follow his training routes, advice and upcoming adventures on Instagram: @el.peregrino.digital.
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