Location : Ferrol to Neda
Distance: 13 miles
Weather: a tad warm!The one with a flying phone, a muddy miracle, and a very fluffy donkey
CAMINO INGLÉS – Day 1
The one with a flying phone, a muddy miracle, and a very fluffy donkey
Summary:
Day one of our Camino Inglés delivered more than just miles. From emotional church moments to donkey sightings, from epic bonding to an unexpected dip in the river (phone first!), it was a day full of laughter, connection, and memories we’ll never forget. We started as strangers… and ended the day as a team.
After a wonderful breakfast at the beautiful Parador Hotel, we gathered outside for our first group briefing. I walked everyone through the route ahead, shared the plan for check-in points, and reminded them that this isn’t a race – it’s a pilgrimage. Walk your own pace, soak up your own moments. Today’s key stops: the route split, the lunch stop, and our hotel in Neda.
And we’re off! Spirits high, we walked to the pilgrim office by the port for stamps, selfies, and a few friendly hellos with fellow pilgrims from California and Ireland. Credentials stamped and hearts buzzing – the Camino had officially begun!
We’d barely hit our stride when a loud “ahhh!” rang out behind me. Hayley had tripped over a rogue bollard and landed in my arms like a movie scene… minus the romance and plus a bleeding knee and a very bruised shin. Camino initiation complete?
The group had naturally split. While some popped into Lidl for loos and snacks, Annette, Sue, Hayley, Lisa, Emma and I carried on and found a roadside café. Five miles in = coffee time! We sat down for café con leche (divine), and got chatting with a loved-up Irish couple, Ross and Ashlain, holding hands all the way to Santiago (goals!). Hayley, meanwhile, emptied her rucksack all over the café floor in panic – her wallet was missing. She feared she’d left it in her suitcase. Emma, her fab new roomy, kindly loaned her some cash to get through the day. Crisis (partially) averted.
Just up the road we found a gorgeous old church. A lovely gentleman handed out Camino shells and stamped our passports. I stepped inside for a moment of quiet, sat on a wooden pew, closed my eyes… and Whitney Houston’s “Didn’t we almost have it all” (weird for a church I know!) played softly through the speakers. Instant goosebumps. Unexpected emotion welled up. I just knew this Camino would leave its mark.
Then came the baby donkeys – tiny, fluffy, and flopped in the sunshine. Caroline shouted, “Is that one dead?!” but nope, just enjoying a sun nap. Last time I passed this spot there were pigs – this time, donkeys stole the show. Cue much cooing. We passed the 102km marker – and spirits were soaring.
The group came back together, and we reached the point where the trail splits. Straight over the bridge, or the scenic Tide Mill route? Easy choice. We took the pretty path, nicknamed The Baker’s Trail, where flour was once ground for bread. Along the way, a bunch of school kids on bikes zoomed past us, waving and shouting “Buen Camino!” – it was pure joy.
Just reached Neda and the 100km milestone. We were ready for lunch. We wandered along the river, marvelled at a 6-metre-wide Magnolia tree, and soaked up the view. Then… it happened.
I was standing next to Annette, who raised her phone for a picture of the river. “Oh no,” she whispered. Then louder: “F***!” Her phone had slipped through her fingers and plopped straight into the river below. Her face was a mix of disbelief and horror. “My life is in that phone!” she said.
We peered over the rail. There it was – two feet deep in mud and water. Without hesitating, Annette took off her shoes, grabbed her sliders and went in. The beach was actually thick mud and slimy seaweed. She slipped, lost a slider, started digging frantically like she was on an archaeological dig, and yelled, “I’ve lost my f***ing shoe!” It was chaos and comedy all rolled into one.
👏 But then… miracle moment! She found the slider. Then the phone. She held it aloft like it was the Holy Grail. It had been submerged for 45 minutes – and it still worked. We cheered, clapped, and emptied our water bottles over her legs to wash off the mud. It was messy. Hilarious. And genuinely moving to see everyone rally around her. That moment of group bonding? Priceless.
With mud cleaned up and spirits high, we stopped at a lovely café for bocadillos and lemon drinks. Recharged and giggling, we had just 2km to go.
We arrived at our stunning hotel in Neda, greeted by Paul and his lovely dad from Peru. The hotel was breathtaking – right on the beach, huge rooms, a private chapel. After showers and a bit of unpacking… Hayley let out a shout. “I found it!” Her wallet had been safely tucked in her suitcase all along. Huge relief – and a great reminder that Camino chaos always seems to balance itself out.
🍷 We all gathered at beachside tables for a glass of wine and a debrief. Feet sore, hearts full.
Dinner was at a buzzing local restaurant. We were driven there by taxi (on rotation!) and treated to a surprise three-course feast: pasta bolognese, chicken lasagne, salmon with mysterious mashed potatoes, and the star of the show – Grandma’s cake. Absolutely delicious.
Our lovely taxi driver got us all home safely. I collapsed into bed, exhausted but glowing with that happy, contented feeling that only comes from a day well lived.
Until tomorrow… Buen Camino.