TURAS GIRLS

In June 2024, six adventurous, resilient women said yes to an idea that had been taking shape for more than a year: meet in Porto, Portugal, lace up our shoes, shoulder our packs, and walk the Camino de Santiago together.

On June 10, 2024, we took our first steps along the Camino’s coastal route with more than 80 miles between us and Santiago de Compostela. What followed was far more than a walk from one city to another.

We followed paths through quiet villages, forests, and stretches of beautiful coastline. There were long days and tired legs, aching feet and unexpected challenges. There was also endless conversation, lots of laughter, incredible scenery, shared meals, and those moments when you look around and realize, I can’t believe we get to do this.

Some days tested us. Others seemed to fly by. And somewhere along the way, the miles became less important than the people walking beside us.

Eventually, six women who had started together in Porto walked into Santiago—tired, proud, a little emotional, and carrying far more than what was in our backpacks.

And because apparently walking 80+ miles through Portugal and Spain wasn’t quite enough adventure, we traded hiking shoes for city streets and flew to Barcelona for a whirlwind 48 hours of sightseeing, eating, drinking, and squeezing every possible experience out of our final days together.

There is no photograph that can fully capture what this trip felt like. The pictures show the landscapes, the smiles, the beautiful places and maybe even a little of the exhaustion—but they can’t quite capture the conversations, the challenges, the laughter, the friendships, or the feeling of finally arriving in Santiago.

The Camino gave us all of it: difficulty and joy, fatigue and wonder, challenge and connection.

And maybe that’s what makes a journey worth taking.

The miles eventually end. The stories come home with you. 

June 2024