After travelling around the world and experiencing the Himalayas, Aconcagua, and other intrepid routes, our guides fell in love with the Camino de Santiago. So, they decided to move to Spain and make this passion their way of life!
Discover more about their journey:
Born and raised in Bilbao, before starting to work on the Camino as a tour guide, Silvia was a mountain guide in the Himalayas for many years. But it was not until she had the opportunity to go on the Camino for the first time that she understood the reason why so many people travel every year from places like Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and more to walk the Camino de Santiago.
When she first walked the full French Way from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela it took her 3 months, and she was so passionate about it that she wanted to know all the legends and stories about the Camino. She went into almost every bar along her way and seized the opportunity to talk to local people and pilgrims.
She now lives in Galicia and has been working as a much-loved Follow the Camino guide for the last 6 years.
Making an effort together unites us, it’s a good bond. It was a mystery for me why people would fly from Australia or other areas of the world to walk the Camino and come back over and over again. I think it is the people, the other pilgrims, the experience of going through it together, doing it with joy, doing it laughing, doing it with freedom, that creates a good bond.
– Silvia Santos
Silvia gave us invaluable information about the Camino and made my time on the Camino beyond memorable.
Born in Barcelona, Francisco moved to Ponferrada, a town right on the French Way, at a young age so he’s very familiar with the Camino. He made his first pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in his twenties and then he started to travel around the world.
Fran, as he prefers to be called, has lived in California, India, Philippines, Thailand, and Laos, where he discovered his great talent as a tour guide. When he decided to come back to Spain, he was very clear about what he wanted to do – he wanted to show people the Camino de Santiago as a tour guide, and he has now been doing it for the last 7 years.
If you’re lucky enough to have him as a tour guide, don’t be surprised if he starts playing the guitar at dinner!
Walking the Camino is a unique experience that you don’t get anywhere else. The walking, the nature, the culture, how we get together as a group and you make friends for a lifetime.
– Fran Alvarez
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk. Our guide, Francisco, was great! The group that we joined were awesome and from all parts of the world. Excellent rooms, food, and journey.
– Jack from Texas
We were warmly greeted at the airport by our guide, Fran. Each part of our trip was explained in detail. The hotels, meals, and the walk were amazing. Great job!
– Mary from Texas
Alba is passionate about travel, nature, and people. For more than two years, she traveled the world by bicycle, exploring some of the most remote and lesser-known countries. She has crossed on foot some of the most impressive mountain ranges, such as the Atlas and Fouta Djallon in West Africa, and completed iconic treks in the Himalayas, where the majesty of the mountains and the people she met along the way left a deep mark on her.
In recent years, she has lived in France and Switzerland, always surrounded by mountains, which further strengthened her connection with nature. However, three years ago, she decided to settle in a small village in Asturias, where, in addition to enjoying the peace of the mountains, she grows her own garden and continues traveling through projects like this one on the Camino de Santiago, where she has the chance to meet people from all over the world.
Pilgrimage routes fascinate her because they are places full of special energy that connects those who walk them. Currently, guiding people along these paths, observing flora and fauna, and cycling are her greatest passions. Each of these allows her to connect deeply with the world and enrich her personal journey.
Mark is from Glasgow, Scotland. He’s been been coming to Galicia since 1994 and moved here in 2010. He’s been working on the Camino for over 15 years writing articles, making promotional videos & as a self employed Walking Guide, mainly for the specialist travel agencies. He’s now done most of the Caminos in Spain including the lesser known routes like the Camino de Invierno from Ponferrada. He speaks both Spanish and Galician.
He enjoys walking including on the Camino de Santiago. He loves to talk about the gastronomy, wine tourism, geography and history of the Camino. He feels very privileged to be able to walk with people and show off his passion for Galicia, it’s landscapes, food and wildlife. He loves the interaction with pilgrims and the religious and spiritual importance of the Camino.
At Easter time in 2017 he was in Plaza Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela looking at the Cathedral’s majestic facade while filming a video when he met his future partner. She had just finished her Camino and was curious to know what he was up to. The rest is history so the Camino really does change lifes forever!
His greatest thrill of doing what he does he says is knowing he’s helping fellow pilgrims get the most out of their Camino experience. As a good Catholic he’s motivated to help serving other people and doing it with passion that drives him to repeat the experience so often while he still can!
Juan has been guiding on the Camino de Santiago for the past four years, and for him, it’s one of the most rewarding roles he could imagine. He sees the Camino as much more than a walk—it’s a space where people reconnect with themselves, with others, and with something greater. Being part of that process, even in a small way, is something he treasures every single day.
Before becoming a guide, Juan spent several years traveling around the world. Those experiences taught him more than any classroom ever could—about people, cultures, expectations, and how to adapt. That journey shaped who he is today: someone who enjoys connecting with others, solving problems with calm and creativity, and always finding the bright side of things.
What Juan brings to the Camino is a mix of enthusiasm, attention to detail, and a strong sense of responsibility. He loves making people feel comfortable, cared for, and inspired—whether through a shared laugh, a thoughtful gesture, or simply listening.
He believes the Camino is made up of little moments: a conversation under the trees, a hand on the shoulder, the silence after reaching a summit. For him, it’s a path where people become more human—and he’s grateful to walk it again and again with others.
