Walking The Camino de Santiago – The Portuguese Way

Presenter: Andy “Captain Blue” Niekamp

Presented By: Springboro Next Destination Speaker Series – Free & Open To The Public

 Join Andy Niekamp as he narrates his trek on the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago, from Porto, Portugal, to Santiago, Spain. This second most popular Camino route boasts stunning coastal views, vibrant cities rich in history, quaint cobblestone streets, shrines, ancient churches, stone crosses, hiking trails, and friendly locals.

The 19-day, 220-mile, pilgrimage photo journey follows Andy and his hiking partner along the multiple, and sometimes confusing, routes of the Portuguese Way, including the Litoral, Coastal, Central, and Spiritual routes. The trek concludes on Spain’s western shore at Finisterre whose name literally means “end of the earth,” as the Romans believed it was. Today, the Camino Finisterre has a reputation as a place of endings and new beginnings. This presentation will inspire you to embark on a Camino de Santiago journey of your own.

Bio: Andy “Captain Blue” Niekamp has over 20,000 miles of backpacking experience, including five end-to-end hikes on the Appalachian Trail, a continuous footpath from Georgia to Maine that travels throughout 14 different states. He has also hiked the Buckeye Trail, Florida Trail, Arizona Trail, Camino de Santiago (French Way and Portuguese Way), Colorado Trail, John Muir Trail, Sheltowee Trace, Long Trail, Ozark Highlands Trail, Superior Hiking Trail, Benton McKaye Trail, Ohio To Erie Trail, and other trails. He is the founder and organizer of Dayton Hikers, a Meetup hiking group with 9,500 members, and the Chief Adventure Officer of Outdoor Adventure Connection, a backcountry guide service. His passion lies in organizing special hiking events and encouraging others to get involved in trail maintenance.