Editor’s Note: Timea Szilagyi is the first person in modern times to complete the entire Camino Maltés, walking through Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Spain. Here she gives us an account of her 3-month journey on foot and by boat, departing on Easter Sunday of 2025 and arriving in Santiago de Compostela in July 2025.
My Camino Maltés – The walk of life
In 2025, a Jubilee Year of Pilgrimage, I have been one of the many Pilgrims of Hope. Yet special, a pioneer of walking the entire Camino Maltés, in one go, from Malta to Santiago de Compostela, which gave me immense hope and strength.
Any long meaningful camino is building in, one will never be the same person at the end, compared to the one walking in. It is exceptionally true for a 3-month journey.
By mind it is hard to assess, what it takes to walk 90 days, 2,500 kms, every day, intentionally carrying a “cross” (a 60-litre backpack), in camino-spirit, that is in managed uncertainity (’unplanned’). The heart leads, takes the risk, legs, body follow the strong desire to leave, to be on the way, and live for the moments.
Nothing scares me any more regarding travel. The journey taught me to trust even more, whatever comes, it is for a reason, the only thing we have to do, is grab that ’whatever’ well, and see the beauty or the lesson in it. To live life to the full really one has to step out from boxes, rules and schedules set by others.
The “camino call”, how I name the desire, comes when in the routine it is hard to find myself any more, when too busy to be one piece of puzzle, when actually I would aim for a nice beautiful frame on my own. All of us deserves to be one and only, framed in gold, as we all are unique and one-of a kind as individuals. On each and every camino I find myself, on the way alone, left for the elements, impressions, feelings, meetings with other souls, who are meant to cross my path in a specific moment.
Forever grateful to Xircammini and James Portelli, for opening my eyes to the Camino Maltés, which gave the opportunity for a drastic jump out of the box – leaving work, famliy, friends, everything familiar, behind, and indeed as a pioneer, walk from my residence home in Malta, all way to the Atlantic coast.
The Camino Maltés is known to many in Malta, and definitely in the XirCammini community. Many we say, “I have walked the Camino Maltés”. Indeed, tens of thousands, from tens of nationalities, had already walked the Malta segment, the first 36 km give or take, a nice and hard walk, leaving its harsh marks on our body, full of history, along the footsteps of our ancestors of over 1,000 years. Already on its own each and every time it is something special to walk. I had been walking the Malta segment (starting from the pilot walks) at least once a year, since XirCammini was a lead to revive, way-mark, register and introduce the Camino Maltés, and its part, the Universal Peace Walk 1543AD into our international camino/trekking/walking community.
Arriving to the thought to walk the entire Camino Maltés, from Malta and following the full route by land and sea, to Santiago de Compostela, was a thrilling but somewhat familiar feeling, setting my mind on a long term goal, and being on the camino as my only and most important “full time” engagement. I chose a date of departure related to Christianity, 2025 Easter Sunday, 20 April.
The Camino Maltés is the most complex route I have ever walked. The most unique, as some segments no one in modern era has ever walked and definitely no one consecutively, walking across all islands involved and the entire Spanish Peninsula, in one go. The only transportation taken were boats to cross sea between islands. On 21 April from Malta to Pozzallo (Sicily), on 11 May from Palermo to Cagliari (Sardinia), and 3 June from Porto Torres to Barcelona (Spain).
The first anniversary of my departure is in fact approaching, and I have fond of memories.
All aspects, anything to actually “plan”, are thanks to James – I “learnt” the Camino Maltés mobile app, I searched a bit the suggested waypoints, cities, daily stops along the way. I had a rough estimate of finishing somewhen before the end of July, and I lined up an excel sheet including Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Spain, by days, and very rough estimate when possibly cross the sea. These long distance boats, I used Grimaldi Lines, sometimes are travelling only once a week, or so. I timed my arrival with the least possible waiting, not to break my pilgrimage. Rest days for the 13-15hr ferry rides.
Hard to summarise the journey. I aimed for a solo camino, I intentionally avoided “building a camino family”. I was not lonely but I wanted the deepest possible internal experience. The Sicily and Sardinia segments were the most remote. I met only one proper pilgrim, from Norway, somewhere in the heart of Sardinia, who walked from North to South, me the opposite, so we only had a chance to bump into each other “unplanned” on one accommodation.
These two islands are a must to book a few days ahead, as one proceeds, as the camino infrastructure is not so well built, though progressing. In Sicily, the 6-day-camino segment, the Cammino di San Giacomo, is well waymarked and it is possible to sleep in Capuccini Monastery in Nicosia, or in a Parish accomodation in Capizzi, but during the 3-week, roughly 500km route across Sicily the most accomodations were private. The Cammino di Santu Jacu, crossing the entire main island of Sardinia, however, has been progressing very well, thanks to the lead of the local camino association, Marina Scibilla. I must mention her, as she was an immense support along my walk, with contacts for accomodation, details, tracks of the route. I walked the Sardegna segment as colse as possible to the camino spirit.
For one week during my walk, exactly after one month I after I left, 20-26 May, I broke my solitary walking, as one soulmate joined as a pilgrim sister – Phyllis Azzopardi. I turned to 55 exactly on the Day 33 of my pilgrimage, on the 22 May. Has been one highlight of my walk, sharing this week with a wonderful Maltese friend.
All my journey otherwise was touched by encounters by animals, herds, local pastors, priests, nuns, church visitors, managers of accommodation (private, parish, municipal), volunteers, local people supporting me all the way. Have been blessed all the way, not a single bad experience, only beautiful short bonds – as each and every encounter touched my soul and imprinted for a long while.
A few mentions of encounters, as other highlights, are 1) Granon, at the Parish albergue, where I served as a volunteer in 2016, and I met during my one-night stay, “by accident” the lady responsible for the volunteers who was my mentor during my hospitalera time, 2) Hospital de Orbigo, at the Parish albergue, meeting the 87 yr old priest, Don Manuel, who was my great support when I was serving there in 2017, so were meeting in my again only one-nigh stay two Hungarian volunteers, who later in 2025 walked the Cammino di San Giacomo organised XirCammini (a bit touched by my stay sharing with them), and 3) staying in Ponferrada again in the Parish albergue where a great trekking friend and mentor in Malta, Giovanni Camilleri was serving as a hospitalero, in the first 2 weeks of July, and “unplanned” again I reached him on my Day70 of my pilgrimage, only for one but memorable night.
I encountered a few dear pilgrims, all unique and deep meetings or few nights’ sharing accommodation and experience. Even though part of the Spanish segment is one of the most commercial caminos, the Camino Frances, I managed to keep my internal journey undisturbed.
I must mention the weekly radio calls, short update chatting with Campus FM in Malta, mostly with Antonella, again organised by James, XirCammini – which really gave a frame to my walk, as I sensed time from Friday to Friday. I blogged every day on my FB page, with photos and some short dear stories, and I gave my position and progress along the way being in air with a handful of followers.
Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
Matsuo Basho
Be brave to leave, be brave to face on your own, trust and really live for the moment. Appreciate simplicity, be satisfied with whatever we have, as we are very rich and there is a lot to be grateful for and to praise.
I cannot be grateful enough to XirCammini and James Portelli, and my good faith and fortune to accomplish my plans on the Camino Maltés, with no any regrets, in the best possible way, leaving indeed lifetime memories.
Ultreia et Suseia to All. Onwards and Upwards in our lives.
