Hiking Spain’s Camino de Santiago trail is one of the world’s great pilgrimages. And actor, writer, and director Andrew McCarthy has walked the 500-mile Camino Frances, not once but twice, most recently with his teen son. It’s a journey he documented in his new book, Walking with Sam (Grand Central Publishing, May 2023), and shares with us in this week’s episode.   

Some of you may know Andrew from his work in film and TV—he starred in such ’80s classics as St. Elmo’s Fire and Weekend at Bernie’s—but here at AFAR, we’re more familiar with his work as a travel writer and editor. In 2010, he participated in one of AFAR’s first Spin the Globe trips: We spun the globe and sent Andrew to Ethiopia with less than 24 hours’ notice—a trip that culminated in his near arrest. 

But his latest book is a quieter adventure. As his son took his first steps into adulthood, Andrew wanted to recreate his own first Camino walk—and cement their bond. As they walked (sometimes together, sometimes apart), they faced blisters and hours in the baking sun, the paradoxes of solitude and companionship, and the transformative power of the Camino pilgrimage.

Resources

Walking resources

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