When Trust is Tested on the Camino: Reflections on Theft during Pilgrimage

 “It is the weight inside that tires us the most.”

Theft on the Via de la Plata

This entry is a brief aside from our usual journal of the pilgrimage across Spain on the Via de la Plata. Tonight, as we sat at a patio table in Zafra’s main square, chatting with other pilgrims, an unexpected topic slowly emerged. Beyond the usual pleasantries, we began to hear stories we hadn’t anticipated.

It was while speaking with pilgrims we recognized by sight, but with whom we had not yet talked or shared more than a nod, that tales of small thefts along the way began to surface. Pointedly, we had not shared our own experience of backpacks being rifled through or money being taken with anyone on the Camino before this. Yet apparently, thefts experienced by others had been a subject of conversation around communal dinners for several days.

Thief among the Pilgrims

One pilgrim recounted leaving their wallet on their bunk while stepping out to the washroom, only to return and find it gone. Others spoke of missing phones, stolen watches, and money taken without a trace. It was a sobering reminder that while the Camino offers camaraderie and kindness, it is not without its human pitfalls.

The pattern was now too consistent to ignore.  Hearing these stories and eventually adding in our experiences from several nights ago made us reflect once again.  We wondered about not only how we respond to harm but also how we carry ourselves as pilgrims amid these challenges.

Reacting to Theft

Having never had anything stolen over all the years on Camino or while hiking, I suppose we should count ourselves lucky.  Especially while carrying expensive camera gear and professional binoculars.  Yet something about the theft on the Camino by another pilgrim has rankled throughout most of the week’s walk.  The fact that a pilgrim had gone through our belongings and that (likely) the same person is stealing from other pilgrims somehow seemed more of a violation of the Camino and pilgrimage than being a mere theft.  

Making it more challenging is that many of the people stolen from have not wanted to talk about it for fear of sounding like they are judging a particular person or spreading rumours that will only upset others on the Way of St. James. Feelings that mirrored our own initial hesitancy to talk about being stolen from. 

The Camino de Santiago is often described as a thread woven through the landscapes of Spain and Europe, binding together strangers who become friends, travellers who become pilgrims, and individuals into a community.  Owing to these bonds, along the dusty paths and under ancient skies, a unique trust arises - a shared sense that this journey is safe, protected, and even sacred. That’s why, when that trust is broken, it strikes a deeper chord than mere inconvenience. 

Walking with Open Hearts, and Open Backpacks

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Camino is the openness with which pilgrims greet one another. We leave our phones on the charger in the hallway. We trust that our boots will still be at the door in the morning. We lend walking sticks, share snacks, and take each other’s word at face value. This mutual trust is not just practical - it’s spiritual and it’s at the heart of the pilgrim experience.   It’s rooted in the idea that the Camino is more than a path; it's a sacred space shaped by intention.  It is shaped by the hope that the world and we in it can be better.

But that doesn’t make it immune to the realities of human frailty and temptation.

When One Among Us Falters

We are fortunate that we are able to once again be on pilgrimage and especially blessed that the loss of 500 Euros (equal to almost 1000 Canadian dollars) does not undermine our ability to continue on to the Cathedral in Santiago.  Nevertheless, it is unnerving to begin to mentally question the character of those around you on the Camino.  More so when you generally see the same faces each night in the albergue.   

I know that as a pilgrim, I am supposed to take the high road, to be understanding, perhaps even take the view that this individual perhaps needed the money and items more than I or others on the trail.  I know I am supposed to be forgiving.  But to be honest, we are both frustrated - both with the acts of theft and where it has taken our minds on this journey so far.  

It was only when the dinner conversation among others turned to who each person suspected and what they should do to this individual that we saw things going in a bad direction quickly.  

We began to see that while it’s understandably tempting to react with anger, it is the wrong response.  If only because pilgrimage, like life, offers us the challenge of responding from a deeper place. If we are to be pilgrims setting out in the hopes of something better than that undertaking must be met with more than happy thoughts and wishful intentions – they must be reflected in how we respond to adversity and in our actions. 

We have spent the last few days striving to figure out how to react and, in the process, reframing our time on the Via de la Plata.  We thought of going to the police, we have considered simply getting on a bus and going to another route, as others have, and we have wondered about just returning home.   However,  none of these things will fix the problem.  The greatest challenge we now face is that this theft by a pilgrim has put us into a very judgmental mindset.  So what to do?

Finding Peace amid Challenges

First, we think that part of the issue is that often we have all romanticized the Camino to the point where we ignore its realities. As pilgrims, we are still navigating human dynamics, and it’s wise to take precautions. Certainly, we are here to walk with intention, but that should not lead to naiveté.  

Second, we can’t allow suspicion to take root in our minds and our hearts. One person's actions should not cast a shadow over the many acts of generosity and kindness we each encounter every day on the Way to Santiago and in previous walks.   We have to rededicate ourselves to staying open and staying kind.  We cannot falter amid our own frustrations with the situation by setting out to randomly accuse others. 

A Pilgrimage of Inner Peace

Over the last few days, we have come to see that being stolen from on the Camino has led to frustration, but it also offers a chance for deeper reflection.   Thinking about the boundaries we set up between ourselves and others.  Thinking about what it is that we truly value.  Is it the money or is it the Way?

Reconsidering what the Camino is compared to what we have made it into in our minds and in society.  And ultimately reflecting on forgiveness – if only so that we can move on from this moment and not have it shape our entire pilgrimage.  We have lost money that will never be returned, but the lesson from this situation might be the more lasting treasure.

As such, while others talked about how to deal with the suspected individual, we said our good nights and extracted ourselves from the situation.  

Walking the Landscapes of the Mind 

We arrived in Cadiz with the hope of walking to Santiago, and we would no longer allow this matter to determine the course of our steps or the direction of our thoughts.  

Ultimately, the Camino calls us to walk not just across landscapes, but inward - into our own capacity for understanding, compassion, and resilience. When one pilgrim falters, the rest of us have an opportunity: to walk on with eyes open, hearts guarded but not closed, and with renewed intention to be the kind of pilgrim the Camino offers us the chance to be.  To walk on as the type of person we hope that we can be when we are our best selves. 

Let’s be clear, theft like this is not common on the Camino. The vast majority of pilgrims walk the Way with integrity, humility, and kindness. But when one person breaks that circle of trust, it impacts us all. It can turn the sacred act of pilgrimage into a guarded experience. And that is a loss worth grieving.

Tomorrow we walk on…