Sylvia Nilsen

Sylvia Nilsen, well known in the Camino world for her 'amaWalker blog' and as 'Sillydoll' on the Camino forums, is a South African freelance writer who has been published in numerous national and international publications. She worked as a research agent and editor for a UK-based travel guide publisher and produced several African country and city guides.

Sylvia was the Regional Co-ordinator for the Confraternity of St James in South Africa from 2003 to 2010. She has walked over 8 000 km of Camino trails, including Paris to Spain, the Camino Frances from Roncesvalles to Santiago multiple times, the Aragones from Lourdes to Pamplona, el Ferrol to Santiago, Santiago to Finisterre and twice from Switzerland to Rome on the Via Francigena. She was a Spanish accredited hospitalero volunteer trainer in South Africa having trained 112 new volunteers and has served as a volunteer hospitalero several times in Spain. In 2010 she founded amaWalkers Camino (Pty) Ltd and accompanies groups of pilgrims on various Camino routes in Spain and to Rome in Italy.

Her books include the popular Camino planning guide, YOUR CAMINO ON FOOT, BICYCLE AND HORSEBACK IN FRANCE AND SPAIN, a historical novel PILGRIM FOOTPRINTS ON THE SANDS OF TIME.

In her Pilgrimage Trails series, she has written LA VIA FRANCIGENA - FIVE PILGRIMS TO ROME, THREE SHORT HIKES ON EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO and LA VIA TURONENSIS FROM PARIS TO SPAIN.

CAMINO LINGO English-Spanish Words and Phrases for pilgrims on el Camino de Santiago.