The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, also known in English as The Way of St James, are walking and cycling pilgrimage paths. The walking trails come from all Europe, some start and finish in Spain, and they all converge on Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain as their destination. For more than 1,000 years pilgrims have traveled along the many Caminos to Santiago.
The most popular Camino walking trail is the Camino Frances. This part of the Camino de Santiago traditionally starts in St Jean Pied de Port in France and finishes in Santiago de Compostela about 780km later, after traveling the breadth of Northern Spain, (In Santiago you can collect your Compostela). However you can start anywhere and even continue past Santiago to the sea at Finisterre. Cape Finisterre was thought to be the end of the world in medieval times.
Why People Walk or Cycle the Camino
Many say they walk just because it is there, for others it’s an adventure holiday or walking holiday. Some start out with the thought that it is a pilgrimage, however given the way people bond after spending so much time together walking or cycling even those on holiday agree by the end that it is a very special journey. I did not set out on a Spiritual or religious journey – but it ended being that way – accident? I don’t know… Maybe that is just the Camino de Santiago at work.
Where to Start Exploring
These pages are intended to help you plan your pilgrimage, (or walking holiday), and hopefully keep you in contact with other pilgrims after you have gone back to your daily life. The best place to start on the site is the Camino Routes page as there are quite a few. Once you decide on your hiking route you can start to plan.
The Camino Directory lists other Camino websites and a full list of Confraternity sites where you can sometimes get a pilgrims passport before you go, Camino Guide Books for a list of good books, Packing lists for essential advice about feet, good boots and how little to pack, Albergues (hostels) – explains what they are and provides a full list, Travel – how to get there and back often a bit of a challenge, and Photos to give you a bit of a taster of Spain.
The Camino history page introduces you to some of the legends and there are few pages listing the major cities along the Camino Frances. I hope this is enough to get you interested and started, if you need any other information please ask your question on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela Forum and I will answer it there.
FAQ on the Camino is a new addition. I expect it will never be finished as I keep getting sent questions that I would never have thought of. If you have any other questions on the Camino de Santiago, just go to the forum and post them there.
The Camino de Santiago is for everyone, young, old, fit, unfit, religious or otherwise. One of the surprising observations I had was that people I thought would drop didn’t – and most of the people I saw with problems were younger people – perhaps trying to push their walking too fast. One great bit of advice I got was – slow down – a Frenchman I met kept telling me this – I listened after a while and traveled as far, but with much less pain and strain.
I have a request of pilgrims walking or cycling the Camino de Santiago. Keeping this site up to date is a must, a few pilgrims email me information on new hostels and I add them to the list. My request is this – if you can send me by email or post any information you collect along the way about new Albergues – Refugios – Hostels, or anything else you think should be included for information for other pilgrims. Scan and email would be easiest or email me and I will send you my postal address here in Ireland.
Get used to the sound – Buen Camino – it can be a beautiful journey.
In 1985 2,491 pilgrims completed the Camino. In 1995 there was 19,821, then in 2005 there was 93,921. These are only the pilgrims that asked for and received a Compostela, therefore many more completed the routes. Figures complements of the Office de Acogida al Peregrino. More Camino maps
If you have an interest in long distance walking holidays another site that may be of interest is the West Highland Way – this is a 7/8 day long distance hiking route from Glasgow into the Highlands of Scotland.
My personal blog is Leslie Gilmour.com. And lastly this is my current work in progress, Prague – a new and expanding site.
