The Way of St James (Camino de Santiago) is the network of pilgrimage routes leading to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, where tradition says the apostle James the Great is buried. The routes in Spain are a UNESCO site, and in 1987 the Camino became the first Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. In recent years the Pilgrim's Office has issued over 500,000 Compostelas a year.
History
According to tradition, in the early ninth century a hermit saw lights in a field and Bishop Theodemir discovered a tomb, recognised as the apostle's. King Alfonso II of Asturias built a church there, and Santiago became, with Rome and Jerusalem, one of the three great goals of Christian pilgrimage. In the twelfth century the Codex Calixtinus already described the route, with advice and warnings for pilgrims. The Camino's symbol is the scallop shell (vieira), which pilgrims brought home from the Galician coast, together with the yellow arrow that marks the way. Hospitals, bridges, monasteries and churches grew up along the route, spreading Romanesque art across Spain.
The routes
| Way | Classic start | Approx. length | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (France) | about 780 km | busiest and best equipped: Pyrenees, Pamplona, Rioja, Burgos, meseta, León, Galicia |
| Portuguese | Lisbon or Porto | about 620 km from Lisbon, 240 from Porto | second most popular, with a coastal variant |
| Northern | Irún | about 820 km | along the Cantabrian coast, harder and more scenic |
| Primitive | Oviedo | about 320 km | the oldest, mountainous and solitary |
| English | Ferrol or A Coruña | about 120 km | short, used by those arriving by sea |
| Vía de la Plata | Seville | about 1,000 km | the longest, through Extremadura and Castile |
Other routes include the Camino de Fisterra and Muxía, continuing from Santiago to the ocean, and the Camino de Invierno.
French Way stages
The French Way enters Spain across the Pyrenees at Roncesvalles and passes through Pamplona, Puente la Reina, Estella, Logroño, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Burgos, the Castilian meseta with Frómista and Sahagún, León, Astorga, the Cruz de Ferro, Ponferrada, O Cebreiro, Sarria, Portomarín, Melide and finally Santiago. It is usually walked in 30-35 daily stages of 20-30 km. See also the wine way.
Credential and Compostela
To sleep in pilgrim albergues you need the credential, a booklet stamped (sello) at places along the way. On arrival, the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago issues the Compostela, the pilgrimage certificate, to those who have walked at least the last 100 km or ridden them on horseback, or cycled 200 km, with at least two stamps a day on the final stretch. That is why many start from Sarria, just over 100 km from Santiago. Every day at noon the cathedral holds the pilgrims' mass, and on some occasions the botafumeiro, a huge censer hanging from the vault, swings through the transept.
Practical tips
- When: spring and early autumn are ideal; July and August are hot and crowded, winter cold and rainy, with many albergues closed.
- Where to sleep: public albergues (from about 10-15 euros), private ones, guesthouses and hotels; in high season it pays to book the busiest stages.
- What to pack: a light backpack, no more than 10% of your body weight, broken-in shoes, blister plasters, a rain poncho and a light sleeping bag.
- What it costs: on average 35-50 euros a day for lodging and meals, with the menú del peregrino in bars along the way.
- Holy Years: when 25 July, the feast of St James, falls on a Sunday, a Compostela Holy Year is celebrated, with the opening of the Holy Door. The next is in 2027.
Santiago airport has international flights, and the Camino can be combined with a trip to Portugal.