Camino de Santiago

Since the discovery of the Apostle James's tomb in the 9th century, pilgrims have traced paths across Europe to reach his shrine in Santiago de Compostela. What began as a single route from the Asturian capital of Oviedo has grown into a network of ancient ways spanning the continent, each carrying its own history and character while sharing a common destination.

📜 History & Significance

The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela ranks alongside Rome and Jerusalem as one of the three great pilgrimages of medieval Christendom. Following the discovery of St James's relics around 830 AD, word spread rapidly through Christian Europe. By the 11th and 12th centuries, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walked to Galicia annually, creating a network of routes, hospitals, and churches that transformed the landscape of medieval Spain.

The scallop shell became the universal symbol of the Camino pilgrim, worn on hats and cloaks as proof of the journey completed. Today, the yellow arrow marks the way forward, guiding modern pilgrims along paths their ancestors trod a thousand years before.

🥾 Route Overview

The Camino de Santiago comprises multiple distinct routes, each offering a unique pilgrimage experience:

• Camino Francés (780 km) - The classic route from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, most popular and best-supported
• Camino del Norte (820 km) - The coastal route along Spain's northern shore
• Camino Primitivo (311 km) - The original route from Oviedo, oldest and most rugged
• Camino Inglés (119 km) - The English Way from Ferrol, used by pilgrims arriving by sea
• Vía de la Plata (1000 km) - The Silver Route from Seville in the south

All routes converge on Santiago de Compostela, where pilgrims who have walked at least 100 km (or cycled 200 km) receive the Compostela certificate at the Pilgrim Office.

☩ Key Pilgrimage Sites

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela stands as the spiritual heart of all Camino routes, housing the relics of St James beneath its magnificent Romanesque altar. Pilgrims embrace the saint's statue and descend to the crypt to venerate his remains.

Along the various routes, countless churches, monasteries, and shrines mark the way - from the soaring Gothic cathedral in Burgos to the romanesque churches of the Primitivo, each bearing witness to centuries of faith.