The Camino de Santiago: a universal landmark

This is a story about a world-wide marker, the Camino de Santiago. The Camino is a route that you do walking, by bike or even by horse in order to get to Santiago de Compostela’s cathedral, a temple that hosts the body of Apostle Saint James.  Pilgrims from all over the world - and I am not exaggerating because running it I’ve met Philippinos, Koreans, etc, have been doing it for centuries. Thus, the Camino de Santiago has become a universal landmark.

Santiago de Compostela Catedral

Praza do Obradoiro, 1, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain

The Camino was born somewhere between the 9th and the 12th century, since it is already described in the Codex Calistinus, a guide that in 1135 had all the information that medieval pilgrims needed to get to Santiago de Compostela. It was thought specially for foreign devotes, so it depicted the French way. This is why this route has historically been the most popular one, although nowadays there are up to 10 different ways that you can choose from. 

The French way is also the most crowded path, so I would not advise to do it on a Jacobean year (I started it in this special year, and I could not find any place to sleep!). A Jacobean year is that when Saint James’ Day is a Sunday. That year, those who pilgrim to the Apostle’s sepulchre get special indulgences from the Pope, so it tends to get packed. 

However, you cannot just walk a couple of days and expect to get these indulgences, or the recognition of having done the Camino. For this, you need to walk at least 100 kilometres. There is a document that certifies every step of your way: the compostelana. Every hostel you sleep in, or church you visit, you can get a stamp. When you reach the cathedral, if you can prove that you have walked at least 100 kms, then you have officially done the Camino! 

Origins of the Camino

In the 9th century, somewhere between 820 and 850, a hermit saw a light in the night sky and alerted the local bishop. Together they followed it and discovered the tomb of Apostle and two of his disciples. This would be, according to the legend, the origin of the name of Santiago de Compostela: Santiago is Saint James, and Compostela would come from Campus Stellae, the field of the star. 

Saint James had been one of Jesus Christ’s favourite pupils, and the finding of his body could not have been more opportunistic. In that time, pilgrims could not get to Jerusalem anymore, because it had fallen under the control of the Arabs, and Rome had lost its reputation. The Spanish king that ruled the area at the time, saw the potential of this finding and decided to exploit it as much as he could. He built a church where the tomb had been found, and he and his descendants gave a lot of privileges to the city that grew around it. He obviously did a great job, since almost 1200 years later, we are still doing pilgrimage to this very place!

The 10 different Caminos

I will now introduce you to the different Caminos. As I said before, the most popular one is the French way. If you want to do it all, you need to leave from Roncesvalles, so that is a full 800 kilometres of route! However, such a long way has an advantage: you get to visit some top cities of the north of Spain. I recommend specially Pamplona (you will have heard of it because of its corridas), Estella - a traditional stop at the Camino, where you can feel specially its essence, Logroño, in order to try its well reputed Rioja wines, Burgos and its beautiful cathedral, one of the finest temples of Spain, León and its gorgeous city centre, where Gaudi run its first masterpieces, as well as the nearby Astorga. León is worth a guided tour, so you get to know all the secrets of this northern city. And finally, when you reach O Cebreiro, you will be already in Galicia!

Another great route is the Primitive Way, the one that was used before the Codex Calistinus was published. Together with the Northern Way, it has been recognised as UNESCO Patrimony Heritage. It was very popular during the 9th and the 10th centuries, and you would walk basically through Roman roads. The first pilgrim to do it was actually the Spanish King that promoted the Apostle’s sepulchre, Alphonse the II. It goes from Oviedo, where he had his capital, to Santiago de Compostela (around 170 kilometres). 

The Northern Way is the other historic route. It was very trendy for the first pilgrims as well, and it goes along the Asturian coast. It can go from 190 to 800 kms, depending on where you want to start. The first pilgrims used to come by boat or from France, and this is why it can variate so much. It was popular because the rest of Spain was not safe under the control of the Moors.   

Another ancient (and very long) way is Vía de la Plata, the Silver Path. It goes from Seville until Astorga, where you would join the French Way. As a matter of fact, this would be the truest Camino. Saint James was initially buried at Mérida (here is the only place where an inscription of the saint has been found), and then, when Hispania fell into Muslim hands, his body was taken as far as possible: the future Santiago de Compostela, near the end of the known world. The advantage of this way is clear: whereas the other paths are great for summer but terrible for the rest of the seasons, this one is exactly the opposite. Plus, you get to visit many beautiful cities along the way: Mérida, Cáceres, Cáparra, Salamanca, Zamora… 

The Roman city of Cáparra

Autovía A-66, Salida 455, 10667, Cáceres, España

The English way is a much shorter route. Used by the pilgrims coming from Northern Europe by boat, it goes from Ferrol or A Coruña ports until Santiago de Compostela (70 to 112 kms). Again, be careful with this one: less than 100 kilometres will not get you the compostelana!

So far, we have had the French, the English, and now I want to introduce you to the Portuguese way. The original one follows the ancient Roman roads, and a new version goes along the coast. The Portuguese way includes the visit to beautiful Pontevedra and Padrón, a land of delicacies like its peppers and white wine. It is 118 kms that you can do in only six days, so if you do not have much time, it is a great choice. I did it and I slept in great places like a stunning monastery in the middle of the woods, or an abandoned house where somebody had left us some mattresses. 

And last but not least, the ultimate way: Finisterre. Once you have visited the Apostle’s sepulchre, if you are not too tired, you can still walk some 80 extra kilometres and reach Finisterre, which literally means the end of the world. It was indeed the end of the known world until the 15th century discoveries, so many curious pilgrims went there in order to see the spectacle of the sun disappearing under the sea, who knew if for the last time. However, if you have not much time left and still want to visit this stunning place, you can always go on this day tour!

A spiritual experience

The Camino started as a religious devotion, but nowadays it is also a spiritual experience. There is just a special ambiance when you do it. Every pilgrim wishes one another to have a good Camino, the locals of the least known paths help you, and when you finally spot Santiago de Compostela, for you it is just the most joyful day. I have to confess that some tears escaped my eyes when I laid eyes on the cathedral: we had made it! It is no doubt an experience I recommend everybody to do at least once in their lifetime. 

Some advice for the Camino

Whether you are doing a small or a longer version of the Camino, you absolutely need to travel light, with a bag weighing no more than 10% of your body weight. You can do the tours any season, but the northern ones are better in summer. You can reach the departure cities by train or by car, they are usually well connected. And the best thing about the Camino is that you do not need a big budget to travel along it. Most of the pilgrim’s lodges cost no more of 10€ per night, for instance the Albergue El Peregrino! Plus, in these places there is always a great ambiance going on. So you see, there are absolutely no obstacles for you to go on this adventure and run the Camino de Santiago: a universal landmark.