Camino is the Spanish word for trail, path, lane, road, way and journey. The Camino de Santiago, which is the name for all the Caminos that end in the ancient pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, is all of those things. |
 There are Caminos throughout Europe that start in countries such as France, England, Germany, Italy, Holland, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal and as far away as Norway, to name a few. All end in that holy and medieval city, Santiago de Compostela. |
MAP: COURTESY OF INTERWORKSLTD /www.santiago-compostela.net
| Walking a Camino de Santiago is like no other walk. As a walker on the trails in Spain and those that lead to Spain, you are referred to as a "Pilgrim." Translated into Spanish you are referred to as peregrino (peh-rhe-green-oh) if you are male and as peregrina (peh-rhe-green-ah) if you are a female. The trails are referred to as "The Way." Hostels are called albergues (al-bear-guess) or refúgios (re-fu-he-os), and hotels are called hoteles. |
History of the Caminos:
| If you have not read about the Camino De Santiago, you will want to know a little history. The Caminos in Spain, the ancient pathways have been walked by Pilgrims for centuries. Pilgrims traveled to Santiago from all over Europe on foot to attain forgiveness for their sins by visiting the place where, according to legend, St. James the Apostle is buried. For centuries, Pilgrims suffered the pain of harsh weather, hungry stomachs and sore feet. Folk lore has it that those ancient Pilgrims found the path to Santiago by following the stars and by keeping the sun at their back during the day following their shadow, west. |
| The pathways were worn into the earth not only by pilgrims, but also by early religious Crusader warriors and conquering armies as early as those of Caesar's. Early in the ninth century a hermit living in Galicia, the northwestern province of Spain had a dream. In that dream he saw a field of stars that led to the burial place of St. James the Apostle. He followed his dream and found the relics in what was to become Santiago de Compostela. Historians say that religious pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela for the purpose of visiting the relics and receiving their blessings reached a peak in the Middle Ages. |
| The wars between Spain, France and England in the sixteenth century cut off access across the Pyrenees for decades for European pilgrims. As has been the case for 30 years, the Camino now consists of well organized, well planned and safe trails throughout Europe and Spain into Santiago de Compostela, or more specifically, to the Cathedral. While the Camino is well traveled, it should be noted that not all pilgrims walk it for religious reasons. |
What to expect on the Caminos:
St. Jean Pied de Porte, France |
| The most traveled section of the Camino is in Spain, The Way of St. James or more often referred to as The Camino Frances (TCF). TCF goes west from France, St Jean Pied de Port, over the Pyrenees, 780 kilometres to Santiago. Most pilgrims who are determined to walk the whole way start in St. Jean Pied de Port. Others start in Roncesvalles in Spain to avoid the mountains. However, TCF is so well populated with cities it is easy to start anywhere along it length to suit the amount of time you have to travel. In addition to the cities, there are hundreds of beautiful villages along the way. Walkers need only 45 minutes to an hour or even less to get from one populated place to another. These towns and villages have great 'bars' or coffee shops, restaurants and pure water springing from fountains. If you go as a pilgrim, you can expect to spend on average, 30 Euros a day which is about USD 45.00. |
PHOTO CREDIT: All four directly above from Wikimedia Commons
| As we pilgrims say, "You are never alone on the Camino". That does not mean that there is no privacy for there is. What it does mean is that you will meet, greet and walk with pilgrims from all over the world. If you plan to stay at the pilgrim hostels or albergues along "The Way", you will need a Camino Passport. These are available anywhere along the trail for a few Euros. Shopkeepers, churches and your albergue host (hospitalero) will stamp your passport and date it. This becomes a record for you and a great souvenir. |
| Except for your sore feet the walk is pretty painless these days if you prepare for it. There are plenty of way-markers to guide you, even through the cities, so getting lost is really not an option. There is lots of great food to eat, there are wonderful places to sleep and, of course, you need not worry about the weather because, as a well prepared pilgrim, you will be ready for anything. Today's light weight clothing and equipment will keep you warm, dry, cool and comfortable if you choose your gear carefully. One of the biggest problems for first timers is that we have a tendency to take too much in our packs. Every albergue has drop boxes where pilgrims unload the unnecessary items. |
Some options to walking the Caminos:
| You do not have to walk the Camino de Santiago. Cycling is the second most popular option. While the foot paths take you through beautiful countryside, farmers' fields, over streams and through vineyards, the bike paths must divert riders to road ways that would likely be considered secondary roads in North America. You are also considered a true pilgrim if you travel with a donkey! |
| Ardent first time walkers of the Caminos want to walk every step of "The Way". TCF is around 780 kms. in length. For a journey lasting about five weeks it will be necessary to cover an average of 25 kilometers daily. Cyclists complete it in about two to two-and-a-half weeks. There are bus tours that are available to those who do not have the time or ability to walk or bike "The Way". Car rentals are easy if you start in cities like Pamplona or Burgos. In addition, if you think you might try this beautiful journey, there are convenient and inexpensive public busses that you can take from town to town. You can even jump on one just to get to the historic centers of large cities. Like all cities the sprawl of the outskirts and suburbs can be rather mundane. Burgos and León are two good examples. |
Historic points of interest along the way:
For many North Americans, visiting the ancient towns, cities and villages of northern Spain is a jaw-dropping experience. For example, in Roncesvalles what is now the Pilgrim Hostel is the site where in 778 A.D Charlemagne, emperor of much of Western and Eastern Europe, fought Count Roland, a legendary Frankish military leader. An incredible experience is that of sleeping in that large room where monks once studied and learned the difficult task of keeping their vows.
The city of Ponferrada gives you a taste of the Knights Templar whose role was to protect the Pilgrims of Santiago. Ponferrada Castle has been rebuilt, but you can see the original footprint and walls dating back to 1127. It is believed that this castle once hosted the Knights Templar's Grand Master of Castille. |
The Portuguese Camino:
| If you think you might like to walk a Camino but TCF is too long, consider the Camino Portuguese. The Camino Portuguese heads north through Portugal from as far south as Lagos Portugal, and there are many branches that take you inland to Seville, Madrid and other cities before you reach Santiago. On the other hand, the coastal route from Porto to Santiago is a beautiful and easy two-week walk. This Camino crosses into Spain at Tui and on to Santiago. From Porto this Camino is 500 kilometers and is mountain-free! This part of The Camino Portuguese is an easy and lovely walk. It too is well signed, and the villages, towns and cities are easily reached within an hour or so of each other. |
Reflections at journey's end:
| PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons / NielsBosboom |
Walking the Camino de Santiago on the Camino Frances and on the Camino Portuguese to the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela has been the greatest experience of my active life. The physical challenges were so satisfying that it is impossible to cover it in a short article. Certainly, walking the Camino de Santiago was not like climbing Mount Everest or the Rocky Mountains or the Alps but it was challenge enough for me. I assure you, it will be a very satisfying experience for you too.
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For more information:
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For more information about walking any Camino, see Beverely Robson's book:
Planning Your Camino: "Preparing "The Way", available through Amazon.com
This book is a complete preparation guide for your Camino. It will whet your appetite for your journey. In addition, it will help you cover all the planning details, large and small, so that your Camino will be safe and successful.
Everything that is written in this book comes from lessons the author learned in preparing for and completing her Caminos through Spain and Portugal. |
Note: All photos shown here are not included in the book |
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