SO, WHAT IS THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO?

The Camino de Santiago or The Way of Saint James, is a network of ancient pilgrimage paths though the Spanish, Portuguese and Continental European countryside, that end at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, believed to be the burial site of the apostle St James the Greater who was martyred around 44AD.

The medieval Christian world had three major pilgrimage sites, Rome in the south, Jerusalem in the east and Santiago de Compostela in the west.  Between the 11th and 13th centuries, Santiago de Compostela was the most popular route.

The route has been walked by thousands of pilgrims and is often referred to as El Camino which literally means, The Way.  The first pilgrims were recorded around 950 AD and over the centuries accommodation, churches, roads and whole towns were built to cater to the growing number of pilgrims or peregrinos as they are known.  Pilgrims on the pilgrimage routes reached their peak numbers in the 12th century and continued at a lesser rate into the late 17th century.  From then on it was mostly devout Spaniard who undertook the pilgrimage, but the 1900's saw a revival in the Camino.  In 1937 Santiago (St James) was officially declared the patron saint of Spain and in 1987 the Camino was declared a World Heritage Site.

In 1986, 2491 pilgrims received the officIial certificate of completion - The Compostela.  Last year over 190.000 completed the Camino.  The most popular route, which starts at Se Jean Pied de Port (St John at the foot of the pass) in the French Pyrenees and ends at Santiago de Compostela, is known as the Camino Frances.  There are many other routes in Spain and 5 in France, all leading to Santiago.  The majority of those who complete the Camino  Frances start in the town of Sarria which is about 100 kilometers from Santiago.  Those who start here and finish are able to get their Compostela.  Others start a various towns and cities along the path and many take several years to complete the walk, walking during their vacations.