Santiago de Compostela

The city is famous primarily from Camino de Santiago or “The Way Of Saint James” which was one of the most important Christian Pilgrim routes during the medieval times. Santiago, known in English as Apostle James, was a magnificent preacher and converter of Christianity. After his death, Santiago was declared as the Patron Saint of Spain. According to legend, his remainings were brought to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, located in the far north-west of Spain. The pilgrim culture started when crowds of Christians began to travel to Santiago de Compostela from all over Europe to pay tribute to the Saint. It was also believed that all your sins could be forgiven by walking the Camino.

Camino de Santiago is actually many different pilgrim routes. Main routes such as “Camino Francés”, the French Route, which starts from the French Pyrennees and in total is 740 kilometers long. “The Silver Way” starting from Seville and “Camino Portugues” which starts from Algarve, Portugal. The starting points and routes may vary, but destination is unforgettable: the city of Santiago de Compostela and the Cathedral.

While pilgrimages may have lost some of the their religious significance, Camino de Santiago is the major Christian pilgrim route. Over 100,000 pilgrims make at least part of the trek, from all over the world. Everybody has their own motivation to walk the camino: the legend, religon, art, sport... whatever your motive is, you will love the beautiful scenes and it will most certainly be a journey to remember.

Spring and late fall are the best times of the year to walk the Camino de Santiago. Planning your trip during this time will reward you with great weather and smaller crowds on the way and in the many guesthouses along the route. There is no one way to make the journey -- you'll see most pilgrims on foot or bicycle, but keep your eyes open for pilgrims in car or on horseback! Some ardent pilgrims will continue their journey to Finisterre (end of the world, the most western point of all Europe, but most pilgrims rest at one of most beautiful beaches in the world, Praia das Rodas beach next to Galicia.

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