The Camino de Santiago

Why Do the Camino de Santiago?

The main reason for doing the Camino de Santiago has traditionally been religious. However, nowadays it's common for people to do it for any number of reasons, including experiencing Spanish culture and challenging themselves physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually!

For example, some of the pilgrims who do The Way for personal or spiritual reasons take advantage of the time it takes them to do their pilgrimage to Santiago to reflect on their lives.

Different Routes of the Camino de Santiago

If you're thinking about doing the Camino de Santiago and have doubts about which route to take, or you're just curious about the different routes, here's a summary of the most popular caminos(routes or ways):

1. El Camino Francés(The French Way): This route, historically the most traditional, is also the most internationally recognized and the most frequented.

   Distance and stages: 771 kilometers. 30 stages.

2. El Camino Portugués(The Portuguese Way): This is the second-most-traveled route.

   Distance and stages: 606 kilometers. 23 stages.

3. El Camino Portugués de la Costa(The Portuguese Way of the Coast): This variant of the Portuguese Way winds along the coast of Portugal.

   Distance and stages: 266 kilometers. 13 stages.

4. El Camino del Norte(The Northern Way): This is the ideal route to do in summer if you want to escape from the crowds of the French Way. It runs from east to west and borders the Cantabrian Sea.

   Distance and stages: 819 kilometers. 32 stages.

5. El Camino Inglés(The English Way): This less-crowded route has two branches: desde Ferrol(from Ferrol) and desde La Coruña(from La Coruña).

   Distance and stages from Ferrol: 112 kilometers. 6 stages.

   Distance and stages from La Coruña: 76 kilometers. 3 stages.

6. El Camino Primitivo(The Primitive Way): This is the oldest of the caminos.

   Distance and stages: 313 kilometers. 13 stages.

7. La Vía de la Plata(The Silver Way): This camino goes from south to north and passes through amazing cities like Sevilla, Mérida, Cáceresand Salamanca.

   Distance and stages: 970 kilometers. 38 stages.

8. El Camino de Fisterra y Muxía(The Way of Fisterra and Muxia): This is the only camino that does not go to Santiago; instead, it begins at Santiago! Its end point is Cape Fisterra.

   Distance and stages: 87 kilometers. 3 stages.

9. El Camino de Invierno(The Winter Way): This route, despite its name, can be done all year round. It is believed that it was used in winter to avoid Cebreiro, where the weather conditions were worse.

   Distance and stages: 263 kilometers. 10 stages.

10. El Camino Aragonés(The Aragonese Way): This is a variant of the French Way, but it's less traveled.

    Distance and stages: 165 kilometers. 6 stages.

Symbols of the Camino de Santiago

There are several symbols associated with the Camino de Santiago, including la concha del peregrino(the shell of the pilgrim), la cruz de Santiago(the Santiago cross), and las flechas amarillas(the yellow arrows).

• La concha del peregrino is the quintessential symbol of the Camino de Santiago and its pilgrims. Specifically, la concha is a vieira(scallop shell) typically found on the seashore in Galicia. In the past, pilgrims would wear it on their clothing or hat upon returning to their home countries as proof that they had reached Santiago.

• The cruz de Santiago is a Latin cross that looks like a sword with a fleur-de-lis shape on the hilt and arms. Since the 12th century, it has been the emblem of the Order of Santiago, named after the patron saint of Spain, Santiago el Mayor(Saint James the Greater).

• Las flechas amarillas are painted with a brush on roads, houses, fences, or trees. They originated in 1984 when a priest from Cebreiro, Elías Valiña, marked the entire French Way, from Roncesvallesto Santiago, using these yellow arrows.

History of the Camino de Santiago

Santiago(James) was one of the twelve apóstoles(apostles). He traveled to the end of the world (conceived by some at that time to be Spain) to evangelize but was not successful and decided to return home.

Upon reaching Palestine, King Herod Agripa I ordered his death. His body was collected by two of his disciples and returned to Spain to be buried.

In the early 9th century, Pelayo, a humble hermit, reportedly observed some luminous flashes in the forest of Libredón. He notified Bishop Theodemir, who identified the place as the final resting place of Saint James.

The bishop traveled to Oviedoto communicate the flashy news to Alfonso II de Asturias, aka King Alfonso II the Chaste, who ordered a temple to be built. The original temple was destroyed, but in the 11th century construction of la Catedral de Santiago(the Cathedral of Santiago) began.

The Camino de Santiago: Words to Know

Are you fascinated by the Camino de Santiago or thinking of doing it someday? Check out the following table to learn some words to help you on your way!

Example Conversation While Doing the Camino de Santiago

Here's a conversation between two pilgrims who are walking the Way of St. James: