What is camino de santiago pilgrimage

The main difficulty is that few of us have walked continuously for 10, 20 or 30 days. You learn more about your feet than you would ever have thought possible! The purpose of this website is to give you information about what it is actually like to walk one of the Caminos, and to choose which one would be the most congenial. The history of the Camino de Santiago goes back at the beginning of the 9th century year moment of the discovery of the tomb of the evangelical apostle of the Iberian Peninsula.

Each route has its own unique history and spectacular sights. Explore the unique wonders that each route has to offer — take a look! Although the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St James, has traditionally been a religious pilgrimage, many people choose it as a walking holiday for other reasons.

Some walk The Way for fitness and as a personal goal in their journey to better physical health. Others choose to walk the Camino for the mental benefits of unplugging from their daily lives, allowing them time for peace and self-development. People walk in groups, alone, or with a partner. The Camino is well known for its sense of community and sociable atmosphere.

The Camino de Santiago is not just one route, but a network of routes. Throughout the middle ages, thousands of pilgrims walked from their homes to make their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. This paved the way for many different routes across Europe, all coming together to arrive in the city surrounding the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

People choose their Camino de Santiago route based on various criteria. The most common being ease of access, weather, landscape and how busy it is. For example, section 1 of the Camino Frances can be quite mountainous, most of the Portuguese Coastal Way is close to the sea, and the last sections of the Camino Frances and Camino Portugues are well travelled.

Some people want to walk the whole route from start to finish and others will do it in sections. It can feel overwhelming to determine which route and sections are the most appropriate based on your personal preferences. Our Camino Experts at Follow the Camino can quickly help you to choose the best route for you. Below we have summarised each of the main routes. If you would like to find out more, please contact us here to discuss your Camino Tour. It is called the Camino Frances as it begins in France where many French pilgrims would have traditionally begun their Camino.

The French Way is a remarkable and spectacular route, traversing both mountainous and flat terrain. This Camino tour passes through some of the most beautiful parts of Spain, including great cities like Pamplona, Leon and Burgos. The most travelled of all Camino sections is the Last km on the Camino Frances. The reason for this is twofold — the Camino Frances is the most popular route and because travelling the last kms 60 miles of the Camino means that a pilgrim can attain the award of a Pilgrim Certificate.

This part of the Camino has many services such as hotels, cafes and restaurants along the way. The Camino Portugues, or the Portuguese Way, has become the second most popular route leading to Santiago de Compostela.

Macs Adventure have helped s of people arrange their independent journeys on the Camino. With accommodation, baggage transfers, advice, and telephone support should you need it included, we make planning the experience easy, and allow you to focus on the journey.

Please fee free to contact our expert team on hello macsadventure. Read the next part of the Camino Guide. Plan ahead with confidence: Peace of Mind Booking Guarantee. Do you have any questions?

Contact a specialist Live Chat. Load more reviews. Related Tours. Walk the final km of the Camino Frances, staying in boutique hotels and "pazos" manor houses.

From 1. More Info. Walk the best sections of the Camino Frances in two weeks, travelling from the Pyrenees to Santiago. Walk from Logrono to the medieval city of Burgos, passing through vineyards and the Oca Mountains. Walk through vast plains and crop fields, from Burgos to Leon - a stage for contemplation.

When did people first start walking the Camino? Why did it become a pilgrimage route? How was the route created? Why is the scallop shell a symbol of the Camino? The Camino today.

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