Camino de Santiago

The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes are very popular in Spain, with hundreds of thousands of hikers completing one or at least part of the route each year. What these routes have in common is that they end in the city of Santiago de Compostela and, more precisely, in its cathedral to the tomb of the apostle Jacob. A beloved child has many names, so the name of the route translates into several names in different languages, e.g. in Finnish Jaakobin reitti, in English Way of St. James and in Spanish Rutas jacobeas. The Camino de Santiago is an interesting way to get to know Spanish culture, history and nature, and at the same time you meet other people from all over the world on the route.

Hiking can also be considered a reasonable physical performance, because normally the routes are at least. 100km long and the longest routes in Spain are over 1,000km. In general, day trips on foot are between 15-30 km, and by bike 50-70 km, although the routes are different in length and difficulty. You can for example stay in camping lodges or 4* hotels, do the route you want on a small budget or at the very end, enjoying the great casa rural type hotels and their services. Suitcases or rucksacks are transferred from one hotel to another with the help of a transport service, if you don’t necessarily want to carry them with you.

As a curiosity, we must mention the “pilgrimage passport”, where stamps are collected along the way and thus you can prove that you have completed the route and get a certificate for it at your destination in Santiago. The requirement to receive it is also at least 100km of hiking. The best time to complete the route is autumn or spring, when the weather conditions and temperatures are more ideal for completing the route. The heat in the summer and the cold weather in the winter give an additional challenge to completing the route.

The Camino de Santiago has been one of the most significant pilgrimage routes since the Middle Ages and has existed for over a thousand years. It was considered one of the three routes by which all sins could be forgiven – the other two leading to Rome and Jerusalem. From the beginning, there have been monasteries on the route that offered accommodation and catering services to those making the journey. Well, today they are more companies and entrepreneurs serving this tourism, but the idea is still the same to take care of hikers.

In 2021-22, Xacobeo, a holy year on the route, will be celebrated. Unusually, it is 2 years in a row because of covid. Normally, this jubilee year is only celebrated when Jacob’s Day is 25.7. falls on Sunday. This has been a permanent tradition since the 12th century. In the Holy Year, the Catholic Church grants absolution to those who make a pilgrimage to the apostle’s tomb in Santiago Cathedral. The “holy door” of the cathedral is open only then.

The route is not a single road, but can therefore be considered any of several pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. However, a few roads are considered main routes. In the Middle Ages, many of these roads were traveled. However, the Reformation and the political instability of Europe in the 16th century caused the route to decline. Only a few pilgrims arrived in Santiago de Compostela in the early 1980s. Towards the end of the century, the number of visitors began to increase, as modern pilgrims became interested in the route.

The pilgrimage route (Camino Frances) running from the border of Spain and France, from the Pyrenees mountains, through northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela, and the routes on the French side were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in the 90s, including a number of historical buildings and structures along the routes.

Camino Frances (blue route on the map)
The entire route is approx. 770 km starting from the border of France and Spain and including approx. 33 day stages, if you want to complete the route at a reasonable pace. By bike, the entire route takes approx. 2 weeks. This route, or parts of it, are by far the most popular of the Camino de Santiago routes. The route is best marked and there are plenty of accommodation options along the route.

Camino Portugués (purple route on the map)
The route can be started from Lisbon (approx. 620 km), Porto (approx. 240 km) or Tui (approx. 115 km). The entire Camino Portugués route consists of approx. 25 stages. The markings and accommodation options are not as good as on the Camino Frances.

Camino Norte (green route on the map)
The route runs along the northern coast of Spain, consisting of 32 stages and being approx. 824 km long in total. The route starts from Irún in the Basque Country, going through Cantabria, Asturias and ending in Galicia. The final stage starts in Arzua, where it joins the Camino Frances. The coastal route does not have as many climbs as the inland routes, but yes, they can be included, especially at the end of the route.

Camino Primitivo (light green route on the map)
This route is the oldest route known from history books and the route goes a long way in the middle of nature and is therefore physically demanding. However, the route is popular, so you can find good markings on the route and good accommodation options. The route consists of approx. 14 stages and is approx. 325 km long. The route connects to the Camino Frances in Melide. The route starts from Oviedo and goes through Lugo to Santiago.

Camino Inglés and Camino Finisterre/Muxia (red and light blue route on the map)
The Camino Ingles route runs from Ferrol to Santiago. The Camino Finisterre/Muxia, on the other hand, runs away from Santiago and ends in Finisterre. A nice route along the coast of Costa da Morta. There are 6 stages in both and the length is approx. 119 km. The routes are well marked.

Via de la Plata (brown route on the map)
The Via de la Plata (Silver route) is 960 km long, consisting of approx. 27 stages. The route starts in Seville and follows the old silver transport route for a long distance. At the end of the route, there are more options for completing the rest of the journey. From Zamora you can go directly towards Santiago or you can continue further north, where the route joins the Camino Frances. The route is well marked.

Camino de la Lana (pink route on the map)
The Camino de la Lana (Villa route) is one of the so-called trails starting from the Mediterranean coast. from eastern routes. This route goes from Alicante to Burgos (677km), where it joins the Camino Frances. The route consists of approx. 27 stages. The route is marked and there are plenty of accommodation options available.

Camino de Invierno (grey route on the map)
This so-called the winter route is popular because it runs in the nature area of ​​Ribeira Sacra along the mountains and rivers. The route was used in the old days to avoid the high peaks and snow of O Cebreiro. The route starts from Ponferrada and ends in Santiago, and the length of the route is 263 km, consisting of approx. 10 stages.

Camino de Levante (orange route on the map)
The Camino de Levante (Eastern Route) starts from Valencia and ends in Zamora (approx. 800km/approx. 27 stages). The route can be challenging to complete, because there are long stretches of 40-50km on the route where there are no accommodation options. The section from Zamora to Santiago connects to the Via de la Plata route and the section is called Camino Sanabrés (369km/approx. 13 stages).