Camino de Santiago

A thousand-year-old network of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela; the French Way, Northern Way and Portuguese Way are the most popular.

The Camino de Santiago is a network of pilgrim routes leading to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, the reputed burial place of St. James. The French and northern Spanish sections are World Heritage sites, and more than 400,000 people receive a pilgrim certificate each year. Main routes: the French Way (about 780 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago, via Pamplona, Burgos and León, about 30–35 days; the most classic); the Northern Way (from Irun along the coast via San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander and Gijón, about 820 km; the most scenic but hilly); the Primitive Way (from Oviedo, about 320 km); and the Portuguese Way (from Porto, about 240–280 km, 10–14 days). If time is short, you can walk only the last 100 km (starting from Sarria, 5–6 days), which is also the minimum required to earn the certificate. Accommodation along the way is mainly in pilgrim hostels (albergues), where you check in with a stamped pilgrim passport and pay low prices; you can also choose luggage transfer services and guesthouses. Tips: breaking in your footwear is the top priority; in summer, start early to avoid the afternoon heat; on arrival, catch the swinging of the botafumeiro incense burner at the noon pilgrims' Mass.

Destinations

Itineraries