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About the Camino-de-Santiago

 

The Camino de Santiago, also known in English as The Way of St James, is a collection of old pilgrimage routes which cover all of Europe. For more than 1000 years over 100,000 pilgrims each year have Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain as their final destination where the apostle Saint James the Great is said to be laid to rest.

 

Reaching the Cathedral of Santiago is the ultimate goal of the pilgrimage. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times. It was considered one of three pilgrimages on which a plenary indulgence could be earned (the others are the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem).
 

The main Camino route (which I walked) is the Camino Frances. This part of the Camino-de-Santiago traditionally starts in St Jean Pied-de-Port and finishes in Santiago-de-Compostela about 780km later, after travelling the breadth of Northern Spain. However you can start anywhere and even continue past Santiago to the sea at Finisterre, which was thought to be the end of the world in medieval times.

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