One of the oldest tourist destinations in Europe is the “Camino de Santiago”, located in Spain, and in its route goes entirety from France, traveling through Spain to Santiago de Compostela, on the border with Portugal. A journey full of history, mysticism, wonderful landscapes and an architecture that shows us different periods of this legendary country that has managed to preserve its historical and cultural heritage.
Throughout history, the Camino de Santiago has undergone several changes, since the remains of the Apostle Santiago were discovered in the city of Santiago in Compostela at the beginning of the 9th century, when this road became a real foothold of millions pilgrims from all over Europe, becoming the meeting point of the Christians of that continent, which with the passage of time began to receive people from all over the world.
The discovery of these remains into the city, was transcendental for Christian faith, because the apostle James, who really was called Jacob, was one of the twelve apostles who had the best relationship with Jesus, who at that time called this fisherman “son of thunder “, and who called with his brother, to join the group that would accompany him on the historic mission that led to his death on the cross.
Already by the year 44 after Christ, the emperor “Herod Agrippa”, in one of the many cruel acts he carried out, he decided to attack the Christian community, arresting Peter and decapitating James in Jerusalem, becoming the first Christian in dying for his faith, being today the patron saint of Spain, Ibero-America, and for many towns and cities, which is why every July 25th his festival is celebrated.
Subsequently, from the tenth century to the twelfth century, this pilgrimage along this emblematic road became a mass phenomenon, which was facilitated by the repair of roads, construction of bridges, hospitals and shelters by the monarchs of Castile, León, Navarra and Aragón, who left architectural legacies that until today are found in these beautiful cities.
However, during the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, there were many political and social problems on the European continent, in the countries they were in wars, where hunger abounded, diseases of all kinds, lack of food for the bad harvests derived from prolonged droughts, which made the potential pilgrims change their routes to other destinations, causing the forgetfulness of the Jacobean route for many years.
All this cultural, historical and mystical baggage was overshadowed for many years, was forgotten in time, but in the twentieth century, interest in the great “Camino de Santiago”, resurfaced like the phoenix, to become today one of the preferred destinations by the lovers of the cultural and historical tourism in the world, reason why the defending movement of this tradition acquires greater impulse, and they begin to recover the old itineraries and the pilgrimages.
In this way, it is like the French Way is again signposted, achieving with it the reopening of old hostels, and the creation of many others, multiplying the studies and the divulgation of the tradition, whose effect reached many places, achieving that the different routes will be filled again with pilgrims throughout their journey where people who have different motivations in their mind and spirit are incorporated.
The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is a journey of 800 kilometres, and not all pilgrims do it for the Christian faith, they have different motivations ranging from the pleasure of walking on a beautiful route full of mysticism; moved by the cultural, artistic and historical interest by a route where there are many architectural and sculptural works that tell wonderful stories, or have made a promise to be fulfilled, or finally what usually happens, by a combination of all the reasons stated previously.
It is important to note that there are many routes to reach the final destination that is Santiago de Compostela, because since the 9th century, pilgrims found different ways to do it, however, the one that has the greatest historical and strategic importance is the Camino de Santiago Francés or also called Franco-Navarro.
This Jacobean route is considered the busiest, because most of the other routes end at some point coming together, from one of the two entrances, the first is Roncesvalles in Navarra and the second that of Somport in Huesca. It is a matter of choosing which of the two to take, considering the availability of time, the physical condition, the place where you are at the time of departure and what you wish to enjoy.
And if you prefer to observe wonderful landscapes, you may well choose the Navarre route that has them in heaps; but if you like the solitude of the places, then it is convenient to take the Aragonese route, since in this one there are buildings that remind and project the aspect of the medieval road, for which people feel projected at that time.
It is a difficult choice, but in both you will feel an encounter with that living nature that transmits transcendental moments of history for all human beings. Not in vain, UNESCO in 1993 declared this road a World Heritage Site, after the Council of Europe in 1987 had catalogued it as the First European Cultural Itinerary.
There are also other roads that are part of the Caminos del Norte, within which is the so-called “Primitivo o Alfonso II”, who in his time built it, which starts in Oviedo and has a career of 336 kilometres, going through the towns of Lugo and Tineo in Asturias, to culminate in Palas de Rey.
On the other hand, there is the Route of the Coast, about 839 kilometres and is located in Irún and ends in Arzún, where walkers can enjoy a beautiful landscape, but according to some information is badly marked and there are deficiencies regarding the hostels are concerned.
The Portuguese Way is another of the widely known routes, which has been recovered by the Galician and Portuguese associations in the decade of the nineties. There are two routes, the Interior, that consists of 143 kilometres and begins in Verín (Orense) and ends in Santiago de Compostela, and the route of the Coast, which begins in three points of the province of Pontevedra, which are: La Guardia, Goyán and Tuy, this routes consist on 107 kilometres.
Of course the walkers make their daily walks, according to the time they have, their physical conditions and the number of kilometres they have to travel to reach Santiago de Compostela, depending on the site they have chosen to start. However, it is generally recommended to take walks of about 25 to 30 kilometres.
As for the time of year in which this pilgrimage should take place, we must emphasize that the Camino de Santiago can be done throughout the year, but the season with the greatest number of people are the months of July and August, in which there are more hours of sun and less problems with the climate, what originates that the shelters are filled and it costs to obtain a square.
In the winter the hostels are empty and you do not see many pilgrims on the routes, lowering the price, and also for those who are not used to a lot of cold, the road can become very heavy. So, if it is available and free in the months of June and July, it is convenient to make the trip at this time, because the influx is moderate, the prices go down and the weather is excellent.
In relation to the hostels, the fact that they offer lodging for a small amount of money, guaranteeing a roof to sleep and water to wash themselves should be highlighted. These hostels open at noon and you cannot stay more than one night, except for a special situation or illness.
When equipping for this walk, you must do without what we can, and strictly pack what is considered necessary. To guide you about this, we will present you with a list of some items that should be in your suitcase: good boots or special shoes for this type of exercise, sandals or sandals to rest your feet, socks, cotton underwear or Synthetic, shorts and waterproof long that are light, bathing suit if it is summer, a sleeping bag, a pillow case, flashlight, knife, set of cutlery, and so on.
Personal hygiene items should include the following in small formats: soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, gel, deodorant, toothpaste, cream and disposable shaving machines, toilet paper, dental floss, nail clipper, comb, tweezers and sunscreen.
To all this series of objects, it is advisable to add obviously: case for documentation, cell phone, notebook, a map with the road guide, camera, painkillers, aspirin, antibiotics, muscle pain creams, petroleum jelly, alcohol, oxygenated water, needle and thread for ampoules, anti-inflammatory cream, etcetera.
The important thing is not to reload the backpack, which preferably should have metal supports to not strain much back, for that reason it is often recommended that the garments are lightweight to not weigh much, and to wash them dry quickly.
In this way, with all these recommendations, with the time available, the money to mobilize, and above all with the necessary physical conditions, we invite you to travel the route you want to reach Santiago de Compostela, where you will be given a certificate issued by the ecclesiastical authorities to all those pilgrims who complete a minimum distance of 100 kilometres on foot or 200 kilometres by bicycle or horse.
ALFA