The Camino de Santiago de Compostela is one of those legendary routes that everyone dreams of taking at least once in their lives, whether they are Christian believers or just plain walkers. It is an intimate experience that pushes one to face physical and mental labors, with loneliness always lurking in the midst of unknown and isolated lands.
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela brings out the best in walkers, leading them to discover their courage and spirit of adaptation, just as the old pilgrims who traveled this road to reach the tomb of the Apostle James did. Legend has it that it was the pilgrim Pelagius who discovered the burial site in the 9th century, after a star appeared to him at Libredòn Hill, where the monumental Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela would later be erected.
One must be prepared psychologically and physically before embarking on this path, being careful to always follow the yellow signs along the road, characterized by the addition of the famous shell. The albergues are the accommodations where walkers rest and spend the night and at which they will receive the stamps to be placed on the Pilgrim’s Credential in order to later obtain the Compostela from the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago.
There are many routes to Santiago de Compostela, including five classic routes that stand out for their charm and historical interest.
French Way
The French Way is the most classic of the routes to Santiago de Compostela and runs for 780 km between the Ebro Valley, the peaks of the Pyrenees, the vineyards of the Rioja hills, and Galicia. Also called Ruta Interior, it is an excellently signposted path, very busy and full of albergues, making it very easy to share this fantastic experience with other walkers.
It departs from Sanit Jean Pied de Port and passes through places of great beauty and importance, arriving as far as Finisterre, Spain’s westernmost point distant from Santiago de Compostela about 90 km.
Along the French Way we encounter gems such as the Royal Collegiate Church of Roncesvalles of the 13th century, the Romanesque bridge Puente de la Reina of the 11th century in the IIzabbe Valley in the heart of Navarre and especially the Monasteries of San Millàn de Suso e Yuos declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the first of which dates as far back as the 6th century. The other World Heritage sites encountered along the French Way are the Cathedral of Burgos and the Sierra de Atapuerca deposits where the oldest hominid remains on the planet have been found.
Portuguese Way
The Portuguese route is, of those that are part of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, perhaps the most authentic, poorly marked and with few albergues along the way. It is possible to start from Lisbon for a distance of 630 km, or from Porto, which is 237 km from Santiago de Compostela: this route is spectacular from a landscape point of view, partly skirting the ocean with bristling cliffs shaped by waves and remote beaches, and then continuing inland.
Along the Portuguese Way we pass through cities such as Coimbra, famous for its University founded in 1290 and the Joanina Library that holds thousands of medieval volumes and manuscripts. Then the Capela Sao Miguel decorated with azulejos and the Igresia de Santa Cruz in manuelito style are not to be missed.
From Coimbra we then pass through Barcelos, the place where the remains of St. James first landed from Jerusalem and then to Pontevedra, in the heart of Galicia: here a stop at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a 16th-century Gothic church with the statue of Christ of the Good Journey inside, much revered by those who undertake the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, is a must.
Via de la Plata
Via de la Plata is one of the loneliest paths leading pilgrims and hikers to Santiago de Compostela: the albergues you encounter are very few, the villages you pass through are small, and there are many stretches where you struggle to find company, reliving what the ancient pilgrims who traveled this route must have felt.
The tour begins in Seville, in the heart of Andalusia, a city famous for the Real Alcazar and the Giralda Tower that flanks the Cathedral. From here, one travels through the regions of Extremadura and Castile and Leon, encountering little gems such as Mérida, whose ancient Roman remains can be seen, the 10th-century Arab Alcazaba, and the iconic Puente Romano on the Guadiana River.
We then walk to Salamanca, with its very old University from 1254, the beautiful Plaza Mayor and the Casa de las Conchas with dozens of stone shells on its facade.
Passing through Astorga, the focus is all on the Gaudi-designed Episcopal Palace, home to the not-to-be-missed Museo de los Caminos dedicated to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
Spanish Way from Leon
There are 283 kilometers separating Lèon, the cradle of Spanish Christianity located among the highlands of the Mesetas, from Santiago de Compostela. After visiting the city’s Gothic Cathedral and admiring its stained glass windows, you can begin this fascinating walk to Astorga, passing by the monastery of Santo Toribio, which preserves a piece of Christ’s cross.
We then walk through the mountainous Bierzo landscape to the Rabanal del Camino, an outpost established thanks to the Knights Templar in the 12th century to welcome pilgrims.
We pass the vineyards of Villafranca del Bierzo, where stands the Church of Santiago, which exceptionally offers Plenary Indulgence to those who fail to complete the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
It continues through the bustling town of Sarria, then Melide where you can enjoy an excellent octopus à feira, until you arrive at your destination.
Primitive Way
The 320-km-long Primitive Way runs through areas where there is no traffic and little human presence. It is the oldest route in all of Galicia, laid out at the behest of Alfonso II the Chaste, King of Asturias who apparently was also the first person to walk it. The Primitive Way has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and starts in Oviedo, where a visit to the Cathedral of San Salvador, which holds what is believed to be the shroud laid over the face of the Dead Christ, is a must. After a sip of Oviedo cider, we start the journey to Berducedo, Asturias and then to Lugo, where we walk on the UNESCO walls built by the Romans between AD III and IV. After admiring the poignant face of the Virgen de los Ojos in the Cathedral of Lugo, we proceed to Melide via the Monastery of San Salvador de Cornellana from the year 1024 and the 16th-century Collegiate Church of Santa Maria la Mayor de Salas.
