One of only two Pilgrim Walks in the world with UNESCO heritage status, the world-renowned Camino de Santiago, known in English as The Way of St James, incorporates a network of routes leading to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in the Spanish town of Galicia, where the remains of the Apostle St. James the Great are believed to lay. The route encompasses coastal paths and stunning beach scenes, rugged mountains and hills, forests, fields and country plains as well as historic towns such as Pamplona.
The Camino is not one single path, but instead a spiritual journey that unites cultures, languages and traditions, thanks to its many potential starting points. These various starting points have emerged over hundreds of years, as pilgrims would have originally made their way to the Cathedral from their own homes.
That being said, there are some routes that are more popular than others, such as the Camino Frances, Camino Portugues, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo, and the Camino Ingles.
In order for walkers to receive the Compostela pilgrim certificate upon arrival in Santiago, pilgrims must complete at least the last 100km of any route, and get their Pilgrim Passport stamped along the way. For cyclists, they must complete at least 200km.
The Camino Frances -
The most common and popular route, with over 55% of pilgrims choosing it as their start point, is the Camino Frances - the French Way, which starts in St Jean Pied du-Port before quickly crossing into Spain. While it's not the oldest route, it has been popular since the middle ages. The route takes about 5 weeks to walk and is around 800km long, but can be picked up at any point. The most common and popular route, with over 55% of pilgrims choosing it as their start point, is the Camino Frances - the French Way, which starts in St Jean Pied du-Port before quickly crossing into Spain. While it's not the oldest route, it has been popular since the middle ages. The route takes about 5 weeks to walk and is around 800km long, but can be picked up at any point.
