Camino de Santiago – Spain

The Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James and the Road to Santiago, is comprised of a series of pilgrimage routes to the shrine of St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Tradition has it that the remains of St. James are buried in the Cathedral.

The Way of St. James was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the Middle Ages, along with those to Rome and Jerusalem. At that time, a pilgrim could earn a plenary indulgence by completing this walk.

The history of the Camino de Santiago dates to 814, when the tomb of St. James was discovered in Iberia. Though the road was travelled extensively in the middle ages, use of it declined by the 16th Century. By the 1980s, only a few pilgrims arrived in Santiago every year. Later, the route began attracting a growing number of modern-day pilgrims from around the globe. In October 1987, the route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe and was also named one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

There are many pilgrimage routes to Santiago. The French Way is the most widely used way today, and there are many pilgrims and services on this road.