Camino de Santiago: the ultimate Guide
The ultimate guide to the Camino de Santiago. Go in-depth into one of the most spiritual voyages a person can undertake that will take you through some of the most beautiful regions of Spain.
Spain in-depth: Camino de santiago
Camino de Santiago: The Primitivo and other “Caminos”
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Camino de Santiago: The Primitivo and other "Caminos"
From the IX century, when they discovered the body of the Apostol Santiago in Compostela, the Camino de Santiago has been one of the most important pilgrimage route in medieval Europe. The transfer of pilgrims, motivated by faith, came to Compostela from all over Europe. This event served as a starting point for a whole artistic movement, romantic and gothic styles, and voyages between Templar soldiers and Benedictine monks filed the Camino de Santiago with so much history.
From the 1000km of the Plata way that arrives from the west from Andalucia to the 44km of the Sea route that climbs up the Arousa sea inlet and the Ulla River. There are a lot of other paths (LINK) that pass by Spain, France or Portugal until getting to Santiago de Compostela.
On top of the French Way which we talked about earlier, let’s point out some other of the more common, because of their originality and their traditions.
The primitive road is at the beginning of the Camino de Santiago, on which Alfonso II walked on in the IX century to get to Oviedo, the nation’s old capital.
The primitive road was used by the pilgrims who took the French way. They went from Leon to Oviedo to visit the Cathedral of El Salvador. “The one who goes to Santiago and doesn’t visit Al Salvador is like going to the servant’s house without visiting his Lord”.
The Northern way (765km). As old as the French way, it way used by the European kings of the medieval ages to get to Santiago.
When the south terrains were peaceful again after the Reconquista, the Northern Camino gave up little by little its importance. The distance that it occupies is the second largest behind the route of Silver.
The Route of Silver (1006km) is the route that the pilgrims of south western and central peninsula take. Which is one of the longest jubilee path. From Seville you walk on the roman path towards Merida, Caceres, Salamanca and Zamora. From there, you could go towards Astorga, where it unites to the Roncesvalles Camino. The Eastern Andulcian pilgrims also took the Route of Silver, the Granada path and the Cordoba path that unite with the Merida one.
The English route, is the route that the pilgrims, mainly English and Irish, used to get to Galicia through the sea from the Baltic ports, to the Netherlands, Flanders, Scandinavia, the north of France. In the Saint Year of 1434 almost 3.000 pilgrims disembarked in the Portus Magnus Artabrorum (La Coruna).
The 106km of the route, goes from the Ferrol Porte or La Coruna to Santiago.
The Portuguese Routes are quite varied, since the pilgrims came all regions to Compostela. The inner or central Portuguese route, the Northern Portuguese route and the Costal Portuguese route. Or though the Sea route.
The Sea Route(44km) this sea/river route commemorates that arrival to Galicia, through the sea, the body of the Apostol Santiago el Mayor, after his martyr in Jerusalem in the year 44. According to the legend, they entered though the Arousa sea inlet and went up the Ulla River, arriving to a Roman city: Iria Flavia (Padron). From there the route ends going through the Rua de Francos until you get to Santiago.
More in-depth posts on El Camino
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There are two different types of pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago; Christian pilgrims who are walking the path as a spiritual journey, and those who simply want to live the Saint James tour experience. In either case, there are clear differences in the motiviations of pilgrims and we can actually speak of a segmentation. We share it with you in this article so you can identify which is your style.