Camino de Santiago

by liamssoft | January 31, 2007 at 01:40 am

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For over a thousand years people have travelled by foot, bicycle and a few by horseback or donkey on one of the most important Christian pilgrimages. Santiago is such an important pilgrimage destination because it is considered the burial site of the apostle, Saint James the Great ....

Camino de Santiago or Camino Frances is an ancient pilgrimage trail. There is a belief that St. James the disciple's bones were found in northern Spain, and are interred in the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

People would travel there to get forgiveness for their sins. The tradition goes on today, and in Spain there is a system of refugios - similar to youth hostels, that provide shelter for pilgrims for a minimal fee or contribution. There are trails from all parts of Europe, that merge as they go into Spain. The Spanish part of the trail is about 450 miles. The pilgrims today do it for various motives - religious, spiritual, other personal reasons.

. Very few do it for frivolous reasons. You just carry a sleeping bag and personal gear, as shelter is available and you can buy food in the villages along the way. Even with this, we as experienced backpackers, found it to be a demanding trip. It is easy to get caught up in a refugio mentality - eager to get to the next one in time to get a bed. You can only stay one night, and usually have to be out by 8am the next day.