The Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James, is a series of paths that people walk to reach the shrine of the apostle James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. This shrine is believed to hold the remains of the apostle. Pilgrims travel these routes for spiritual growth, and many hikers, cyclists, and tour groups also use them.

The Camino was created in the early 9th century after the discovery of the relics of Saint James the Great. It became a major pilgrimage route for medieval Christianity from the 10th century onward. In 1492, after the Granada War ended, Pope Alexander VI declared the Camino de Santiago one of the "three great pilgrimages of Christendom," joining Jerusalem and the Via Francigena to Rome.

In 1987, the Camino was named the first Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. Since 2013, more than 200,000 pilgrims have walked the Camino each year, with numbers growing by over 10% annually. Most pilgrims walk from nearby cities, taking several days to reach Santiago. The French Way is the most popular, carrying two-thirds of all walkers, though other routes are becoming more popular. The French Way and Northern routes in Spain, along with routes in France, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. This recognition highlights their historical importance as a pilgrimage route and their role in sharing ideas and cultures across Europe.

Major Christian pilgrimage route

The Way of St. James was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the later Middle Ages. Pilgrims could earn a special forgiveness from the Church by walking this route. Other major pilgrimage routes include the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. According to legend, St. James's remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain, where he was buried in what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. Spanish legends say that St. James spent time preaching in Spain but returned to the region of Judaea after seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary on the bank of the Ebro River.

Pilgrims on the Way of St. James can choose from many routes to reach Santiago de Compostela. Traditionally, pilgrimages begin at a person's home and end at the destination. However, some routes are considered the main ones. During the Middle Ages, the route was widely used. Later, the Black Death, the Protestant Reformation, and political unrest in 16th-century Europe caused the route to become less traveled.

St. James's Day is celebrated on July 25. If this date falls on a Sunday, the cathedral declares a Holy Year. This should not be confused with a Jubilee Year, which happens every 25 or 50 years, with additional Jubilee Years held when needed. Holy Years occur in 5-, 6-, or 11-year cycles, depending on leap years. The most recent Holy Years were in 1993, 1999, 2004, 2010, and 2021. The next Holy Year will take place in 2027.

History

The main pilgrimage route to Santiago follows an older Roman trade route that continues to the Atlantic coast of Galicia, ending at Cape Finisterre. Although it is now known that Cape Finisterre, Spain’s westernmost point, is not the farthest point in Europe (Cabo da Roca in Portugal is farther west), the Romans called it Finisterrae, which means "the end of the world" or "Land's End" in Latin. This name suggests the Romans believed it was the edge of the known world. At night, the Milky Way appears to point the way, so the route became known as "Voie lactée," meaning "the Milky Way" in French.

The scallop shell, often found on Galician shores, has long been a symbol of the Camino de Santiago. Over time, the shell took on many meanings—symbolic, practical, and mythical—even though its connection to pilgrims may have come from their desire to take a souvenir home.

One story says that after Saint James’s death, his body was carried by a ship guided by an angel back to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried in Libredón. As the ship approached land, a wedding was happening on the shore. The groom on a horse became frightened by the ship and fell into the sea. Miraculously, the horse and rider survived, covered in seashells.

Because of its link to the Camino, the scallop shell came to represent pilgrimage, both to a specific shrine and to heaven. This connects to a Bible verse, Hebrews 11:13, which says, "They are pilgrims and strangers on the earth." The scallop shell is used as a marker on the Camino and is often seen on pilgrims, identifying them as travelers. In medieval times, the shell was more of a proof of completing the journey than a symbol worn during the pilgrimage.

The pilgrim’s staff is a walking stick used by some travelers on the way to Santiago de Compostela. It usually has a hook to hang items and sometimes a crosspiece. The staff is called by different names, such as a pilgrim’s crutch or crutch-staff. Some versions have a crosspiece at the top of the staff, like the letter "T."

The earliest records of visits to the Santiago de Compostela shrine date back to the 9th century, during the Kingdom of Asturias and Galicia. The pilgrimage became one of the most famous medieval journeys, and it became common for returning pilgrims to carry a Galician scallop shell as proof of their journey. This practice made the shell a symbol of pilgrims.

The first recorded pilgrims from beyond the Pyrenees visited the shrine in the 11th century. However, large numbers of international pilgrims began traveling there about a century later. The earliest records of pilgrims from England date to between 1092 and 1105. By the early 12th century, the pilgrimage was highly organized.

Pope Callixtus II was a strong supporter of the pilgrimage in the 12th century. He helped establish the Compostelan Holy Years, special times for pilgrimage.

Hospitals along the route provided care for pilgrims and helped shape the modern idea of hospitals. Some Spanish towns, like Hospital de Órbigo, still use the name. These hospitals were often run by religious groups and protected by kings. Poorer pilgrims often struggled with illness and lacked proper clothing, but some, like María Ramírez de Medrano, founded hospitals to help them.

Romanesque architecture, a style of church design, used large arches to handle crowds of worshippers.

Pilgrims often bought souvenirs like badges and holy items. They prayed to Saint Roch, whose images with the Cross of St. James are still seen on the Camino. The cross is often paired with a scallop shell to mark the pilgrimage path.

The pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela was supported by the Kingdom of France, where many pilgrims came from. French settlers, including Gascons, lived along the route, and their names appear in historical records. Pilgrims were cared for by people like Domingo de la Calzada, who was later made a saint.

Pilgrims walked the Way of St. James for months or even years to reach the great church in Compostela and honor St. James. Many arrived with little because of illness or theft. Pilgrims traditionally touched a stone pillar inside the cathedral, and over time, the stone has worn down from repeated use.

The Milky Way is called "El Camino de Santiago" in Spanish. A medieval legend says the Milky Way was formed from dust kicked up by traveling pilgrims.

The official guide for pilgrims was the Codex Calixtinus, written around 1140. The fifth book of the Codex is still used by modern guides. The Codex lists four pilgrimage routes starting in France and meeting at Puente la Reina. From there, a clear path leads through northern Spain to Compostela.

Another story says a hermit saw a bright star over a hill near San Fiz de Solovio and told the bishop of Iria Flavia. The bishop found a grave with three bodies, one of which he believed was St. James. The site was then called "the field of the star" (Campus Stellae), which later became "Compostela."

A legend in Book IV of the Book of Saint James says St. James appeared to Charlemagne in a dream, telling him to free his tomb from the Moors and showing him the way using the Milky Way.

The Church uses rituals like confession, where a priest may assign penance to help sinners atone for their mistakes. Pilgrimages were often used as punishment for serious sins. In some places, like Flanders, prisoners were sometimes pardoned if they walked to Santiago with a heavy backpack.

During the American Revolution, John Adams, who later became the second U.S. president, was sent by Congress to Paris to raise money. His ship leaked, and he landed at Finisterre in 1779 with his sons. He walked the Way of St. James in the opposite direction of pilgrims to reach Paris. He did not visit Santiago and later regretted it. In his autobiography, Adams described the customs and accommodations for pilgrims in the 18th century.

Modern-day pilgrimage

Many people think the pilgrimage to Santiago has continued without stopping since the Middle Ages, but few modern pilgrimages began before the 1957 book The Road to Santiago by Walter Starkie. The revival of the pilgrimage was supported by the Spanish government under Francisco Franco, who wanted to promote Spain's Catholic history. "It was only recently (in the 1990s) that the pilgrimage to Santiago regained the popularity it had in the Middle Ages."

Since then, hundreds of thousands of Christian pilgrims and others travel each year from their homes or popular starting points across Europe to reach Santiago de Compostela. Most walk on foot, some ride bicycles, and a few travel by horse or donkey, as their medieval ancestors did. In addition to religious pilgrims, many hikers walk the route for travel, sport, or to explore their connection with themselves, others, nature, and what they see as sacred. Others view the journey as a spiritual retreat from modern life.

The Camino Francés, or French Way, is the most popular route. The Via Regia is the last part of the Camino Francés. Historically, most pilgrims came from France, especially from Arles, Le Puy, Paris, and Vézelay, with some from Saint Gilles. Cluny, home to a famous medieval abbey, was an important gathering point for pilgrims and was added to the official European pilgrimage route connecting Vézelay and Le Puy in 2002.

Most Spanish people consider the French border in the Pyrenees the natural starting point. The most common modern starting point on the Camino Francés is Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees, with Roncesvalles on the Spanish side also being popular. The distance from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela through León is about 800 km (500 mi).

The Camino Primitivo, or Original Way, is the oldest route to Santiago de Compostela, first used in the 9th century and starting in Oviedo. It is 320 km (199 miles) long.

The Camino Portugués, or Portuguese Way, is the second-most-popular route. It starts at the cathedral in Lisbon (totaling about 610 km) or at the cathedral in Porto (about 227 km), and crosses into Galicia at Valença.

The Camino del Norte, or Northern Way, is less traveled and begins in the Basque city of Irun on the border with France or sometimes in San Sebastián. It is less popular because of its changes in elevation, unlike the mostly flat Camino Francés. The route follows the coast along the Bay of Biscay until it nears Santiago. Though it has fewer historic sites, it has cooler summer weather. The route was first used by pilgrims to avoid Muslim-controlled areas during the Middle Ages. From Irun, the path is 817 km (508 miles) long.

The Central European Camino was revived after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Medieval routes like the Camino Baltico and the Via Regia in Poland pass through present-day Poland, reaching as far north as the Baltic states, including Vilnius, and eastward to present-day Ukraine, passing through Lviv, Sandomierz, and Kraków.

In Spain, France, and Portugal, pilgrims' hostels with dormitory beds provide overnight stays for pilgrims who have a credencial (see below). In Spain, this type of accommodation is called a refugio or albergue, similar to youth hostels or gîtes d'étape in France.

Hostels may be run by local parishes, councils, private owners, or pilgrims' associations. Some refugios are located in monasteries, such as the one in the Monastery of San Xulián de Samos, run by monks, and the one in Santiago de Compostela.

The final hostel on the route is the famous Hostal de los Reyes Católicos, located in the Plaza del Obradoiro across the Cathedral. It was originally built as a hospice and hospital for pilgrims by Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, the Catholic Monarchs. Today, it is a luxury 5-star Parador hotel that still provides free services to a limited number of pilgrims daily.

Most pilgrims carry a document called the credencial, which gives access to overnight accommodations along the route. Also known as the "pilgrim's passport," the credencial is stamped with the official St. James stamp at each town or refugio where the pilgrim stays. It records where the pilgrim ate or slept and serves as proof to the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago that the journey was completed on an official route, qualifying the pilgrim to receive a compostela (a certificate of completion).

The compostela is a certificate given to pilgrims who complete the pilgrimage. To earn it, pilgrims must walk at least 100 km or cycle at least 200 km. For walkers, the closest convenient starting point is Sarria, which has good bus and rail connections. Pilgrims arriving in Santiago who have walked the last 100 km (62 mi) or cycled the last 200 km (120 mi) and state their motivation was at least partially religious are eligible for the compostela from the Pilgrim's Office.

The compostela has been granted indulgences since the Early Middle Ages and remains so during Holy Years. The English translation of the certificate for those with non-religious motivation reads:

The Pilgrim's Office gives more than 100,000 compostelas each year to pilgrims from over 100 countries. However, not everyone who walks the Camino receives one. Requirements include: 1) making the pilgrimage for religious/spiritual reasons or showing a search for meaning, 2) completing the last 100 km on foot or horseback or the last 200 km by bicycle, and 3) collecting a certain number of stamps on the credencial.

A Pilgrim's Mass is held daily in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela at 12:00 and 19:30. Pilgrims who received the compostela the day before have their countries of origin and starting points announced during the Mass. The Botafumeiro, one of the world's largest censers, is used during certain Solemnities and every Friday, except Good Friday, at 19:30. Priests offer the Sacrament of Penance (confession) in many languages. During the Holy Year of 2010, the Pilgrim's Mass was held four times daily to accommodate more pilgrims.

The Xunta de Galicia, Galicia's regional government, promotes the Camino as a tourist activity, especially during Holy Years (when July 25 falls on a Sunday). After Galicia's advertising campaign for the 1993 Holy Year, the number of pilgrims has steadily increased. The most recent Holy

Gallery

• There is a monument honoring pilgrims located in Burgos.
• A pilgrim’s hostel is found in Mansilla de las Mulas.
• A pilgrim walks across the dry and striking meseta, a high plain that provides a long and difficult journey.
• A pilgrim is near San Juan de Ortega.
• A view of the northern route of the Camino de Santiago is visible from San Sebastián, including the Playa de la Concha beach.
• A sea view is seen along the northern route of the Camino de Santiago as pilgrims approach Onton.
• A pilgrim travels along the northern path of the Camino de Santiago.