Hiking the Camino de Santiago

Camino de Santiago(Flickr Creative Commons by Martin Bajer)

By Jim Clem

The Camino de Santiago, or The Way of St. James is an ancient pilgrimage route that starts in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and ends at the Cathedral in Santiago Compostela, Spain.

For hundreds of years, this same path has been used by the faithful making the holy pilgrimage to Santiago Compostela. It was also the route used by Roman Legions, Moor and Saracen invaders, the Knights Templar, and the armies of Charlemagne and Napoleon.

The Camino de Santiago is not only a walk across the hard-packed, rocky soil of Spain, but a journey through history, religion, and western culture.

The trail goes over four mountain ranges, through big cities, rural areas, across the vast Meseta of central Spain, and through the green hills of Galicia.

One of the unique things about the Camino de Santiago is the Albergue system. These are bunkhouse type accommodations every six miles or so. They are run by the church, local municipality, other Camino groups, or private ownership. The cost to stay in a Albergue is free, by donation or a small fee up to six euros. They are generally clean and have showers, bathrooms, and some have kitchens. If you have registered as a pilgrim at the start of your trip, you are issued a pilgrims credential that allows you to stay in the Albergues.

(Flickr CC by Marcin Bajer)

Also along the trail are numerous hostels, hotels, and pensions that range from very inexpensive to expensive. Through most sections of the trail there are bars/restaurants or stores where you can purchase food or any needed supplies or equipment. This allows the hiker to carry less equipment which translates into a lighter backpack.

Pilgrims/hikers of all ages come from all over the world to walk this pilgrimage route making it a truly multi-cultural experience.

If you are interested there are some great internet resources and books on the Camino de Santiago-here are a few:

http://www.ourcamino.com Lots of information, links, reading list and hundreds of photos of the trail.

http://www.americanpilgrims.com American Pilgrims on the Camino-this is the website for the U.S. based pilgrim group.

http://www.csj.org.uk The Confraternity of St. James-U.K. based pilgrim group.

http://www.mundicamino.com One of the best sites about the Camino. Just about everything you want or need to know about the trail.

http://www.backpack45.com Good site with info about hiking in general and info on the Camino.

http://www.santiago-today.com Great site with up-to-date info on Santiago and the Camino.

Some good reading material:

Buen Camino-Hiking the Camino de Santiago by Jim and Eleanor Clem is a day to day record of hiking the Camino de Santiago. The book also covers training and equipment. Over 160 photos gives you a good look at the trail.

The Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino Frances by John Brierley is the guidebook we used on both of our Camino trips. Small enough to carry with lots of information, photos and up to date maps. Our copy is well worn from being used so much on the trail.

The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago by David Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson is the best source of info about the Camino. The book is filled with history, facts, maps, and information on art, architecture, geology folklore, etc.

On the Road to Santiago by Bob Tuggle is the first book we read about hiking the Camino, and is still one of our favorites.

Flickr CC by Marcin Bajer

The Pilgrim's Guide by William Melczer is a translation of the Codex Calixtinus-the 12th century guide to the Camino. Very interesting reading.

Camino Chronicle by Susan Alcorn is a great read about her and her husbands(Ralph) hike on the Camino in 2001. Good day-to-day info along with information on how to prepare for the trip. Also lots of history and interesting facts. If you have an interest in the Camino you will enjoy this book.

Some things you need to know before you hit the trail:

Spain is a very modern country with good water, food, medical care, ATM machines etc. The people are very helpful and friendly and they have a very low crime rate.

You will be walking about 500 miles. It took us 37 days (one sick day) to compete the trip walking every step. That comes out to an average of about 14 miles a day-in all types of weather over all type of terrain.

Every year the Camino is becoming more and more popular which means lots of hikers/pilgrims/mountain bikers on the trail. You will always find somewhere to sleep, but it may be on a kitchen floor. Unless you are on a very tight budget, stay in small hotels/hostels. You can make reservations a few days in advance and you will get a better nights sleep.

Every day on the Camino de Santiago is an adventure that brings new challenges and rewards. Whether your reasons for making this trip are for religious/spiritual reasons, or you are looking for one of the premier treks in the world, hiking the Camino de Santiago is the trip of a lifetime. The Camino experience is one that stays with you long after you leave the trail and head home.

Buen Camino

Jim Clem

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