Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Page 4: Tourist Information and Web Links

Every seven years is a saint year, last was 1999. Many special activities take place through the year.
July 24 is best date to go, is Galizia (local region) National Day, week-long fair and fireworks
Paradoses = old palaces or castles turned into luxury hotels, the one in Compostela costs about $200/night
Medieval routes began in Paris, Vezelay and Lo Pueg, went south in France, met up in Ostabat. Entered Iberian Peninsula at Navarra. AT top of Pyranees, dedicated first prayer to St. James. Next stop Pamplona, then Puente de la Reina and Estella.
Botafumiero, big censer used to welcome the pilgrims
About 2.5 million people a year visit Santiago de Compostela, mostly by car, bus, plane and train, as well as by more challenging "pilgrimatic" methods.
If they did it, it must be okay… Notable pilgrims include Pope John Paul II, Francis of Assisi, and Shirley Maclaine.
How long?

Entire camino begins in France, is 900 km long and takes about 30 days of walking
Official certificate of pilgrimage: Must walk 100km or bike 200km (the network of shelters that have free lodging stamp your passport as evidence)

Scallop-edge conch shell seen along the route, was used to dip water from the streams on the way
Destination: Santiago de Compostela's 10th century Romanesque and Gothic cathedral. By 1000 A.D. the site was the most popular of all Christian pilgrimages.
My first duty and pleasure was to enter the great cathedral and join other recently arrived pilgrims to climb a flight of narrow, well worn steps behind the altar. There I threw my arms around the neck of St. James' giant statue and gave him a hug from the back.
Pilgrims believe the arduous journey will halve their stay in Purgatory
Has been a coveted destination for travelers from many walks of life and many levels of European society since the ninth century
One starting point: Leon's cathedral (Gothic). four to six hours of walking for seven straight days
walking route comprises modern paved roads, cobbled streets, stony pathways, and dense forest trails.
Convent of San Marcos in León was built in 1173 as a pilgrim hospital and resting place on the way to Santiago de Compostela. Today it serves as an elegantly restored and furnished hotel
After attending evening vespers sung by the Benedictine monks at the Samos Monastery, we toured the Gothic and Baroque cloisters with Brother Fluctocio, a diminutive monk in his eighties whose infectious laugh and sparkling eyes would have made him a great tour guide
to go all the way: 560 kilometers or more from the French/Spanish Pyrenees border all the way to Santiago de Compostela, or carry even a portion of my worldly goods on my back, or share communal nights in the free pilgrim dormitories spaced out along the Camino
refugios (hostels) managed by municipalities and state governments, usually free, following the long tradition established by the church of honoring pilgrims and their good intentions with one or more days of hospitality.
Well-maintained facilities usually include bunk-style accommodation with good mattresses on which to spread your sleeping bag, his and hers washrooms, a shared kitchen and common areas.
At Compostela, considered to be among the finest paradors in Spain, the Hotel de los Reyes Católicos was originally built about 1500 by the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabel, as a huge cross-shaped hospital to shelter and care for thousands of poor and sick pilgrims.
Lonely Planet's comprehensive guide to Spain (2001), and its specialist guide, Walking in Spain (1999), both provide excellent information on the northern region. The 260-page A Practical Guide for Pilgrims: The Road to Santiago by Millán Bravo Lozano provides every scrap of detail you need in order to navigate the entire Spanish Camino, including walking, cycling, and driving maps broken into daily stages, and loaded with information on every building, bridge and stop of historical significance, restaurants, hotels, refuges, campsites, and banks. No serious pilgrim ventures onto the Camino without this reference in hand.

Web Links

Walking Spain's Camino de Santiago – Travel with a Challenge

SantiagoTurismo – Official Tourism Site

The Camino – Guide to the various pilgrimage routes, with photos and map. Can use photos (if link) here: http://www.santiago-compostela.net/lepuy_en.html. Note other affiliated sites at bottom including Mount Athos and Inca Trail.

Webcompostella - Describes French routes.