Some of these Refuges will check that you have the official Pilgrim’s passport (or Credencial, in Spanish) with some stamps to show that you have travelled at least part of the Camino. In many of the Hostals, they have rules about who can stay the night. I also show how the distance of each Refuge from the previous refuge on the journey. I list whether each has laundry facilities and kitchen facilities, as well as how many beds they have. There is a comparison table on this page that rates each refuge for it’s comfort and facilities. In the Camino Francés diary sections of the route segment pages, I list all of the refuges on the Camino Frances way. Albergues – Refuges and HostelsĪll along the various Camino routes there is an abundance of Pilgrim refuges and hostels (“refugios” and “albergues” in Spanish). This route is 55 miles and best walked in 5 stages. The Finisterre Way (Camino de Finisterre) is located in one of the westernmost points in Europe. The walk is about 180 miles and quite challenging since it includes hill climbing and the weather is always changeable.

Many pilgrims detour to this route to visit the city’s cathedral. The Original Route (Camino Primitivo) is the straightest route from Oviedo to Santiago traversing through Lugo. It is 70 miles when starting from Ferrol and normally takes 5 days. Distance is 75 kilometers when started from La Coruna and normally takes 3 days. The English Way (Camino Inglés) is a Y shaped route which begins in either La Coruna or Ferrol. Distance is 380 miles with reasonable infrastructure along motorways. The Portuguese Way (Camino Portugues) is relatively flat, without too many hills and begins in Lisbon and traverses Porto and Pontevedra on its way to Portugal. Accommodations are sparse along this route and this itinerary is mostly rigid. This route takes about 35 days to finish on average with a total distance of 510 miles. The Northern Way (Camino del Norte) begins in Irun on the boundary with France and west across Bilbao, Santander, and Oviedo. It passes through Leon, Burgos, Pamplona, and a host of smaller towns and villages. Jean Pied-de-Port in France, then crosses the Pyrenees and continues westward across Spain about 60 miles south of the coast. It is one of the most-travelled ancient trails in the world, estimated to date back from the 9th century. The French Way (Camino Francés) is the portion of the Camino that binds various routes through France and across Spain. Travelers from all over Europe came to see the remains, which marked the same trails which are being traversed to this date.Īt the highest point of the Monte Irago, the topmost point of the Camino, pilgrims traditionally leave a rock to symbolize their journey to The Camino De Santiago. James were discovered by a farmer in Galicia, Spain. It is said to have started when the remains of apostle St. For over 1000 years human feet, animal hooves, and recently bike and motor vehicle tires have literally carved this majestic and historical Camino (main highway).

The Camino De Santiago is said to be Spain’s oldest trail and it is dubbed as the most popular pilgrimage trek in the world. El Camino de Santiago Image courtesy of jmgarzo What is The Camino De Santiago?

Camino de santiago