El Casino Santiago De Compostela

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The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) is a large network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching across Europe and coming together at the tomb of St. James (Santiago in Spanish) in Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain.

Plan your Camino by Booking a Tour

Yearly, hundreds of thousands of people of various backgrounds walk the Camino de Santiago either on their own or in organized groups. People who want to have peace of mind will benefit from an organized tour or a self-guided tour while many will opt to plan the camino on their own.

Routes

The most popular route (which gets very crowded in mid-summer) is the Camino Francés which stretches 780 km (nearly 500 miles) from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port near Biarritz in France to Santiago. This route is fed by three major French routes: the Voie de Tours, the Voie de Vezelay, and the Voie du Puy. It is also joined along its route by the Camino Aragones (which is fed by the Voie d’Arles which crosses the Pyrenees at the Somport Pass), by the Camí de Sant Jaume from Montserrat near Barcelona, the Ruta de Tunel from Irun, the Camino Primitivo from Bilbao and Oviedo, and by the Camino de Levante from Valencia and Toledo.

Other Spanish routes are the Camino Inglés from Ferrol & A Coruña, the Via de la Plata from Seville and Salamanca, and the Camino Portugues from Oporto.

The Camino Finisterre, or Muxia Way, is the only Camino that begins in Santiago de Compostela, travelling west nearly 100km to the Atlantic coast. Many pilgrims continue their journey onwards after reaching Santiago by way of this route which is much quieter and greener than others. The El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, also known in English as the Way of St. James, is a pilgrimage leading to the Shrine of Saint James the Apostle in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

The network is similar to a river system – small brooks join together to make streams, and the streams join together to make rivers, most of which join together to make the Camino Francés. During the middle ages, people walked out of their front doors and started off to Santiago, which was how the network grew up. Nowadays, cheap air travel has given many the opportunity to fly to their starting point, and often to do different sections in successive years. Some people set out on the Camino for spiritual reasons; many others find spiritual reasons along the Way as they meet other pilgrims, attend pilgrim masses in churches and monasteries and cathedrals, and see the large infrastructure of buildings provided for pilgrims over many centuries.

Walking the Camino

Walking the Camino is not difficult – most of the stages are fairly flat on good paths. The main difficulty is that few of us have walked continuously for 10, 20 or 30 days. You learn more about your feet than you would ever have thought possible!

The purpose of this website is to give you information about what it is actually like to walk one of the Caminos, and to choose which one would be the most congenial. Do not assume that you need to walk the Camino Francés just because everyone else does – the other routes are much emptier and have lots to offer.

Origins of the pilgrimage

The history of the Camino de Santiago goes back at the beginning of the 9th century (year 814) moment of the discovery of the tomb of the evangelical apostle of the Iberian Peninsula. Since this discovery, Santiago de Compostela becomes a peregrination point of the entire European continent.

The Way was defined then by the net of Roman routes that joined the neuralgic points of the Peninsula. The impressive human flow that from very soon went towards Galicia made quickly appear lots of hospitals, churches, monasteries, abbeys and towns around the route. During the 14th century the pilgrimage began to decay, fact brought by the wars, the epidemics and the natural catastrophes.

The recovery of the route begins at the end of the 19th century, but it is during the last quarter of the 20th century when the authentic contemporary resurge of the peregrination takes place. There is no doubt that the social, tourist, cultural or sport components have had a great importance in the “jacobea” revitalization but we cannot forget that the route has gained its prestige thanks to its spiritual value.

Contents

One of the most common questions I am asked when I speak about the Camino is how long is the Camino de Santiago in kilometers and miles. Usually, I just answer by saying 780 kilometers – though if the person is very interested I will get into explaining that there are many different routes in Spain and lots of other Camino routes throughout Europe leading to and joining the main routes in France and Spain, so the distance is relevant to each Camino de Santiago route.

Below is a list of the main routes that are walked and cycled in Spain with some information about each and of course how long each is.

All statistics are from the pilgrim’s office in Santiago, they keep a record of Compostelas issued- so the numbers that complete the route are higher as many do not collect a Compostela and others who complete their Camino are walking only one week a year over a few years.

Camino Frances – Distance 780 km about 500 Miles

The French Way, as it is also known as, is the most popular route. In 2015 there were 172,243 pilgrims on this way; this is a huge increase compared to the first time I walked in 2004 when there were 138,646. 2004 was a Holy Year; during Holy Years the number of pilgrims increases dramatically – for example in 2005 only 79,393 collected a Compostela.

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Traditionally the Camino Frances starts in St Jean Pied de Port, though like all the pilgrimage routes you can start and stop anywhere – though most people prefer to finish in Santiago de Compostela. For that reason, Sarria, which is 112 km from Santiago is the most popular starting point – in 2015 67,419 pilgrims started there.

Camino Portuguese 600 km or 370 Miles

There are three routes in Portugal, so starting the Camino Portuguese as 600 km is slightly misleading. The route that is becoming the most popular is the coastal route which is approximately 620 km, the other option is the central way.

Both the above routes start in Lisbon and follow the same path to Porto. There is an extension along this route diverting to Fatima. Between Lisbon and Porto there can be long distances between albergues, after Lisbon the route has a good infrastructure of accommodations.

The third and least popular route is the Portugues Interior which starts in Farminhao and ends in Santiago after 420 km.

The pilgrim’s office group all these routes together under Camino Portuguese, showing 43,151 pilgrims completing the route. The two most popular start points are Tui, (110 km and 13,800 pilgrims), just inside Spain and Porto, (230 km and 13,201 pilgrims).

Camino del Norte – The Northern Route 830 km or 515 Miles

The Camino del Norte starts in Irun in Northern Spain and keeps to the coast for approximately 620 km. The route then turns inland toward Arzua on the Camino Frances where the two routes meet, about 40 km before Santiago. The Norte is one of the tougher routes with many climbs to the tops of hills and then back down to the coast again. The views and scenery are exceptional.

In 2015 there were 15,828 pilgrims recorded having walked the Northern Way, of this 4,175 walked the whole route starting from Irun, other popular start points are Bilbao, (704 km, 1,230 pilgrims), Santander, (580 km, 1,154 pilgrims), Vilalba, (120 km, 1,061 pilgrims), and Gijon, (345 km, 938 pilgrims)

Camino Primitivo – 260km or 160 Miles

The 260 km refers to only the Original Way, another name for the Primitivo. This route starts at Oviedo, though many walk along the Northern Route and then follow the waymarked route from Villavicioas which makes the route approximately 300 km until it joins the Camino Frances at Melide, where there is another 50 km to Santiago.

During 2015 11,473 pilgrims walked this route to Santiago; the largest majority started at Oviedo, (6,412 pilgrims), the traditional start.

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Camino Ingles – The English Way – 110 km or 68 Miles

Once again the 110 km is slightly misleading. It is 110 km from Ferrol to Santiago – the Camino Ingles can also be started at A Coruna and it is 75 km from there to Santiago – not long enough for a Compostela.

In 2015 there were 9,247 pilgrims who completed this route, 8,685 started in Ferrol.

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Via de la Plata – Silver Way 1,000 km or 621 Miles

This route is also referred to as Ruta Via de la Plata and Silver Way. The trail starts in Seville, although there is an extension from Cadiz, however, it is said this is not well marked. On occasions I now see this route being referred to as the Camino Mozarabe, however, I still see that as a separate and distinct route – more below.

The pilgrim’s office in Santiago still refer to this as the Via de la Plata, so I will stick with that.

In 2015 there were 9,221 pilgrims awarded a Compostela after walking or cycling this route. At Zamora there is a choice of routes; continue heading north and join the Camino Frances at Astorga or head west where there is again a choice of two routes – a northern and southern – both meet at Ourense.

Amazingly in 2015 2,290 pilgrims travelled all the way from Sevilla.

Camino Mozarabe 400 km or 248 Miles

Once again stating the Camino Mozarabe as 400 km is slightly misleading. This Camino can be started in Granada which is 400 km – or in Malaga or Almeria, both of which are on the southern coast of Spain.

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The Camino Mozarabe joins the Via de la Plata at Merida where it is another 790 km to Santiago. The pilgrim’s office in Santiago do not have statistics for pilgrims walking this route, however, they have recorded 94 hardy pilgrims who travelled all the way from Granada.

Camino de Finisterre & Camino Muxia – 90 km & 29 km

Many after walking all the way to Santiago keep walking to the coast at Finisterre, another 90 km, to what was once known as the end of the world.

There is the choice after Hospital on this Camino to follow the trail to Muxia and then walk south back to Finisterre or after Finisterre walk north to Muxia. (See the Camino Finisterre route overview)

This is not a recognized Camino route by the church in Santiago and they have only registered 758 pilgrims on this route, far less than actuality.

Camino del Salvador 120 km or 75 Miles

The Camino del Salvador is the only Camino trail that ends further away from Santiago. Officially the route starts in Leon and finishes further north in Oviedo.

While in Santiago last year I met someone from the local tourist office who informed me they are marketing this route for pilgrims starting in Oviedo and joining the Frances to walk to Santiago. The route does not yet have many albergues and there are no statistics for this route at the pilgrim’s office.

Camino Aragones – 160 km or 100 Miles

This is a great alternative to starting in St Jean Pied de Port. I walked part of this route in 2004 and it was a welcome change to enjoy silence and few pilgrims after having just walked the Camino Frances.

The trail starts in Somport, France, and joins the Camino Frances just before Puente la Reina. The route is the connection between the Via Tolosana in France and the French Way in Spain.

Camino de Madrid 320 km or 199 Miles

This route has become well marked only in recent years by the Amigos de los Caminos de Santiago de Madrid. The Camino Madrid joins the Camino Frances at Sahagun, where there is another 370 km to Santiago. There are no statistics for the total numbers walking this route, but 516 pilgrims were given Compostelas after walking from Madrid.

Camino de Levante 900km or 560 Miles

The Camino de Levante starts in officially Valencia, but can also be started in Alicante and joining the main route at Albacete. The route joins the Via de la Plata at Zamora, leaving approximately another 300 km to Santiago. There is little data on this route, but still 134 pilgrims were recorded in 2015 as having completed the journey from Valencia.

Whew, that was harder work than I expected when I started. But now if someone asks me or you how long is the Camino de Santiago there is somewhere you can point them to.

I love hiking. From the Camino de Santiago to the West Highland Way in Scotland or simply a great day hike on the weekend. Hiking refreshes me, my mind, and keeps my body reasonably fit. So far I have walked three Camino routes and many other long distance hikes in the UK, Canada, and around the rest of Europe. One of the best was my hike up Ben Nevis.

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