Some information about the Camino
The Camino de Santiago (which translates to “the Way of Saint James”) is a pilgrimage to a magnificent cathedral in Spain’s Santiago de Compostela. It is here in which the remains of the apostle Saint James are purported to be buried.
The word “Camino” is a Spanish word that has a number of different meanings. The main meaning is a track or path or road. It can also mean a literal way, route or journey. The word Santiago comes from the Spanish name for Saint James.
El Camino, Camino de Santiago and The Way all refer to the network of paths that are the way to the resting place of Saint James. The pilgrimage has been made since the 9th century by pilgrims from all over Europe in search of a way to reduce their time in purgatory. [In my case, I am worried that this might mean that I may have to complete this walk several times!] .
From what I have read, in its medieval heyday many thousands of pilgrims a year would make the trip to Santiago from their home parishes. From the 14th century onward, overall interest in pilgrimages decreased across Europe. But interest in the El Camino has had a resurgence -in 1985 1,245 pilgrims arrived in Santiago, 100,000 in 1993, 270,000 in 2010 and 530,987 in 2025. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
The followign is loosely quoted from the Follow Camino website: “The Camino is a spiritual journey where you will have tough times and wonderful experiences, and meet a wide range of people. Walking the Camino offers pilgrims a sense of camaraderie and connection- everyone is heading in the same direction. …People walk the Camino to find meaning in their lives too. Often people will walk the Camino to give them time away from their normal lives. Walking 20 or more kilometres each day has a way of clearing your mind so that you can find new perspectives and consider your life”
I found a good history of the Camino de Santiago at https://caminoways.com/the-history-of-the-camino-de-santiago. Caminoways.com is a commercial travel site with lots of good information on the pilgrimage and the various routes which can be taken.