Camino de Santiago
El Camino de Santiago, or as it is known in English, the Way of
St James, is one of any number of pilgrimage routes to the
cathedral set in the town of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia -
situated in the north-western most part of Spain. One of the
apostles, St James the Great, is said to be buried there. Legend
has it that St James' remains were carried by boat from
Jerusalem to northern Spain where they were discovered in
Compostela. This pilgrimage is renowned to be one of the most
important in Christianity since medieval times, along with those
to Rome and Jerusalem . The route has existed for over 1000
years and recently, has been attracting more and more visitors.
Each year thousands of people set out to walk along the route
from a variety of starting points scattered across Europe , the
most popular being at St Albain. People walk, cycle or even go
by horseback for weeks and months. The route has now become so
popular, it is no longer used exclusively by Christians -
non-Christians are using the route to have hiking and cycling
holidays.
Of all the routes on El Camino de Santiago, the most popular is
the Camino Franc