Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Camino de Santiago
Eight hundred kilometres across northern Spain to the shrine of St James — the pilgrimage that never went out of use.
Biblical significance
The Camino Francés runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port over the Pyrenees and across Navarre, La Rioja, the Meseta and Galicia to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where tradition places the apostle's remains. Over 400,000 people complete a Camino each year. Carry a credencial, collect stamps, walk the last 100 kilometres, and the Pilgrim's Office issues the Compostela in Latin.
Scripture
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Best time to go
May-June and September; July-August is hot and crowded.
Visitor notes
Albergues cost 8-15 EUR a night. Book nothing on the Francés outside peak season; book everything in August.
Coordinates
42.8806, -8.5446
On the map
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Getting to Camino de Santiago
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