The Camino has become the ultimate experience for people from all over the world. Whether they are believers or not, thousands of pilgrims are encouraged to make this journey to the Cathedral of Santiago, in the northwest of Spain, where the tomb of the Apostle St. James is located. In fact, during this 2022, attendance records have already been broken. One of them has been the registration of the 200.000th pilgrim before July 25th, the day of the Apostle St. James.
One Camino, many paths
However, in spite of what it may seem, the Camino de Santiago is not a unique route, but several ones with the same destination. You can choose between different Caminos to follow, depending on the level of difficulty you are willing to go through or the starting point from which you want to start your adventure. This way, you have the Vía de la Plata, which begins in Seville, or the Portuguese Way, starting from Lisbon.
The most popular of all of them is the French Way. This is because it is a relatively easy path to walk and it counts with all the services you may need on the way: hostels, food shops, drugstores… This route starts in France, at St Jean Pied de Port, and continues through northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela, in the northwest of the country.
But being the first option for most pilgrims, for sure it will also be the most crowded of all these routes. And despite having the greatest number of services, at certain times of the year we can find ourselves with fully occupied lodgings, among other unforeseen events.
How to plan the Camino de Santiago
To avoid problems due to this overcrowding of people, which can lead to trouble finding the best accommodations in each stage, many pilgrims entrust the task to specialised companies such as Pilgrim, which will plan a whole experience taking into account people’s preferences. This way, you can decide on the route you want to walk, the type of accommodation you prefer to sleep in, the time you can spend, and other additional services such as backpack transfer or travel insurance.
Even for those who are reluctant to do the Camino de Santiago on their own, this is a highly recommended experience. In fact, it is the favourite choice of many men and women who want to dedicate the journey to put their thoughts in order and meditate while walking.
The prize is the town of Santiago de Compostela itself at the end, with its old town, the beautiful cathedral and the many bars and restaurants where you can enjoy a typical Galician meal with some wine. Do not miss the chance of joining other pilgrims from other parts of the world in this experience: we promise you won’t regret it.