Legends of El Camino

El Camino de Santiago, "The Way of Saint James," refers to any pilgrimage route (and there are many)that ends at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Northwestern Spain, where legend has it that the remains of Jesus' apostle Saint James were buried. The camino has existed as a Christian pilgrimage for well over 1,000 years. In the medieval period it was one of the three most important Christian pilgrimages to be undertaken. It was only these pilgrimages -to Jerusalem,to Rome and to Santiago de Compostela - which could result in a plenary indulgence which frees a person from the penance due for sins. Legend has it that after Saint James was beheaded in Jerusalem his body was carried in a stone boat to the coast of Galicia, Spain. His body was buried and forgotten until rediscovered in the 9th century and reburied in Compostela and in 1189 Santiago de Compostela was declared a Holy City. Of the many routes, we will walk the Camino Frances (see map) which commences at the border of France and Spain, travels 495 miles through the Pyrenees and across northern Spain to Santiago. This route was declared the first European Cultural Route in 1987 and named one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 1993. From Santiago, pilgrims(peregrinos)can continue an additional 50 miles to Finisterre (End of the Earth) where Saint James' body was to have floated ashore. Obviously, there are as many reasons to walk El Camino as there are pilgrims. For us it has probably always been about the adventure and sheer challenge (or excuse) to trek for weeks in Spain.