Blue and yellow trail markers on the Camino de Santiago lead the way for travelers to visit the Cathedral de Santiago and honor Saint James. photo by Eileen Adair
This summer I will be walking one of the most famous Christian pilgrimages.
The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela in Northwestern Spain. There are over 280 different recognized routes from throughout Europe and the first pilgrimages to the Cathedral began in the early ninth century. This pilgrimage has always been a way to honor Saint James, which the Camino is named after, but more recently, the Camino has been traveled for a variety of spiritual and adventurous reasons.
“El Camino de Santiago” translates to “The Way of Saint James” who was an apostle, or disciple, of Jesus. Saint James was beheaded in 44 AD and his followers transported his body to Northwestern Spain. According to American Pilgrims on the Camino, Saint James was laid to rest in a marble tomb until his body was discovered in the ninth century. The local bishop identified the body as Saint James’ and reported the finding to Alfonso II, King of Asturias. The king immediately traveled to visit the tomb and the route he took from Oviedo, Spain to Santiago de Compostela is known as the Camino Primitivo because it was the first pilgrimage route to the tomb. Upon his arrival, Alfonso II declared that a church should be built at that site, the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela. The word Compostela is derived from the latin word componere or compositum meaning “to bury” or “cemetery.” The remains of Saint James lie in a silver casket under the Cathedral’s main altar.
A Catholic pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to a sacred site with the purpose of seeking spiritual renewal and a deepened faith. When the body of Saint James was first rediscovered, the pilgrimage to where his remains resided was a way to honor Saint James. In more recent times, the Camino de Santiago is walked as a way for travelers to blossom their spirituality, reconnect with nature, and connect with Christian history.
This summer my parents, three siblings, and I will be walking the Portuguese Camino: Coastal route. Starting in Porto, Portugal, this route is 170 miles long and will take around two weeks to complete. The route starts in Porto and follows the coast to Vigo, Spain where it then merges with the Central Route in Redondela, Spain. For most of the route, we will be along the coast, sometimes in sand. We will walk 12 to 14 miles a day, carrying our gear on our backs, and sleeping in hostels along the way.
My family loves to travel. We’ve taken two cross country road trips in an RV, one on the east coast when I was five, and the other on the west coast when I was ten. We’ve also visited a total of 13 countries outside of the U.S. together. These trips have given us the incredible opportunity to grow closer and make memories together and I am so excited to spend similar quality time with them during this trip, especially because all of my siblings have moved out of the house.
I cannot wait to walk the Camino de Santiago and immerse myself in the experience of my own pilgrimage. I hope to deepen my understanding of the Christian religion, make memories with my family, and see as much as I can of Portugal and Spain.
