Camino de Santiago is commonly known as just the Camino or Way of St. James. It is a popular pilgrimage people take to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia where many believe the apostle St. James the Great is buried. Recently I watched a documentary called Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago which got me thinking a lot about the pilgrimage. I should first point out I am not Catholic, as were many of the people in the documentary but I found it interesting to explore what motivates people to take on such a huge task.

There are many routes you can take to walk the Camino, however the Camino Francés (The French Way) is the most common option. This is a 780km walk that starts off in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees and while there is no set agenda, according to the itinerary found on Wikipedia, takes 29 days to walk. This is just an example itinerary and it involves a 20-40km walk each day to the next town on the route.

The Camino de Santiago has mainly been a spiritual pilgrimage but while watching the documentary Walking the Camino it seems that nowadays it is a fitness challenge or a journey of self-discovery. A 780km walk would not be easy and I do not think I could ever complete it but I love the idea of slowing down and reflecting. The whole idea of no schedules and no worries (apart from the task at hand) would allow for time to reflect on life.

I found this documentary fascinating and I feel like completing the Camino would really be an impressive (and pretentious) feat. I have considered trying to complete it but that much walking really worries me. The idea of walking through Spain looking at the country side and eating the food is very appealing. I have only visited one town along the Camino, which is Santo Domingo de la Calzada but the medieval architecture and art is enough to entice people. Has anyone considered walking the Camino?

Read More