Upon the discovery of the tomb of St. James in Compostela at the beginning of the ninth century, the news traveled fast through Spain and Europe. Pilgrims started making their way to the site from their hometowns, slowly increasing in number from the hundreds to the thousands, and establishing specific routes for their travels. The Spanish kings favored the development of these routes into main pilgrimage arteries through Spain and Europe over time.
There are innumerable routes or "Caminos" that will lead you to Santiago but the best known are the Camino Francés (French Way), Camino Primitivo (Primitive Way), Camino del Norte (Northern Way) and Camino Portugués (Portuguese Way). Other caminos link Santiago with the central plains in Spain, with the southern regions like Andalucía (Camino Jacobeo) and the mediterranean regions where pilgrims used to arrive by sea (Camino de Levante).
The main Camino is the French Camino that arrives from France at St Jean de Pied de Port and crosses Spain from Roncesvalles to Santiago, passing through large cities like Burgos or León along the way. This is the Camino that most pilgrims choose to travel as it is the most impressive. In this trip you will be starting at Sarriá to cover the last 100Km of the French Camino. Other caminos link up with the French Camino along its route as you get close to Santiago, so you will encounter many pilgrims during these latter stages. The Camino pilgrimage is a unique experience where you get to meet people from all parts of the world and exchange life stories along the way.
