Camino de Santiago

by Andy Symington

Overview

The Camino de Santiago has experienced a striking revival. Cutting across Spain from the Pyrenees in the east, to Santiago de Compostela in the west, it leads you through the varied and beautiful ancient kingdoms of northern Spain. This Footprint Handbook provides invaluable information on transport, accommodation, eating and entertainment to ensure that your trip includes the best of this medieval pilgrim route.

• Essentials section with useful advice on getting to and along the Camino de Santiago.

• Comprehensive, up-to-date listings of where to eat, sleep and play.

• Includes information on tour operators and activities, from sampling red wine in La Rioja to the magnificent cathedral at Santiago.

• Detailed maps for the Camino de Santiago.

• Slim enough to fit in your pocket.

With detailed information on all the main sights, plus many lesser-known places of interest, Footprint Handbook Camino de Santiago provides concise and comprehensive coverage of Spain’s most famous historical route.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781911082507
Publisher:	Footprint Handbooks
Publication date:	04/28/2017
Series:	Footprint Handbooks
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	152
File size:	22 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Andy Symington hails from Australia and, after much time spent prowling and working in various corners of the world, he settled in Spain, where he has now lived for several years. He is enamoured of the art, architecture, wildernesses, and tapas of Andalucía, which never ceases to offer up hitherto unknown corners to explore. Andy has extensive experience as a travel writer and is the author of several Footprint guidebooks.

Read an Excerpt

The revival in recent years of the medieval pilgrimage route across Spain to

Santiago de Compostela has been a striking one. Today, more than 250,000

people make all or part of the journey on foot or bicycle every year. These

peregrinos come from all nations and backgrounds, and are drawn by a

range of motives. Some seek spiritual redemption, others time to think,

and yet others just a good long walk. One of the joys of the Camino is that

it’s very much what you make of it. If you’re there to make friends around

the table at sociable communal dinners, you can. If you want some time

out from modern life and prefer pacing the pathway alone, you can. The

network of albergues (pilgrim hostels) means that you can plan your route

according to your abilities and whims of the day. Some do the walk from

France to Santiago in one go, while others prefer just to do the final section.

Some do a week a year, picking up the trail where they left off last time.

There are as many Camino routes as there are starting points, but the

main one, the Camino Francés, is what we mainly cover in this guide,

along with its tributary, the Camino Aragonés. The Camino Francés,

starting in the French Pyrenean town of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, is a fantastic

way to see Northern Spain. The route crosses the entire region, taking

in Pyrenean passes and valleys, Navarran and Riojan wine country, the

flat plateau of Castilla, and Galicia’s verdant hills. Many of Spain’s most

picturesque villages, evocative monasteries and interesting towns lie

on or close to the route, and, by the time you see the granite towers of

Santiago before you, you’ll have taken a crash course in Spanish culture and

architecture along the way.