Every year, thousands of people walk along ancient roads, through fields, villages, and mountains, to reach a city in the northwest of Spain: Santiago de Compostela. This is not just any hike. It is a path of history and effort. Some go for faith. Others seek peace, a transition, a test. But deep down, why this path? Exploration.
1. A tomb at the end of the world
It all begins in the 9th century. A hermit named Pelagius discovers, in a remote region of Galicia, a tomb attributed to the apostle James (the Greater), one of Jesus’ twelve companions. Legend says his body was transported by boat from the Holy Land to the Spanish coast. The place soon becomes recognized as the sanctuary of Saint James, called Santiago in Spanish. King Alfonso II visits, then pilgrims follow. A church is built, then a cathedral. This isolated place becomes one of the great pilgrimage centers of medieval Europe, alongside Jerusalem and Rome.
Saint James. Source
The route to Compostela then takes on a religious meaning. Setting out to walk to the apostle’s tomb becomes an act of faith, penance, or gratitude. People go to ask for healing, to fulfill a vow, to prepare for death. The walk becomes a path toward forgiveness, toward God, or toward oneself.
The distance varies depending on the starting point. Some start from home, in France, Belgium, Switzerland, or even further. But to officially receive the Compostela, the certificate given upon arrival, you must have walked at least 100 kilometers on foot (or 200 kilometers by bike). That’s why many start in Sarria, a Spanish town just above this threshold.
2. Roads everywhere, one unique goal
Contrary to popular belief, there is not just one Saint James Way, but several, and the main routes gradually converge in Spain. In France, four major historic routes cross the country: from Paris, Vézelay, Le Puy-en-Velay, and Arles. These paths pass through cities like Chartres, Tours, Limoges, Moissac, Cahors, Conques, or Rocamadour. They are called the Jacobean ways. They are marked by bell towers, hospices, ancient bridges, and shells carved in stone.
The convergence point is in the Pyrenees, at Roncesvalles or Somport, depending on the chosen route. From there, walkers take the Camino Francés, the most famous Spanish route, which passes through Pamplona, Burgos, León, to Santiago de Compostela. The distance varies depending on the starting point, but all roads lead to this city, where the cathedral housing the relics of Saint James stands.
3. A story made of silences and rebirths
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Saint James Ways experienced great prominence. Churches were built, religious orders settled to protect pilgrims. The Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript, already describes the route, the stages, the dangers, the sanctuaries. But with wars, epidemics, and religious upheavals, the pilgrimage declined. It did not disappear but gradually faded.
In the 20th century, the path was revived by walkers. Enthusiasts, historians, believers brought it back to life. The routes were marked, hostels reopened, associations multiplied. UNESCO inscribed several sections as World Heritage. The pilgrimage regained a place in people’s minds, even among those who do not identify as believers. It crosses splendid landscapes, but above all it crosses endurance, doubt, solitude, and encounters.
4. An inner as well as outer journey
Today, some set out with a backpack, a notebook, and a shell. Others walk without equipment, without a defined goal. They move one step at a time, cross villages, sleep on straw mats, eat by firelight. Motivations vary, but all experience a transformation. You leave with questions. You return with traces. The body tires, but the mind clears. The silence of the walk eventually expresses what words could no longer formulate.
Upon arrival, the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela stands like a threshold. People enter sometimes in tears, sometimes singing, sometimes in silence. It doesn’t matter. What counts is not having arrived, but having walked. The path is still there. And as long as there are steps to take it, it will remain alive.
5. Where does the shell come from?
The scallop shell has become the symbol of the pilgrim. It is found on the path markers, attached to backpacks, carved on chapel walls. Its origin dates back to the Middle Ages. Pilgrims arriving in Compostela would pick one up on the Galician beaches by the Atlantic. It served as proof of their passage.
The shell also had a practical use: it could serve as a spoon, a container to drink from fountains or inns. It was gradually associated with the apostle James, a fisherman by trade. It became the emblem of the path, but also an object of recognition among pilgrims. Wearing the shell signals that one is walking toward a goal, and that this goal is not only geographical.
6. When to do the Saint James Way?
The Saint James Way attracts the most walkers between May and September, with a clear peak in July and August. The reasons are simple: the weather is milder, accommodations are open, and many take their summer holidays then. July is also marked by the feast of Saint James, celebrated on July 25th, which draws crowds to the city. The cathedral holds solemn masses, and the giant incense burner called the botafumeiro is swung above the faithful in a spectacular movement.
Botafumeiro. Source
Outside this period, it is quieter. April, May, and October are favored for their tranquility. Winter is still possible, but refuges close and the cold makes walking more demanding. Everyone chooses their time according to what they seek: shared fervor or the solitude of slow steps.
7. Ask for the credential!
If you want to start, there is no official registration, no ticket to buy, nor formal commitment. The Saint James Way remains free. You can start anywhere, anytime. Just choose a starting point, put one foot in front of the other, and move forward. But to give shape to this walk, certain objects and habits frame the pilgrimage.
The most important is the credential, also called the pilgrim’s passport. You can request it from Jacobean associations, at stage receptions, or in some parishes. This small booklet allows you to get stamps at each stage, in hostels, churches, cafes. These stamps prove the route traveled and allow, upon arrival, to receive the Compostela, the certificate given at the cathedral.
Compostela. Source
The rest of the journey is done with few things. A pair of sturdy shoes, a suitable bag, a bit of trust. Thousands of markers line the roads, marked by the yellow shell on a blue background. You sleep in hostels or pilgrim inns, share a meal, a prayer, a silence. Each day is decided by the rhythm of the body, the sky, the encounters.
You don’t set out on the Saint James Way like booking an all-inclusive trip. It’s not a closed circuit. It is an open path, in every sense of the word. It requires no permission, just a free and willing step. And that first step is enough for the path to begin its work.
