![]() Every day my estimate of our hike’s length seemed a few kilometres short of the final toll: expectation management is crucial, I learned, if you want to keep your pilgrims happy. I was there, too, after attempting to put my previous Camino experiences (not to mention a year of officer training at the Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst) to good use and guide a group of ten patient pilgrims on an inaugural week-long mini-Camino organised by the Catholic Herald magazine. Suspended from the cathedral’s ceiling, the world’s largest thurible swings through the cavernous interior spewing clouds of incense over the awestruck congregation. Felipe VI, the king of Spain, was in town to attend mass and watch the mighty Botafumeiro in action. Last week the city’s streets were even more rammed with backpacks and walking sticks than usual, as 25 July marked the feast day of St James that all Spain still celebrates. More accurately, the Camino is the collective name for the multitude of pilgrimage routes laid across Europe that, like a river’s tributaries, finally converge at Santiago de Compostela’s magnificent baroque cathedral, in whose basement it is believed the remains of St James the apostle lie. The Camino, or the Way of St James, is most associated with the 500-mile route from the base of the French Pyrenees westward though Pamplona, Burgos and Leon. They are pilgrims, as the city marks the end of the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. These aren’t your average ramblers, though. In Spain’s Santiago de Compostela it always looks like there is a giant hiking convention going on. The bus station is a 20-minute walk northeast of the centre, while the train station is a 15-minute walk from the old town.Surely no other city can claim to have so many backpacks and walking sticks on its narrow cobbled streets. You can get a connecting bus from the airport to Praza de Galicia every 30 minutes. If you’re arriving by plane, the nearest airport is Santiago de Compostela Airport, 11km east of the city. You can explore the city centre on foot or use the local bus system. The nightlife is centred around bars hosting live music from jazz to flamenco, pubs with pretty outdoor terraces and places where you can sample tapas by day and dance until the early hours. Take time to admire the Pórtico de la Gloria arches at the main entrance, with 200 granite figures representing the Apocalypse. ![]() If you don’t have a week to spare, you can join the pilgrims in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral for the daily mass that takes place at midday. Visitors wishing to receive the Compostela pilgrim certificate must walk at least 100km. If you’re craving green space, head to Parque de Belvís for meadows, small streams and panoramic city views from its highest point. Praza do Obradoiro is the bustling square in the heart of the city and a great place to watch pilgrims arrive. You'll also find plenty of traditional restaurants where you can try the famous polbo á feira (sliced octopus with potatoes and paprika). The historic centre, Casco Histórico, weaves around the cathedral and is filled with hidden squares, churches and monuments. Look out for a Santiago de Compostela hostel with terraces overlooking the cathedral and winding old town streets. You can also dine at an on-site café serving breakfast, lunch and drinks, or cook up your own feast on the outdoor barbecue. Take some time to relax in spacious gardens dotted with flowering trees. Many hostels in Santiago de Compostela are in renovated manor houses dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. ![]() The arcaded streets and stone buildings of the old town have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and with a university attracting more than 30,000 students a year, this historic city has a youthful flavour too. Travellers and Catholic pilgrims come every day to pay their respects at the final resting place of the apostle St James, some having walked from as far away as France or Portugal. Best known as the final destination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, the city of Santiago de Compostela is also the vibrant capital of Spain’s Galicia region. ![]()
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