A JOURNEY TO CELEBRATE GRADUATIONS: CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

When you’ve just graduated or reached a big milestone, when you’ve just completed a long course of sustained work and effort and you’ve accomplished something important, it’s good to take a considered break -- not just rest, relax and catch up on pleasure, but to shift and give your mind and body time and space to process, reset, and move on.

Long hiking journeys or treks are perfect kinds of vacations to consider because they offer exercise -- a welcome shift if you’ve been working too hard and too long at desk -- and they give you a long time to ponder as you step back from everyday life and you walk for many miles. Your experience unfolds with every step.

One of our favorite treks is the Camino de Santiago, a 400 - 500 mile walk across northwestern Spain which typically takes about one month to complete at a steady yet unhurried pace of 10 - 15 miles a day. You can walk the entire path, or you might opt to spend just one week, walking the last 100 - 200 km of the route to Santiago de Compostela.

This trans-Spain journey has been a pilgrimage route since the 9th century, when the original ‘peregrinos‘ (pilgrims) traveled to visit the sacred tomb of the apostle Saint James the Great.

Many follow its routes as a form every year since then, non-stop, growing numbers of people make this journey. Some follow in religious footsteps. Others are in search of peace and enlightenment. Some want to find themselves.

Some mainly aim to spend time getting getting closer to nature. Most travel by foot while others make the trip via bicycle, horseback or by donkey.

For all, completing the trip is a significant accomplishment -- a new  graduation of sorts. If it sounds daunting, consider this: over 250,000 people a year walk the Camino.

Flora Baker, of FloraTheExplorer, describes her El Camino journey beautifully, offering glimpses of the sights along her way as well as her personal experience transformation. One of the beauties of the trail, however, is the fact that each person’s journey is unique.

The Camino is not just one path, but rather a network of routes -- different options you could take, depending on what you want to see and how hard you want to work at it. All paths, however, lead to the ultimate destination, Santiago de Compostela. The iconic marker there is the cathedral.

The most popular route is the Camino Francés, which starts at the foothills of the French Pyrenees. This and the Routes of Northern Spain are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Via Regia is the last portion.

Camino Primitivo, or Original Way, is the oldest route to Santiago de Compostela, first taken in the 9th century. It begins in Oviedo.

Camino Portugués, or the Portuguese Way, is the second-most-popular route. It can begin at the cathedral in Lisbon or at the cathedral in Porto, in the north of Portugal, crossing into Galicia at Valença.

Camino del Norte, or the Northern Way, begins either in the Basque city of Irun on the border with France or in San Sebastián.  The is the hilliest route. It mainly follows the coast along the Bay of Biscay, so it is a lot cooler in the summer.

Your journey can be rustic and pared back, for an authentic ancient pilgrim experience. You’ll carry a month's worth of clothing and gear on your back and sleep in communal hostels. Or you can take easier -- you can hire services such as Jacotrans and Caminofacil to carry your load and you can stay at lovely Paradores, luxury hotels housed in castles and other historic buildings. Check out Parador in Leon, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Santiago de Compostela.

You can go it alone, join up with groups, or join a tour. Check out Fresco Tours, which offers Full-Service Guided Tours and Independent Self-Walk Journeys.

Get a preview of the experience in the Martin Sheen movie The Way.

Whatever your path, once you reach the glorious ultimate destination, you can collect your official certificate (called ‘Compostela’) from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago de Compostela. It’s like a diploma that is provided you have covered at least the final 100 kilometers (62 miles) on foot or horseback or final 200 kilometers (124 miles) on bicycle.

Whether it is a retreat or a spiritual adventure, El Camino de Santiago is a beautiful way to get from wherever you are to wherever you are headed next.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Camino de Santiago. Courtesy of AWOL Junkee. Camino de Santiago. Spain.
2. Image: by Flora Baker. “A crucifix on Ceahlau Massif mountain.” Camino de Santiago. Spain.
3. Image: by Eckhard Haasler. “Tag Bild 4 Das Bild ist fuer Ilona.” Camino de Santiago. Spain.
4. Image: Flora Baker. “Walking to Salcantay.” Camino de Santiago. Spain.
5. Image: “May camino de santiago.” Camino de Santiago. Spain. Courtesy of Fresco Tours.
6. Image: by Lovisa Håkansson. “To go together with nature.” Camino de Santiago. Spain.
7. Image: by 3dom. “Church wall.” Camino de Santiago. Spain.
8. Image: by aherrero. “Puente la Reina. Camino de Santiago.” Camino de Santiago. Spain.
9. Image: by Rocco Rossi. “Camino de Santiago.” Camino de Santiago. Spain.
10. Image: “Camino de Santiago Tour.” Camino de Santiago. Spain. Courtesy of Fresco Tours.
11. Image: by M. Aurelius. The pilgrim's certificate. Camino de Santiago. Spain.
12. Image: by josemaria. Untitled. Camino de Santiago. Spain.
13. Image: Walk the Camino de Santiago. Courtesy of G Adventures. Camino de Santiago. Spain.
14. Image: by nesimo. “Camino de Santiago: Saint Jean Pied de Port - Muxía.” Camino de Santiago. Spain.
15. Image: by Trevor Huxham. “Camino de Santiago.”  Palas de Rei. Galicia, Spain. Camino de Santiago. Spain.
16. Image: by alma-81. “Finisterre-Homenaje al peregrino del Camino de Santiago.” Camino de Santiago. Spain.