The Camino de Santiago
"The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step"
Established at the beginning of the 9th century, the Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest pilgrimages in the world. Since then, millions of Christian pilgrims and many others have set out each year to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. In addition to those undertaking a religious pilgrimage, the Camino is popular with organized tour groups, cyclists and hikers who walk the route for travel, sport or as a form of spiritual retreat from modern life.
The common starting point on the most popular route, the Camino Francés, is Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, located in France at the foot of the Pyrenees. The distance from there to Santiago de Compostela through León is about 800 km (500 mi). In addition to the Camino Francés, the most traveled routes are the Camino del Norte and the Camino Portugués, although there are many more routes.
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