Santiago de Compostela, Spain by Mário José Martins

Here are just some of the benefits to going the guided tour route:

Safety

As with many situations, there is safety in numbers when walking the Way of St. James. If you should become ill or injured or come across any unsavory people, there will be plenty of others, as well as your guide, to make sure you’re taken care of.

Accommodations

Accommodations are plentiful on the way to Santiago, especially on the more travelled routes, but there will be thousands of people right alongside you looking for somewhere to spend the night and you don’t want to chance all the inns being full. As part of a tour you’ll be guaranteed a comfortable place to lay your head after an excruciatingly long day of walking or cycling, and most accommodations booked through tours are much nicer than you would find on your own.

Getting Lost

Many of the different routes that will lead you to Santiago de Compostela are very well-marked due to the high volume of visitors each year. Getting lost may not be a huge concern, but for those traveling on their own and who tend to wander off, it can definitely happen. As part of a tour group you will always be accounted for and the chances of getting lost or left behind are minimal.

Streets of Santiago de Compostela, Spain by Naír la jefa

Knowledge

Most of the companies that you can book guided tours in Spain through provide tour guides that call the country home and have been immersed in the culture for a significant amount of time, if not their whole lives, as well as have years of experience navigating the Way of St. James’ many routes. Some will offer extra knowledge on the art and monuments you will see along the way and can accommodate access to must-see sites that you can only gain entry into if you are part of a guided tour.

Encouragement

The Way of St. James isn’t for the faint of heart, and there can be many challenges that a pilgrim will face during their expedition. Meeting people on the same tour and spending such a lengthy amount of time with them can forge lifelong friendships and encouragement when you think you can go no further.

You may be a seasoned traveler and used to going at it alone, but the Way of St. James trek isn’t your typical vacation, and a guided tour might be something to really consider. Happy travels!

Author’s Bio

Tiffany Olson is a blogger who lives in beautiful Northern California and loves all things travel and adventure related. She writes on many topics including guided tours in Spain and The Way of St. James (aka El Camino de Santiago).

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Santiago de Compostela, Spain by Mário José Martins

I had been invited to meet friends from Canada who were taking their two year old daughter to Spain to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time, and be christened.  I was spending Christmas in Szeged, Hungary with family friends, so I planned on arriving in Santiago de Compostela by train a few days before New Year’s Eve.  It was a long trip with 3 nights spent sleeping on trains.  I loved sleeping on trains even though the motion, which allowed me to sleep deeply, didn’t do anything to stop my bizarre nightmares.  Just before the porter brought continental breakfast, as we zipped toward my first layover in Zurich, I woke from a dream that I had arrived at my destination, and as it dawned on me that I’d left my daypack somewhere, it arrived on the doorstep looking like a skinned animal.  What?  I had stops in Geneva, Barcelona, and Madrid before arriving in Santiago.

Is It A Law Or A Suggestion?

Peter and Pili met me at the train station, and we took the scenic/most indirect route to Pili’s parents’ house.  They wanted to drive up to A Coruña to hunt for old coins in antique shops and this way my introduction to Peter’s obsession with looking for coins.  Not only did he buy several coins, he also admitted that he had a list of castle/ruins that he wanted to visit on the way to the house, and a metal detector in the trunk of the car!  So there weren’t any actual signs posted anywhere forbidding people from using a metal detector and shovel to locate and dig up artifacts, but it seemed like a no-brainer.  So Pili and I had to stand watch while Peter hunted and dug.  He didn’t have any luck finding coins because we wouldn’t let him spend tons of time at it, we found it too stressful.  It was certainly a different way of looking at ruins.  One of our stops was at Castillo de Vimianzo which was built in the 13th century and is considered to be one of the best preserved castles in Galicia.  We also stopped at Castillo del Cardinal which was built as a fort right at the water’s edge to protect the mouth of the estuary.

Seafood Paella by avlxyz

The Freshest Seafood

When we finally reached Pili’s family’s home I was treated to first of many feasts.  Every night that I was there we ate mountains of wonderful fresh seafood.  The town also had a cannery, so even the canned scallops and mussels were fantastic.  Pili’s mom was alternately offended by and concerned for the health of, anyone who lacked appetite.  My favorite was the Calamari Romana, and she let me help prepare it one evening.  The instructions couldn’t be simpler.  Dredge cleaned and salted squid in a mixture of flour and baking powder, then into beaten egg.  Fry in small batches in shallow oil until browned.  Squeeze lemon over and serve.

Elizabeth Evans left her backpacking days to join a multinational focused on SEO in latin america, she is fluent in Spanish, French and Italian.

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Santiago de Compostela, Spain by Alquiler de Coches

• Every place in the world has its own gastronomic pleasures to provide to guests from other places, therefore it makes perfect sense for travelers and holiday makers to try out the edible goodies of Galicia.  It is simply recognized for the unique set of seafood, with octopus being the main attraction.  Of course, this is very much like a slippery version of calamari, which can be off putting to some people.  However, there are also some other dishes that one can try out.

• There are a few events that can prove fascinating to curious guests, and one of them is the Queimada.  This is a traditional practice in which one engages in a bit of drinking with the rest of the locals and other travelers.  At the same time, it is also a ritual which is intended to fend off evil spirits.  This can be quite entertaining to say the least, and one would certainly learn a whole lot about Galician culture.

• Of course, since one would travel to Galicia to enjoy the best experiences that it has to offer, it would be suitable to take a trip to Santiago de Compostela indeed.  For many of the locals, they would have to travel straight from their homes, while pilgrims and hikers would start off their journey to the town from the French regions of the Pyrenees mountains.  It is a 500 mile walk, which can prove quite challenging for some.  However, the minimum distance that one can travel in order to be recognized as following “the Way of Saint James”, is 100km.  it would usually take travelers 3 to 4 days, and they would be treated to a certificate that congratulates them for making it that far.

There is so much adventure awaiting tourists, and it can even prove to be an experience unlike any other. These are just some of the things that one should get involved in when they’re planning to do the El Camino.  The spiritual gratification and fulfillment from traveling to Santiago will certainly have an impact on people’s lives for the better.

Leslie loves hill walking and writing his routes on the web.  He has been running the main Camino de Santiago and Walking in Scotland site since 2006. Click on El Camino to know more interesting facts.

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The basilica, which was built over the grave of St. James grew into Cathedral, which is now the most important monument in the city. The Cathedral was rebuilt into Baroque style in 18th century, which changed its original appearance. The cathedral has a magnificent Romanesque interior façade Portico de la Gloria, which was created by the Master Mateo in 1188. Inside you can see a beautiful Mondragon chapel from the 15th century, the main altar, crypt with the relics of St. James, or a museum of paintings, retables, reliquaries and sculptures.

View Santiago de Compostela – a World Heritage City and pilgrimage destination Spain in a larger map

It is a perfect example of sacred Roman architecture. Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela became the destination of the Way of St. James, a major historical pilgrimage route since the Middle Ages, which total length is 1600 km. The journey starts in France and leads through the Alps to Santiago de Compostela. Only in Spain it goes through seven provinces, four autonomous regions and around 200 villages and towns.

A history of the pilgrimage dates back to medieval times and its symbol is the scallop shell, which can be found at every step. Believers go this long journey for centuries and is important for them to repentance and spiritual cleansing. Along the roads were built hostels, shelters, hospitals, churches and cathedrals, which were designed to serve the pilgrims. Then many cities around grew up that have prospered largely from the influx of pilgrims.

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Also now, there are always thousands of people each year, however not all of them for religious reasons. The pilgrimage has become a renowned tourist attraction, where you can enjoy the beautiful and the changing landscape, to know the local traditions, people and architecture. Suitable for visiting the city is 25 July when the celebrations of St. James are held here and it is also the National Day of Galicia. In 1993, also the St. James pilgrimage has been added to UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The historic city center is full of stone streets. Together with surrounding squares it is now a pedestrian zone and you will find most of the sights here. Since there is an important Spanish university, the city is full of students. Popular tourist place is the Zona Vieja (Old Quarter), which is full of bars, restaurants, clubs and discos.

The southern part consists of the square Praza de Galicia, where you’ll find baroque cathedral Catedral del Apóstol from 18th century. You can also visit the museum of pilgrimage Museo das Peregrinación situated near the cathedral. Art lovers should not miss a visit to Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea with the exhibitions of modern art.

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