Rural Spain Properties

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

photoSince medieval times, pilgrims have wended their way through France and Spain to the city of Santiago de Compostela to pay their respects to the remains of St James (Santiago).

Legend has it that although the saint was probably beheaded by Herod Agrippa in Jerusalem, two of his disciples miraculously brought his corpse to Padrón, near Santiago, in a boat without sails.

Today, not all the 70,000 or so pilgrims who annually make the journey are Christian. Many come for the fun and the challenge of the hike through tiny Galician villages, staying along the way at hostels (albuerges or refugios) or more luxurious paradors.

There are a variety of routes through France, Spain and Portugal with the most popular being the 750km camino francés from the Pyrenees across northern Spain. See our map for the main routes.