PODCAST: ‘The Camino is an experience where the mobile phone is switched off...’

I was fortunate to spend eleven wonderful days walking on the Camino in Spain in September for a Travel Tales with Fergal Podcast Camino special.

I did a shortened Camino highlights trip. The full Camino is over 800kms from the Spanish border in the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. It typically takes a walker between 30 and 35 days, walking around 25 kms a day, to do the full Camino.

I walked the French Camino Way from Roncesvalles, at the foothills of the Pyrenees on the border with France, but most people start at St Jean Pied de Port in France and walk over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles. I would recommend starting from St Jean in France.

I flew into Bilbao with Aer Lingus, which is about a two and a half hour car transfer to Roncesvalles. Aer Lingus also flies to Biarritz which is only an hour’s drive to St Jean Pied de Port, where most Irish people start their Camino.

The Camino is a truly magical experience that I would recommend to everyone but especially walking and history enthusiasts.

The walk takes from the northeast of Spain all the way to the Atlantic on the far west coast. The Camino brings you through four very different regions of Spain with four very distinct landscapes, culture, architecture, people, cuisine, weather and even language.

Pilgrims, as walkers are called whether religious or not, start in the mountains of the Pyrenees, then pass through stunning medieval hill towns and cities like Pamplona of Navarra, then the picturesque vineyards of Rioja, followed by the vast, endless flat plains of the Meseta of Castile and Leon.

This finally gives way to the mountains into Galicia which is known as the Green Spain with its small green fields surrounded by stone walls and a celtic heritage that make Irish people feel at home.

There are many Camino routes with the French way the most popular followed by the Portuguese way which starts in Lisbon.

The traditional route is the northern way along the coast of Northern Spain. This is the most difficult and mountainous route, so it fell out of favour with pilgrims in the middle ages when the French route became a possibility after the Moors were defeated and they retreated to Andalusian in southern Spain.

The Camino is one of Christianity’s most venerated and ancient pilgrimage walks and goes to the tomb of St James at the magnificent world heritage listed cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, which is the third most holy site in Christianity after Rome and Jerusalem.

People have been doing the Camino since the 9th century when the remains of St James were rediscovered in Santiago. From medieval times right up to the 18th century the Camino was the most popular Christian pilgrimage, as both Rome and Jerusalem were considered much more difficult to undertake.

However, by the early 20th century the number of annual pilgrims was down to just a few hundred each year.

Pope John Paul II is credited with the Camino’s revival when he visited the tomb of St James in 1982. In 1972, the cathedral in Santiago registered the arrival of just 72 pilgrims in one of the traditional manners (i.e., on foot or horseback). Ten years later, after the Pope’s blessing the number had risen to 1,868 pilgrims.

Since then, the number has dramatically increased every year with strong Spanish Government support. In 2019, before the global pandemic struck, the Pilgrim’s Office at the cathedral registered the arrival of 347,585 pilgrims.

The numbers are hoped to rise again in 2022 with some predictions of 1 million pilgrims due to the Holy Year being extended to next year due to the pandemic.

To put that number in perspective, St Declan’s Way, which was recently officially launched, has a target of 20,000 walkers per year.

The lesson to be learned in Ireland from the success of the Camino is the fact that both national and local government support significantly contributed to its continued growth.

They provide infrastructure help by repairing and upgrading walkways and signage and subsided public refuges.

They also provide international marketing support. Spain has recognised the importance of tourism to these regions and the future potential of outdoor activity tourism, especially in the post pandemic world.

Many people still walk the Camino for religious reasons, but in a recent survey of 3,000 pilgrims, it found just 28pc of people walked for religious or spiritual reasons.

72pc of people are now walking the Camino for the physical challenge or to connect with nature or escape their daily routine.

This is a trend seen in most travel surveys where people increasingly travel for more immersive experiences like activities, food and culture as tourists become more engaged in healthy living.

I will go into detail next week on what I think the Camino is so magical and what makes it so special when compared to other walking holidays I have done. I’ll share my favourite towns to stay in and offer helpful tips when planning your own Camino.

The Camino is very much an experience where the mobile phone is switched off and home life is quickly forgotten.

My guide in Navarra was a Camino legend called Fran Contreras who summed up the magic of walking when he told me: “The only thing you hear on the Camino is your heart beating and the crunch of your shoes on the ground”.

I would add to that the openness and camaraderie of fellow walkers who share a passing “Buen Camino” greeting with a welcoming smile and a willingness to chat with strangers and exchange stories.

Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of the Travel Tales with Fergal Podcast which has a special episode all about the Camino out now on www.traveltaleswithfergal.ie