Santiago de Compostela

Your challenging pilgrimage takes you on a stunning trek across the North West of Spain. Trekking on the final section of the Camino de Santiago, you will follow the footsteps of millions of pilgrims before you.

The origin of this trek dates right back to the 1st Century.  The name Santiago comes from the apostle Saint James, who travelled to ‘Finis Terrae’ – ‘The end of the world’ - as it was called by the Romans, in North Western Spain to preach and convert people to Christianity.  In AD44 he returned to Palestine, only to be executed by King Herod.  After his death, his followers secretly took his body back to North Western Spain, where it was buried.  Hundreds of year later and after the start of the Christian Re-Conquest, a hermit heard music in a forest and saw shining lights.  It was subsequently named Campus Stellae, ‘Field of Stars’, which later transformed to Compostela.  The tomb of the apostle was soon discovered and King Alfonso II built a chapel on the location.  A few decades later, during a battle with the Moors at Logroño, a knight bearing a white standard and a red cross appeared and fought against the invaders. He was recognised as Saint James and given the name ‘Matamoros’ (Moor slayer) and declared patron saint of the re-conquest of Spain.

Over the following centuries, millions of Pilgrims made their way to Santiago to cleanse their sins and be freed from purgatory.

Your trekking route follows the last 100kms of the most transited ‘Camino Frances’ where at the end, you will receive the ‘Compostela’ a certificate confirming your pilgrimage.