A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino Inglés

This guidebook combines the shortest route into Santiago and the only one that departs from it. Both routes provide the minimum distance required for a pilgrim to apply for a Compostela; but that is not its purpose. By combining these two very different routes we have the possibility to take each as a separate journey or take an extra week and experience what it is like to arrive and depart from Santiago. We also come to understand the variety of pathways that the caminos de Santiago offer us; inviting further exploration. It also seeks to find a balance between the outer and inner journey, between the practical and spiritual, which is why it is subtitled A Practical & Mystical Manual – that we might find a place to eat and sleep at the end of a hard day's walk but also, and crucially, that we might find the courage to dive into the mystery of our own soul awakening.

Camino Inglés: This ancient route was popular with pilgrims arriving by sea in the medieval period. It is quietly coming alive again and ready to welcome pilgrims seeking a more solitary way along the rugged rías of Northern Galicia. In the first edition the Camino Finisterre was described as the road less travelled but that acclaim has now passed to the English way (or Celtic way) that starts in Ferrol or A Coruña.

Camino Finisterre: Pilgrims who continue to the 'End of the Earth' Finis Terrae often refer to this as a highlight in their journeying. Both paths are uniquely beautiful, full of the flavours of Galicia and her deliciously authentic culture. The spirit of St. James is alive in the deep river valleys and rolling hills that make up her Landscape Temple. Come and experience her untamed beauty and the purity of the light that has attracted spiritual seekers for countless millennia. The light, while obscured, lies hidden in our memory. It is no coincidence that the path to the end of the world ends at a lighthouse and the Ara Solis.

Written in English, Spanish, German, Italian and Dutch, this reference contains all the information needed by modern-day pilgrims wishing to walk these sacred roads. Overview route planners plus daily stage maps and detailed town plans help sojourners with as much advance preparation as they need. The maps feature contour guides to help distinguish the terrain that will be crossed each day, while full information on all pilgrim hostels, as well as details for alternative accommodation, allow travelers to plot adequate nightly stopping points. All reference information is accompanied by helpful spiritual guidelines to support the seeker's inner journey as well as the outer pilgrimage. Newly updated to include the latest maps and photos, this lightweight guide fits into a walker's pocket for carefree traveling.