First, the Camino is not a single trail. It is a network of trails across Europe that all lead to the same place in northwest Spain – Santiago de Compostela.
The most popular trail is the Camino Frances. It starts in St Jean Pied de Port in the southwest corner of France. It crosses the Pyrennes Mountains and leads to Santiago. It passes through Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, and Leon before arriving in Santiago de Compostela. It is about 800 kilometers. It takes about thirty two days of walking 25 kilometers per day to make the journey.
I have walked four of the different paths. I have walked the Camino Frances from the east, the Camino Portugues from the south (the second most popular), the Camino Ingles from the north, and the Camino Finisher to the west.
There are two documents that are very important for pilgrims on the Camino. The first is the pilgrim credential. Most countries that have many pilgrims have an official organization that makes these credentials. You can order your credential before you go. You can also get one on the Camino.
The credentials are important for two reasons. First, they identify you as a pilgrim. This makes you eligible to stay in the hostels along the trail that are open only to pilgrims. Second, you collect stamps at the stops along the way to prove that you have walked the trail. You present your book with stamps at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela and they will give you the second document that is very important – the Compostela.
The Compostela is written in Latin. They fill in your name in the Latin version. Many pilgrims end their Caminos by getting their Compostela and attending the daily mass for pilgrims at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. That last day is both very happy and very sad for many pilgrims. They are happy to reach their goal but sad that their journey is over. That magic happens every day with an entirely new group of pilgrims. Last year, over 340,000 pilgrims reached Santiago de Compostela and were issued Compostelas. That is an average of almost 1000 per day.