The Camino is reborn, the wishes and dreams of thousands of pilgrims are already being fulfilled !!
In September 37,465 pilgrims collected the Compostela: 18,736 women, 18,728 men, 1 unknown. Of this number 35,152 travelled the Camino on foot; 2,240 by bicycle, 41 on horseback, 29 by sailing and 3 in a wheelchair.
Their nationalities were: 23,832 Spain; 1,823 Germany; 1,741 United States; 1,692 Italy; 1,591 Portugal; 996 France; 566 Poland; 555 Holland; 426 UK; 379 Mexico; 309 Belgium; 302 Czech Republic; 277 Ireland; 243 Colombia; 239 Denmark; 181 Austria; 162 Switzerland; 142 Venezuela; 137 Brazil. Small numbers of pilgrims arrived from other countries, including 212 from Asia, 47 from Africa and 31 from Oceania.
The most travelled was the French Way (20,793); followed by Central Portuguese (7,369); Primitive (2,097): English (2,090); North (1946); Portuguese by the Coast (1,681); the Vía de la Plata (591); other ways (587); the Winter Way (185); Fisterra-Muxía (129).
The main starting points were in: Sarria, Tui, Oporto, Ferrol, S. Jean P. Port, Oviedo, O Cebreiro, Valença, León, Ponferrada, Roncesvalles and Irún. But also a few hundred pilgrims left from further afield like Le Puy.
There were no incidents and the pilgrims who arrived in Santiago did so following the hygiene and safety regulations and respecting the restrictions. In all of Spain and, particularly, in Galicia and Compostela, the health situation has improved a lot, it now being possible to spend the night in all the centres of the Camino, to use the hotel services, to pick up the Compostela, to attend the Pilgrim’s Mass and to visit the cathedral. Most of the public and private hostels are open.
