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Camino de Santiago (Village to Village Guide): Camino Frances: St Jean - Santiago - Finisterre
Now fully updated in 2017, 20% lighter and 30% thinner! This Village to Village Guide to the Camino de Santiago is a comprehensive guidebook to walking the Way of Saint James' Camino Frances route, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela, and also the Camino Finisterre to Muxia and Finisterre. This Camino guidebook includes full-color detailed topographical stage maps of each day's walk with free GPS files online; 135 detailed stage, city and town maps (now easier to read); essential practical information on transport, accommodations and services. It includes detailed listings of pilgrim hostels (albergues) and private accommodations in each town, including prices, amenities, number of beds, contact information, open dates, and more. There are regional introductions to the different areas along the Camino including information about traditional foods, flora and fauna, and local culture plus overviews of dozens of medieval pilgrim sites, with information about the historical context of the pilgrimage.
- GenresTravel
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 16, 2017
By far the best book I found about the Way. When walking the Camino I looked at various guidebooks including the famous Brieley's guide but this one seemed the most up-to-the-point. It gives you everything you need to be prepared:
-detailed description of today's stage including the elevation profile and a map
-historical facts and figures
-useful phrases and words in Spanish
-advice on how to prepare and what to take with you
Plus, if you are going to walk to Finisterre and Muxia it gives you those stages too unlike some other books I've seen.
I was very happy I bought a Kindle version and used it on my phone but the printed one seemed just as good as the e-book.
-detailed description of today's stage including the elevation profile and a map
-historical facts and figures
-useful phrases and words in Spanish
-advice on how to prepare and what to take with you
Plus, if you are going to walk to Finisterre and Muxia it gives you those stages too unlike some other books I've seen.
I was very happy I bought a Kindle version and used it on my phone but the printed one seemed just as good as the e-book.
September 6, 2018
I used this guide to walk the Camino Frances in May and June of 2018 - the busiest time of year for walkers traveling the full length of the Camino Frances. I would definitely use it again for a future walk, and would seriously consider other guides by this couple.
Pros
* Great overview information - from packing and planning to the page or two of simple Spanish phrases. (Granted Google Translate outshines anything in print, but there were times those couple of pages really came in handy.)
*Nice suggested route. Some guides are less suggestive about stopping points, but these folks picked out towns that had a lot of accommodations. Many stopping towns were offset from the other big English guide (don't remember the name offhand) so as to spread out walkers along the Way. Nonetheless, it was easy to adjust stopping places so as to have mornings in very small towns where there was no morning herd to contend with.
* Realistic elevation maps. Some other maps I saw with elevations for certain sections set up the height/length measurement so that climbing 1000 feet over 5 miles practically looked like you were trying to summit Mt. Everest. This one did not.
*I really appreciated the bit of tourist information about towns along the route and the small maps of mid to large size towns. It was so handy for experiencing the culture and finding my way through some of the bigger towns. Most other guides I saw didn't have those, so I often could share bits of history about towns that other were unaware of.
Cons
*It's a little heavy. No, I'm not going to rip the pages out as a walk, which is a common suggestion for people obsessed with weight. It was my "journal" of my days and route - every day I made notes about how far I went and where I stayed. Lighter paper would be nice, though. Or at least make it water resistent so the weight is a little more worth it.
*None of the guidebooks I saw or heard about from others while on the Camino seem to give more than a passing mention of rest days. This one did mention it, but still, walking for 30-40 days is actually best on one's body when there are some rest and reflection days included. (I'm an Appalachian Trail aficionado, and yes, it is standard for long distance hikers to plan for rest days - typically also resupply days.) While the Camino is about the journey, there is a tendency of pilgrims once they are actually on the walk to think too long on how far and how hard they can go. Friends of mine who walked the Camino about five years ago were near shocked when I mentioned taking a taxi "backward" on the Camino to visit a friend with an overuse injury -- backward?? A small section devoted to this and identifying some good locations and/or strategies for identifying places to stop would be nice.
*A German friend on the trail had a neat feature in his book that I didn't notice -or at least hear about) - in English books. His book noted not only the number of beds in an albergue or hostel, but the layout of the space... like 30 beds in one great room vs. 10 beds each in 3 smaller rooms. That occasionally came in really handy in picking the best space to stay. I would love to see that in a future edition.
Pros
* Great overview information - from packing and planning to the page or two of simple Spanish phrases. (Granted Google Translate outshines anything in print, but there were times those couple of pages really came in handy.)
*Nice suggested route. Some guides are less suggestive about stopping points, but these folks picked out towns that had a lot of accommodations. Many stopping towns were offset from the other big English guide (don't remember the name offhand) so as to spread out walkers along the Way. Nonetheless, it was easy to adjust stopping places so as to have mornings in very small towns where there was no morning herd to contend with.
* Realistic elevation maps. Some other maps I saw with elevations for certain sections set up the height/length measurement so that climbing 1000 feet over 5 miles practically looked like you were trying to summit Mt. Everest. This one did not.
*I really appreciated the bit of tourist information about towns along the route and the small maps of mid to large size towns. It was so handy for experiencing the culture and finding my way through some of the bigger towns. Most other guides I saw didn't have those, so I often could share bits of history about towns that other were unaware of.
Cons
*It's a little heavy. No, I'm not going to rip the pages out as a walk, which is a common suggestion for people obsessed with weight. It was my "journal" of my days and route - every day I made notes about how far I went and where I stayed. Lighter paper would be nice, though. Or at least make it water resistent so the weight is a little more worth it.
*None of the guidebooks I saw or heard about from others while on the Camino seem to give more than a passing mention of rest days. This one did mention it, but still, walking for 30-40 days is actually best on one's body when there are some rest and reflection days included. (I'm an Appalachian Trail aficionado, and yes, it is standard for long distance hikers to plan for rest days - typically also resupply days.) While the Camino is about the journey, there is a tendency of pilgrims once they are actually on the walk to think too long on how far and how hard they can go. Friends of mine who walked the Camino about five years ago were near shocked when I mentioned taking a taxi "backward" on the Camino to visit a friend with an overuse injury -- backward?? A small section devoted to this and identifying some good locations and/or strategies for identifying places to stop would be nice.
*A German friend on the trail had a neat feature in his book that I didn't notice -or at least hear about) - in English books. His book noted not only the number of beds in an albergue or hostel, but the layout of the space... like 30 beds in one great room vs. 10 beds each in 3 smaller rooms. That occasionally came in really handy in picking the best space to stay. I would love to see that in a future edition.
December 30, 2022
I read this before walking the Camino Frances, and it gave me a lot to look forward to! Some of the information is outdated (the pandemic closed down a lot of albuerges), so I would pick up a newer edition if you plan on using it as a guide. The history and myths of each town along the way were great! When my group was done for the day, I enjoyed opening up the book and reading anecdotes about the places we were walking through. There’s a couple great stories about chicken resurrections in Castilla y León!
August 5, 2021
Excellent
I am still in the planning stage and have been disappointed that I could not get Brierley in English on Kindle. This Kindle edition is excellent and always at my finger tips.
I am still in the planning stage and have been disappointed that I could not get Brierley in English on Kindle. This Kindle edition is excellent and always at my finger tips.
December 10, 2025
The only Camino guide I’ll ever recommend. People were always asking to look at the inside front cover elevation maps
January 19, 2016
This looks like a great guide book. Can't wait to put it to use!
Read
July 18, 2016Great resource for study - and when I am on the road, I can add more!
June 6, 2016
way better than the Brierley guide that everyone else uses (even if this one is a little heavier!)
February 12, 2025
Invaluable. Practical. Concise. My daily guide while actually walking the Camino - September - October 2024.
April 19, 2019
I read this hiking guide cover-to-cover in preparation for hiking the Camino. This is a great guide and an apparent necessity for the Camino walk, as it includes extensive mapping, accommodations and vital information to keep a pilgrim on track and fully supplied.
As we know from the Bible, Saint James is a disciple that left his trade as a fisherman to follow Jesus. The Bible tells us that James requested to sit at the right hand of Jesus, was present at the Transfiguration and also in the Garden of Gethsemane. James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa in 44 CE in Jerusalem, after which his body was transported to Spain and buried. Nearly 800 years later, in 813, the grave was discovered and authenticated by the bishop.
The event that initiated the Camino pilgrimages was the mysterious Battle of Clavijo in 852, when St. James is said to have appeared to assist the Christian army against the Muslim invaders.
Medieval engraving of the Battle of Clavijo
St. James then became the patron saint of Spain and a cathedral was built to house his relics. The current cathedral was begun in 1075 and completed in the 1120’s. It is one of only three known churches in the world built over the tomb of Jesus' apostles, the other two being St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican and St. Thomas Cathedral in Chennai, India.
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
People have been walking the Camino to Santiago ever since. Pilgrims carry a scallop shell symbolizing the fingers of an open hand and the deeds expected of pilgrims. Many identify the trek with the Via Dolorosa or “way of suffering” undertaken by Jesus in Jerusalem.
This is one of the best written and well-organized travel guides that I’ve seen.
-End-
As we know from the Bible, Saint James is a disciple that left his trade as a fisherman to follow Jesus. The Bible tells us that James requested to sit at the right hand of Jesus, was present at the Transfiguration and also in the Garden of Gethsemane. James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa in 44 CE in Jerusalem, after which his body was transported to Spain and buried. Nearly 800 years later, in 813, the grave was discovered and authenticated by the bishop.
The event that initiated the Camino pilgrimages was the mysterious Battle of Clavijo in 852, when St. James is said to have appeared to assist the Christian army against the Muslim invaders.
Medieval engraving of the Battle of Clavijo
St. James then became the patron saint of Spain and a cathedral was built to house his relics. The current cathedral was begun in 1075 and completed in the 1120’s. It is one of only three known churches in the world built over the tomb of Jesus' apostles, the other two being St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican and St. Thomas Cathedral in Chennai, India.
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
People have been walking the Camino to Santiago ever since. Pilgrims carry a scallop shell symbolizing the fingers of an open hand and the deeds expected of pilgrims. Many identify the trek with the Via Dolorosa or “way of suffering” undertaken by Jesus in Jerusalem.
This is one of the best written and well-organized travel guides that I’ve seen.
-End-
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews