Our team of twelve women (and a few of their family members) will arrive in Madrid on September 18, 2010. They will be coming from Miami, Florida, Ontario, Canada and Caracas, Venezuela. We will meet in Madrid and take an overnight train to Oviedo.

Oviedo is located just South of the Bay of Biscay in Northwestern Spain, where we will begin our walk of over 307 kilometers in fifteen stages. How many miles is that?



El Camino Primitivo was the first documented route to Santiago de Compostela. In the IX century, King Alfonso II of Asturias and his entourage departed from Oviedo on a pilgrimage to visit the tomb of the Apostle Santiago (aka St. James), which had recently been discovered. The originally documented route remains very much the same as the current Camino Primitivo.

A distinct difference between this Primitive Way and the other many routes to Santiago de Compostela is its level of difficulty. It has many changes in altitude and terrain. Passing through three provinces (Asturias, Lugo and Galicia), another distinction of El Camino Primitivo is its incomparable beauty. We will cross through forests, rivers and streams, mountains, hills and valleys, small villages, herding pastures, and endless picturesque landscapes.

From Oviedo to Melida, El Camino Primitivo covers 266 kilometers, passing through 36 populated areas. Hence, on average, food and lodging is only available every 7.4 kilometers. For this reason, a special attention to detail in planning our days will be required.

On Day 11, arriving in Melida, El Camino Primitivo merges with El Camino Frances (the most populated of all the routes), where we will then prepare for the last leg of our journey to Santiago de Compostela.

Upon arrival in Santiago de Compostela, we will be received by our generous hosts, Fundación Caixanova with a celebratory reception at their recently inaugurated cultural arts center, Obra Social Caixanova. And since ISHR boasts the participation of visual and performance artists, a grand celebration of our pilgrimage for human rights and the arts will be enjoyed by ISHR and other pilgrims arriving on October 5, 2010, to Santiago de Compostela.

We will be doing our trek on foot, but some pilgrims choose to ride a bike or go by horseback. Note: to receive the 'Compostella', which is the official certificate of pilgrimage, one is required to walk a minimum of 100 kilometers (or 200 kilometers on bike). A network of shelters along the way offers free lodging and stamps the pilgrim passports, which provide evidence of completion. Though most shelters (known as albergues) are available on a first come first serve basis, hotel reservations are available in some towns.

Here are a few of our favorite info links:
The Way of St. James: Practical Advice
Now is when, Galicia is where
Xacobeo 2010 Newsletter

Please check back to take advantage of our exclusive ISHR flight discounts on AirEuropa.

Here's a distance conversion tool you may find helpful:

 

If you'd like to join us, email us at camino@ishrights.org

¡Vamos al camino!