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Top 10 apps for the Camino
General, News, Route information, Tips and Tricks

Top 10 apps for the Camino

With the news that the Camino Ninja app is again available to pilgrims and will be updated regularly going forward, the time is maybe ripe to look at some of the most helpful and beloved Camino apps, websites and resources. Here is our list of the top 10 apps to consider when doing the Camino, in no particular order. 1. Camino Ninja After the passing of its creator in July 2022, the Camino Ninja app was not available on the app store or play store for a while, but it is back and has been updated (and will reportedly continue to be going forward, according to Peter Eich who has taken it over from its late creator Andy Jensen). It is now again available from both the Apple istore and the Google Playstore.It is free and offers offline information about accomodation and routes along...
Pilgrims get a discounted breakfast at the Parador in Santiago
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Pilgrims get a discounted breakfast at the Parador in Santiago

As a pilgrim you can have a discounted breakfast at the Parador de Santiago de Compostela. This legendary hotel is considered the oldest hotel in Spain.Pilgrims get a 15 percent discount for their sumptuous buffet breakfast, paying only 15 Euro instead of the normal 23 Euro. The historic hotel is located next to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Phone at 8 pm the previous night If you are not staying at the Parador, you can phone them at 8pm the previous night to confirm if they have any vacant tables for breakfast. They will then give you available times between 07:00 am and 10:30 am. Each sitting is 45 minutes.Make sure to take your official Pilgrim's Credential or Compostela with you and to tell the maitre d when you arrive so that they can bill you correctly. A ...
A rooftop tour of the Cathedral is a must-do
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A rooftop tour of the Cathedral is a must-do

Many pilgrims who experienced it report that one of the highlights of their visits to the Cathedral in Santiago and even their whole Camino was taking the rooftop tour. Tickets for the 60 minute tour can be booked on the Cathedral's website. It is called the Decks and Carraca's Tower tour. There is also a ticket office at the Cathedral. Tours run from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00. Access to the rooftop is limited to 15 people at a time, and books up fast. Basic admission is 12 Euros. Some pilgrims who have experienced the rooftop tour said it was the best 12 Euros spent their entire Camino. The ticket includes a visit to the Museum, a guided tour of the Covers and access to the north tower of the cathedral through its medieval structure, peeking out, more than 70 m...
To book or not to book – that is the question…
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To book or not to book – that is the question…

Completo. Completo. Completo. The most dreaded word in a pilgrim's experience, except maybe for... blisters. That sinking feeling when all the albergues are full and you don't know where you will sleep tonight. This was the reality for numbers of pilgrims in May this year, when the Camino reached unprecedented numbers (see the full story with statistics here). When the Not so amazing bed race is a reality on the route it has several effects. It causes pilgrims to debate pre-booking their accommodation, losing some of the fluidity and freedom of the pilgrimage in the process. The old adage "the Camino provides" and the beauty of letting your journey unfold day to day organically then comes into stark competition with the reality of recent years' surge in popularity that makes this...
Record pilgrim numbers on the Camino Frances in the first 5 months of 2023
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Record pilgrim numbers on the Camino Frances in the first 5 months of 2023

Pilgrim numbers on the Camino Frances reached record numbers in the first 5 months of 2023.Just under 23 000 pilgrims left from St Jean Pied a Porte (SJPP) in the first five months of 2023.This is according to statistics of pilgrims registering with the Bureau d'accueil des pèlerins de St Jacques de St Jean Pied de Port. The bureau is where pilgrims register to get their pilgrim credentials and route information.This year's 22 971 pilgrims was the highest number of pilgrims for the first 5 months of any year, in the more than ten years since 2012 (when the current statistics start).The second highest number for January to May of a year was in 2019. 2019 was a record year when 21 484 pilgrims left the popular starting point.Looking at this April, 9604 pilgrims left in SJPP. This is also the...