Synopses & Reviews
The first one-volume walking guide to the most popular long-distance route walked by British tourists in Europe. With the advent of low-cost airlines it is as cheap for the British tourist to go to mainland Europe as to the extremities of the UK -- which is why in recent years continental long-distance routes have become increasingly popular with the British walker. Most popular by far is El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the ancient Christian pilgrimage route that has been travelled for over a thousand years to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where, legend has it, the bones of St James are buried. This guide follows the most popular route, starting at St Jean-Pied-de-Port in south-west France and heading all the way westwards across northern Spain for 800km to finish at Cape Finisterre on the Atlantic coast. Now, extending its series of Trail Guides beyond the UK for the first time, Aurum publishes the first compact one-volume guide to the path, fully illustrated with photography, it offers comprehensive route directions, sectional route maps, gradient profiles, a history of the route and details of sights to see and separate chapter guides to the main cities along the way like Pamplona, and a list of accommodation en route.
Review
"With the rise in adventure travel and long-distance hiking, it makes sense that the Camino de Santiago is experiencing a renaissance. What started as a pilgrimage across Spain over a thousand years ago has become a route for hikers and cyclists wishing to explore the history and culture of Spain as well as those on a spiritual quest. This revised and updated version of the 2012 publication details the "French Way," which the author, a travel book editor and author of other Camino de Santiago guides, has broken into 34 days, or stages. Each is detailed with places to eat, hostels to stay in, interesting sights, maps, elevation profiles, and, generally, how to approach that day's hike. Detailed route navigation is not given except where the route isn't clearly marked with road signs. Ramis provides a basic history of the Camino de Santiago, options for biking the route, and suggestions for what to pack and how to prepare for the trip. The hiking experience is clearly this guidebook's main focus. VERDICT: Anyone hiking the Camino de Santiago will need a solid guidebook, and this one squarely hits the mark." - Library Journal
Synopsis
The first one-volume walking guide in English to the most popular long-distance route in Europe walked by British tourists.
About the Author
Sergi Ramis is an editor at Ecos Travel Books in Spain. He lives in Barcelona.