The Way of Saint James routes

French Route

If you decide on this route, and you want to do it all, your adventure will begin in the Pyrenees, before then going along
the south side of the Cordillera Cantábrica Mountains until you reach Galicia. You can choose Roncesvalles (Navarre) or Somport (Aragon) as your starting point. These two paths converge at Puente la Reina (Navarre).

Northern Route

On this route you travel the Way of Saint James following the coastline of the Cantabrian Sea. As old as the French Route, it is one of the most beautiful and exciting ways. Discover the coastal landscapes of the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia in an exceptional way, and take the opportunity to try the internationally renowned cuisine of northern Spain.

Come and see Green Spain, a region of exceptional natural beauty with mountainous landscapes, numerous watercourses, dizzying cliffs, lush forests and endless meadows.

Primitive Route

This is the oldest of all the routes that comprise the Way of Saint James. Follow a path trodden by pilgrims in the 9th century through the western interior of Asturias. It is less busy than the French Route or the Northern Route and is clearly signposted.

Start in Oviedo, the capital city of the Asturias region, which is also known as the Principality of Asturias. It is a lively city with an immense heritage. Romanesque churches like Santa María del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo and San Julián de Prados are just some of the buildings in Oviedo on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Other routes

You can also reach Santiago de Compostela on other secondary routes. Your choices include the English Route, originally used by British and Scandinavian pilgrims disembarking at the ports of Ferrol and A Coruña. The Portuguese Route will take you from Lisbon along the Atlantic coast to Porto, from where you go on to enter Galicia at the border town of Tui (Pontevedra Province). You can also take the Silver Route, an old cultural and trade route that crosses Spain from Seville in the south to Gijón in the north, connecting along the way with various branches of the Way of Saint James.