[Gocamino] Routes

[Rosina]

The caminos (routes) followed by the 2007 pilgrims were:

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French:? 91,872

Portuguese:? 8,110

Northern:? 5,871

Via de la Plata:? 4,193

Primitive:? 2,569

English: 1,085

Other: 326 

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The most popular beginning point was Sarria wherefrom 18,969 pilgrims started out, followed by 14,040 from St Jean Pied de Port, 9,001 from Roncesvalles, 7,691 from Leon, 7,367 from Cebreiro, 6,050 from Ponferrada? and, in descending numbers, from 129 other places, including other countries.

79 of the 1,686 Compostela-earning pilgrims made the pilgrimage during the winter time on skis for a great part of the way.? One of the 64 pilgrims from Israel walked all the way from Jerusalem, except where he had to take a boat to cross the sea.?? 9 of the Italian pilgrims walked from Rome and 20 of the Dutch pilgrims walked from their hometowns in Holland.? 

A great many pilgrims bicycled from Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, France, Poland, Denmark and several other European countries.? 

While the number of horseback riding pilgrims has remained constant, new initiatives by the Xunta to establish facilities for horses, mules and donkeys in several albergues, including Monte del Gozo, may change this.? There are two commercial groups now that offer the use of donkeys for the Camino; their services are expensive because someone must go along to make sure that the donkeys are well cared for. In Seville groups are already being organized to make the pilgrimage on horseback during the next Xacobean Holy Year in 2010.? Being that the Via de la Plata can be more than 300 kms. Longer than the French Camino, and it is so very beautiful and challenging, the horseback choice makes some sense.

Hugs!