We are a largely volunteer-run organisation who support and advise people who want to do the Camino de Santiago. The Camino is a network of walking/cycling trails through western Europe that all lead to Santiago de Compostela, an ancient city in northwest Spain. Historically a pilgrimage route for Christians, the Camino has now become a very popular spiritual expedition for people of all faiths and none. Many go looking for escapism, soul-searching, and as a means to deal with personal trauma, move on from something or just "slow down". The experiences people have on their journeys very often award them renewed perspectives, self-assurance and connection to a community of others who share the adventure with them. We give them information in the form of guide books and 1st hand face-to-face guidance before they set off; and once they've come back we offer counsel and ways of keeping hold of their memories and opportunities to "give something back" to their experiences on the Camino.
We publish guide books (written by volunteers) to various different walking and cycling Camino routes, which we sell to customers. We have an informative website with a great breadth of not only practical, but spiritual and historical information. We are the only UK body to issue an officially recognised pilgrim passport - an essential document that is needed when walking the Camino. We hold practical preparation events as well as academic lectures and reflection sessions for people who have come back. We run two shelters in Spain where walkers can stay the night for a donation and be looked after while they're on Camino. These are staffed by volunteers that we train and rota on.
