Santiago de Compostela, Camino Santiago, Challenge Completed!

 After weeks on the road, averaging 12mi (20km) a day, I’ve finally arrived in Santiago de Compostela. Day after day, I followed the little yellow shell markers that guided me across mountains, forests, and countless villages, always pointing the way to this moment. 

The Cathedral stands proudly at the heart of the Praza do Obradoiro, a grand square busy with travellers from all corners of the world. It took 136 years to complete and blends Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque styles. Its towers stretch 246ft (75m) into the sky, making it impossible to miss. Beneath the altar rest the relics of St James the Great, one of Jesus’ apostles, and the reason countless pilgrims have walked this path for over a thousand years. His remains were discovered in 1879, and once the Church confirmed they were real, they were buried here alongside two of his followers, St Theodorus and St Athanasius.

Santiago is the capital of Galicia, and its historic old town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Strolling its narrow streets, I passed the neoclassical Pazo de Raxoi, a stunning 18th-century palace that serves as the city council. However, it is surpassed by the Abbey of San Martín Pinario. Its grand façade alone hints at the richness inside, but as I stepped through the doors, I was overwhelmed by the sheer scale and detail. As one of the largest monasteries in Spain, it was built in the Baroque style during the 16th and 17th centuries. Inside the abbey, the soaring ceilings rest atop massive columns with vaulted arches, all richly adorned with frescoes and gilded decorations. The main altar is truly something else. Completely gilded, it stretches almost three-quarters of the way up to the vaulted ceiling. 

Absorbing it all in, I wandered back out into the sunshine toward the University of Santiago de Compostela. It’s hard to believe this place got its start all the way back in 1495, when a local solicitor, López Gómez de Mazoa, set up a small school for the poor with the help of Abbot San Martín Pinario. They called it the “Grammatic Academy”, and it nearly didn’t survive due to a lack of funding. But in 1504, Pope Julius II stepped in with a papal decree, officially recognising the school and allowing it to grow into what became one of the oldest and continuously operating universities in the world. How many students have passed through its doors since then? It’s almost impossible to imagine.

Walking back to the main square for one last look at the cathedral, I am in awe of what I’ve accomplished. My legs are heavy, my shoulders ache, and my boots have seen better days, but my heart feels full. Like so many pilgrims before me, I’ve had quiet moments to reflect along the way. It’s been a steady, peaceful adventure, one yellow shell at a time.

"Peregrine" . . . engaged in or traveling on a Pilgrimage.

This challenge was completed with a group of three other women:  Courtney, Wendy and Penny.  We squeezed it in while waiting for the rest of our Pacific Crest Trail team to finish their miles.