The Way of Sant James

The “Hospitaleros en el Camino” programme finished this week at the hostel of La Coruña of Ribadiso, in Arzúa, after having received a total of 14 volunteers this summer. These were responsible for welcoming the pilgrims with hospitality.

The initiative, which was fostered by the Xacobeo and by the American Pilgrims of the Camino, a united States association of Friends of the Camino, and was celebrating its second edition that year, with the same success as in the previous season. The objective is to improve the welcome given to the pilgrims who travel the different routes of the pilgrimage in Galicia, collaborating in this special work of the Jacobean pilgrimage.

Through the programme, the volunteers collaborate with the hostellers thus increasing the hospitality provided for the pilgrims who were accommodated in Ribadiso in summer. Ribadiso is an emblematic point on the French Way. Thus, the hospitaleros could relate with the pilgrims who arrived at this hostel in order to share experiences and concerns, improving the reception, the quality of the Jacobean experience and strengthening the multinational dimension of the Camino.

The ultimate objective is to achieve that the pilgrims, especially those from outside Galicia, feel more welcome within the public network of hostels of Galicia, currently composed of 70 70 establishments with more than 3,000 beds.

Foreign pilgrims
The current trend shows a substantial increase in foreign pilgrims, to such an extent that they are now more numerous than Spanish pilgrims. Last year the foreign pilgrims supposed 53.38% of the total, taking into account 178 countries of origin.
In 2016, this growth has consolidated and, up to now this year, 127,000 foreign pilgrims stamped their Compostelas.