The Way of Sant James

The Director of Tourism of Galicia, Nava Castro, the Xacobeo Manager, Rafael Sánchez, the Galician government’s territorial delegate in Lugo, José Manuel Balseiro, and the mayor of Mondoñedo, Elena Candia, visited the Interpretation Center of the North Route today at its new home, the Alcántara Cultural Center in Mondoñedo.

During the visit, Nava Castro noted that this new location brings this important facility closer, making it easier for its intended users, pilgrims, to access both the Center and its information, as it is now physically located along the North Route, next to the hostel for pilgrims.
In this regard, the Galician government’s head of tourism also indicated that this new location shares space with a permanent exhibit from the Mondoñedo city government on famous native sons and daughters, again highlighting the Galicia Board of Tourism’s continued commitment to inter-agency cooperation.

Nava Castro noted that the work to transfer and adapt the Center to the new museum cost around 40,000 euros, and was one of the activities included in the Master and Strategic Plan for the Way of St. James, which in 2016 is dedicated to the North and Primitive routes. Castro added that “the initiatives along these two routes on the Way of St. James are being prioritized in this pioneering plan as we work to classify, regulate and shine a light on these two routes”.

Strong growth
On a related topic, the director of the Galicia Board of Tourism spoke of the importance of UNESCO’s recognition through its addition of “The Routes of Santiago de Compostela of Northern Spain” to its World Heritage List last year, which, as she stated, served to greatly boost both the North Route and the Primitive Route.

The North Route to Santiago de Compostela is thus gaining more devotees, continuing its strong upward trend in the number of pilgrims, which have totaled 17,200 so far this year. This is more than 9% higher than for the same period last year and solidifies its standing as the third most traveled route to Santiago, only behind the French Route and the Portuguese Route.

Interpretation Centers
Along with this Interpretation Center on the North Route in Mondoñedo, which has been visited 4,297 times so far this year, the Galicia Board of Tourism currently has another Interpretation Center on the Primitive Route, located in Lugo, and two information points in O Cebreiro and the International Welcome Center for Pilgrims, located on Carretas Street in Santiago de Compostela.

The purpose of these centers is to offer support, information and related services to pilgrims to help them understand the Way of St. James in general from various perspectives, and the specific route they are traveling on in particular.