Nearly 32,000 people have visited the interpretation centres on the Way of St James so far this year.

Galicia has four such centres spread out in the provinces of Lugo and A Coruña, located on three of the existing routes: the French Route, whose centre is in Cebreiro; the North Route, with the centre in Mondoñedo; and the Primitive Route, whose centre is in Lugo.

Rounding out this information service are the new facilities located at the end of the pilgrimage, in Santiago de Compostela, as part of the features of the International Pilgrim Welcome Centre.

This type of interpretation centre, managed by Turismo de Galicia through the Xacobeo, provide a huge added value to the pilgrimage experience by offering pilgrims support, information and additional content that helps them to understand and learn more about the Way of St James in general, and the route they are walking in particular. They do so from the various perspectives present on the route and that help to enhance them.

The Way of St James interpretation centre in Cebreiro, at the emblematic point where the French Route enters the province, hosted the most visitors, already in excess of 12,000. It is this route that is most travelled by pilgrims, accounting for 60% of all walkers. The facility in Lugo received over 6,300 visitors, and the one in Mondoñedo close to 3,200. Finally, over 10,000 visited the International Pilgrim Welcome Centre, near the Plaza del Obradoiro, a location where Turismo de Galicia has set up spaces where pilgrims can receive advice on how to continue their stay in the region after reaching Compostela.

A summer of new features and improvements

Every centre is located on routes that have been declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO, routes that like all the other itineraries, are constantly being improved under the Master and Strategic Plan of the Way of St James. As we look forward to Xacobeo 2021, numerous initiatives are already underway involving things like route maintenance, signposting and safety, enhancement of heritage values, increased accessibility and environmental sustainability and promoting Xacobean research and culture.

Recent weeks have seen the launch of numerous projects, like the pools in the Monte del Gozo Park, which are free all summer long for all visitors, and the new shelter in A Fonsagrada, following the remodelling of a historic building. The Public Network of Shelters also debuted accessible tactile signs for the blind and visually impaired. All of these initiatives have been extended to the Portuguese Route, its variant along the coast, to the English Route, to the Via de la Plata, the Muxia-Fisterra Route and to the Winter Route.

Considering the reforms carried out, the levels of the ground and first floors were standardised and part of the west facade was replaced. A part of the south façade was replaced by a gallery and the lighting and ventilation conditions of the interior patios were improved. Improvements to accessibility were incorporated and architectonic components were restored together with the mural paintings of the building while three bedrooms were put in place, where up to 42 pilgrims could rest.

The Xunta invested a total of €600,000 in the fitting out so as to improve the services of the Camino Primitivo, with a hostel baptised with the name Ramón Rodríguez, a priest of A Fonsagrada who dedicated a large part of his life to making this route and this town known.

The declaration of the Caminos del Norte and the Camino Primitivo as World Heritage Sites brought an increased interest in travelling the routes. It is not surprising that only in the last 10 years, the number of pilgrims on the Camino Primitivo multiplied by four, reaching 12,100 last year.

Xacobeo Pilgrim Hostel Network