Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

St. Jean Pied-du-Port is the traditional starting point of the legendary EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO. If you love hiking and culture as much as I do then you're probably aware of this route. It's more than a nature walk that's for sure. El Camino de Santiago is a sacred path of pilgrimage that can take at least 30 days to walk. The route has many different starting points and ranges in distances anywhere from 161 miles (260km) to 621 miles (1000km), ending in northwestern Spain at the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Why it's on my Bucket List: As a Seeker of authentic culture and spiritual growth, this epic walking trail calls out to me. I'm confident I would have learned about it eventually if I hadn't have seen the 2010 film "The Way" which is about a father who walks the Camino de Santiago in the footsteps of his estranged son who died on the same trail. After watching it I immediately began reading about the route and was blown away by the history of this pilgrimage that dates all the way back to the 9th century. Of all the places on my bucket list, El Camino de Santiago is a definite must-do that I plan to walk with my future kid(s).