The Santiago’s road is the most famous route in the world and every year they went through it -until the arrival of the pandemic- more than 340,000 people.
In addition to anonymous people, the Jacobean Route has also attracted famous that, either completely or symbolically, they have been pilgrims for a few days or for an instant.
Paulo Coelho
The famous writer toured in 1986 a good part of the Camino de Santiago to later document his experiences in his novel El peregrino de Compostela, published a year later.
However, Coelho did not finish the journey: after traveling the 613 kilometers that separate Saint Jean Pied de Port and O Cebreiro, the writer gave up and took a bus to Santiago because “I had already found what I was looking for.”
Martin Sheen
–The pilgrimage of the American actor of Galician descent Martin Sheen, famous for bringing President Bartlet to life in The West Wing of the White House or Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now.
In 2010 he starred The Way, a movie directed by your son -in reality and fiction- Emilio Estévez, during whose filming they traveled between 300 and 350 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago.
The Way is one of the most popular films shot in Santiago and it contributed greatly to internationalize the Camino.
Fernando Sánchez Dragó
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Another Way with a later book was that of Fernando Sánchez Dragó, who related his experience in 1999 in Magical history of the Camino de Santiago, where he focuses on small details of his trip and on mm aspects
Juan Pablo II
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John Paul II was the first pope to walk the Camino de Santiago, and he did it twice: one of them in full in 1982 and another symbolically in 1989, walking the last hundred meters.
On that second visit, made on the occasion of the IV World Youth Day, He arrived at the Cathedral of Santiago dressed in the traditional pilgrim’s cape.
Shirley MacLaine
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The Oscar winner for best actress in 1985 for The strength of affection walked the Camino de Santiago in 1994 on the recommendation of her psychotherapist, who accompanied her all the way from Roncesvalles.
The trip fulfilled its objective and allowed him to write a book in which he reflected on both the physical and spiritual paths.
Anthony Quinn
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Like Martin Sheen, Anthony Queen also traveled the Camino de Santiago on the occasion of a recording, in this case of a miniseries in which he shared a cast with Charlton Heston, Imanol Arias, Juan Echanove, Pepón Nieto or Loles León.
Stephen Hawking
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The late British scientist Stephen Hawking symbolically toured a small section of the Camino in 2008, year in which he traveled to Santiago to receive the I Fonseca Award.
Angela Merkel
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The German Chancellor Angela Merkel traveled a small section of the Camino in 2014 accompanied by then President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy.
Specifically, German politics traveled a stretch of six kilometers from O Pedrouzo, in O Pino.
Kim Nam Hee
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The South Korean writer Kim Nam Hee is the main responsible for the increase in the number of pilgrims from South Korea. Your book The journey of a lonely woman, in which he relates his own experience along the French Way, it was a sales success and it has led her to receive multiple recognitions for her work to disseminate the Jacobean Route.
Felipe VI
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The current monarchs, Felipe VI and Letizia, They traveled a section of the Camino de Santiago in 2010, when they were still princes. His route started in Lavacolla and concluded two hours and 10 kilometers later in Praza do Obradoiro.
Queen Sofia
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Years before, in In 2004, Queen Sofia had also symbolically traveled the five kilometers prior to arriving at Monte do Gozo to commemorate the celebration of the Xacobeo Holy Year.
Miguel Induráin and David Bisbal
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The singer David Bisbal and cycling legend Miguel Induráin made the Camino de Santiago together, cycling hiss 750 kilometers also accompanied by Abraham Olano and Roberto Heras.
Hope Aguirre
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The former president of the Community of Madrid Esperanza Aguirre He has not traveled the Camino de Santiago on one occasion, but on two occasions: first in 2010, accompanied by the president of the Xunta de Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and in 2017, a year after resigning as head of the Madrid PP.
Jon Kortajarena
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The Basque model walked the Camino de Santiago in 2012 and documented it on Twitter. “I am doing the Camino de Santiago. I recommend it to everyone, it is an incredible experience,” he wrote at the time.
Tita Cervera
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The Baroness Thyssen, Carmen “Tita” Cervera, walked a small section of the Camino de Santiago accompanied by her son Borja in 1999, on the occasion of the celebration of the Holy Year.
