Research 2010 - EROSKI CONSUMER updates its guide to the Camino de Santiago

La Vía de la Plata, the historic network of Roman roads that underpinned the Spanish West, is getting this Holy Year of 2010, as are the other pilgrimage itineraries, the largest influx figures since there are statistics. With the data collected from the pilgrim's office of the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, between January and June 2009, 2,677 pilgrims travelled the Vía de la Plata and arrived in Santiago. In the same period of 2010 the number of walkers has risen to 4,855, an 81% more influx.

The walkers who choose the Vía de la Plata as the stage of their pilgrimage begin, most of them, in Seville or Mérida. However, not everyone completes the Roman vial to Astorga to join the French Road, but many, upon reaching the Zamoran town of Granja de Moreruela, deviate through the Mozarabic Road or Sanabrés to Santiago de Compostela itself, thus avoiding the overcrowding of the French Way. Both are part of the Vía de la Plata pilgrim count. EROSKI CONSUMER has contacted the hostels of pilgrims located between Sevilla and Astorga and between Granja de Moreruela and Santiago de Compostela (Variant of Laza). In the 1,073 kilometers that add up to both journeys there are 77 hostels that offer 1,665 places,

The number of places per kilometer remains at a modest 1.6 due to the low average number of places per hostel and the great distances between populations. By autonomous communities, Andalusia has 173 seats in 85.2 kilometers (2 seats per kilometer); Extremadura has 529 in 337 kilometers (1.6 seats per kilometer); Castilla y León adds 604 seats in its 433.7 kilometers, which are distributed between the Vía de la Plata and the Camino Sanabrés (1.4 seats per kilometer). Lastly, Galicia offers 359 places in 216.4 kilometers (1.6 places per kilometer). Of the 77 hostels, 58 are publicly owned (75%), although nine of them are privately run; 16 are private (21%) and the remaining 3 are owned by a parish, a religious order and a foundation. Of the total number of places, 1,131 are public (68%), 372 private (22%) and 162 religious entities.

The average price per litera accommodation in Vía de la Plata and Camino Sanabrés in mid-2010 is 7.4 euros compared to 6.5 euros of the Camino Francés. By autonomous communities, the highest price corresponds to Andalusia, with an average of 10 euros, and the lowest to Galicia with 5 euros. Private hostels far exceed the average price of EUR 11.1 and both public (not privately run) and religious hostels are below EUR 6. Of the 77 accommodations, up to 22 hostels, 28% of the total, are free of charge or charge a voluntary donation that we have set at EUR 5 to find the average. Thirty hostels (39%) cost between 3 and 7 euros and the remaining 25 are worth more than 7 euros.

The total cost of walking from Sevilla to Santiago, making the journey in 35 days, ranges from 1,100 to 1,200 euros. The average daily cost is 30 euros, a non-luxuriant disbursement that counts accommodation in hostels (alternating between public and private), the cost of breakfast, food and dinner (varying between two daily menus and a single menu and snack), occasional washing machine costs and unforeseen expenses during the stages. To this must be added the amount of travel to Seville and the return from Santiago de Compostela.

In the Vía de la Plata and the Camino Sanabrés the pilgrim is not helpless before the arrival of winter, as can happen in other itineraries whose hostels open only in season, as 96% of the lodgings remain open throughout the year. In addition, two out of three hostels (the vast majority of public, religious and five private) do not allow the reservation of plaza, favoring lodging in order of arrival.

There are few hostels with individual lockers, washing machine and dryer. Only a fifth of the hostels offer some kind of lockers, either individual or collective, to store backpacks or personal items. It is the part of the equipment, along with the washer and dryer, which is most missing. Currently only 29 hostels have a washer (38%) and only 13 (17%) are equipped with a dryer. Almost half of the hostels, in total 36 accommodations, fill this gap with a utility room.

Half of the hostels have a kitchen for the use of pilgrims and 15 hostels serve meals in an establishment owned or in the hostel itself. 35% do not have a kitchen or meals. Only 19% make a public telephone available to the pilgrim or make it possible to call from a fixed or mobile line. The network connection offer is not widespread in the Via de la Plata and Camino Sanabrés hostels as only 25% of them offer the Internet in their own facilities (Wi-Fi, private computer or coin payment equipment). The Vía de la Plata is one of the most suitable Jacobean paths for cycling and up to 90% of the hostels allow the bike to be stored indoors or in a closed space enabled for this purpose, although there are hostels that have bicycle parking located abroad.

A population with hostel every 15.3 kilometers. La Vía de la Plata, from Seville to Astorga and without counting this last village shared with the French Way, visits 64 towns and 43 of them offer at least one hostel (67%). In addition, along the route there are 2 other towns somewhat away from the Vía that also have a hostel and that are a good option for pilgrims by bicycle. Meanwhile the Camino Sanabrés (Variant of Laza), from Granja de Moreruela to Santiago de Compostela, not to mention this city, passes through 26 Castilian towns (14 of them with hostel, 54%) and 23 Galician municipalities that provide 12 hostels. An average of the distances between the localities with hostel establishes that the pilgrim finds one every 15.3 kilometers or 3.8 hours of walking (establishing an average speed of 4 km/h, which is the usual if we take into account the time spent on breaks).

EROSKI CONSUMER Guide, also on iPhone or mobile

The EROSKI CONSUMER Guide to the Camino de Santiago, available on the Internet at www.caminodesantiago.consumer.es, has been available since the end of June 2010 via iPhone and mobile phone. The iPhone app can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple Store and the guide can also be accessed from any mobile via the www.caminodesantiago.consumer.es/mobile/ url. The user can view all detailed information on the most important Santiago Roads, the nearly 500 existing hostels and the characteristics and history of the main monuments. In addition, the application is updated daily with the most recent web data.