St James Way in the Iberian Peninsula

The yellow arrow has been omnipresent across the entire Iberian Peninsula since the Navarre Association of Friends of the St. James Way (Las Asociaciones de Amigos del Camino de Santiago) started using it in 1982. It was later popularized by Elías Valiña, the priest of O Cebreiro.

The Associations of Friends of the St. James Way are responsible for the permanent signposting and maintenance of the Way across Europe. The yellow arrow is the most commonly used sign in Spain and Portugal and must be refreshed every year.

New technologies and major developments in telecommunications mean cell phones have become a very important tool. They help the pilgrims with geolocation, maps, voice-guided navigation, and security alerts.

This is the oldest historical route and has been used by pilgrims since the 9th century. It starts in Oviedo and passes through Lugo to join the French Way in Melide.

The Ebro Way straddles Catalonia and Aragon. It starts at the mouth of the Ebro, a river with a long-established role in the Camino, and follows its course to Logroño, where it joins the Camino Francés.

This route joins the Camino del Norte and the Camino Francés. It crosses Reinosa, near the source of the Ebro river, and Herrera de Pisuerga to reach Carrión de los Condes. It is the quintessential Roman way.

The Camino de la Lana begins in Alicante then crosses through the Community of Valencia, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Soria to join the Camino Francés in Burgos. It is a journey through territories that were frontiers for centuries, and was forged by the Roman columns of groups of free men.

This is one of the Mozarabic routes to Santiago de Compostela. It travels from the capital to Córdoba, then heads towards Mérida on the Via de la Plata. This is a rugged and welcoming region, where the pilgrim will experience the hospitality of the locals in every town and village.

It starts in Porto, then follows the Atlantic coast to the mouth of the river Minho. The route passes the mouths of numerous wide-flowing rivers and immense beaches.

This is a variant of the central route that takes the pilgrims through this beautiful city. It begins in Porto, passes through Braga, and joins the central route in Ponte de Lima.