Half way Village or Town on Camino Frances route?

[Jamie25]

What is the half way mark Town / City from the Camino Frances Route?

 

[henrythedog]

What is the half way mark Town / City from the Camino Frances Route?

Depends where you think the route starts; but Sahagun has declared itself halfway from somewhere to Santiago and issues a certificate accordingly. There is no ‘qualification’ for the certificate, it’s just a souvenir.

 

[WalkinRon]

And on the approach to Sahagun stand between the two statues of the Midpoint Marker to have your photo taken!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Go with Sahagún, a nice town. Their "halfway" certificate can be bought (cheaply) at the town's tourist office and a nearby stationery shop can sell you a protective mailing tube. The certificate doesn't mention anything about being halfway. Essentially it says in flowery Spanish Welcome to Sahagún pilgrim, we wish you a buen camino and we hope you remember us.

My full translation is at https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camino-trivia.67346/#post-844188

I once figured two other ways of determining a halfway point. One was by looking for the halfway point on a GPX track and another by finding the place on the mid-longitude. Both used SJPdP as the start point. Two different villages were the result. Both before Sahagún. I'm not at a great place to look them up right now.

[Edit: I've since expanded on this. See post #9 below.]

As I said, use Sahagún, a place worth exploring and a great place to be when they celebrate their saint's day around June 12th. Think Pamplona back in Hemingway's day.

 

[Jamie25]

Thank you

 

[David Tallan]

What is the half way mark Town / City from the Camino Frances Route?

It depends on where you start.

Just before Sahagun there is a "half way marker" which declares itself the geographical centre of the Camino. And in Sahagun you can get a "half way certificate". This "half way" assumes you are starting in Roncesvalles.

 

[Pafayac]

There is no ‘qualification’ for the certificate, it’s just a souvenir.

What do you mean by "qualification" ? Do you think that other certificates (like Compostela), hold a specific qualification ? Aren't they just souvenirs as well ?

 

[Bradypus]

What do you mean by "qualification" ? Do you think that other certificates (like Compostela), hold a specific qualification ? Aren't they just souvenirs as well ?

What @henrythedog said means that there are specific rules which have to be met before you can receive a Compostela but there are no such rules for the Sahagun certificate. His comment says nothing about the meaning of the Compostela itself.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I once figured two other ways of determining a halfway point. One was by looking for the halfway point on a GPX track and another by finding the place on the mid-longitude. Both used SJPdP as the start point. Two different villages were the result. Both before Sahagún. I'm not at a great place to look them up right now.

Here's the halfway distance town using one of many different GPX tracks from SJPdP to SdC. The original track gave a distance and I kept removing locations from the end of the track until I got only half of the original distance. The end point, as I remember, was at the exit out of Calzadilla de la Cueza, the next town from Carrion de Condes. Click on the thumbnail pictures to see larger screenshots and look for the orange pins.


The longitude method involves arithmetic and I'm going to leave out the details but the orange pin resulting from this method appears on the CF at the fuente just past the Albergue Jacques de Molay in Terradillos de los Templarios. That point's longitude is as far west of the longitude of Porte Notre-Dame in SJPdP as it is east of the longitude of the altar of the cathedral in SdC.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Just before Sahagun there is a "half way marker" which declares itself the geographical centre of the Camino.

It's where you walk between two statues. Use Google Maps to explore the area with photos, Street View, etc.

 

[alexwalker]

Where do you start from? Halfway between where you start from and Santiago is the midway of your Camino.

This is a hopeless purely businesswise problem. The halfway point on your Camino is halfway between where you started from (your front door/church/SJPDP/Pamplona/Burgos, or other places) and Santiago. It can be anywhere. But for Camino business purposes, it has been defined as a few kms before Sahagun, at a resting place by a medieaval chapel. (Midway between Roncesvalles and Santiago I think). And so, the authorities/church in Sahagun can earn money by selling you a "well deserved" "Midway certificate". LOL. To me, this is pure nonsense, and just a touristic gimmick. Stay away, IMHO.

Be a pilgrim, not a tourist, is my opinion: You will get so much more valuable inspiration and memories by simply doing your own pilgrim walk.

Your Camino starts where you start. The midway is somewhere between where you started and Santiago; and it has no meaning nor significance. What has meaning is your walk, and your outcome from it. It is your way.

I recommend you to walk for your own peace and purposes, not for some obscure businesses along our otherwise beloved Camino.

 

[Jamie25]

Here's the halfway distance town using one of many different GPX tracks from SJPdP to SdC. The original track gave a distance and I kept removing locations from the end of the track until I got only half of the original distance. The end point, as I remember, was at the exit out of Calzadilla de la Cueza, the next town from Carrion de Condes. Click on the thumbnail pictures to see larger screenshots and look for the orange pins.
View attachment 147001

The longitude method involves arithmetic and I'm going to leave out the details but the orange pin resulting from this method appears on the CF at the fuente just past the Albergue Jacques de Molay in Terradillos de los Templarios. That point's longitude is as far west of the longitude of Porte Notre-Dame in SJPdP as it is east of the longitude of the altar of the cathedral in SdC.
View attachment 147002

 

[Jamie25]

Thank you so very much for all the details. Greatly appreciate it.

 

[Jamie25]

Depends where you think the route starts; but Sahagun has declared itself halfway from somewhere to Santiago and issues a certificate accordingly. There is no ‘qualification’ for the certificate, it’s just a souvenir.

Thank you

 

[Jamie25]

It depends on where you start.

Just before Sahagun there is a "half way marker" which declares itself the geographical centre of the Camino. And in Sahagun you can get a "half way certificate". This "half way" assumes you are starting in Roncesvalles.

Thank you.

 

[stevepjq]

Sahagun brings back some good memories. I walked into town on Good Friday (2022) and met my son there who walked with me for the following week. We stayed in a room above the Restaurante El Ruedo right on Plaza Mayor. The entire town showed up for their Semana Santa festivities with parades and bands galore. That was a late night for sure. Lovely town and lovely people!