I have been trying to help Eze find some information for his upcoming Camí St. Jaume, and in the process have received some more general information that I thought I would post separately.
The maps show that there is a branch of the camino that starts in Port de la Selva, and goes to the Monastery of San Pere de Rodes. I have visited that monastery before and it sticks out in my mind as one of the most beautiful sites I´ve ever seen, so if I walk this route I would definitely want to start in Port de la Selva.
Here is information I´ve received, which I have translated. My comments are in [brackets].
The Catalan government put waymarkings on a camino from Port de la Selva to San Pere around the year 2009. This isn´t actually a Camino de Santiago, it´s more of a touristic undertaking. But starting in San Pere, the "authentic" camino begins. In fact, the Association of Girona is trying to re-establish the historical route from San Pere northward to the French border. This would start at Coll de Banyuls, then to the monastery Sant Quirze de Colera, then to Vilamaniscele and finally Sant Pere de Rodes. This route is already known as the Cami de Rodes. [ *** -- I take it that this Cami de Rodes would "replace" Port de la Selva to Sant Pere as the "preferred" route. ]
There is another branch from the monastery of Sant Quirze de colera that goes towards Rabós de l'Empordá and Perelada, and at that point it joins the cami de Rodes.
If you walk from Sant Pere de Rodes to Figueres, you can do that in one day. Stay at the Hostal Bartis, on Calle Mendez Nunez 2 (Xaflán Plaça del Gra) TF-972501473. This hostal has rooms and prices at special pilgrim prices and sellos for the credentials.
If you´re worried about getting stamps on your credentials, you can get them at: the monastery Sant Pere de Rodes; in Pau at the Centro Social (at the entrance to the town on the left side of the Camino), En Vilajuiga en the C.A.T. on your way out of town (not sure what that is, maybe some traveler's aid place); in Perelada, at the tourist office (when you get to the center of town, at the roundabout go to the right and ignore the marking that sends you to Vilabertran). Leaving Perelada, you will cross over a bridge and stay straight till Vilabertran where they also stamp credentials in the Centro Social. In Figueras, you can get stamps in the tourist office and in the hostal mentioned above.
From Figueras, the Camino takes you to Girona and everything is well marked to Girona. The camino goes on the Via Augusta.
From Girona, I don´t have information about the way to Salt, Angeles, Pasteral, because we don´t consider it to be on the Camino, though all roads lead to Rome. But the Association does not maintain that part of the route.
From Girona, the Camino goes to Fornells de la Selva, Hostalric, Sant Celoni, Granollers Sabadell, Tarrassa, etc,. etc, This is the traditional and most direct Camino.
In Girona, there is another important historical route, the Ruta del Ripollés. It starts in Coll d'Ares and goes through Molló, Camprodón, Sant Pau de Seguries, Sant Joan de les Abadesses, Ripoll, etc. etc. until Vic. It is well marked and has accommodation.
In the province of Girona there are four routes that come from Perpignan, which are: Font Romeu (which passes through Puigcerdá); Coll dÁres- Molló (Route of Ripollés); Coll de Panissars- La Jonquera (Via Augusta); Coll de Banyuls (Via Heraclea y Cami de Rodes).
[All of this information comes from the Association of Girona. There is a lot of information here but hopefully it will helpful to people who are trying to figure out how to walk the Cami St. Jaume.
Sulu and anyone else who has walked this route -- am I right that you followed the Ruta del Ripollés from Girona to Vic and not the route to Tarrassa?]
I need to forget about the Cami St. Jaume and concentrate on my upcoming Caminos Olvidado and Invierno!!! Buen camino, Laurie
The maps show that there is a branch of the camino that starts in Port de la Selva, and goes to the Monastery of San Pere de Rodes. I have visited that monastery before and it sticks out in my mind as one of the most beautiful sites I´ve ever seen, so if I walk this route I would definitely want to start in Port de la Selva.
Here is information I´ve received, which I have translated. My comments are in [brackets].
The Catalan government put waymarkings on a camino from Port de la Selva to San Pere around the year 2009. This isn´t actually a Camino de Santiago, it´s more of a touristic undertaking. But starting in San Pere, the "authentic" camino begins. In fact, the Association of Girona is trying to re-establish the historical route from San Pere northward to the French border. This would start at Coll de Banyuls, then to the monastery Sant Quirze de Colera, then to Vilamaniscele and finally Sant Pere de Rodes. This route is already known as the Cami de Rodes. [ *** -- I take it that this Cami de Rodes would "replace" Port de la Selva to Sant Pere as the "preferred" route. ]
There is another branch from the monastery of Sant Quirze de colera that goes towards Rabós de l'Empordá and Perelada, and at that point it joins the cami de Rodes.
If you walk from Sant Pere de Rodes to Figueres, you can do that in one day. Stay at the Hostal Bartis, on Calle Mendez Nunez 2 (Xaflán Plaça del Gra) TF-972501473. This hostal has rooms and prices at special pilgrim prices and sellos for the credentials.
If you´re worried about getting stamps on your credentials, you can get them at: the monastery Sant Pere de Rodes; in Pau at the Centro Social (at the entrance to the town on the left side of the Camino), En Vilajuiga en the C.A.T. on your way out of town (not sure what that is, maybe some traveler's aid place); in Perelada, at the tourist office (when you get to the center of town, at the roundabout go to the right and ignore the marking that sends you to Vilabertran). Leaving Perelada, you will cross over a bridge and stay straight till Vilabertran where they also stamp credentials in the Centro Social. In Figueras, you can get stamps in the tourist office and in the hostal mentioned above.
From Figueras, the Camino takes you to Girona and everything is well marked to Girona. The camino goes on the Via Augusta.
From Girona, I don´t have information about the way to Salt, Angeles, Pasteral, because we don´t consider it to be on the Camino, though all roads lead to Rome. But the Association does not maintain that part of the route.
From Girona, the Camino goes to Fornells de la Selva, Hostalric, Sant Celoni, Granollers Sabadell, Tarrassa, etc,. etc, This is the traditional and most direct Camino.
In Girona, there is another important historical route, the Ruta del Ripollés. It starts in Coll d'Ares and goes through Molló, Camprodón, Sant Pau de Seguries, Sant Joan de les Abadesses, Ripoll, etc. etc. until Vic. It is well marked and has accommodation.
In the province of Girona there are four routes that come from Perpignan, which are: Font Romeu (which passes through Puigcerdá); Coll dÁres- Molló (Route of Ripollés); Coll de Panissars- La Jonquera (Via Augusta); Coll de Banyuls (Via Heraclea y Cami de Rodes).
[All of this information comes from the Association of Girona. There is a lot of information here but hopefully it will helpful to people who are trying to figure out how to walk the Cami St. Jaume.
Sulu and anyone else who has walked this route -- am I right that you followed the Ruta del Ripollés from Girona to Vic and not the route to Tarrassa?]
I need to forget about the Cami St. Jaume and concentrate on my upcoming Caminos Olvidado and Invierno!!! Buen camino, Laurie
