Books of the Camino de Santiago; the push you need to go through it

Códice Calixtino - Maarten Hoek/iStock

Although more and more people are choosing to do the Camino de Santiago during their vacations, many are still undecided and wonder if the Camino is really what they need. For many the main objective of their vacations is rest and disconnection from the daily routine, so many people still wonder why they do the Camino de Santiago. Knowing more in depth what the Camino means can be easy if you find the appropriate information, such as that which we can find in some of the best books related to the Camino de Santiago.

Books that have inspired thousands of people to walk the Camino de Santiago

The Pilgrim of Compostela (Diary of a magician) - Paulo Coelho

This novel is one of the most famous among all the works related to the Camino de Santiago. It was written by the well-known Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho and is based on his own experience with the Camino in 1986. It merges the adventures with the author's reflections on life and other aspects related to spirituality, thanks to which many Brazilians were motivated to carry out the Camino.

Back to Compostela - Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton, one of the most popular American writers of the 20th century, shared her experience with the Camino de Santiago in the work "Back to Compostela." This prestigious writer shows in this work the diary she wrote during her first pilgrimage in 1925 and the essay she wrote after the second in 1928. With "Back to Compostela" we can experience what it meant to walk the Camino in those years and what it meant for this writer.

Well I'm off - Hape Kerkeling

The German comedian Hape Kerkeling published in 2009 the book "Well, I'm leaving." This book is the result of a diary that he wrote as he made the Camino and in it he tells all kinds of reflections, experiences and images of landscapes and places that he was able to know first-hand. This literary work managed to sell more than 3 million copies and has encouraged thousands of people to get to know the Camino de Santiago. In the book itself, Kerleling comments that no specific physical form is needed to be able to go through the different Jacobean, something that motivated many people to go through it.

The Way to Santiago - Kim Hyo Sun

Kim Hyo Sun is a popular Korean journalist who has written several books related to the Camino de Santiago. Each of his books are focused on specific Jacobean routes, the French Way, the Portuguese Way and the Via de la Plata, of which he has already sold 100,000 copies. Each of these books has inspired many people and have served to increase the number of pilgrims of Korean origin, going from less than 50 pilgrims a year to over 8,000 today.

Peregrinatio - Matilde Asensi

This historical novel tells the story of Jonah, who must make a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela if he wants to become a knight. It is a work by the popular writer Matilde Asensi, which shows us in detail what 14th century Spain looked like. It also stands out for the main plot, for the descriptions that the writer provides about the cities and architecture, as well as for how she explains the customs of the time.