A Photographic Tour of the Camino Inglés

In mid-August, Camino Society volunteers Bernard Lynch and Nelson Ambrose walked the Camino Inglés from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña and in doing so, took photographs during their time ther e.
Credit must be given to Nelson, one of the Society’s photographer’s and curator of our Instagram account for taking such detailed photographs.

A sunrise in Ferrol.

A pilgrim walks alone on the Camino Inglés

Both pilgrims started their journey to Santiago in earnest

A Naomhog

With every climb, there is beautiful scenery

The festival of San Roque being celebrated in Betanzos, with its typical giant puppets known as Cabezudos or Gigantes. The hole on the giants is so that the people inside can see where it’s going and pull them forward.

Cabezudos in Betanzos

Below are some photos of Betanzos, including one of the Iglesia de Santa María del Azogue.

Boats along the side of the Mandeo river in Betanzos Inglés.

Iglesia de Santa María del Azogue in Betanzos

Betanzos really is a stunning place

Santiago de Compostela

Arriving in Santiago de Compostela, there was plenty of time to enjoy the sights and meet fellow pilgrims. The Cathedral looks immaculate now that the scaffolding is down.

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Statue of Saint James behind the altar and botafumeiro in Santiago cathedral.

A Coruña

The following day, both travelled to A Coruña to photograph the sights in this great town. In particular, the Tower of Hercules, the Church of Santiago, the statue of Breogán and the Menhires for Peace.

The Tower of Hercules is an ancient Roman lighthouse built in the 2nd century and situated in A Coruña. It is a National Monument of Spain and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. A legend embodied in the 11th-century Irish compilation Lebor Gabála Érenn—the “Book of Invasions”— that King Breogán, the founding father of the Galician Celtic nation, constructed a massive tower of such a grand height that his sons could see a distant green shore from its top. The glimpse of that distant green land lured them to sail north to Ireland. According to the legend, Breogán’s descendants stayed in Ireland and are the Celtic ancestors of the current Irish people. A colossal statue of Breogán has been erected near the Tower, which we see here.

Overlooking the ocean are the Menhirs for Peace, 12 massive sculptures created by Galician artist Manolo Pazin 1994, inspired by the Neolithic menhirs that are found throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Carved with strategic holes to let visitors look through for themselves and interpret their own meaning, the stones offer everyone the chance to reflect on family and future, as Paz attempted to evoke feelings of parents standing with their children.