This Tuesday, the Association of Friends of the Trails of Santiago de Viana do Castelo accused Galicia of promoting the route along the Portuguese coast through the city of A Guarda, which did not “has a historical basis“Electronic visa”just tourist interests“.

Speaking to Lusa on Tuesday, President Alberto Barbosa said that “Xacobeo SA, the Spanish organization that runs the Camino de Santiago along the coast, indicates that the route enters Galicia via the city of A Guarda after crossing the Minho River across the Minho River. ferry to Kaminya. “

On the Spanish side, they do not think of the Camino de Santiago as a whole as a European path, but think only of their territory. In Spain it ends at Caminha. This is not true. This route has no historical basis and has exclusively tourist interests, ”said Alberto Barbosa.

On the Portuguese side, he added: “Also on the official page advertising the Portuguese Coast Route, there is a waterfront route from Porto, passing through the current municipalities of Matosinhos, Maya, Vila do Conde, Povua de Varzin. , Esposende, Viana do Castelo, Caminha, Vila Nova de Cerveira and Walesa. “

“I do not know of any other place along the path where this ambiguity arises. It’s either one side or the other. It is important to define what the “Portuguese Coastal Route” is and what its version might be, ”he argued. According to Alberto Barbosa, “it takes a pilgrim through A Guarda another day to reach Santiago de Compostela,” and he “about 70% of the pilgrims leave the route designated as the “Portuguese Coast Route”.“.

“As Spain indicates this route, an international organization is responsible for the development of tourist guides. indicate that in Galicia the path begins in A Guarda, the error is increased“He argued. The “Portuguese Coast Route” signposts were started 20 years ago by an association that considers the existing “ambiguity” to be “illogical.”

“We don’t care if this option exists, it cannot be called Caminho Português da Costa. Correcting this error would have made the course more rigorous. It is not good for Xacobeo SA to pursue a path that has no historical basis. “

Alberto Barbosa added that “not only does the association feel cheated, but all the pilgrims making their way through Valence, and even many Spaniards who know that the A Guarda stage is an invention.” “The association wants Xacobeo SA to approve it as the Portuguese route. da Costa route via Valensa and stage A Guarda we will call it an option, because this is correcthe called.

The association began 20 years ago, marking 90 kilometers of the centuries-old route from Castelo de Neiva, to Viana do Castelo, to Valenza, on the border with Galicia, so that thousands of pilgrims can reach the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

“A work based on historical rigor, supported by specialized people who have identified the historical route and what will best serve the pilgrims, keeping them away from national roads and other hazards, indicating, among other things, points of water and places of residence.” There are currently three main routes: the Portuguese Central Route, the Portuguese Coast Route, and the Inland Route.

In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia to worship the relics of the saint on foot, on horseback or on excursions, reached a record with 350 thousand pilgrims… In 2021, Santiago de Compostela celebrates the Holy Year, also known as Jacobeus, since July 25, Santiago Mayor’s day, coincides with Sunday.

Lusa sent a written request for clarification to the Jacob 2021 Commissioner Cecilia Pereira Marimon, which has yet to be answered.

Xacobeo SA is a government agency under the control of the Galician Travel Agency that manages the general services of the public hostel network and other social assets, as well as relations with the associations of friends of the Way of Santiago de Compostela. as planning, programming and execution of activities to promote and organize events held on the occasion of the Jacobin Saints.