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I rode the Camino de Santiago in September of 2003, and while this book is, obviously, for people interested in walking the Camino, it is equally useful for people who ride bicycles. All the information I used was accurate and helpful. Riding on a bike, I took two books (the other being the Confraternity book mentioned below), but if I was limited to one, this would be it. The directions are clear, the maps are accurate, and the brief section on flora and fauna a nice addition. Buy this book and go. Buen Camino!

Collaboratively researched and written by Bethan Davies and Ben Cole, Walking The Camino De Santiago presents an ancient pilgrimage route across northern Spain that was once used by Celts and Christians, and is now available to contemporary travelers wishing to share and partake in this historic route. Extensive directions, detailed sketch maps, medieval history, tips on identifying local flora and fauna, information concerning pilgrim hostels, and much, much more pack the pages of this detailed "must-have" travel guide for anyone seeking to embark on the Camino De Santiago pilgrimage. Also very highly recommended is the newly revised and expanded second edition of Bethan Davies and Ben Cole's Walking In Portugal (0952266814).

Walking the Camino de Santiago is 11 ounces and 211 pages easy to read, fact filled guide with sketch maps, elevation profiles, and something about the history, and the flora and fauna of the trail. It covers the trail from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port near the French border to Santiago de Compostela and on to Finisterre.

When walking the Camino, the mandatory guide for English speakers is the Confraternity of St. James Pilgrim Guides to Spain I. The Camino Frances. This is a barebones 76 page guide focused on pilgrim food and shelter - how far is it, how many beds available, what does it cost. Supplementing this is the Camino chapter out of the Lonely Planet's Walking guide to Spain - about 35 pages.

Walking the Camino de Santiago is a more route oriented guide than either the confraternity guide or the lonely planet guide. It does have information on where to stay, but most of the text is on what happens in between places to stay. The flora section is brief. One thing I would have added is the crocus, which was common and in the harshest terrain when I traveled the Camino in Sept - Oct.

I definitely recommend this for anyone starting at St. Jean or in Spain. I still say that the confraternity guide is mandatory, because it gives you a great level of comfort about what to expect, where it is and how much is the next place with food and/or shelter.

If a pilgrim starts in Le Puy en Velay, then Alison Raju's the Way of St. James Le Puy to Santiago, a Walkers Guide would have to be used. It is a more terse, difficult to read guide than the Davies and Cole guide.

I had a difficult time finding information on the Camino before I did it in 2001, so I have put what I consider the classic Camino books on my website, along with related pilgrim information. I just added this book - Walking the Camino de Santiago to my short list of important titles...