The Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago de Viana do Castelo mourned the death of a pilgrim, in Vila Nova de Cerveira, and warned of the importance of following the certified and signposted route along the Coast.
“We would like to emphasize the importance of walking the Portuguese Coastal Route, certified and therefore signposted. We verified that on this itinerary, there are several changes made due to ignorance or commercial interests”, warns the association, based in Viana do Castelo.
In a statement sent to the Lusa agency, the president of the association, Alberto Barbosa warned “the authorities to have adequate, efficient and visible signage along the route”.
“Unfortunately, we found several deficiencies. It seems to us that they rely too much on applications that pilgrims can use,” she said.
It is worth remembering that a 70-year-old woman, a pilgrim on the Caminhos de Santiago, died after being run over by a train traveling north/south on the Minho line, in Vila Nova de Cerveira.
The woman, of New Zealand nationality, was walking the Camino de Santiago accompanied by her husband and sister.
“Our deepest condolences to the family”, says the association, which highlights: “Respecting the history and tradition of the Jacobean routes is fundamental and essential, so as not to lose the spirit of the Camino de Santiago”.
The Camino de Santiago has been followed by millions of pilgrims since the beginning of the 9th century, when the tomb of the apostle Santiago Maior was discovered in Santiago de Compostela, capital of Galicia, Spain.
Tags: REGION Association mourns death pilgrim Cerveira warns certified routes
