The yellow arrows of the Camino de Santiago reach La Rambla

Since the Middle Ages, the port of Barcelona was the entry point for pilgrims arriving by sea from different parts of the Mediterranean. Barcelona has honored its history this Friday with the inauguration of the signage for the Camino de Santiago as it passes through La Rambla, the first to be installed in the city. Specifically, it is located at the height of the Portal de la Pau, with the building of the Military Government of Barcelona to its right and the statue of Columbus behind it. Those who go looking for yellow arrows painted on the ground will have to settle for a more discreet version on the typical information posts found in the Catalan capital.

More than 1,000 kilometers from Santiago de Compostela, this Barcelona route begins on La Rambla and runs along it to Ferran Street, where it turns to pass in front of the church of San Jaime and reach Sant Jaume Square. The path continues along Bisbe Street, Portal de l'Àngel, Paseo de Gràcia, Via Augusta, Vallcarca Avenue... Once the city is left behind, one must cross Collserola and reach Montserrat, the starting point of the Catalan Way until it connects with the French Way in Aragon.

This new signage, which has just been unveiled on La Rambla, stems from an initiative promoted by the Centro Galego de Barcelona and the involvement of numerous local administrations. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the president of the Centro Galego, Carlos Mandianes; the first deputy mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, and the president of Amics de la Rambla, Fermín Villar, among others. In recent years, other Catalan cities have signposted the passage of the Camino de Santiago, such as L'Hospitalet, Cornellà and the lower section of the Llobregat river, stages that correspond to another variant to reach Montserrat.

For the Centro Galego de Barcelona, this Friday's inauguration, framed within the celebration of Xacobeo, complements four years of work by the Galicia Tourism information point in the Catalan capital, located on La Rambla itself. From here, the Catalan route of the Camino de Santiago has been promoted, which has mobilized more than 9,000 pilgrims during this period. For those who dare to start the journey from Barcelona, they can collect the Compostelana at this Galicia Tourism office and accumulate stamps until they reach Santiago.