Full Description
In 1522 Ignatius of Loyola made a pilgrimage from his home in Spain's Basque Country to Montserrat and Manresa. This new guide from Bradt provides all the information needed to follow in his footsteps in a neat, easy-to-carry portable format, including an essential mix of practicalities, such as when to go, where to stay along the route, national parks and public transport, and a detailed breakdown of the route's 27 stages. Start and finish points, level of difficulty, duration, distance, ascent and descent, and route descriptions are all included, as well as elevation charts, maps and what to see along the way. This is a unique secular walking guide to a religious-themed walk which takes intrepid hikers from the imposing tower-house and sanctuary of Loyola in the Basque Country, up through the stunning Basque mountains and down to the beautiful town of Laguardia with its myriad wine caves. Through the vineyards of Álava and world-famous La Rioja, the trail visits lively Logroño and follows the River Ebro eastwards, through the lesser-visited cities of Zaragoza and Lleida.
Navarre and Aragón autonomous communities are covered, then on to powerful, independent-minded Catalonia, allowing walkers to connect with a region of Spain less-visited than the sparkling costas or the huge conurbations of Madrid or Barcelona. For its grandstand finish, the route returns to Montserrat and then Manresa, where Ignatius lived for months in the spartan surroundings of a cave to write his seminal work, the Spiritual Exercises. Having had their pilgrim passports stamped along the way, walkers are rewarded with a certificate to demonstrate their resilience in completing the route.
Contents
Introduction
PART ONE: GENERAL INFORMATION
Chapter 1 Background Information
Geography
Geology
Climate
Flora and fauna
History of the Jesuits
Language
Chapter 2 Practical Information
The Camino Ignaciano - a summary
The five Autonomous Communities of the Camino Ignaciano
When to walk the Camino Ignaciano
Highlights
Tourist information and tour operators
Red tape
Getting there and away
Public transport
Accommodation
Eating and drinking
Money
Budgeting
Communications
Public holidays and festivals
Travelling with kids
Maps and apps
Trail markings
Packing light for the Camino Ignaciano
Safety along the Camino Ignaciano
PART TWO: THE OFFICIAL STAGES OF THE CAMINO IGNACIANO
Gateway town: Loyola
Stage 1: Loyola-Zumarraga
Stage 2: Zumarraga-Arantzazu
Stage 3: Arantzazu-Araia
Stage 4: Araia-Alda
Stage 5: Alda-Genevilla
Stage 6: Genevilla-Laguardia
Stage 7: Laguardia-Navarrete
Stage 8: Navarrete-Logroño
Stage 9: Logroño-Alcanadre
Stage 10: Alcanadre-Calahorra
Stage 11: Calahorra-Alfaro
Stage 12: Alfaro-Tudela
Stage 13: Tudela-Gallur
Stage 14: Gallur-Alagón
Stage 15: Alagón-Zaragoza
Stage 16: Zaragoza-Fuentes de Ebro
Stage 17: Fuentes de Ebro-Venta de Santa Lucia
Stage 18: Venta de Santa Lucia-Bujaraloz
Stage 19: Bujaraloz-Candasnos
Stage 20: Candasnos-Fraga
Stage 21: Fraga-Lleida (Lerida
Stage 22: Lleida-El Palau d'Anglesola
Stage 23: El Palau d'Anglesola-Verdú
Stage 24: Verdú-Cervera
Stage 25: Cervera-Igualada
Stage 26: Igualada-Montserrat
Stage 27: Montserrat-Manresa
Appendix 1 Language
Appendix 2 Further Information
Index
