The Canal of Castile and the Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago and the Canal of Castile
The Canal of Castile was initiated in the mid-18th century and completed a century later. It was built with the goal of: connecting, by boat, the vast cereal fields of the Castilian steppe with the Cantabrian coast, thereby addressing the isolation of the Castilian plateau caused by the terrain’s orography and a poorly maintained road network.
Today, the Canal of Castile is the only navigable canal in all of Spain.
This canal can be used as part of the Camino de Santiago by boat, aboard the vessel "Juan de Homar," offering a unique experience as pilgrims pass through Palencia.
This way of doing the Camino becomes a special attraction for pilgrims, giving them a unique opportunity to sail the canal's waters while completing the Camino de Santiago. It provides a chance to rest their legs from the strenuous walk and continue their journey.
Although some pilgrims avoid it, thinking it might feel like cheating, it is not; as the tradition of the Camino de Santiago, documented in the ‘Codex Calixtinus’ (12th-century travel book), recounts that after the Apostle Santiago's death, his disciples transported him by sea in a stone boat, sailing from the Palestinian coast to Galicia in what would be his final journey to Santiago de Compostela.
On foot, on horseback, on two wheels, or by water—whichever method one uses depends on their circumstances, time, strength, and chosen means of travel. Any mode of transport is valid for completing the kilometers of the Camino.
To reinforce this idea, the vessel features the typical Camino markings on its bow sides, the scallop shell and the arrow. Pilgrims can stamp their credentials aboard the Juan de Homar, as a special stamp has been designed for this purpose. This allows pilgrims to commemorate their experience of navigating the Canal of Castile while completing the Camino de Santiago by boat, thus also becoming "canal travelers."
The ‘Juan de Homar’ offers various routes along the Canal of Castile (6.5 km and 3.5 km), starting from the Frómista dock near the quadruple lock, and the municipal area of Boadilla del Camino, along the section of the Camino de Santiago that runs parallel to the Canal of Castile.
Pilgrims coming from Boadilla del Camino can board the boat at the dock located at the intersection of the Camino de Santiago with the Canal of Castile. In Frómista, they can reach the junction between the Canal and the Camino in the municipal area of Boadilla and continue that section of the Camino de Santiago on foot or by bicycle, as bicycles are also permitted aboard the boat at the stern.
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