Camino Olvidado 2022
24 videos • 4,353 views • by Sara Dhooma The Camino Olvidado is one of the most ancient Camino de Santiago routes, leading walkers through the southern valleys of the Cantabrian Mountain range. The path begins in Bilbao and winds approximately 500 kms southwest to connect with the Camino Frances at Villafranca del Bierzo. The pull of faith and adventure led to millions of medieval pilgrims journeying across Europe to visit Santiago’s tomb. Between the 9th and 12th centuries the Camino Olvidado was the most popular way to avoid the south occupied by the Moors, and the north’s high mountains passes with coastal pirate attacks. The Olvidado fell out of favour when the Reconquista pushed back the Moors, thus opening up the easiest walking terrain of the plateau. A popular pilgrim guidebook called the Codex Calixtinus was published highlighting this new route - which has since become the Camino Frances. The older Camino Olvidado path was “forgotten” into oblivion until a recent revival in the last ten years.