(From El Correo Gallego, via Santiago Today)
Hmmm. A seven percent increase over 2005. Looks like the Camino has already peaked. I'm touched by the 848 who did it in winter, although the past winter might have been particularly warm.
Here's the translated post.
Pilgrim Stats for 2006:
·100,377 pilgrims received the compostela in Santiago in 2006. This number is an increase of 6,453 over 2005.
·There were a record number of pilgrims from 138 countries during 2006 – compared with only 91 countries in the Holy Year of 2004. They came from places like Aruba and Turkmenistán, Greenland and Kenya.
·The number of pilgrims from Africa has grown to 206.
·The numbers have also increased from South America, Asia and the Australian Continent.
·It was not unusual to see pilgrims in the Praza do Obradoiro from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turkmenistán, Urbekistán or Zimbawe.
·Thousands of pilgrims came from the from European countries including the Principality of Monaco.
·As for Spain, the greater number of pilgrims came from Catalonia, Madrid or Castilla Leon.
·Pilgrims also came from the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. From Ceuta, for example, 54 people earned their Compostela.
·The French Way continues to be the “King” of all the Xacobeas Routes.
·82,407 pilgrims chose this Way - three thousand people more than in 2005.
·Walking is still the favoured way of making the pilgrimage.
·11 people did the pilgrimage in wheelchairs.
·The majority of pilgrims were male with 59,416 men and 40,961 females
·237 pilgrims were over 75 years old.
·The months of July and August were the most popular. In July there were 18,560 pilgrims and in August 25.968.
·The experts say that those who travel at winter travel the most authentic way; those who have to go through snow, mountains and other difficulties.
·The past December 848 authentic pilgrims arrived at Compostela. “Heroic "
·Hundred of pilgrims spent the last hours of year 2006 to arrive at Compostela just in time to take the grapes from Nochevieja. The majority “were foreign”, explained the Santiago Office. They chose, generally, the French Way from its beginning. That is to say, from the Pyrenees locality of Saint Jean de Pied de Port.
·The first pilgrim of 2007 to arrive was a 29 year old from Madrid.
