Guides
CF = Camino Francés, CP = Camino Portuguése, CM = Camino Madrid, CFM = Camino Finisterre & Muxia, CI = Camino Inglés
Book links are to Amazon, but always look for the latest edition.
(CF) A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago: Camino Francés – St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela by John Brierley
This guide is referenced frequently and, I suppose, is often considered the de facto main guide. Good to know about this one.
(CF) Village to Village Guide: Camino de Santiago: Camino Frances: St. Jean – Santiago – Finisterre by Anna Dintaman & David Landis
One of my favorites but, each guide offers something unique to the experience.
(CF) Village to Village Map Guide: Camino de Santiago Maps by Anna Dintaman & David Landis. This is a book of only the maps that are in the full Village to Village guide.
(CF) Camino de Santiago: Sacred Sites, Historic Villages, Local Food & Wine by Beebe Bahrami
I really like Beebe’s book. I still consider it more of an addition to the more traditional guides, but she offers insights and recommendations you won’t find elsewhere.
(CF) Cicerone Guides: Pilgrim Route – Camino de Santiago Camino Francés. Guide and Map Book includes Finisterre finish by Sandy Brown.
This is a very extensive and dense book. I’m glad I have it, but it’s too heavy to haul along on the Camino in my opinion. It has great maps!
(CF) Michelin guide: Camino de Santiago: St-Jean-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. This is a MUST have! What a great little book to keep handy as you walk along. Not your primary guide, but oh so wonderful.
(CF) León to Santiago: Guide to walking the last 300km of the Camino Frances by M.J. McCarthy
This guide gives more detail for the last 300km than you’ll find in the other guides, so if you plan on walking a section included here, you will get a bit more info than you’ll glean from the guides that cover the entire Francés.
(CFM) A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Finisterre by John Brierley.
Several guides for the Francés include the walk to Finisterre, but there aren’t many guides solely dedicated to the camino.
(CM) The Camino de Madrid Handbook by Jeffery Barrera
I’d considered walking the Camino Madrid which connects to the Francés at Sahagun (the halfway point of the Francés), but decided to just walk the entire Francés again starting in St Jean. But if you walk the Madrid, this is an extremely helpful guide.
(CP) A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Portugués: Lisbon – Porto – Santiago / Camino Central, Camino da Costa, Variante Espiritual &Send Litoral. A practical & Mystical Manual for the Modern-day Pilgrim by John Brierly
Once again, you’ll hear Brierly referenced more than any other guide. Still not my favorite, but I always have it on my shelf.
(CP) Cicerone The Camino Portugués from Lisbon and Porto to Santiago – Central, Coastal and Spiritual Caminos by Katrina Davis. The Cicerone guides are always excellent, but not a guide you’d probably take with you because it’s dense/heavy.
(CP) The Camino Portugués: A Wise Pilgrim guide to the Portuguese Camino along the Central, the Coastal, and the Variante Espiritual routes by Michael Matynka Iglesias
Wise Pilgrim also has an excellent app.
(CP) Village to Village Map Guide – Camino Portugués: Lisbon – Porto – Santiago: Coastal & Central Routes by Matthew Harms, Anna Dintaman, David Landis. This is a book of maps.
(CI) A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Inglés: Ferrol & Coruña – Santiago: The English Way also known as the Celtic Camino by John Brierley
(CI) Cicerone Camino Inglés and Ruta do Mar: to Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre from Ferrol, A Coruña or Ribadeo by Dave Whitson and Laura Perazzoli.
(CI) Village to Village Map Guide: Camino Inglés: Ferrol to Santiago on Spain’s English Way by Matthew Harms, Anna Dintaman, David Landis. A book of maps.
(CI) Ferrol to Santiago: Guide to walking the Camino Inglés by M. J. McCarthy
(CI) The Camino Ingles: 6 days (or less) to Santiago by Susan Jagannath
Other Informational Books from my bookshelf
Camino Lingo: English – Spanish Words and Phrases for Pilgrims on el Camino de Santiago by Reinette Nóvoa with Sylvia Nilsen
Buen Camino! Tips from an American Pilgrim by Anne Born
Camino Easy: A Stress-Free Guide to the French Way for Mature Walkers by B.G. Preston
The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson
Pocket Porto: Top Experiences – Local Life by Kerry Christiani & Regis St Louis