Camino de Santiago

The Xunta de Galicia has tendered a biannual maintenance contract for 1.3 million euros for the Portuguese Way and the Portuguese Way for the Thing, which means that, for the first time, both routes will have a specific maintenance plan. The idea is that during these first two years this amount will be invested in 140 kilometres of route, detecting the different existing needs as well as repairs due to external factors such as the weather and ordinary conservation.

Last year, both itineraries had an expenditure of 2.5 million on the rehabilitation of the signposting of the two routes coming from Portugal. Special attention is also being paid to the Via de la Plata. It should be noted that the Portuguese Way is already the second with the highest number of pilgrims, which continues to rise at an unstoppable rate, 57% in four years. According to official data from the Xunta, last year made the route a total of 67,822 pilgrims and, according to experts, can continue to add followers, making it a pole of tourist attraction and economic growth, as attested by the data on hotel occupancy in May and highlighted the fact that the hostels had an average occupancy above 60%, with Caldas as spearhead with an occupancy above 80%. In Pontevedra, O Salnés and O Morrazo it was 63%; and in Deza and Terra de Montes, 45%. Already the forecast of Tourism Rías Baixas for the month of June is maintained to the rise, since it is contemplated that the average occupation of the shelters surpasses 65 %.