The Credential and the Compostela

Planning to walk the Camino de Santiago? Learn about two important documents, the pilgrim’s credential and the Compostela.

A pilgrim’s credential—credencial del peregrino in Spanish and carnet de pélerin in French, also known as your pilgrim passport—is what allows you to stay in albergues along the Camino. Costing €2-3, you can order one online from a pilgrim association before leaving or pick one up at a number of places along the way, including at the pilgrims’ office in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Getting your pilgrim passport stamped at albergues, churches, and other landmarks is an important part of walking the Camino.

If you want to collect a certificate of completion, the Compostela, you need two stamps per day for a minimum of 100 consecutive kilometers/62 miles walked on any official Camino route in Europe with a minimum of 70 consecutive kilometers (43 miles) needing to be on an official Camino trail in Spain, and pilgrims must be sure also to walk the final stage into Santiago de Compostela, which for the Camino Francés is from O Pedrouzo (Km 20) to Santiago. Those on bikes have the same rules, except that they must cover a total of 200 consecutive kilometers/124 miles. Be sure to visit the official website (www. oficinadelperegrino.com) for details and possible changes in these newly implemented rules.

When you arrive in Santiago de Compostela, take your credential to the pilgrim reception office to receive your Compostela, a jubilant moment!

Planning your trip?

Moon Camino de Santiago

by Beebe Bahrami

by Moon Travel Guides

Over 1,200 years old, 500 miles long, and rich with tradition, history, and inspiration: Embark on the trip of a lifetime with Moon Camino de Santiago.

Price

$27.99

Price

$36.99 CAD

Format

Trade Paperback (Revised)

1. ebook (Revised)

This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around February 17, 2026. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.

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Beebe Bahrami

About the Author

A Colorado native based in southern New Jersey, Beebe Bahrami extends her idea of home on regular semi-nomadic treks, visits, explorations, and excavations in southwestern France and northern Spain. Having walked the Camino de Santiago now too many times to count, she has also lived on different stretches of the trail. She has survived pigeon, boar, and rabbit hunting season in the Pyrenees, detoured with sheepherders in Rioja, pressed grapes in León, and studied herbs and rituals with a druid in Galicia.

Beebe is the author of two travel memoirs, Café Oc: A Nomad’s Tales of Magic, Mystery, and Finding Home in the Dordogne of Southwestern France, and Café Neandertal: Excavating the Past in One of Europe’s Most Ancient Places. In addition to Moon Camino de Santiago, she has penned several travel guides, including The Spiritual Traveler Spain: A Guide to Sacred Sitesand Pilgrim Routes, and Historic Walking Guides Madrid. Her work also appears in Wine Enthusiast, The Bark, and Archaeology, among others. To read her work, visit http://www.beebebahrami.weebly.com.

When Beebe is not on the trail or writing, she is studying trekking gear catalogs, pouring over obscure cookbooks, trying to master the subjunctive in French and Spanish, doing yoga, and surfing her trusty 7’6″ surfboard while dreaming of her next Camino.

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