We ordered ours from The Australian friends of the Camino but we could have purchased them at a Camino office in France or Spain. These passports are for pilgrims wishing to make a journey on one of the many Camino routes on foot, bike or horseback to Santiago de Compostela.
We received a Compostela when we walked the Camino Frances in 2013. The Compostela looks a little like a university degree. It is written in Latin and it states that the person named therein has come out of a pious (religious, spiritual) motivation to the Cathedral in Santiago to revere the remains of St. James. If you don't state in Santiago that you have done the walk for spiritual or religious reasons they usually give you a Certificate of Completion.
In addition to acquiring the Compostela at the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago, this Pilgrim Passport is handy for giving access to pilgrim accommodation (refugios/albergues) which offer (usually cheaper) accommodation and hospitality along the Camino.
Like a passport this credential contains lots of blank pages on which you ask for a stamp (sello) at a municipality office or the place where you are staying. The Australian Friends of the Camino have given us our first one.
If walking, the pilgrim is required to obtain two sellos daily from a point 100 kilometres from Santiago e.g. from Sarria on the Camino Frances. If cycling or riding a horse, the requirement is 200 kilometres.
Whether you are trying to score 'Brownie points' from God, get 'fly-buy points' from the Catholic Church or simply have an enjoyable walk, a credential with lots of stamps (pictured) provides you with a lasting record of the towns and the places where you have stayed.
Geoff & Lyn Pound
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