This is how the longest sea crossing of the Xacobeo is lived: "it is a beating and a unique experience"

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He has just set foot on dry land after traveling 500 nautical miles in an

.

That's why Eduardo is "fed up with water" and eager to "try paella", he laughs from the port of Valencia.

Huelva is one of the pilgrims who these days participate in a unique sea journey to the city of the Apostle.

It is the

, the longest Jacobean route in history organized by the Traslatio Foundation.

The most extraordinary thing is that it is a fleet of

.

Eduardo is on board the

, a schooner inspired by 18th century ships.

Along with the rest of the crew, he has just finished the first stage of the route: five days of sailing between Genoa (Italy) and Valencia marked by the illusion of adventure... and the storm in the Gulf of León.

And that this Huelva coastguard is neither alien to the sea nor to the Camino de Santiago, which he has already done three times.

This time I wanted to do a "different" path.

The

is.

In this fleet there are schooners, training ships and even a boat from the Volvo Ocean Race.

Some more experienced pilgrims travel on board than others, but all actively participate in the navigation.

"The experience is unique. A wonder. You come with a suitcase full of t-shirts that you don't even wear and you fill it with memories, sunsets and totally different people, although deep down we are all very similar."

The schooner 'Atyla'.

Of course, it is a full-fledged pilgrimage, which is joined by the rigors of the sea.

"These classic boats have

", explains Eduardo on the other end of the phone.

"Everything is very physical. The storm has been a beating and the years are unforgiving."

On Monday he turned 56 on board.

"We celebrate with a cake and then with a storm as God intended," continues Eduardo, always smiling.

As he has done the Camino del Norte, the French and the Primitive, Huelva can compare.

"This pilgrim's credential is going to be well earned," he assures, referring to the passport that is stamped at each stage.

"I didn't expect so much hardness. But it's always like that: the Camino puts

at every moment, at every curve or, in this case, at every wave or every piece of sea you cross".

On board the

there are 15 more sailors, including the crew itself and other participants.

Despite the routine of living on a ship ("sleep, eat, pilot... and start again"), there are moments to chat and enjoy on the deck.

The 'Mircea', 82 meters long.

"It's a great team, very competent."

Also, very international.

"I'm from Lepe and I haven't been able to say more than five words in a row in Spanish."

In the schooner there are people from Lithuania, Estonia, Holland, USA, Canada, Scotland and several other Spaniards.

Not all of them are experienced sea lions.

On the contrary.

Some of the participants had never sailed before.

But everyone has come to the crossing prepared after receiving maneuver classes and rehearsing the man overboard!

Because it is certainly not a ride on a cruise ship.

"There's nothing glamorous about it. Glamorous would be to be able to shower every day. Here on the day you have to, and if the sea gets rough, fight. That's what the Camino consists of: putting

."

A pilgrimage, after all.

Those who have walked the Camino are well aware of this desire to excel.

And the

which commemorates the journey of the body of the Apostle Santiago from the port of Jaffa (today, Palestine) to Santiago, is a trip in capital letters.

According to the Traslatio Foundation, today it is still the longest Xacobean maritime pilgrimage in history.

The paileboat 'Pascual Flores'.

The fleet leaves Valencia again on Sunday for Seville, where the sailboats will once again

so that they can visit them and learn about the work carried out on board these ships.

In each new stage, new ships will join until completing a fleet of

There are still

in one of the three remaining stages, just as Eduardo has done: from Valencia to Seville (from July 3 to 8), from Seville to Porto (from July 10 to 16-17) and from Porto to Vigo (from July 22 to 24).

You just have to choose the type of ship in which to carry out the adventure.

And wait for good wind and good sea.

how to be a sea pilgrim

To apply for a place and sign up, visit the Iacobus Maris route website: iacobusmaris.org a.

Participants must choose the stage, the ship and select one of the reservation platforms, such as

.

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