Baiona rewards development of the Portuguese Coastal Route

Baiona City Council approved in plenary session on February 4 an amendment to its special protocol regulation in order to establish an annual medal to reward and recognize the work of individuals or legal entities who have contributed to the recovery, promotion and rehabilitation of the Portuguese Coastal Route.

In the amended regulation, the executive states that the official recognition represented a milestone in restoring Baiona as a key stopping point along the Portuguese routes to Santiago and recalls that, since the 18th century, Baiona provided support and assistance to pilgrims from various parts of the world, a legacy still visible in the town’s architectural heritage, such as the Hospital Sancti Spiritus.

The protocol document further notes that, after a period in which pilgrims stopped using the Coastal Route, the recovery, defense and promotional work carried out in recent years made it possible to restore the flow and once again consolidate Baiona as a stage, bringing thousands of people toward Santiago de Compostela. In the ten years of the Portuguese Coastal Route, more than 300,000 pilgrims have passed through Baiona.

The medal, made of enamel, will measure 6 by 4.5 centimeters and will feature on the front a golden scallop shell with the Baiona coat of arms at its center. The reverse will be plain and the medal will hang from a Europe-blue cord. The distinction will preferably be awarded on May 4, the anniversary of the official recognition of the Portuguese Coastal Route as one of the Portuguese certified Caminos.