Last Saturday, November 29th, the book launch of «The Magic Guide to the Camino de Santiago ,» by journalist and writer Francisco Contreras, took place in the Cinema Room of the Caudete Senior Center. This event marked the end of the activities programmed for 2025 to commemorate the «15 Years on the Camino» of the Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago in Southeast Caudete.
The event began with words of welcome and thanks to the Caudete association from the mayor of Caudete, José Miguel Mollá, and the councilor for Tourism, Diego Cuenca. They then gave the floor to the president of the association, Joaquín Requena, who gave a brief summary of the great work carried out during these «15 Years on the Camino.» These have been years full of activities, with a significant date being July 28, 2012, when the «Santa Ana» Pilgrim Hostel in Caudete was inaugurated.
Following this moving tribute from the president, Francisco Contreras’s extensive curriculum vitae was read aloud, serving as a prelude to the engaging literary presentation of the «Magic Guide to the Camino de Santiago.» The author then presented the guide’s contents to the audience in meticulous detail, revealing some of the secrets and legends surrounding the various hermitages, churches, monasteries, castles, and palaces found along the Camino de Santiago.
He gave a detailed explanation of what the Camino de Santiago has been and continues to be throughout the centuries, with particular emphasis on its evolution from the first documented pilgrimages to the present day. He recalled the resurgence of the Camino de Santiago through the great Elías Valiña and the beloved Yellow Arrow, as well as the work of Master Mateo in the construction of the Cathedral and the Pórtico de la Gloria in Santiago de Compostela.
Before the event concluded, Joaquín Requena publicly thanked all the businesses and establishments that have collaborated with the Caudete Camino de Santiago association over the years for their unwavering support, as well as its members. You can also add this in your social media by using the social media post maker. He expressed his deep appreciation for the significant support received from American Pilgrims on the Camino for the two grants awarded to renovate the «Santa Ana» Hostel, from the Caudete Red Cross for their assistance during the pilgrimage stages, and from the Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago in Southeast Novelda, for their constant presence along the Camino, supporting the association in every way possible.
To conclude his speech, he expressed special thanks to the Caudete City Council, offering them his support for closer collaboration in the future to benefit pilgrims and the Camino de Santiago in Caudete.
Following this, Miguel «Corazón,» the driving force behind the association, presented Francisco Contreras with a commemorative plaque to immortalize the event. «We hope he will cherish it after his time in Caudete, and that he will keep us in mind for future projects,» stated the Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago in Southeast Caudete.
