Walking the Camino: Cross or No Cross?

The first cross I saw

When deciding on the cover of my book, Walking the Camino, I included the image of a cross. Some potential readers expressed concern that the cross may be misleading, as not all pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago are religious - including me. However, as the Camino is a Christian pilgrimage route, you see many crosses and other religious symbols as you walk.

Although my own Camino journeys were not religious, the Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross) was a significant part of my pilgrimage. Pilgrims carry a stone symbolising a burden they wish to leave behind at the cross, and the question of my burden became important to me.

the Cruz de Ferro - Iron Cross

The (almost) final cover choice

In the end, I decided to keep the cross on the cover. While it may not appeal to all readers, it accurately represents the Camino de Santiago and my own journey.

What do you think? Was I right - should I have left the cross on the cover? Please let me know in the comments below.

Update 31/03/2023

The final cover choice with Camino waymarker instead of a cross

Further to Neil's suggestion in the comments, I asked my cover designer to try adding the Camino waymarker into the design instead of the cross. I am pleased with the result and have decided to change the cover, so this is the one you'll see for sale.

Thanks, Neil, for your input!