Best Pilgrimage in the Ether: Vigo’s Xacobeo on the Air

VIGO, GALICIA — While thousands of pilgrims hike the Camino de Santiago with scallop shells on their backpacks, a quieter, no less devoted tribe has carved its own path to Compostela—across the ionosphere. In 2021 and 2022, the URE Vigo-Valle Miñor section (callsign EA1RKV) helped lead one of Spain’s most distinctive amateur radio events: the Diploma Xacobeo “Galicia para el mundo”.

Part celebration, part challenge, and unmistakably Galician in spirit, the diploma linked faith, culture, and technology through a web of QSOs rather than waypoints. Pilgrims didn’t walk; they tuned in.

When the World Calls Galicia

At the heart of the initiative was a simple proposition: bring Galicia to the world—not through postcards, but through propagation. Over several weeks in July, amateur radio stations across the region activated call signs and engaged in thousands of contacts on HF bands. From seaside shacks to mountaintop repeaters, they transmitted more than RF: they shared Galician identity.

Stations that successfully contacted a set number of activators were awarded the Diploma Xacobeo. But more than awards, what made the event notable was its blend of tradition and tech—a radio camino that spanned continents instead of kilometers.

Of Robles and Recognition

Recognition came, as it always should in Galicia, with a meal. On 19 November 2022, the URE Galicia territorial council hosted a trophy ceremony and community lunch at the Restaurante Los Robles in Teo, near Santiago de Compostela. The €42-per-head affair wasn’t just about food; it was about camaraderie—about putting faces to voices heard in the ether.

As call signs turned into conversations over pulpo a feira and albariño, the intangible bonds of radio turned tangible. For those who had spent the summer logging, decoding, and confirming contacts, this was the moment the pilgrimage reached its earthly destination.

Radio, but Rooted

Vigo’s section, led by Xesús de Prado (EA1IQ), has long punched above its weight. Operating from Rúa Galindra, EA1RKV continues to demonstrate that amateur radio can be more than contest scores and technical tweaks. It can be a cultural bridge, a regional voice, and yes, a modern-day pilgrimage.

In a world dominated by fiber optics and 5G, Galician hams remind us: some of the richest connections still travel through the air—one call sign at a time.