In 2023, nearly half a million people walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, one of the most well-known pilgrimages.
Race platform Spacebib launched a World Pilgrimage Trails collection of moisture-wicking tees.
The virtual challenge platform Conquerer has started a Camino de Santiago virtual challenge that allows you to track updates on your smartwatch.
The power of the pilgrimage has grown so much that the Global Wellness Summit named pilgrimages as one of its wellness trends for 2024.
While pilgrimages are becoming increasingly popular among fitness enthusiasts, they remain a timeless practice that intersects with physical activity, spirituality, and personal growth.
There are hundreds of pilgrimage trails throughout the world.
It’s a natural stress reliever releasing endorphins that can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety.” (Our writer wore these shoes while walking Spain’s Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.)
But Guy Hayward, co-founder of the British Pilgrimage Trust, which promotes inclusive pilgrimages, says that not everyone accepts a more secular outlook.
Today, not only monks go on pilgrimages. There is a new generation of fans drawn to these epic routes that wind through rural landscapes and medieval villages.
In addition to new routes opening in the US, Ireland, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, well-known trails have recently experienced record foot traffic. One of the most popular pilgrimages, the Camino de Santiago in Spain, saw close to 500,000 walkers in 2023. But according to data from the Camino de Santiago Bureau of Registration, only 40% of hikers using the trails did so for religious purposes alone.
These long walks in the outdoors have certainly drawn attention, since walking classes have become more popular in gyms and streaming services, and TikTok has been taken over by softhiking and hotgirlwalk. World Pilgrimage Trails is a line of moisture-wicking t-shirts that race platform Spacebib has launched. Track updates on your smartwatch with the Conquerer virtual challenge, which is based on the Camino de Santiago. The power of pilgrimage has grown to such an extent that it was identified as one of the wellness trends for 2024 by the Global Wellness Summit.
Even though pilgrimages are growing more and more well-liked among athletes, they are still a traditional activity that links exercise, spirituality, and personal development.
travel with meditation.
A pilgrimage is an excursion to a holy site by bicycle, horseback, or foot. Long trips, common to many religions, are a means for people to express their devotion.
How to arrange a pilgrimage to the holy sites in Montenegro is provided here. ).
Pilgrimage routes number in the hundreds across the globe. Wanderers of today can still explore historic routes like the UNESCO-listed Camino de Santiago, which dates back to the ninth century, and its sister trail, the Kumano Kodo, a path that dates back to the tenth century in Japan. However, a number of new pilgrimage routes have emerged to assist a fresh generation of walkers in challenging their bodies, minds, and souls.
In 2022, Bhutan renovated the Trans Bhutan Trail, a 16th-century road that passes through 12 mountain passes and was once traveled by Buddhist pilgrims to see the nation’s holiest places. The 185-mile Pekoe Trail in Sri Lanka was inaugurated in 2023, connecting the cities of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. It has waterfalls, caverns, and an old rock temple. The 86-mile Wexford-Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way, which begins in Wexford, Ireland, and ends in St. Davids, Wales. It includes walks on the edge of cliffs, sacred pools, and secluded coves that are frequented by seals. A 75-mile walk from the mission in Sonoma to the Russian Orthodox chapel at Fort Ross is the new Camino de Sonoma, which hikers can try in California.
Exercise for the mind and body.
According to U, there are two reasons to put on your walking shoes. KK. -based personal trainer Marc Massad, since it promotes both mental and physical resilience.
According to Massad, walking “improves balance and coordination, increases muscle endurance with minimal joint strain, boosts cardiovascular health, and promotes weight loss.”. There are significant advantages to walking’s mental health. It’s a natural stress reliever that releases endorphins, which help lessen anxiety and depression symptoms. “.
When walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage through Spain, our writer wore these shoes. ).
From the Portuguese border to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Nicole Hu, 27, a resident of Chicago, walked 75 miles as part of the Camino de Santiago in July 2023. Hu explains, “I wanted to take a walk, spend time in nature, and have some alone time to think.”.
Hu, who has traveled to Peru and Egypt for scuba diving and hiking, enjoyed this medieval challenge’s well-defined rules. Each pilgrim had to finish at Santiago de Compostela’s Pilgrim’s Office after walking a minimum of 62 miles and obtaining stamps every day.
Although Hu didn’t find the terrain especially difficult, it was difficult to walk up to 15 miles every day in the intense heat of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Hu says, “It was very rewarding but exhausting.”. Although physically taxing, it’s an incredibly beneficial discipline. My opinion is that you would benefit more from it if I were to do it again, albeit for a longer period of time. “.
authority during pilgrimages.
Travelers opting for guided pilgrimage tours have increased, according to Paul Christie, CEO of Walk Japan, a company that offers off-the-beaten-path walking tours in Japan. According to Christie, “our experience suggests that the interest in pilgrimage is a natural progression from the growing demand for walking across a broad range of ages and nationalities.”.
But not everyone embraces a more secular outlook, according to Guy Hayward, co-founder of the British Pilgrimage Trust, which advocates for inclusive pilgrimages. According to Hayward, “there are undoubtedly hard-core individuals who think there is only one way to go on a pilgrimage, and it has to be extremely devotional.”. My wish is that they will recognize that pilgrimages can serve as a means for individuals to explore more profound facets of their own selves. “.
The 35-year-old Toronto marathon runner Kimberly Davies made the decision to walk the 480 miles of the Camino Frances from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port through the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
When you’re done with the Camino, consider taking on Japan’s 88-temple Shikoku Trail. ).
Davies comments, “You really live in the moment.”. It’s this peace bubble. I enjoyed spending six weeks outside, which is really healthy, and had no responsibilities, no planning, and no search for lodging or dining establishments. “.
While some pilgrims may be more experienced than Rick Walsh, 63, of San Francisco, he has hiked extensively in Japan. He recently completed the 88-temple pilgrimage on the island nation, which included the six-day Shikoku Wayfarer tour. He claims that even after walking through the picturesque countryside filled with mountains and ending at the coast of the Pacific Ocean, the significance of the pilgrimage never left him. “While exercising can be done anywhere, taking part in a carefully planned cultural experience in a location as exceptional as Japan makes it very special. “.
