Camino de Santiago pilgrims: a spiritual journey beyond religion

08-07-24

The Camino de Santiago, a traditionally Catholic pilgrimage, is attracting a growing number of spiritual but non-religious people. This phenomenon reflects a change in the motivations of those who walk this historic route, which ends at the shrine of the apostle St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Traditionally an act of Catholic devotion, today the Camino is a journey that many undertake for reasons beyond religion, such as health, grief, life transitions, cultural exploration, history and adventure.

One example of how the Camino de Santiago can change lives is the case of a person who embarked on her first Camino after a personal crisis. At the age of 30, she quit her job and her health insurance to walk the Camino de Santiago. The experience was so transformative that she decided to return annually and eventually founded a travel company that organizes mourning walks and meditations on the Camino. Raised in a mix of Buddhist, Christian and Jewish traditions, this person reflects the growing diversity of pilgrims who find in the Camino a space for their own spirituality.