We’re following in the footsteps of pilgrims. Pilgrims from Peru and Japan, Norway and the UK. Here are ten peregrinations that have inspired millions of people, from all faiths and beliefs, for their character, history, and challenging nature. Everyone you meet on these trails has their own story. These are trails for introspection, for calm, for bonding, and, in nearly every case, awe-inspiring beauty.
Camino de Santiago, Spain
The Camino de Santiago is the most famous pilgrimage route in the world, but in fact it’s a network of trails that has been mapped across Europe since the 10th century for those congregating at the relics of Saint James the Great in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. The most travelled section of the Camino is the last 100km of the Camino Frances.
Señor de Huanca, Peru
Next, we’re in the Andes. The final destination of this pilgrimage, the Chapel of Señor de Huanca, high above the Sacred Valley of the Incas near Cusco, is one of the most spectacular places anywhere on earth, but for the thousands of pilgrims who make the hike, it’s the miraculous healing powers from two water sources that is its understandable appeal. The last part of the hike is usually an overnight section, starting just outside Cusco and taking around six hours.
St Cuthbert’s Way, Scotland and England
There is no more wonderful or apt place in the UK where you’d want to finish a pilgrimage route than Lindisfarne, known as Holy Island. In fact, this is one of the most spiritual, awe-inspiring places ever. St Cuthbert’s Way is a 100-kilometre route between Melrose in the Scottish Borders to the Northumberland coast, where you’ll have to await the tide to cross the causeway to Lindisfarne.
Mount Kailash, Tibet
This is a pilgrimage route with a difference. There is no ‘destination in walking the ‘yatra’, as the pilgrimage around Mount Kailash in Tibet is known. Instead, this is a circumambulation of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibetan plateau near Lake Manasarovar. It’s one of those pleasingly pointy mountains, but it has religious significance in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It takes three days to complete the 52-kilometre clockwise pilgrimage, earning karma and good fortune, starting and finishing in the village of Darchen.
The Old Way, UK
Think of a pilgrim route in the UK, and chances are the word ‘Canterbury’ will enter your mind. The Old Way, while not a commonly known name, is ancient, with it first being mapped in 1360 from modern-day Southampton to Canterbury Cathedral and the shrine of Thomas Becket. This 393-kilometre route is, ahem, cobbled together from other paths, but the British Pilgrimage Trust has worked to provide a brilliant guide.
Sacred Door Trail, USA
We’re heading to the US for the Sacred Door Trail. This 321-kilometre trail in southwestern Montana is described as ‘non-denominational’ and, according to the website, celebrates the interdependent relationship between self, Earth, community, and the numinous (mystery, awe, wonder, the sacred). A celebration of Mother Earth, few places celebrate the mountains, lakes, valleys and rivers of the US more than this.
Kumano Kodō, Japan
The Kumano Kodō in Japan was first trodden by pilgrims more than 1,000 years ago. There are six main routes, each located in the mountains south of Osaka and Kyoto and taking in the three great shrines, known collectively as the Kumano Sanzan. Walk the 70-kilometre route, staying in traditional homes and enjoying the hot Onsen baths.
St Olav’s Way, Norway
We’re in Norway following St Olav’s Way through some of the country’s most spectacular scenery. The 640-kilometre route starts in Oslo and finishes at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, the site of St Olav’s tomb, a saint who performed all manner of miracles between 995 and 1030. Highlights along the route include the Dovrefjell mountains and hundreds of Viking-era grave mounds.
Coastal Camino, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is home to the Saint Patrick’s Way ‘Coastal Camino’. The story behind it is remarkable. Elaine Kelly and Martina Purdy were nuns who couldn’t make their final vows because their congregation had grown too small, so during lockdown, they were asked by the Downpatrick Centre, dedicated to St Patrick, to create ‘Saint Patrick’s Way’. The result is a 27-kilometre route that ends at the charming medieval port of Ardglass.
Pilgrims Way, North Wales
The North Wales Pilgrims Way is a 209-kilometre route linking Basingwerk Abbey near Holywell, Flintshire, to Bardsey Island, a pilgrimage site where St Cadfan founded a community 1,500 years ago. In the Middle Ages, two pilgrimages to Bardsey were considered as good as one to Rome. We’re content with one. It’s a route that takes in some of the best Welsh mountains and valleys, as well as connecting ancient churches and the thousand-year-old foot high cross at Maen Achwyfan. At the end, Bardsey Island is a short boat ride away. The perfect finish.
