Camino De Santiago Attracts 500,000 Visitors A Year, But Climate Change Threatening The Tradition

The vast network of trails extends throughout Europe but is most closely associated with Spain, Portugal and France, which offer regional pilgrimage routes that can take anywhere from 44 days to six days to complete on foot — and a fraction of that time for cyclists. The routes converge in northwest Spain, where the remains of Saint James are said to be buried at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

Tourist groups said fewer pilgrims are choosing to walk the route for religious reasons, saying instead they attempt to tackle the trails to connect to nature, enjoy a challenge or hang out with friends. Still, almost half a million people completed the trails last year, making it a major tourist attraction throughout the region.

Last summer was the hottest ever recorded, with an average temperature of 75 degrees and temperatures that regularly topped 100 degrees — sometimes hitting as high as 109. Almost 4,000 deaths were attributed to the heat, according to authorities. 

Even northern Spain — humid, green and temperate — has long been considered a climate refuge from the country’s scorching summers. It is now increasingly experiencing extreme events like heatwaves, driven by climate change.

“We observe almost a disappearance of spring and autumn in these regions, and instead we see summer becoming significantly longer,” explained Dominic Royé, researcher at the Biological Mission of Galicia, a research institute. “We are seeing an increase in all extremes. This includes stronger winds, heavy rainfall, as well as increasingly extreme temperatures across almost the entire region.”

Last year, more than 250,000 hectares also burned in just a few weeks in northern and northwestern Spain during a period of extreme heat. The fires have not spared the trail system, and parts of the route were even closed to the public.

“It was historic, as these routes had never been closed for such a long period before. A French pilgrim described entering Galicia as having an “end-of-the-world atmosphere.”

By eight in the evening, it already seemed like night; the sun was orange, and the air was very thick,” Royé added. “With climate change, this type of incident is becoming increasingly frequent, and the risks are becoming more pronounced.”