Restore your peace of mind on a pilgrimage to the Kumano Kodo in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.
Photo by Stephane Bidouze/Shutterstock
Trailing a crowd of pilgrims into the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the last stop on the Camino de Santiago, I watched the giant botafumeiro (incense burner) swing back and forth. The smell of frankincense and charcoal and the sound of traditional chants in Latin are forever etched in my memory. While the Camino de Santiago is one of the most famous pilgrimages in the world, there are many more across nearly every continent. These are eight exciting pilgrimage routes to traverse on foot, by bike, or even on horseback.
Lagunas de las Huaringas, Peru
Distance: 5.3 miles (approx. 8.5 km) from Salala to Laguna Shimbe with a stop in Laguna Negra
Hidden in the misty mountains near Huancabamba, in northwestern Peru, this destination—nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site—has 14 sacred lagoons and sits at more than 12,000 feet above sea level. Too far from Lima or Cusco to be on the beaten path for most visitors to Peru, locals come here to heal in the holy, ice-cold lagoons with the help of curanderos, or healers.
Start your route in Salala, where you can hike or pay for a horse to ride (bring cash for the local wranglers known as arrieros). From there, it’s a two- to three-hour hike to Laguna Negra, the first of the two lagoons where healing rituals take place, and approximately another two hours from there to Laguna Shimbe. The dry season from May to December is the best time to visit the Lagunas de las Huaringas.
Inexperienced hikers should opt for an organized day hike or hire a guide instead of going it alone. Be ready to take it easy the next day, especially if you decide to sip the mixture of sacred herbs, lagoon water, and liquor you may be offered at the end of the ceremony.
Make it happen
Fly direct from Lima to Piura, take a taxi to the city center, and then hire a driver or hop on a regional bus for the seven- to eight-hour ride to Huancabamba. Stay there overnight and depart early the next day for Salala (note that the roads will be mostly unpaved).
To book a full-fledged curandero healing experience at Las Huaringas, speak with the tourism office in Piura; they’ll direct you to a reputable healer and help you negotiate a price for transportation, a guided hike, and the healing ceremony. You can also book a tour online or via WhatsApp with Ideas Piura Tours, Peruvian Mountains, Marvelous Peru, and Curanderos de Huancabamba (Spanish only) among other tour operators.
Cape Camino, South Africa
Cycle the Cape Camino, and your post-ride snack might include local cheese, biltong (air-dried cured meat), and a glass of something from the Cape Winelands.
Courtesy Peggy Coetzee-Andrew/Cape Camino
Distance: 99 miles between Sandveld and Tulbagh
Discover expansive farms, dramatic coastlines, vineyards, and villages on a two-wheeled pilgrimage along the Cape Camino, South Africa’s Western Cape. Get deep insights into cultural and natural heritage, and connect with the community on walking and cycling pilgrimages hosted by locals. Hike up Table Mountain (officially recognized as one of the new seven wonders of nature) before setting off to bike along white-sand coasts.
Cape Camino routes one and six are accessible, designed for those using Shopriders (a type of rugged mobility scooter) or similar electric wheelchairs.
Make it happen
The best time to cycle the Cape Camino is in austral spring, particularly August or September (wildflower season) and through October. Decide whether you want to bring your own bike or rent one (including e-bikes), and choose from several routes and levels of service, including a simple accommodation-only plan or the full-service package with meals and luggage transfers.
Plan to arrive in Cape Town at least 24 hours before your first day of riding the Cape Camino (we know a few great places to spend the night in the Mother City). And don’t forget the tick repellent, especially for coastal routes.
The Pilgrims’ Way, England
Canterbury Cathedral offers a packed calendar of events, including recitals, talks, exhibitions, and tours.
Photo by Michael D Beckwith/Flickr
Distance: 41 miles between Rochester and Canterbury
Murdered in the cathedral he presided over in 1170, Thomas Becket was buried where he worked and canonized shortly thereafter. Since then, pilgrims have flocked to UNESCO World Heritage Site Canterbury Cathedral to pay their respects at his shrine. The entire Pilgrims’ Way runs 153 miles between Canterbury and Winchester, whose cathedral is the longest medieval cathedral in the world and hosts a lovely Christmas market. At a relatively low altitude and under 50 miles long, the Rochester-to-Canterbury leg is easily hiked in four to five days or biked in one or two.
Make it happen
From London St. Pancras Station, take the train 40 minutes from London to Rochester and head to the cathedral to start your trek. For the best weather, aim for April to October, but skip Easter to avoid crowds (unless you want to brave them to witness traditional events like Palm Sunday processions at Winchester Cathedral).
Related: The World’s Longest Coastal Path Is in England. Here Are Its Most Scenic Stretches
Via Francigena, Italy
Pilgrims on the Via Francigena walking from Viterbo to Rome will pass through the ancient town of Sutri.
Lamio Giancarlo/Shutterstock
Distance: 70 miles between Rome and Viterbo
All roads lead to Rome on the Via Francigena, an 1,864-mile epic that runs from Canterbury, England, to Rome through four countries. The Council of Europe says the Via Francigena encompasses some Europe’s oldest paths, taking you across plains, hills, and mountain passes.
You could start this trip in Canterbury and walk for 90 to 100 days, but why not keep it short and sweet and start your route in the medieval village of Viterbo? From there you can walk or bike the last 70 miles through the Lazio countryside to Rome in less than a week. If you opt to go on foot, this route is long enough to get the perfect souvenir: the Francigena Testimonium, a certificate for walking the path to Rome for cultural and religious reasons.
Make it happen
Leave larger luggage in Rome to collect on your return, either at your post-pilgrimage hotel in Rome or in luggage lockers around the city. Take the train two hours from Rome to Viterbo. Sleep in Viterbo and make time to see the magnificent mid-13th-century Palazzo dei Papi. Via Francigena has very good web and mobile maps to help you find your way around; download maps offline before you set off and lose service.
El Camino de Santiago, Spain
The early-12th-century Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the end point of the 480-mile Camino de Santiago.
Photo by Snap Wander/Unsplash
Distance: The whole route is approximately 480 miles.
No list of pilgrimages would be complete without the Camino de Santiago, one of Europe’s earliest tourist destinations. One of the few pilgrimage routes in Europe recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the 480-mile trek leads from several starting points in France, Spain, and Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, in northwestern Spain’s Galicia region. Believers have traveled over land and sea for centuries to kiss the mantle draped around the apostle James.
Spare several hundred miles and start in northern Spain, heading to Sarria for a one-week, 100-kilometer route (about 62 miles). This is the minimum distance for a completion certificate; cyclists should start in Leon to complete the 200 kilometers (124 miles) required for a cyclist’s certificate.
Make it happen
Cyclists can depart from Leon, two hours by train from Madrid. Walkers can take the train about two and a half hours from A Coruña to Sarria. Tour companies such as Walk the Camino and Camino Ways.com can organize everything for you, including luggage transfers and accommodations. For luxury hotels on the route, look into Paradores, a state-owned group of upscale hotels in historic buildings such as castles and monasteries.
St. Olav Ways, Norway
Pilgrims on the St. Olav Ways (St. Olavsleden) in Norway know to pack rain gear.
Photo by David Tett/stolavways.com
Distance: 35 miles from Levanger to Tautra, plus a 1-hour boat ride to Trondheim
King Olav was canonized in 1031 for bringing Christianity to Norway. The site of his tomb at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim is the world’s northernmost medieval cathedral. The church has been a pilgrimage site on St. Olav Ways (St. Olavsleden) ever since, even when the shrine was a wooden chapel over his grave. We recommend the four-day, 35-mile Levanger to Tautra trek. This is a beautiful walk along the fjord, passing by a World War II memorial and human-rights center, with the chance for a bracing dip in Lake Sottjønna and through peaceful woods until you reach the island of Tautra. From here, you can take a one-hour boat ride to Trondheim and then visit Nidaros Cathedral; be sure to circle the cathedral three times before you go in, as is tradition.
Make it happen
The train from Trondheim airport and city center to Levanger takes about an hour and 25 minutes. The best time to walk St. Olav Ways is May to September. Try to time your arrival at the cathedral to coincide with Olavsfest in Trondheim in late July.
Kumano Kodo, Japan
Hot springs and great food await those who embark on the multiday Kumano Kodo trail.
Photo by Susann Schuster/Unsplash
Distance: 24 miles from Tanabe to Kumano Hongu Taisha
Sweeping views, shrines, and hot springs along the way make this pilgrimage one of the most pleasant on this list. Rarely frequented by visitors to Japan, this trail is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Kumano Kodo’s seven trails wind through the Kii Mountains and have been popular among locals for more than 1,000 years. Sections of the traditional trails to the three Buddhist shrines can be completed in a little over a week; those with fewer days to spare can combine their walking with transit to hike as much or as little as they like.
Make it happen
From Osaka, take the train less than two hours to Kii-Tanabe, then take the bus 40 minutes to Takijri, and start your self-guided trek along the Nakahechi pilgrimage route. Once used by emperors and nobles, it has very good signage, transportation, and amenities for travelers who don’t speak Japanese. Grab a paper map and get any final questions about your route answered at the Tanabe Tourist Information Center, right next to the Kii-Tanabe rail station.
California Missions Trail, United States
California’s first pepper tree was planted at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside in 1830.
Brenda Melgoza/Unsplash
Distance: About 44 miles from San Diego to Oceanside
The California Missions Trail is an 800-mile undertaking aimed at preserving 21 mid-18th- to early-19th-century Spanish colonial missions from Sonoma to San Diego. For a moderate four-day walk, start your trek at California’s oldest mission, Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego, and finish at the state’s most prosperous, Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, home to California’s first pepper tree (planted in 1830) and an active community of Franciscan friars.
Make it happen
Fly to San Diego, take the bus to the Old Town Transit Center, and then take the tram to Mission San Diego Station, where you’ll begin your hike. Plan this trek for fall or early spring to avoid the region’s intense dry heat and crowds at stops along the way. Stay on track (and avoid dreaded dead-end routes) with up-to-date interactive maps.
Sophie Friedman contributed to the reporting of this story.
