HISTORICAL TREK

TOP WALKING DESTINATION: SPAIN

El Camino de Santiago de Compostela – the Way of Saint James – is a network of holy pilgrimage routes criss-crossing northern Europe. Pilgrimages as a rule generally started from wherever you lived, so historically the route is quite impressionistic and there are many variations. But the most famous section runs from the town of Saint-Jean-Piedde-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees, to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, western Spain. Despite most of the route being in Spain, this is known as the French Way, or Camino Frances.

Walking its 769km length takes around four weeks, during which you'll traverse along a route drenched in historical vibe. Legend has it that Saint James’s remains were carried along it, before being interred in the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela, where the Camino ends. The Black Death was rumoured to have spread to the far corners of Europe (of which this is most certainly one) borne by walkers using old pilgrimage trails such as this, and years of unrest and political upheaval in Spain caused the route to fall silent for many decades, populated only by the occasional committed walker in search of penance or spiritual enlightenment.

Scenery-wise, this isn’t a sensory blizzard – it’s a long walk on a mainly flat, well-marked route. Your pack can be light, you can sleep in a bed every night if you choose, and there are plenty of places to take on supplies. It’s for this reason it makes our top ten this year: there's never been a better time to make a longdistance trek in the company of others excited about doing the same thing for their wellbeing, spiritual reasons, or just for the heck of it. And if you want a starter trail that has all of the positives and almost none of the negatives of a longdistance walk, this is a great place to start. What's more, it’s easy to get to.