The Pilgrim’s Welcome Office in Santiago de Compostela keeps detailed statistics about the Camino de Santiago (500 mile trek through Spain) which I find fascinating. Outdoor adventure travel, specifically long distance treks, are continuing to grow. They have released the most recent annual statistics for 2015 and it looks like the Camino de Santiago is continuing the upward trend in popularity. Here are some highlights:
- 262,459 people walked the Camino de Santiago in 2015 (237,886 walked in 2014)
- Of those hikers, 123,530 were women and 138,929 were men
- 236,716 completed the Camino de Santiago on foot (90.19%)
- 25,346 completed the Camino de Santiago by bike (9.66%)
- 71 completed it by wheelchair and the rest on horseback
AGE
- 74,691 pilgrims were under the age of 30
- 144,031 were between the ages of 30 and 60
- 43,737 adventurers were over the age of 60
WHY
- 99,681 people walked for religious purposes
- 141,969 walked for spiritual or cultural reasons
- 20,809 walked only for the adventure of it
WHERE PILGRIMS COME FROM
- The largest single nation represented was no surprise, Spain, with 122,387 (46%) walking the trail.
- Italy was 2nd, Germany 3rd and the United States was 4th with 13,669 people represented.
STARTING POINT
- The majority of pilgrims started in Sarria (25%) and the next most popular starting point was where I also began my journey, St. Jean Pied-de-Port in France. 31,053 souls started in St. Jean.
- The Camino Frances remains the most popular route with 172,206 (65%) of pilgrims choosing this historic trail.
For more detailed statistics check out the official website for the Pilgrim’s Welcome Office in Santiago de Compostela HERE.
Check out the most popular long distance trails in the world HERE.
GABRIEL SCHIRM 