Is the Camino de Santiago Just a Trend?

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Many people think the Camino de Santiago has become a trend, stripped of all meaning. But is that really true!???

Following the nearly 300,000 arrivals in Santiago de Compostela last year, many are asking what the Camino de Santiago is becoming: Christian pilgrimage, budget holiday, a new way to travel, fashion?

The opinions are endless and often the harshest judgements come from pilgrims who have only discovered the Camino in recent years. They speak disparagingly of an overcrowded French Way, of the final stretch from Sarria or even from Astorga being too commercialised and busy, and of the Via de la Plata being magnificent simply because it's less known and therefore more authentic.

Among these Camino "veterans" the term "turigrino" emerges—a wholly derogatory label for those who choose to walk only the final 100km or prefer to do just certain sections.

Last year's numbers tell us that roughly 1 in 3 pilgrims started their Camino from one of these 100km starting points, peaking at 25% from the town of Sarria.

Most of you are probably shaking your heads saying – See?! It's not the Camino it used to be! These turigrinos are ruining it!! – So I ask you – If these people have chosen to invest part of their time in this endeavour, just as you have, don't they deserve a chance, the opportunity to experience the Camino without facing negative judgement from more seasoned pilgrims? –

It's undeniable that the Camino de Santiago has become a trend, a phenomenon. The exceptionally positive growth in recent years proves it. But the real question is: are we sure this is actually a negative thing? Couldn't it instead be a wonderful response to an increasingly urgent need for change? After all, each of us uses the tools we know to achieve what we're looking for, and if the Camino can help you reach your goal, why not try it?

You might say – Yes, but there are right ways and wrong ways! The true Camino isn't the last 100km! –

And I ask you – How many kilometres do you need for it to be considered "true"? 300km? 1,000km? –

There are pilgrims who set out from home and after months of walking reach Santiago, others who after a thousand kilometres still turn the lights on at 6am regardless of dormitory roommates trying to sleep, and others who walk the final 100km, perhaps amid countless doubts and fears. So which of these is walking the most authentic Camino?

Someone else might argue that the Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle James (even though 99% of the time they're someone else's bones) and that those not walking with Christian spirit aren't true pilgrims. How many of you would agree with that view? Based on the number of atheists and agnostics on the Camino, I'd say very few.

It's 2017 and no pilgrim wears leather sandals or hangs a pouch from their staff anymore. The Camino now consists of technical clothing, ergonomic backpacks, supremely comfortable shoes and smartphone apps.

We know places because we've seen them in photos, we photograph them in turn to show the world, and often to prove we've been there.

It's 2017, in a fast-paced and consumerist world, and despite all this thousands of people set out on the Camino each year seeking to find something new within themselves, something they feel they need.

Perhaps it's time to understand that we too are part and protagonists of this change, because what doesn't evolve dies.

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