Good evening.

Last year a record number of pilgrims arrived in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, having completed the final 100km section of the Camino de Santiago. The Pilgrim Office of Santiago de Compostela recorded 446,035 pilgrims in 2023 – a 107% increase over the last decade – making this ancient pilgrimage route to the shrine of St James one of the most well-trodden in Europe. There have been anecdotal reports of overcrowding on popular sections of the camino and difficulties securing a bed at some of the albergues (pilgrim hostels) en route in the peak summer months.

However, there is another “way”, as our writer Mark Eveleigh discovered. Mark chose to walk the Via de la Plata, one of the toughest sections of the camino, which crosses the wild plains of Extremadura, a little-visited region of Spain which lies between Madrid and the Portuguese border. Lacking the infrastructure of more touristed regions, this backcountry route is not for the fainthearted (especially in the fierce heat of midsummer), but the rewards are immense – from ancient fortress cities on forested hilltops to endless vistas across isolated steppes “where the grass rippled under a hot breeze that brought to mind African savannahs”.

Unlike their medieval counterparts, many contemporary pilgrims are motivated more by a desire for adventure or a sense of personal achievement than by piety. Even so, they are still looking for a sense of magic and a spiritual connection to the landscape they are passing through. In taking the road “less travelled by”, our writer found both.