Over tourism and bad behaviour is affecting the Camino de Santiago, according to a story in the Catholic Herald.
As the Camino continues to gain in popularity and reputation, attracting ever more pilgrims, there are reports of anti-social behaviour and even of a pilgrim starting a fire.
A 33-year-old suspect arsonist was arrested 12 miles from the starting point of the blaze, which went on to sweep through 800 hectares of forest and grassland, and confined some local residents to their homes.
One Spaniard living along the Camino said she had changed from “opening the door and leaving bottles of water … as they pass by the house” to investing thousands of euros in fencing off her property.
According to the Times newspaper, the Camino attracted more than 440,000 people in 2023.
Read the full story here.
Picture of the Camino by José Antonio Gil Martínez. In the public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camino_de_Santiago_%2858438781%29.jpg