Spain’s worst wildfires in two decades have forced authorities to close part of the Camino de Santiago, the ancient pilgrimage route that draws tens of thousands of walkers each year. As read in the article published by Reuters, flames spread to the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountains this week, leading officials to suspend access to a 50-kilometer stretch of the trail in the regions of Galicia and Castilla y León.
Defence Minister Margarita Robles described the crisis as unprecedented. “This is a fire situation we haven’t experienced in 20 years,” she told Cadena SER radio, citing the extreme heat wave and its links to climate change.
The Spanish army has deployed 3,000 troops and 50 aircraft to assist firefighters, while neighboring European nations have pledged support through the EU Civil Protection mechanism.
The scale of devastation is staggering. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), 344,400 hectares — an area the size of Mallorca — have burned in Spain so far this year. Portugal has also suffered, with 216,200 hectares scorched. Together, these figures represent more than four times the average for the last two decades.
Busiest month
The closure of the Camino is especially painful during August, traditionally its busiest month. Pilgrims from across the world converge on the route, walking not only for faith but also for cultural, historical, and even personal reasons. The trail, which ends at the shrine of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, has for centuries been a path of prayer and encounter.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes pilgrimage as a way of “recalling our earthly journey toward heaven” (CCC 2691). The fires, therefore, strike not only at Spain’s environment and economy, but also at the spiritual heartbeat of Europe.
In recent years, the Camino has become a meeting place between the religious and the secular. Some walk it as an act of penance, others as a search for meaning, and still others simply as a cultural challenge. But for all, the route offers an experience of solidarity: strangers sharing bread, stories, and blisters. That this path of hospitality now lies threatened by smoke and flames is a sobering reminder of our shared vulnerability.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national climate pact, stressing that adaptation to rising temperatures can no longer be postponed. The 16-day heatwave, with highs of 45°C, is Spain’s third-longest on record and is expected to ease only slightly this week. Scientists warn that such extremes are becoming more frequent and more intense.
For pilgrims who hoped to set foot on the trail this summer, disappointment is real — but so too is resilience. Local dioceses, parishes, and towns along the Camino are already mobilizing to host and redirect walkers where possible. As flames consume forests and mountainsides, the determination to preserve this centuries-old path endures. The Camino has survived wars, plagues, and political upheaval. Today, it faces fire — but the spirit of pilgrimage, rooted in faith and human fraternity, continues to burn brighter than any blaze.
