On the back of glowing reviews from the likes of the National Geographic, the ‘Camino Cymru’ is attracting global attention
Walking through hills with Conwy Mountain in the distance(Image: Mike Costello/NWPW)
When model Christine McGuinness visited Aber Falls, she declared it “the most magical, beautiful thing I have ever seen”.
As she trekked across North Wales, the TV personality said she was “absolutely blown away” by the charm and variety of the landscapes she passed through.
Her euphoria is not an uncommon. Like other celebrities who hiked the North Wales Pilgrims Way (NWPW), for the BBC’s Pilgrimage series, time seems to slow on the 136-mile journey.
Leaving behind hectic lives, sights became more vivid during unhurried wanders through sun-dappled woods, dramatic coastlines and sheep-dotted hills.
Taking the high road(Image: Mike Costello/NWPW)
The 120ft cascade at Aber Falls, Gwynedd, is just one of the many attractions along a two-week route hailed as the “Welsh Camino”, or Camino Cymru. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
This is a reference to the Camino de Santiago, a network of historic pilgrimage trails ending at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Each year more than 500,000 people walk its different sections.
All of sudden, pilgrimage trails are big news. Not longer do they solely involve religious motives. Instead they are seen as sanctuaries for walkers seeking spiritual and physical health in stunning scenery. Or as Visit Conwy says of Camino Cyrmu: “Take a breath and do something nice for your wellbeing!”
Christine McGuinness was overwhelmed by the beauty of Aber Falls(Image: Christine McGuinness)
There are more than 200 Camino walks across Europe, including routes in each of the Home Countries. The National Geographic’s global community of explorers, photographers rates Camino Cymru among the best, saying it offers a “deep, grounding calm”.
In its global travel bucket list for 2026, the NWPW was included in 14 “Wellness Experiences” for travellers to try this year. Others included a trek through Africa’s first designated wilderness “quiet park”, and a jungle-meets-sea yoga retreat in Costa Rica.
Tramping across Traeth Porthor (Whistling Sands) on Pen Llŷn(Image: Mike Costello/NWPW)
NWPW patron Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, believes Caminos have entered the wellness mainstream.
He said: “Pilgrimage has become unexpectedly visible and popular again in recent years, involving quite a lot of dedicated walkers who don’t think of themselves as pilgrims in any conventional way.
“Yet so many who undertake long and often arduous walks discover a need to pause and process all that arises in the distinctive quiet and solitude of walking. It is important that there should be spaces for this to happen in the best possible ways – and this is what the NWPW aims to offer.”
Navigating woods at Moelyci between Tregarth and Deiniolin, Gwynedd(Image: Mike Costello/NWPW)
Camino Cymru links ancient churches dedicated to 6th and 7th-century saints with places of outstanding natural beauty. According to the National Geographic, it “charts the evolution of humanity in North Wales since those Celtic saints established their communities”.
Weaving across the region, the ancient route connects sacred sites from Basingwerk Abbey near Holywell, Flintshire, to Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), Gwynedd.
Along the way are sacred springs, prehistoric stone circles, two cathedrals and 1,000-year-old stone crosses. Before completing your Camino passport, you can submerge yourself in miraculous “holy water”, sleep in isolated stone churches and linger in landscapes that inspired great Welsh poets like RS Thomas.
A carved medieval pilgrim points the way near Llangernyw, Conwy(Image: Mike Costello/NWPW)
At Hafodunos Hall near Llangernyw, Conwy, a carving of a medieval pilgrim, created by chainsaw artist Simon O’Rourke, reaches from a tree urging walkers to continue.
Given the rigours of the trail, the route sensibly skirts the high mountains of Eryri. As it is, there is 4,647 metres of climbing.
The end destination couldn’t be more appropriate. “The island of 20,000 saints” is celebrated for its deep spiritual heritage – a place historically dubbed “the road to Heaven”.
Reputedly, Ynys Enlli is the “real Avalon” where King Arthur was buried, thus bypassing Purgatory en route to the Pearly Gates.
Tramping across Traeth Porthor (Whistling Sands) on Pen Llŷn(Image: Mike Costello/NWPW)
Making it even better
The North Wales Pilgrims Way (Taith Pererin Gogledd Cymru) was launched in 2011 by a team of volunteers. In recent years it has gained a strong following in the USA, thanks in part to glowing reviews.
Last year the renowned US travel magazine Afar rated the trail as “one of the best underrated places in the world to visit”.
In response to demand, waymarkers have been upgraded to make the trail easier to follow. Yet there remains gaps in provision for those looking for accommodation and baggage transport.
Pit stop at St Celynin’s Old Church in Llangelynnin, Conwy(Image: Mike Costello/NWPW)
Walk leader Mike Costello oversees logistics. He said: “In the first 10 years we had hardly any funding and it was an uphill battle to get people involved.
“The BBC’s Pilgrimage show did us a world of good in raising awareness. However, while we are making progress, there’s more that needs doing.
“Look at how long it took Offa’s Dyke to get up and running – 30 years. We’ve been going for just half of that.”
Walkers admire woodland displays of bluebells and wild garlic(Image: Mike Costello/NWPW)
A significant boost came last year with the awarding of a £78,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
This enabled the appointment of mountain leader Jane Finn as Development Project Lead. She will be exploring the potential for growing walker numbers further.
Via a feasibility study, Jane will also be seeking to expand route partnerships with churches, councils, village halls and community groups – to see what they can offer to pilgrims, from accommodation to volunteering.
She also aims to boost the trail’s digital presence and collect stories of “spiritual experiences”.
Online, she said: “We have nine open churches on the route itself, and a further four churches within 0.5 miles of the route. So there are plenty of opportunities to provide some of the missing components to the pilgrimage experience as it currently stands.”
On the route is St Digain’s Church in Llangernyw, Conwy. Its churchyard is home to the Llangernyw Yew, estimated to be around 4,000-years-old(Image: Mike Costello/NWPW)
The route can be walked in sections or all in one go – walking time is just over 52 hours. Until last year, an annual pilgrimage was organised each May but this has been cancelled for “logistical reasons”.
Maps, routes, accommodation and other information can be found here.
Visit Wales said Camino Cymru is a walk “with an extra dimension”. Explaining, the tourism body said: “Engaging with the challenges of the terrain and the weather, everyday preoccupations are swept away and the pilgrim is caught up in the bigger picture.
“Perspectives change, priorities are reassessed. To cross the sea in an open boat and arrive on Bardsey Island itself is the pinnacle of the experience. And to carry home that peace and quietness is the gift that remains.”
Eglwys Hywyn Sant (St Hywyn’s Church) in Aberdaron(Image: RS Thomas and ME Eldridge Society)
Destination festival
Technically, the route’s end point is Aberdaron on the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula. However, pilgrims can cross the water and continue on to Ynys Elli. Colin the boatman has a set cost for day trips to the island – but the boat won’t sail in bad weather.
If you alight in Aberdaron on June 18-21, you’ll get an added bonus. Each June the village hosts the RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Poetry and Arts Festival, which celebrates and explores the work of the poet and his wife, Mildred Elsie Eldridge, a distinguished artist in her own right.
The couple lived in Aberdaron from 1967 to 1978 while RS was vicar of St Hywyn’s Church, and afterwards at Sarn y Plas cottage in nearby Y Rhiw. It was here that RS was famously photographed scowling from the kitchen doorway, inspiring the legend of “the ogre of Wales”.
This caricature aside, festival organisers the RS Thomas and ME Eldridge Society aim to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the fascinating “power couple”.
“It’s a small but vibrant festival,” said society secretary Ceri Creffield. “Aberdaron alone is worth the journey, but we are lucky to attract world-class speakers, such as Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, who has been a great supporter of the festival. He will be giving the first talk on the Saturday morning.”
Sarn y Plas cottage in Y Rhiw on the Llŷn Peninsula was home to the Welsh poet RS Thomas and his multi-talented wife Mildred Elsie Eldridge(Image: RS Thomas and ME Eldridge Society)
As well as talks, festival events – often within sound of breaking waves – include an art exhibition, an open mic session, guided walks, a concert and a Cymanfa Ganu and Sunday lunch in the pub. Workshops are being held at Sarn y Plas or you can book to explore the cottage on Saturday and Sunday.
Visitors can also hear poetry in a wildflower meadow or take part in a walking meditation in ancient St Hywyn’s Church alongside the beach. Or they can follow in RS Thomas’ footsteps along the path he took between the church and the vicarage to avoid meeting his parishioners.
“We always have a concert in the church on the Saturday evening,” added Ceri. “This year it features Schubert, RS Thomas’ favourite composer, and we are lucky to have Trystan Lewis as a conductor.”
Details of the programme, speakers and how to buy tickets can be found here.
Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone