Slow steps in Spain: How I discovered the wellbeing benefits of long-distance hiking

There’s something oddly fascinating about watching people willingly walk hundreds of miles, often through bad weather, with questionable footwear and a slightly lost look in their eyes.

At least, that’s what I kept thinking as I tore through book after book about long-distance hiking. I wasn’t sure if it was the scenery, the solitude, or the sheer madness of it all that drew me in — but at some point, I stopped reading and started wondering what it is that motivates people all over the world to do this.

I noticed a pattern and realised it was more than just getting from A to B or breaking some kind of record attempt. Each author had a problem, a journey, an experience that made it much more than just a hike to them. Whether it’s a spiritual pull to the Camino de Santiago or escaping adversity to the Pacific Crest Trail, people dedicate days, months, or even years hiking these paths.

How hiking supports wellbeing: more than just a physical challenge

Exploring this concept, I went as far as to write a university dissertation on the relationship between wellbeing and long-distance hiking. I found that, for a lot of people, long-distance hikes are a source of therapy to them.

Whether it’s dealing with a big life change like retirement, health issues, loss or grief, hiking offers space to think, reflect, and reset. It helps people process what they’re going through while building strength - physically and mentally. The sense of progress and achievement is empowering, and it’s a big reason why many find hiking addictive (in the best way).

The Salt Path: a story of healing through hiking

One well-known example is the South West Coast Path - stretching 630 miles from Minehead to Poole along the UK’s coastline. You may well recognise it from Raynor Winn’s Sunday Times Bestseller ‘Salt Path’ and film starring Gillian Anderson.

It’s a true story about resilience and healing, following a worried couple as they face some serious physical and emotional struggles. Along the way, they find comfort, strength, and a new sense of purpose in the raw beauty of the wild and the stripped-back simplicity of life on the trail.

My personal experience hiking on the Camino de Santiago

After a spell of health issues, I was inspired to test my own abilities when my friend asked me to join her on a 365 km stretch of the Camino de Santiago along Spain’s north coast. It was the perfect opportunity to slow down after graduating and see what all this hiking nonsense was about.

The first couple of days were tough of course, slowly warming up to the challenge. But I started to get a sense of ‘flow’ – a word often used by respondents to my dissertation survey. I felt captivated in the trail, exploring each corner with fascination and excitement. Even when hiking along the lengthy, at times trailing hills, I felt so grateful to be moving! I had left my busy life at home and my thoughts reduced to three basic principles:

1. Where am I going to sleep tonight?

2. Where can I next eat and drink?

3. Where am I going?

I had the time and space to clear my mind and simply live in the moment. Yes, there were various aches, pains and challenges that come with travelling by foot, but I surprised myself every day knowing that I didn’t need to be an athlete or mountaineer to do it. It led me to experience Spain in a whole new way as I met so many incredible people, danced with the locals, and strode through miles and miles of spectacular landscapes.

The great thing is that you don’t have to disappear for weeks and months on end to feel the benefits of a long walk. A day out hiking in nature does a world of good. But it's much easier to feel the flow if you are hiking for a few days on the bounce.

Can anyone do a long-distance hiking vacation? (yes, and here’s why)

I get it — hiking for days on end isn’t everyone’s idea of fun. And it’s definitely not always the easiest or most accessible way to spend your vacation. But if we can find ways to make it easier to everyone, then it opens up an opportunity for people to really feel the many benefits of long-distance walking.

That’s one of the things I really appreciate about working with Pura Aventura. Their Inn to Inn hiking trips in Spain take care of the logistics so you can focus on the good stuff — like finding the best local wine, chatting with people you’d never normally meet, and occasionally wondering how your legs are still functioning.

When you take away the heavy bags, the frantic map-checking, and the stress of finding somewhere to sleep, it suddenly becomes a lot more appealing. There’s something surprisingly refreshing about reducing life to the basics. You get all the adventure, minus the blisters from carrying a load on your back.

Hiking as a slower, more meaningful way to travel

For me, long-distance hiking is less about counting miles and more about unplugging for a couple of weeks, getting outside, and experiencing new adventures round each corner. You don't need to be super fit or a hiking enthusiast — just curious, open-minded, and okay with a bit of uphill now and then. And with views, food, and people this good, it’s honestly worth every step.