San Diego Author Spearheads New Camino Pilgrim Tradition Along the Camino de Santiago

CALIFORNIA NEWSWIRE – NEWS — The Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim’s Reception Office in Spain reports that 530,999 people received a Compostela certificate of completion in 2025, up 6% over 2024. Author Karin Kiser of Camino Chronicles Press says the actual number of people walking or biking the Camino de Santiago routes is more than that – much more.

According to Kiser, many people walk sections that don’t end in Santiago de Compostela. Repeat pilgrims often choose not to get a second or third certificate of completion. Spaniards, who represent more than 40% of annual Compostelas, often walk the Camino in stages over several years.

That means there are well over 600,000 people on the trails each year – with more to come as the Camino celebrates the next Holy or Jubilee Year in 2027. With new flexible starting point requirements to receive a Compostela, the Camino could soon see one million walkers on the trails annually.

“More people walking the Camino means more litter,” notes Kiser, “both on the trail itself and behind the bushes where unprepared and unaware pilgrims are going to the bathroom and leaving their dirty tissues behind. I hope to change that.”

“Unfortunately, there isn’t an established infrastructure for cleaning the Camino,” Kiser adds, “so it’s up to each of us to do our part to keep these sacred paths free of litter and human waste. Most pilgrims carry a shell on their backpacks and a stone in their pockets for the Cruz de Ferro. Why not one item of litter each day as a way of giving thanks to the Camino?”

As part of her global Camino Cleanup campaign, Kiser is spearheading a new pilgrim tradition of picking up one piece of litter each day while walking the Camino. “If every pilgrim who walks the 500-miles from in St Jean Pied de Port does this, it would equal more than one million pieces of rubbish collected by a small fraction of pilgrims,” Kiser explains. “Imagine what the Camino will be like when this tradition catches on.”

To learn more about proper bathroom and trash protocol on the Camino de Santiago, visit http://karinkiser.com/bathroom-protocol/

For information about joining Karin Kiser in Spain for a week of Camino Cleanup, visit https://www.caminochroniclespress.com/support-camino-cleanup/

ABOUT KARIN KISER:

Karin Kiser is the founder of Camino Chronicles Press and the author of 10 books, including “Before the Camino,” “Your Inner Camino,” “After the Camino,” and the international bestseller “Lighten Your Load.” Part of book proceeds goes toward the global campaign to keep the Camino clean.