Santiago to Jerusalem or Jerusalem to Santiago

[jinaa]

Hello! Has anyone done the route to Jerusalem/Jerusalem to Santiago?

I'm planning on a trip starting in October & want to know if anyone has done this route (picture below)? I know that there's been a couple forums on Santiago to Rome (vice versa) but none mentioned to the middle east.

If anyone has done this, how long did it take?
And any options on doing the Camino Francis backwards?
Also- (as a concerned female) how safe was the journey towards Greece, Turkey, Israel, Syria & Jordan?

I really hope there is someone who has done this- or something similar... Being the first would be... terrifying..

Buen Camino!

 

[SabsP]

Do take a look at the profile of @domigee . She walked to Jerusalem.

 

[Karl Oz]

Syria is enduring a civil war, of which I feel you must be familiar.

 

[Kathar1na]

Syria is enduring a civil war, of which I feel you must be familiar.

You wouldn't know that if you went by the information on the the website https://www.jerusalemway.org/en/route/syria/. Quote: "And naturally we use this sunny day of rest to visit the famous oasis city of Palmyra, a UNESCO Word Heritage Site ...". Yeah, right ...

Also- (as a concerned female) how safe was the journey towards Greece, Turkey, Israel, Syria & Jordan?

@jinaa, whether female or not, people on a vacation/pilgrimage haven't walked through Syria for years. They take a plane from Cyprus or Turkey.

 

[jinaa]

Do take a look at the profile of @domigee . She walked to Jerusalem.

Thanks ill look into it!

 

[jinaa]

Syria is enduring a civil war, of which I feel you must be familiar.

You wouldn't know that if you went by the information on the the website https://www.jerusalemway.org/en/route/syria/. Quote: "And naturally we use this sunny day of rest to visit the famous oasis city of Palmyra, a UNESCO Word Heritage Site ...". Yeah, right ...

@jinaa, whether female or not, people on a vacation/pilgrimage haven't walked through Syria for years. They take a plane from Cyprus or Turkey.

Yeah... i was wondering if anyone really walks through that area- esp syria, jordan, turkey & israel..
Im also thinking of joining a guided tour around that area & start the walk in europe.. also why im contemplating on the starting point.

 

[Kathar1na]

Yeah... i was wondering if anyone really walks through that area- esp syria, jordan, turkey & israel..

People walk through Israel and Turkey, though not necessarily on pilgrimage, and some people have reported here or posted links to their blogs. Look for Sufi Trail and Lycian Way for Turkey for example. In Israel there is a Masar Ibrahim Al-Khalil Trail, a Jesus Trail, an Israel International Trail (I don't know where these are exactly and I can't tell in what way they would fit into your plans). For the regions from Italy to Turkey look for the Via Egnatia Trail for example.

As to Jordan, I visited it several years ago on an organised tour with some hiking thrown in. I see that these tours are currently on offer so I'd assume that it is possible to hike there but looking at the map I can't see that it is necessary to cross Jordan if you want to walk to Jerusalem from Europe.

The map posted in the first message shows a number of "other historic routes" (dotted lines) that involve sea crossings that one can do today on a plane and/or a ferry connection if available.

How important is it to you to follow "historic routes"? One of the most historic routes is probably walking to Venice and then make a journey by ship to the port of Jaffa near Tel Aviv (if one can find such a trip today).

I see from their website that the GPS trail as envisaged by the Jerusalem Way promotors is 7500 km, so if one assumes 25 km per day that would be 300 days. Ballpark figure, obviously. What is the longest distance you have walked in one go so far?

 

[Kathar1na]

@jinaa, if you haven't seen them yet here are two short descriptions from female forum members who walked to Jerusalem. Do contact them through the conversation option if they don't see this thread.

Lovingkindness: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/one-week-on-st-jacobs-way-jacobsweg.49136/post-571785
domigee: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/planning-for-rome-to-jerusalem.28245/post-584685

As you can see, both eventually had to get a flight to Tel Aviv and then walked from there to Jerusalem.

 

[NorthernLight]

You could walk down the west coast of Turkey to Marmaris, catch a ferry to Rhodes. Or walk to Athens, and island hop to Rhodes. Catch another ferry from Rhodes to Cyprus, then fly to Tel Aviv. There used to be a ferry to Haifa from Cyprus but it was discontinued.

A ferry is very pilgrimesque - many medieval pilgrims sailed - and really, an aeroplane is just an aerial ferry.

 

[Sedat]

Hello! Has anyone done the route to Jerusalem/Jerusalem to Santiago?

I'm planning on a trip starting in October & want to know if anyone has done this route (picture below)? I know that there's been a couple forums on Santiago to Rome (vice versa) but none mentioned to the middle east.

If anyone has done this, how long did it take?
And any options on doing the Camino Francis backwards?
Also- (as a concerned female) how safe was the journey towards Greece, Turkey, Israel, Syria & Jordan?

I really hope there is someone who has done this- or something similar... Being the first would be... terrifying..

Buen Camino!

View attachment 61074

Hi Jinaa,
There are several persons who have walked from Santiago to Jerusalem. Last years they all skipped Syria due to ongoing war.
You have options once you have finished walking in Turkey.
1. Take the boat to Cyprus and than to Haifa and walk to Jerusalem.
2. Go back to Istanbul and take the plane to Amman in Jordan and walk to Jerusalem. (Most preferred by Jerusalem hikers)
3. Go back to Istanbul and fly directly into Jerusalem.
4. There is currently a Polish hiker on his way to Jerusalem and wants to try walk into Syria and further to Amman and Jerusalem.

We are from the hiking trails Sultans Trail and Sufi Trail and can help you with your Turkish sections of the hike.
www.sultanstrail.net and www.sufitrail.com
As a solo female hiker you have to be more careful than solo men hikers.

On the Sufi Trail website you can also read some stories of Jerusalem pilgrims.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

1. Take the boat to Cyprus and than to Haifa and walk to Jerusalem.

Boat services between Cyprus and Israel no longer operate. I was meant to be leaving destined for both these countries in 2 weeks time ... & wanted to go from Cyprus to Israel by sea but had to book flights (Larnaca to Tel Aviv) instead.
There's still a few ferries which run along parts of the Israeli coast eg Haifa to Akko (Acre) but no international routes.
Pity as it would be a great way to arrive.

 

[Mony Dojeiji]

Hello! Has anyone done the route to Jerusalem/Jerusalem to Santiago?

I'm planning on a trip starting in October & want to know if anyone has done this route (picture below)? I know that there's been a couple forums on Santiago to Rome (vice versa) but none mentioned to the middle east.

If anyone has done this, how long did it take?
And any options on doing the Camino Francis backwards?
Also- (as a concerned female) how safe was the journey towards Greece, Turkey, Israel, Syria & Jordan?

I really hope there is someone who has done this- or something similar... Being the first would be... terrifying..

Buen Camino!

View attachment 61074

Hello Jinaa, I walked from Rome to Jerusalem in 2001-2002. I would be happy to answer your questions.

As I am sure you are aware, there is no "official" path to Jerusalem as there is on the Camino. Certain parts are becoming more organized, thanks to the efforts of local associations. The via Egnatia (Durres in Albania to Thessaloniki in Greece) is one such example:

https://www.viaegnatiafoundation.eu/index.php/hiking-wandern/via-egnatia-hiking-trail.

But it is still mainly road walking. It's how my walking partner and I walked. We bought local maps, mapped out a route, and walked facing traffic along the side of the road. You will also need to find accommodations. We didn't have accommodations booked in advance because we really didn't know where we would be each night. Although I had savings enough to stay in hostels, my walking partner didn't, so he suggested we call on churches, monasteries and spiritual centers... like medieval pilgrims used to do... and ask for a roof over our heads. That's what we did for six months, until Greece. We slept on the floor, tables, couches, wherever we were given shelter. The Franciscan order especially has a tradition of helping pilgrims, so we always looked for them!

Of course COVID has affected everything. Each country is still evolving its plans, so be sure to check with the embassy of each country you plan to walk through.

Even before COVID, pilgrims were avoiding the south of Turkey and Syria and, instead, taking ferries from Greece or different points within Turkey. That's a possibility too.

I'm sure your mind has many more questions. I would personally try to put aside for a moment all of my questions and concerns, and get quiet... go to that inner place of stillness, where the answers to my questions reside and what is mine to do next is revealed to me. This is the place I have most learned to trust, beyond all the outer advice (no matter how good it is) that I receive.

I hope that helps.
All my best,
Mony
walkingforpeace.com

 

[malingerer]

Hello Jinaa, I walked from Rome to Jerusalem in 2001-2002. I would be happy to answer your questions.

As I am sure you are aware, there is no "official" path to Jerusalem as there is on the Camino. Certain parts are becoming more organized, thanks to the efforts of local associations. The via Egnatia (Durres in Albania to Thessaloniki in Greece) is one such example:

https://www.viaegnatiafoundation.eu/index.php/hiking-wandern/via-egnatia-hiking-trail.

But it is still mainly road walking. It's how my walking partner and I walked. We bought local maps, mapped out a route, and walked facing traffic along the side of the road. You will also need to find accommodations. We didn't have accommodations booked in advance because we really didn't know where we would be each night. Although I had savings enough to stay in hostels, my walking partner didn't, so he suggested we call on churches, monasteries and spiritual centers... like medieval pilgrims used to do... and ask for a roof over our heads. That's what we did for six months, until Greece. We slept on the floor, tables, couches, wherever we were given shelter. The Franciscan order especially has a tradition of helping pilgrims, so we always looked for them!

Of course COVID has affected everything. Each country is still evolving its plans, so be sure to check with the embassy of each country you plan to walk through.

Even before COVID, pilgrims were avoiding the south of Turkey and Syria and, instead, taking ferries from Greece or different points within Turkey. That's a possibility too.

I'm sure your mind has many more questions. I would personally try to put aside for a moment all of my questions and concerns, and get quiet... go to that inner place of stillness, where the answers to my questions reside and what is mine to do next is revealed to me. This is the place I have most learned to trust, beyond all the outer advice (no matter how good it is) that I receive.

I hope that helps.
All my best,
Mony
walkingforpeace.com

There is always great wisdom in silence and you can watch the wind turn the pages of stillness till you find your answers.

Go in peace and buen Camino

samarkand.

 

[Mony Dojeiji]

There is always great wisdom in silence and you can watch the wind turn the pages of stillness till you find your answers.

Go in peace and buen Camino

samarkand.

That's beautifully said, Samarkand.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Mahdi du Camino walked from Jerusalem to Santiago over 10 years ago

Mahdi du Camino

Mahdi du Camino is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with Mahdi du Camino and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected.

www.facebook.com

Today he runs the caminoloc store and a pilgrim hostel in Cahors on the Le Puy route (Via Podiensis), which you would follow through France.

He has an account on this site, but I don't know how active he is.