Lebanese protesters wave national flags during demonstrations
Photo: ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images Lebanon will soon have its own ‘camino,’ according to the Association of Pilgrimages in Lebanon (APL). Caminos Lebanon, unveiled on March 28 in Bkerké, aims to revitalise Christian religious tourism through a network of pilgrimage routes connecting the country’s historic and spiritual sites.
The initiative, endorsed by Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi and Tourism Minister Laura Khazen Lahoud, features four distinct trail types: Religious Mountain Trails following saints’ paths, Cross Trails linking pilgrimage sites, Thematic Trails tracing biblical events, and Cultural Religious Trails showcasing Lebanon’s diverse heritage.
The APL has been developing this project since 2009, with the blessing of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East. A booklet detailing 24 shrines along the trails has been published in Arabic, with hopes for an English translation.
Inspired by Spain’s Camino de Santiago, the initiative introduces a ‘pilgrim’s passport’ system and highlights Lebanon’s religious diversity, with over 6,000 Christian and Muslim landmarks. “These paths are trails of faith and holiness,” said Cardinal al-Rahi. Caminos Lebanon invites pilgrims and tourists to experience Lebanon’s rich spiritual and cultural legacy firsthand.