60 municipalities come together to boost the Ignacian road from Loyola to Manresa

The Ignacian road association groups 60 local entities that unite efforts to enhance the route that the founder of the Society of Jesus from the place of his birth, Loyola, to his conversion, Manresa.

The group was established on January 11 at the Monastery of Montserrat and, as reported The Jesuits“The promoters of the initiative recognize the spiritual inspiration of the pilgrim’s itinerary and seek to promote a more sustainable tourism, rooted in the local and with Ignatian values.”

The peculiarity of this road, whose route of almost 700 kilometers was prepared since the end of 2010, is that it shares the one in the Camino de Santiago, but it is traveled in the opposite direction, passing through five autonomous communities: Basque Country, La Rioja, Navarra, Aragon and Catalonia.

In 2024, the number of pilgrims registered in the pilgrim’s office was 390, according to the Official statistics; About half declared to do so for religious reasons (49.7%) and almost four out of ten, for spiritual reasons (38%).

Those who cover it are usually more than 35 and less than 65 and, in their vast majority they come from outside Spain (101 from other countries in Europe, 200 from America, 37 of Asia, 17 of Oceania and 3 from Africa).

The year in which more pilgrims were recorded (638) on this route was 2022, when 500 years of the pilgrimage of the Spanish saint were completed, although the Manresa Tourism Office accounted for more than 2,000 visitors.

As in other routes, those who take part of their tour can obtain a “the Ignatian” certification, which proves to have traveled 100 kilometers on foot or 200 by bicycle, when they arrive at the Sanctuary of Manresa or that of Loyola.