Vacations are an important part of living an enjoyable and healthy life. Too many people never pull themselves away from the office or take time out from their everyday routine long enough to just savor some fun and adventure. Spanish walking tours have become increasingly popular among travelers who wish to spend their time away making unforgettable memories, meeting people from all around the world and taking on a healthy challenge. The options are many for joining a walking tour that ventures along the famous El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in Northern Spain. So why not actually use those vacation days you’ve racked up? Don’t go another year without taking some much-needed and well-deserved time off.

1. Release Your Stress

Vacations are meant to take your mind off the stresses that can plague you day in and day out. Letting go of your daily responsibilities can be difficult at first, but once you do, you’ll realize how close you probably were to burnout. Oftentimes, mental stress is enough to lead to physical illness, making it that much more important to give your mind and body the downtime it needs. While a Spanish walking tour will be more active than something like a typical beach vacation, you will be in the company of many who are also craving quality quiet time to self-reflect and meditate, and sometimes a change of pace is all it takes to de-stress.

2. Quality Family and/or “Me” Time

El Camino de Santiago is a family-friendly excursion that is appropriate for all ages. Spanish walking tours are completed by many different generations each year. As long as you walk at least the last 60 miles of the route, your entire family will have the satisfaction of getting your official pilgrim’s certificate together. However, the Camino is also a great location for those who desire alone time. Although you will be joining several others on this crusade, it’s common for pilgrims to set their own pace apart from the group and have plenty of hours to pursue some serious introspection.

3. Let Someone Else Do All the Planning

Finding time to actually plan a vacation can be half the battle. Booking a Spanish walking tour takes all the stress of planning out of your hands. You will have experts on the region that will take care of putting together an itinerary based on your allotted time and budget to include travel arrangements and accommodations, plus many other suggestions, so that you may just arrive and relax from there.

4. Learn About Another Culture

One of the most obvious reasons to travel is to learn about another country and its culture. Spanish walking tours immerse you in this part of Europe’s beautiful countryside in a way that wouldn’t happen if you were only to visit the usual tourist spots. Along your journey, your tour guide will be able to answer all your questions and let you in on some of the most interesting historical facts about Spanish traditions, culinary customs, art and architecture and religious beliefs.

Getting far away from your workplace and life’s drama can give you a fresh outlook on things. Vacations are perfect for gaining a renewed spirit and necessary for finding the rejuvenation many of us need to get back to appreciating our everyday lives.