AI Insight
This study examined how 1,080 pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago make route choices based on perceived safety and fear of crime. Women and younger pilgrims showed stronger preferences for accompanied walking and routes with higher social presence, while men and older participants were more likely to choose solitary or highly natural routes. The research demonstrates that subjective perceptions of risk and prior knowledge of crime significantly influence spatial mobility strategies in natural environments, extending fear-of-crime research beyond traditional urban settings.
Why it matters
The findings have practical implications for designing and managing large-scale recreational and pilgrimage pathways, suggesting that safety perceptions should be considered in route planning and infrastructure development. Understanding how different demographic groups navigate natural spaces based on perceived risk can inform targeted safety interventions and improve accessibility for vulnerable populations.
Understand the Science
This study examines how fear of crime and perceived risk influence spatial mobility strategies in natural environments. Drawing on environmental criminology and fear-of-crime research, the article analyses how sociodemographic characteristics, prior knowledge of crime, and perceptions of safety shape route choices and walking behaviour among pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. The study is based on a survey of 1,080 pilgrims who completed an online questionnaire about perceived safety, knowledge of crime, and preferences for different types of routes. Associations between variables were analysed using contingency coefficients and multiple correspondence analysis to identify underlying behavioural patterns. The results reveal clear differences in spatial behaviour linked to gender, age, and perceived vulnerability. Women and younger pilgrims show a stronger preference for walking accompanied and for routes with higher social presence, while men and older participants are more likely to select solitary or highly natural routes and to walk alone. Perceptions of risk and prior knowledge of crime also influence these mobility strategies. The findings highlight the importance of subjective perceptions of safety in shaping the use of natural environments and extend fear-of-crime research beyond urban settings. The study contributes to environmental criminology by showing how perceived risk structures spatial behaviour in large-scale natural routes, with implications for the design, management and safety of recreational and pilgrimage pathways.