Risk perception and spatial mobility on the Camino de Santiago: travel patterns analysis and the choice of Jacobean routes.

Résumé

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.