The world is full of spiritual places where gods and holy people were drawn to highly spiritual activities including prayer and meditation, and also education. These sites attract many visitors, and buildings have been built especially for the spiritual beliefs of these places. Tourists come to these places to bathe in holy waters, pray, meditate and go on long walks and adventures hoping for a miracle or healing and transformation.
10 Camino de Santiago, Spain
Camino de Santiago was actually a path that was used for pilgrims to get into the city of Camino, where it is believed that Saint James is buried. The path became very popular as tourists started to believe that taking this route would give them a clear and intermediate state after death. This is now a top attraction for spiritual tourists and thought more of a journey than just a place to see and the journey requires a lot of mental and physical strength.
9 The Dead Sea, Israel
The Dead Sea is very unusual and spiritual as it is the lowest on the earth being thousands of feet lower than sea level. The water here is 10 times saltier and it is believed that the water is healing which makes it a very spiritual place. The air here has a higher level of oxygen which is perfect for sunbathing as this causes no sunburn! There are many minerals and salts here which are used for medical reasons to cure skin rashes and other many serious conditions. All of these magical things happening here mean that when tourists get into the sea they will float!
8 Monastery of St. Naum, Macedonia
This monastery was built by Saint Naum, the man that was known to be a healer who didn’t judge for religion, and the monks that now live here follow Saint Naum and practice this. It is believed that if tourists press their ears against Naum’s tomb and can hear his heartbeat, that person has a pure soul, so many people get very intrigued to visit and see if they can hear it.
7 Mecca
Mecca is very important to Islamic people as this is where Prophet Mohammed was born and then found the religion of Islam and when Muslims pray, they face Mecca. The hajj is a very important event for Muslims, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and over 1 million people come to perform the hajj and all should attempt this event at least once in their life. But! Mecca is closed for non-Muslims.
6 Lake Titicaca, Peru
This beautiful lake is on the border between Peru and Bolivia and it is believed that the god Viracoa was here when he rose up to create all the details on earth such as the sun, the moon, and the first humans here. In 2000 an ancient temple was discovered in the depths of the lake and is roughly 1,000 to 1,500 years old which added more mystery to the place and attracted even more visitors.
5 Lourdes, France
In 1958, visions were seen of Virgin Mary by a servant living in the town, and for several months after she was spotted 17 times. Tourists come to this spiritual place hoping for miracles and every year tourists come here to pray, drink and bathe in the magical healing waters. This beautiful place can be found in the hills of the mountains.
4 Tulum, Mexico
It is believed that many years ago, it was an asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs and hit where Tulum is, and since then this place has had a special energy vortex. The Mayan people then chose this place to build temples which made it even more spiritual and popular. The ruins of the old temples are remembered as places where Mayan people once worshipped gods. When here, tourists can expect to see meditation, yoga spots, and spas all over the town and the local spas even use natural energetic ingredients such as herbs and stones.
3 Sandunovskie Baths, Moscow
Anyone visiting Russia hasn’t completed it without visiting the Russian baths. These have been Russian culture for many years and are places where people come to relax with family or friends and it includes everything you will find in a spa including a sauna and relaxation therapies. It is also believed that if clothes aren’t removed, bad spirits could lurk on them so they should be taken off but bodies can be covered up with a venik, which is a bath broom and is very transitional in Russia.
2 Ubud, Bali
Ubud means medicine and this place is a healing island where many come for hope. It is absolutely covered in yoga retreats, temples, and very stunning landscapes. On this island there is a festival every year called ‘BaliSpirit Festival’ and this takes place each spring. The festival is very magical and a thrilling experience packed full of yoga, meditation, and dance along with beautiful healing music. The food here is also made up of a lot of raw vegan food and a prayer over the meal is the traditional way when preparing to eat.
1 Srithanu, Thailand
It is believed that in Srithanu, a small village in Thailand, Koh Phangan sits on a hill of crystals which makes this a very spiritual place, and Srithanu is known as the spiritual hub in Thailand. There are monthly full moon parties that take place here and the community truly cares about transformation. In the evenings, visitors can relax at the long stretch of sandy beach and enjoy eating in the cafes and restaurants where drumming and singing can be heard.