Flores Camino religious-tourism pilot route set for 23-27 October

Bajawa — Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry and the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority Implementation Agency will run a pilot Camino de Flores walking route from 23 to 27 October 2026, starting in Bajawa and ending in Ende.

Why it matters: The pilot will test a 70-kilometre walking route across Ngada, Nagekeo and Ende, creating a new organised tourism product for participants from 23 October 2026.

The Central Route pilot will involve about 70 participants from charitable communities, who are scheduled to walk roughly 70 kilometres through Ngada, Nagekeo and Ende regencies, according to the ministry’s Labuan Bajo Flores authority.

The initiative, called Camino de Flores: The Sacred Journey of Flores, is designed to combine Catholic spiritual reflection with Flores’ history, culture, landscapes and community involvement. The authority said the route will also include direct interaction with residents along the journey.

Testing the route

The pilot is intended to assess route readiness, services, safety and management before the walking-tourism product is developed further, according to state broadcaster RRI.

Safety preparations described by Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana include road marshals, medical posts, mobile water stations and measures addressing weather and elevation challenges.

The route is expected to pass through Boawae between Bajawa and Ende. The journey will cross three regencies—Ngada, Nagekeo and Ende—and is part of a wider plan to develop spiritual tourism beyond Flores’ main visitor centre in Labuan Bajo.

Further Camino de Flores routes under discussion include a western stage linking Labuan Bajo with Ruteng and an eastern stage from Maumere to Larantuka, RRI reported.

Sources

• Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority
• RRI
• detikBali