Dana grew up in the Midwest U.S., got her bachelor’s from New York University, then split for the West Coast. She spent the next decade in Los Angeles, putting her insatiable appetite for good food and drink to good use as a craft cocktail bartender.

After walking the Camino de Santiago in 2018, she let life change course, embarking on a career as a writer and editor and moving to Australia the following year. She then caught the bug for solo travel and has covered ground in North America, Europe, East Asia, Oceania, and North Africa.

She previously served as lead Tours & Cruises Editor at Luxury Escapes, and is now writing a memoir about her first time on the Camino. Her work has appeared in Islands, Dream, The Urban List, Television Academy: Online Originals, Her Canberra, Almanac of Style, and Prime Women.

Dana Cape

Contributor, Time Out Travel

Articles (1)

The 20 best hikes in the world

Whether you need to get away from it all, stretch your legs a bit, or remind yourself of how tiny and insignificant you are in the immensity of Mother Nature, there’s only one thing for it: it‘s time to take a hike. Be it a month-long spiritual pilgrimage, a coastal amble or a mountain scramble, there are magnificent trails the world over – and we’ve rounded up some of the very best on the planet to help you plan your next great hike. From red rock canyons in the American Southwest to the bonnie lochs of the West Highland Way, there’s a hike, trek or trail on this list that’s calling your name. With each hike tried and tested by our editors and writers, we’ve got all the info on where to go, when to go and how long to set aside, plus tips and tricks and the best sights to look for along the way. All you need to do is pack your bags. These are the world’s greatest hikes, according to Time Out. Updated April 2025: We’ve added four new trails to this list to help you plan for summer hikes – and moved a certain Spanish pilgrimage to the top spot. RECOMMENDED:🌲 The best national parks in the world ⛰️ The best destinations for solo female travellers🌊 The most spectacular places to swim in the world🏝️ The best beaches in the world🚂 The best train journeys around the world

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This spiritual pilgrimage in Spain is the world’s best hike – here’s why

The Camino de Santiago is featured on Time Out's list of the world's best hikes for 2025. When I set off on my first Camino, I too thought it was just a hike. I’d heard about it two years prior from a friend who’d recently been on pilgrimage. ‘It’s this 500-mile walk across Spain,’ he said. ‘You get to see the entire country’s landscape change before you and drink amazing wine, and there’s hostels all along the way especially for pilgrims that serve huge meals for super cheap, and you’ll meet so many incredible people from all around the world.’ His feverish excitement fed mine, but if I’m completely honest, it was the phrase 500-mile walk that enamoured me. A month-long self-guided hike along a well-frequented path sounded like a doable challenge. That, and the convenience of an affordable trip to Europe made it perfect for my first-ever solo international journey. Writer Dana Cape on the Camino | Photograph: Dana Cape The walk he’d been speaking about was the Camino Francés. One of many Caminos de Santiago – literally Ways of Saint James – this one begins in the French Pyrenees, traversing red-dirt wine country, a sun-baked grain belt, and evergreen highlands on its way to northwest Spain. Over 240,000 trod it in 2024, making it the most popular route among the year’s 400,000 peregrinos on record. Other Ways, like the Camino Portugués and the Camino del Norte, follow the coastlines, while the Camino de Madrid and Vía de la Plata pass fortified Arabesque hilltop cities and