Camino de Santiago 2027 – Jacobean Holy Year

Walk to the Tomb of St. James the Apostle During the Holy Year

2027 | Camino Francés · Camino Portugués · Camino Primitivo · Camino del Norte · Camino Inglés & More

Begin Preparing Your Camino de Santiago 2027

In 2027, Catholics from around the world will once again make their way toward Santiago de Compostela for an extraordinary occasion: the Jacobean Holy Year, or Año Santo Compostelano.

A Jacobean Holy Year is celebrated whenever July 25, the Feast of St. James the Apostle, falls on a Sunday. This special convergence occurs following a cycle of 6, 5, 6 and 11 years, making each Holy Year a particularly important moment in the centuries-old history of pilgrimage to Santiago.

Throughout 2027, pilgrims will travel the ancient roads leading across Spain, Portugal and Europe toward the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which venerates the tomb of St. James the Greater, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.

But the Camino is much more than a walking tour.

It is a pilgrimage.

A journey of prayer, conversion, sacrifice, fellowship and encounter with Christ, following paths walked by Christian pilgrims for more than a thousand years.

And 2027 is the year to experience it.

What Is the Jacobean Holy Year 2027?

The Año Santo Compostelano, also known as the Jacobean Holy Year or Xacobeo, is celebrated whenever the Feast of St. James on July 25 falls on a Sunday.

The next Holy Year will be 2027, followed by 2032.

During the Holy Year, Santiago becomes one of the great pilgrimage destinations of the Catholic world, welcoming pilgrims who come to pray at the tomb of the Apostle.

The Church of Santiago is already preparing spiritually and pastorally for 2027, describing the coming Jubilee as an opportunity to renew faith, evangelization, holiness and hope.

For pilgrims, the Holy Year also offers the possibility of receiving the plenary indulgence associated with the Compostelan Jubilee when the conditions established by the Church are fulfilled. These include visiting the Cathedral and tomb of St. James, prayer, and reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.

The Camino is therefore not about how many miles you can walk.

It is about why you are walking them.

Who Can Walk the Camino in 2027?

Anyone.

You do not need to be an athlete to become a pilgrim.

Young people can walk the Camino.

Families can walk it.

Parish communities can walk it.

Priests and religious communities can walk it.

Senior pilgrims can walk it.

People who regularly hike can walk longer stages, while pilgrims with more limited mobility can follow an adapted program.

What matters most is not your physical condition, but the disposition with which you approach the pilgrimage.

The Camino can be adapted.

At Pilgrim Groups Travel, we can design programs with shorter walking stages, carefully selected accommodations and private support vehicles accompanying the group throughout the journey.

A pilgrim who cannot comfortably walk an entire stage may use the support vehicle and rejoin the group later.

A parish may choose to walk only selected portions of the Camino.

Another group may want a more demanding pilgrimage covering longer distances.

The objective is not to turn pilgrimage into an athletic competition.

Walk what you can. Pray. Celebrate the Eucharist. Receive the Sacraments. Help your fellow pilgrims. And arrive together before the Apostle in Santiago.

Which Camino Should I Choose?

There is no single Camino de Santiago.

For more than a thousand years, pilgrims have approached Santiago through an extraordinary network of routes.

Camino Francés – Our Recommendation for First-Time Pilgrims

For pilgrims experiencing the Camino for the first time, we generally recommend the French Way — Camino Francés.

It is the most famous and historically important of the routes to Santiago and offers an exceptional combination of pilgrimage tradition, churches, villages, landscapes and infrastructure.

It is particularly well suited to parishes and organized Catholic groups, and its final stages through Galicia can be adapted to different ages and physical abilities.

But it is only one possibility.

Camino Portugués

Approach Santiago from Portugal, combining Portuguese Catholic heritage with the pilgrimage tradition leading north into Galicia.

Camino Primitivo

The Primitive Way follows one of the oldest pilgrimage traditions toward Santiago. More physically demanding, it is ideal for pilgrims looking for a challenging and deeply rewarding Camino.

Camino del Norte

The Northern Way follows Spain’s spectacular northern landscapes and coastline before eventually turning toward Santiago.

Camino Inglés

A shorter historic route traditionally associated with pilgrims arriving by sea from England, Ireland and northern Europe.

Other Camino Experiences

We can also organize variations, shorter sections, extensions to Finisterre, combinations with Fátima, and customized routes incorporating additional Catholic shrines and destinations throughout Spain and Portugal.

The Camino for Senior Pilgrims

Age should not automatically prevent someone from experiencing the Camino.

For senior parish groups and pilgrims who would benefit from additional assistance, Pilgrim Groups Travel can organize an adapted supported Camino.

A private motorcoach or support vehicle can remain available throughout the walking pilgrimage.

Pilgrims can walk the portions they are comfortable completing and receive assistance when necessary.

Stages can be shortened.

Hotels can be carefully selected.

Luggage can be transported.

Rest periods can be incorporated.

And the pilgrimage can be designed around the group’s real capabilities rather than forcing the group into a predetermined walking program.

The physical journey matters — but it serves the spiritual journey, not the other way around.

A Camino Designed for Your Parish

There is no reason why two parishes need to experience the Camino in exactly the same way.

We design Camino pilgrimages for:

• Parishes and Catholic communities
• Dioceses
• Youth and young-adult ministries
• Catholic schools and universities
• Families
• Senior groups
• Priests and religious communities
• Catholic organizations and apostolates
• Private groups of friends and pilgrims

Your Camino can incorporate daily Holy Mass, spiritual direction, opportunities for Confession, prayer along the route, Catholic guides, support transportation, luggage transfers, private accommodations, meals and additional pilgrimage destinations according to the needs of your group.

We can design anything from a relatively comfortable introduction to the Camino to a considerably more demanding walking pilgrimage.

2027: Walk Through the Holy Door

The ultimate destination is Santiago de Compostela.

For centuries, pilgrims have approached the Cathedral after days, weeks or even months on the road.

During the Jacobean Holy Year, this arrival takes on an additional spiritual significance.

The pilgrimage culminates at the Cathedral of Santiago, where the Apostle is venerated and where pilgrims may fulfill the spiritual conditions established by the Church for receiving the Jubilee indulgence.

The destination matters.

But so does everything that happens along the road.

The conversations.

The silence.

The tiredness.

The prayer.

The person who helps you when you struggle.

The Eucharist celebrated together.

And the gradual realization that pilgrimage is not simply about reaching Santiago.

It is about allowing Christ to accompany us on the road.

“To Go on Pilgrimage Is Not Simply to Visit a Place”

When Pope Benedict XVI himself traveled as a pilgrim to Santiago during the 2010 Holy Year, he explained the difference between tourism and pilgrimage:

“To go on pilgrimage is not simply to visit a place to admire its treasures of nature, art or history.”

Rather, Benedict explained, pilgrimage means leaving ourselves behind in order to encounter God where His grace has produced fruits of conversion and holiness.

He also recalled that Christians have journeyed to Compostela from throughout the world seeking to strengthen their spirit through the faith and witness of the Apostle James.

That is the Camino we want our pilgrims to experience.

Not simply Spain.

Not simply hiking.

Pilgrimage.

St. John Paul II and Santiago: “Europe, Find Yourself Again”

Santiago de Compostela has also occupied a remarkable place in the modern history of the Church.

In 1982, St. John Paul II stood at Santiago and recalled how the roads leading to the tomb of the Apostle had drawn Christians from across Europe for centuries — kings and ordinary villagers, saints and sinners seeking penance.

From Santiago he issued his celebrated appeal to the continent:

“Europe, find yourself again. Be yourself.”

And called Europe to “revive your roots.”

The Camino remains one of the great living symbols of those Christian roots.

In 2027, those ancient roads will once again fill with pilgrims from around the world.

We invite you to become one of them.

Start Preparing Your 2027 Camino Now

A Jacobean Holy Year brings exceptional interest in Santiago and the Camino.

For parishes, dioceses and organized Catholic groups considering 2027, preparation should begin well in advance.

You do not need to know exactly which Camino you want.

You do not need to know how far your group can walk.

And you do not need to have your final number of pilgrims yet.

Start the conversation with us.

Tell us about your parish, your approximate dates, the type of pilgrims you expect and what you hope to experience spiritually.

Our team can help determine which route, duration and level of walking makes the most sense.

We Know the Camino — Let Us Build Your camino

Pilgrim Groups Travel offers pilgrimage programs along the great routes leading to Santiago:

Camino Francés · Camino Portugués · Camino Primitivo · Camino del Norte · Camino Inglés · Customized Camino Routes

On this website you will find a wide selection of Camino de Santiago pilgrimage programs, from shorter introductory journeys to more complete walking experiences.

These programs can serve as inspiration.

Your pilgrimage does not have to be identical to any of them.

With our local presence and experience in Spain, we can adapt the Camino around your church, your pilgrims and your pastoral objectives.

First time on the Camino?

We recommend beginning with the Camino Francés.

Traveling with senior pilgrims?

Ask us about our supported Camino with private transportation.

Organizing a youth pilgrimage?

We can build a more active and affordable Camino around your group.

Already walked the French Way?

Let us introduce you to the Portuguese, Primitive, Northern or English Way.

Want something completely different?

Tell us what you have in mind.

The Holy Year is 2027. The time to start preparing is now.