The Camino de Santiago, the world’s most famous pilgrimage, has been walked by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year. Some walk ‘El Camino’ for religious reasons, some walk for a sense of peace or to ‘find themselves’, and some do it for the camaraderie and culture. It truly is a unique experience. What you may not realise though, is that this unique experience can be made even more unique, if you are lucky enough to walk during the Camino Holy Year.
This page explains what the Holy Year is, why 2027 is special, when to walk, and which route to choose.
New to the pilgrimage? Start with our guide to the Camino Frances.
What is the Camino Holy Year?
A Camino Holy Year (known in Spanish as the Año Xacobeo or Año Santo Compostelano) is a Jacobean year that occurs whenever St James’s Day, the 25th of July, falls on a Sunday. In these years the Catholic Church grants special graces to pilgrims who reach Santiago de Compostela, and the city marks the occasion with a full calendar of celebrations.
The clearest sign of a Holy Year is the Holy Door (the Porta Santa, on the Praza da Quintana), which is opened only in these years and stays open for the whole of the year. Pilgrims who pass through it and who also go to Confession, attend Mass, receive Communion and pray for the Pope’s intentions can receive a Plenary Indulgence, also called the Jubilee indulgence, since a Holy Year is a Jubilee year. In Catholic tradition, this is the full forgiveness of sins. It’s a grace the Church has granted to Camino pilgrims since for centuries. The doorway is flanked by 24 weathered granite statues of apostles and disciples, including St James himself. Some of these are originally from the cathedral’s medieval stone choir, built in the workshop of Master Mateo, and later set around the Holy Door.
You don’t need to be Catholic, or religious at all, to walk during the Holy Year or to pass through the Holy Door. For many secular walkers it’s simply part of the experience, and a moving one, given how many people have passed through that same doorway over so many centuries.
It’s also worth knowing that the Jubilee indulgence and the Compostela are not the same thing. The Compostela is the certificate you earn for completing the pilgrimage on foot; the Jubilee is a spiritual grace tied to the Holy Year. You can obtain one without the other.
The opening of the Holy Door is a ceremony in its own right. Every year that precedes a Holy Year, on the afternoon of 31 December, the Archbishop of Santiago strikes the sealed wall behind the door three times with a silver hammer. Once the wall comes down, the doorway is cleansed with holy water and olive branches before the Archbishop leads the first pilgrims through to a Mass of Thanksgiving, with the cathedral’s giant incense burner, the Botafumeiro, swung for the occasion. For 2027, that means the Holy Door opens on 31 December 2026 and stays open for the whole of 2027, closing again in the same ceremony in reverse on 31 December 2027.
Camino Holy Year and sealed shut the rest of the time.
When is the next Camino Holy Year?
In 2027, July 25th will fall on a Sunday. Which means that the next Camino Holy Year is 2027.
How often is the Camino Holy Year?
As the Camino Holy Year occurs when The Feast of St James falls on a Sunday, there are just 14 Camino Holy Years in any given century.
A Camino Holy Year happens just 14 times each century, and not on a regular schedule. Because it depends on the 25th of July landing on a Sunday, the years fall in a repeating cycle of 6, 5, 6 and 11 years.
The most recent Holy Year was 2021, which was extended into 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The only time in history a Holy Year has ever been extended. After 2027, the next Holy Years will be 2032 and 2038. That five-year gap to 2032 is part of why 2027 is expected to draw such exceptional numbers: it’s the first “ordinary” Holy Year since the disrupted 2021/22, and a lot of pilgrims have been waiting for it.
Recent Holy Years follow that same 6-5-6-11 rhythm: 1993, 1999, 2004, 2010, and 2021 (extended to 2022). Pilgrim numbers have grown enormously in that time. The 2010 Holy Year saw around 272,000 pilgrims collect their Compostela; in 2025, a completely ordinary, non-Holy Year, that figure had climbed to 530,919. With that baseline already over half a million, and a five-year gap building anticipation since the disrupted 2021/22 Holy Year, 2027 is on track to be the busiest Camino year on record.
How busy will it be in 2027, and when should you walk?
Expect 2027 to be one of the busiest years the Camino has ever seen. More than half a million pilgrims now complete the route in a normal year, and a Holy Year reliably pushes those numbers higher. This means busier trails, fuller albergues, and accommodation in the popular towns booked up far in advance.
That’s not a reason to stay away; it’s a reason to plan. The crowds are part of what makes a Holy Year special, there’s a real sense of shared purpose on the trail. But when you walk makes a big difference:
- Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) are the sweet spot: mild weather, the best walking conditions, and lighter crowds than high summer. For a Holy Year, these shoulder seasons are the smart choice.
- Summer (July to August) is the peak. The 25th of July in Santiago is extraordinary, but the heat on the Meseta can reach 35 to 40°C and accommodation is in shortest supply. If you want to be in Santiago for St James’s Day, book as far ahead as you can.
- Late autumn and early spring (think November or February and March) are the quiet secret of a Holy Year: far fewer pilgrims, lower prices, and a calmer, more reflective walk, with the Holy Door open just the same. Days are shorter and some independent services wind down over winter, which is exactly where a self-guided tour earns its keep, we confirm accommodation that’s open and ready, move your bags, and keep you on track. Deep winter (December to January) suits experienced walkers best.
The single best piece of advice for 2027 is simply this: book early. The earlier you commit, the better your choice of dates, routes and accommodation.
Practical tips for walking during the crowds
A busier Camino doesn’t have to mean a stressful one; it just rewards a bit of extra planning:
- Start walking early. Setting off by 6:30–7am gets you into the next town well ahead of the midday rush for beds and cafés.
- Book ahead in pinch-point towns. Popular stops in the final 100km (Sarria to Santiago on the Frances, Tui to Santiago on the Portuguese) fill up fastest. This is exactly where a self-guided tour helps, since your accommodation is already secured.
- Consider a quieter route. The Camino Primitivo and the Camino Portuguese routes see a fraction of the footfall of the Camino Frances, while still bringing you through the same Holy Door at the end.
- Watch the Pilgrim Mass times. The main Pilgrim Mass runs daily at 12:00 and 19:30, with extra services added at busy periods, so arriving for a specific slot (or avoiding the busiest one) is worth planning around if seeing the Botafumeiro matters to you.
Which Camino route should you walk in a Holy Year?
Any route that ends in Santiago de Compostela lets you pass through the Holy Door, so the “best” route comes down to the experience you’re after, the scenery, the history, the difficulty and how long you have. To earn your Compostela certificate you need to walk at least the final 100km on foot, which on the Camino Francés means starting from Sarria, and on the Camino Portugués means starting from Tui.
Here are the Hillwalk Tours routes you can choose from to reach Santiago for the 2027 Holy Year. Each one is fully self-guided, with handpicked accommodation, luggage transfers, 24/7 on trail support, and our own detailed route notes.
Camino Frances Holy Year 2027
The most popular pilgrim trail of the Camino de Santiago trails network, with three levels of difficulty to choose from: Easy, Moderate, and Challenging. Choose from 4 to 13 days of walking to suit your pace and preferences.
Camino Primitivo Holy Year 2027
Known as the Original Way, this route is the oldest, dating back over 1,200 years. Highlights include walking the Roman walls at Lugo before joining the Camino Frances at Melide. Offered as a 7-day moderate tour.
Camino Finisterre Holy Year 2027
Follow in the footsteps of Celts, mystics, and pilgrims as you walk back in time to witness the “end of the world.” Watch the sun sink into the Atlantic, a tradition spanning 5,000 years. Available as a 7-day moderate tour.
Camino Portuguese (Traditional Route) Holy Year 2027
Begin in historic Valenca with its star shaped fort, Tui with its cathedral and experience legendary pilgrim friendly towns of vibrant towns like O Porriño, Redondela, Pontevedra and Padrón before you reach Santiago de Compostela.
Camino Portuguese (Coastal Route) Holy Year 2027
Follow the breathtaking Atlantic coastline in Portugal before crossing into Spain through peaceful inland villages and forested trails that make walking this Camino the adventure of a lifetime on your way to Santiago.
Costa Verde & Minho River Trails Holy Year 2027
Sharing elements of the Camino Portuguese Traditional and Coastal Routes this new trail follows the celebrated Costa Verde. Explore delightful Portuguese and Galician paths and trails as you follow the Minho river, which separates Portugal and Spain.
How long does the Camino take?
That depends entirely on the route and how far you want to walk. Hillwalk Tours offers a range of Camino itineraries, from shorter trips to longer routes walked at a gentler daily pace. If earning your Compostela matters to you, choose an itinerary that covers at least the final 100km into Santiago. Our itinerary pages use the 📜 symbol to show which ones qualify. Because every Hillwalk tour is self-guided with no fixed departure dates, you choose the route, length, start date and daily distance that suit you, which is especially useful for planning around a busy Holy Year.
Why walk the Camino Holy Year 2027 with Hillwalk Tours?
- 🕵️ We book the beds you’d otherwise struggle to find. In a Holy Year, accommodation in the popular towns sells out early. We secure it for you as part of your tour.
- 🧘♀️ Book A Hillwalk Tour With Confidence: we give you the flexibility to adjust your holiday, so you can book with confidence and look forward to your trip without worry, every customer can make one date change for free, for any reason, up to 30 days before departure.
- 🧙♀️ Everything taken care of: Hillwalk Tours handles lodgings, luggage transfers, directions and more, so the only thing you need to think about is enjoying the journey.
Early booking is strongly recommended: Holy Year 2027 (when St James’s feast day falls on a Sunday) will see record numbers on the Camino. Securing your dates early with Hillwalk Tours ensures the best choice of accommodation and itinerary options and may help you keep larger groups together. We are looking forward to seeing you out on the Camino in 2027. Buen Camino!
