Seasonal travelBy Clever Tourists · Published · Last updated
Xacobeo 2027 is a Holy Year for the Camino de Santiago. It begins when the Holy Door of Santiago Cathedral opens on 31 December 2026, and runs through 2027. A Holy Year falls when 25 July, the feast of Saint James, lands on a Sunday, and after 2027 the next is 2032. Record numbers are expected, with the heaviest period around 15 to 25 July, so book beds early or walk outside summer. To earn the Compostela you walk at least the last 100 km or cycle 200 km. We haven't walked the Camino or been to Santiago. We were in Oviedo, where the Camino Primitivo starts, in July 2022, and that's the cathedral in the photo.
• 31 December 2026: the Holy Door opens. Sources disagree on the time, giving 12:00 or 17:00, so check with the Cathedral.
• 21 to 28 March 2027: Holy Week.
• 15 to 25 July 2027: the peak religious period, ending on the Feast of Saint James.
• Sunday 25 July 2027: the Feast of Saint James.
• 2032: the next Holy Year.
The Pilgrim's Reception Office sets these rules. The page we read did not mention any Holy Year changes.
• On foot or horseback: at least 100 continuous kilometres on one recognised route, ending at the Cathedral.
• By bicycle: at least 200 km, on the same conditions.
• Started outside Spain on foot: at least 70 km in Spain.
• Stages: allowed in chronological and geographical order. If you only do the minimum distance, get your Credencial stamped and dated at the start and end of each stage.
The plenary indulgence linked to the Holy Door is a separate religious matter from the Compostela, and one source notes you don't need a specific Way for it. Check with the Cathedral if it matters to you.
• Avoid mid-July if you can. It's the peak of the Holy Year and summer holidays at once.
• Consider starting further back. Everyone meets on the final stretch, but the crowds thin the further from Santiago you begin.
• Camino del Norte: runs along the north coast through San Sebastián and Bilbao. The Basque Country charges a tourist stay tax from 1 January 2027.
• Camino Primitivo: starts in Oviedo.
• Book early. Reports expect record pilgrim numbers, but we found no official forecast, so plan for full beds without relying on a number.
It starts with the opening of the Holy Door at Santiago Cathedral on 31 December 2026, and runs through 2027.
A Holy Year falls when 25 July, the feast of Saint James, is a Sunday, as it is in 2027.
2032.
At least 100 continuous kilometres on foot or horseback, or 200 km by bicycle, ending at the Cathedral.
Sources disagree, giving 12:00 or 17:00 on 31 December 2026. Check with the Cathedral.
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