A Journey of Spiritual Renewal and Discovery
The LMU Center for Religion and Spirituality (CRS) and the Loyola Institute for Spirituality (LIS) invite you to walk the Portuguese Route of the historic Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James) in Spain. Created and established after the discovery of the relics of Saint James the Great at the beginning of the ninth century, the Way of St James became, and remains to today, a major pilgrimage route of Christianity. Haga clic aquí para información en español.
The pilgrimage is nine days and eight nights in Spain, a six-day walk from the border with Portugal through scenic and historic parts of the Spanish region of Galicia. A group of no more than 27 pilgrims will form a community eager for spiritual conversation and conviviality. To this companionship is added the presence of Elsy Arévalo and Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck who will be available for spiritual conversation, brief orientations and inspirational reflections. Father Deck is arranging to offer Mass every day for those who wish to attend.
The pilgrimage begins June 29, 2025 when the group gathers in Tui, Spain, along the border with Portugal. The group will spend six days walking a little more than 100 kilometers to Santiago de Compostela, and the pilgrimage wraps up on the morning of Monday, July 7.
Optional visits to Lisbon, Fatima and Porto: for an extra charge, CRS and LIS are organizing a three-day/three-night visit to Lisbon, the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and Porto before joining the group that will walk the Camino. Fr. Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J. will accompany the group for this three-day itinerary. For pricing and full details, scroll down to Registration and General Information. Please note that those taking this optional visit would depart North America on Wed., June 25, arriving in Lisbon on Thurs., June 26.
For reference, please see the dates/deadlines listed below. Please read the Registration and General Information for details.
| Date | Item |
|---|---|
| Saturday, December 7, 2024, 10 - 11 AM Pacific time | Pre-departure Class Meeting 1 [online via Zoom] |
| Friday, December 20, 2024 | Last day for $50 Discount for Early Commitment Deposit |
| Saturday, January 18, 2025, 10 - 11 AM Pacific time | Pre-departure Class Meeting 2 [online via Zoom] Orientation to walking the Camino with guide Pilar Gómez |
| Sunday, January 26, 2025, exact time TBD | Pre-departure Class Meeting 3, offered in hybrid fashion (options for attending via Zoom and in-person [location TBD]) For those coming in person, Sunday Mass will be part of the program |
| Friday, February 14, 2025 | Last day for $200 Super-Early Full Payment Discount |
| Sunday, March 16, 2025, exact time TBD | Pre-departure Class Meeting 4, offered in hybrid fashion (options for attending via Zoom and in-person [location TBD]) For those coming in person, Sunday Mass will be part of the program |
| Monday, March 31, 2025 | Last day for $100 Early Full Payment Discount |
| Monday, March 31, 2025 | At least 60% Payment Due |
| Friday, May 9, 2025 | Final Payment Due |
| Saturday, June 7, 2025, 10 - 11 AM Pacific time | Pre-departure Class Meeting 5 [online via Zoom] |
| Wednesday, June 25, 2025 | Departure of group flights for Lisbon |
| Saturday, June 28, 2025 | Departure to Spain (for those taking Camino only); no group flights |
Registration and General Information
Please read the information published here closely. You can contact the Center with any questions at crs@lmu.edu or by calling (310) 338-2799.
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In Spain, LMU and LIS are partnering with Rutas Meigas, a travel provider that specializes in the Camino de Santiago.
Pilgrimage activities within Spain begin at either the hotel in Tui, Spain or the Santiago de Compostela airport the evening of Sunday, June 29, 2025 and conclude at the same airport on the morning of Monday, July 7, 2025.
- Sunday, June 29: Arrival at Santiago airport and transfer to Tui
- Monday, June 30: Tui – Porriño +/- 16.1 km | 10 mi
Arrival in Porriño and transfer back to Tui; dinner and accommodations in Tui - Tuesday, July 1: Porriño – Redondela +/- 21.1 km | 9.6 mi
Transfer to Pontevedra; dinner and accommodations in Pontevedra - Wednesday, July 2: Redondela – Pontevedra +/- 19.6 km | 12.2 mi
- Thursday, July 3: Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis +/- 21.1 km | 13.1 mi
- Friday, July 4: Caldas de Reis - Padrón +/- 18.6 km | 11.6 mi
- Saturday, July 5: Padrón – Santiago de Compostela +/- 24.3 km | 15.1 mi
After supper, evening visit to the Santiago Cathedral
- Sunday, July 6: Free day in Santiago de Compostela
- Monday, July 7: Departure and transfer from the hotel to Santiago airport
Inclusions
- 8 nights lodging in a room with private bathroom
- 8 breakfasts and 8 suppers
- Drinks (water and wine) included in the suppers
- Luggage transport for each of the stages along the way
- Accommodations along the way: Hotels, Rural Houses, Pensions or Hostels
- Official Galician guide and expert on the Camino de Santiago from day 1 to day 9 (Ms. Pilar Gomez)
- VIP bus from day 1 to day 9 (includes airport transfers and support bus along the way)
- Tickets to the cathedral of Santiago with audio guides, including a special evening visit on July 5
- 24-hour telephone assistance service
- Maps of the Stages
- Pilgrim Credential
- Vieira Peregrino (souvenir)
Exclusions
- Passport fees
- Meals and beverages, other than specified under inclusions
- Laundry and other items of a personal nature
- Trip Insurance
- Cost for anything not specifically mentioned under inclusions
Optional visits to Lisbon, Fatima and Porto: for an extra charge, visit Lisbon, Fatima, and Porto before beginning your walk on the Camino. We are partnering with Portugal Getaways for this three-day/three-night itinerary.
- Wed., June 25: Depart LAX (or your hometown airport)
- Thurs., June 26 and Fri., June 27: Arrive in Lisbon, transfer from airport to Lisbon hotel (two nights accommodation at Lutecia Smart Design Hotel), dinner at Lutecia Smart Design Hotel, full day tour Lisbon, dinner with Fado show
- Sat., June 28: transfer to Fatima, accommodation in D. Amélia Hotel, full day tour Fatima and Aljustrel, dinner at Tasquinha Restaurant
- Sun., June 29: Transfer to Porto, city tour in Porto, wine tasting in Porto, transfer to Tui, Spain
PLEASE NOTE: a minimum of 11 participants must be booked in order for this three-day/three-night optional trip to be confirmed. At any point if that minimum number of participants is not reached, LMU and LIS reserve the right to cancel this optional trip. In the event of such a cancellation, all funds paid will be refunded.
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How to Register
- Reserve your spot with a $500 Commitment Deposit with the LMU Center for Religion and Spirituality (the Commitment Deposit for the optional visit to Lisbon, Fatima and Porto is an additional $250).
Forms of payment accepted: Mastercard, Visa, check or money order - Pay your balance, less any applicable discounts: 60% is due by March 31, 2025, and the rest by May 9, 2025
Forms of payment accepted: check or money order - Reserve your own international airfare
Land Only Pricing and Registration
LMU and the Loyola Institute offer a 'land only' packages covering all pilgrimage activities in Spain (see the Itinerary + Inclusions tab above) EXCEPT round-trip airfare:
Participants purchasing a land only package must arrive to the pilgrimage meeting point (either the Santiago de Compostela Airport or the hotel in Tui, Spain) when pilgrimage activities begin on the evening of Sunday, June 29, 2025. All matters pertaining to commitment deposits, payment deadlines, and discounts listed below apply to the land only package for the Camino.
Discounts. Up to $250 in discounts are available. Please scroll down for more information.
Please Note. The links above will take you to a page where you can register by and making a payment of at least $500 (your Commitment Deposit that reserves your spot in this pilgrimage).
If you have any trouble navigating the registration process, please call the LMU Center for Religion and Spirituality at (310) 338-2799.
Commitment Deposit Required. A $500 non-refundable commitment deposit is required to reserve your spot in the pilgrimage. The Commitment Deposit counts toward the total price of the pilgrimage, and is only refundable should LMU/LIS decide not to run the pilgrimage.
Discounts for the Camino pilgrimage
$50 Discount for Early Commitment Deposit. Register for the pilgrimage and pay your Commitment Deposit by December 20, 2024, and receive a $50 discount. Please note: discount is applied to the total bill after the Commitment Deposit is paid (it is NOT a discount on the Commitment Deposit itself).
$200 Super-Early Full Payment Discount. Pay in full by February 14, 2025 and receive a $200 discount. Please note: this discount can be combined with the Early Commitment Deposit discount only (it cannot be combined with any other discount).
$100 Early Full Payment Discount. Pay in full between February 15 and March 31, 2025 and receive a $100 discount. Please note: this discount can be combined with the Early Commitment Deposit discount only (it cannot be combined with any other discount).
Final payment due May 9, 2025.
Optional Visit to Lisbon, Fatima, and Porto
Those interested in booking the optional visit to Lisbon, the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, and Porto have two sets of choices:
Land only – you would purchase your own airfare and get yourself to the starting point in Lisbon (exact place TBD) of this three-day/three-night itinerary by the afternoon of Thursday, June 26, 2025.
Please note that no discounts are offered for this ‘land only’ package for the optional three-day/three-night visit to Lisbon, Fatima and Porto.
Combination Camino pilgrimage and Portugal visit with airfare – With this option, you can reserve your participation in both the Camino and the optional visits to Lisbon, Fatima, and Porto; international airfare is also included (LAX – Lisbon, with the return from Santiago de Compostela to LAX). The prices listed here are also subject to the discounts described above.
PLEASE NOTE: a minimum of 11 participants must be booked in order for this three-day/three-night optional trip to be confirmed. At any point if that minimum number of participants is not reached, LMU and LIS reserve the right to cancel this optional trip. In the event of such a cancellation, all funds paid will be refunded.
Cancellations and Refunds
All Commitment Deposit payments are nonrefundable. Beginning April 1, 2025, all payments for the remaining costs of this pilgrimage are nonrefundable. The only circumstance in which a Commitment Deposit is refundable is if LMU and LIS cancel the pilgrimage or the optional visits.
Please consider purchasing trip insurance to protect the investment you make in this pilgrimage.
FORMS OF PAYMENT ACCEPTED
For the $500 Commitment Deposit for the Camino (as well as the $250 Commitment Deposit for the optional visits to Lisbon, Fatima and Porto), we can accept Mastercard, Visa, check or money order. For the remainder of your balance, we can accept checks or money orders.
- Reserve your spot with a $500 Commitment Deposit with the LMU Center for Religion and Spirituality (the Commitment Deposit for the optional visit to Lisbon, Fatima and Porto is an additional $250).
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Group flights - International travel to Portugal with a return from Spain is included in the price of the Camino + Optional Portugal Visit package. Flights are provided by Iberia Airlines.
- IB0352 - Lv Los Angeles (LAX) Wed., June 25, 2025, 5:50 PM; Arr Madrid (MAD) Thurs., June 26, 2025, 1:50 PM
- IB1143 - Lv MAD Thurs., June 26, 2025, 3:40 PM; Arr Lisbon (LIS) Thurs., June 26, 2025, 4:05 PM
- IB1048 - Lv Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) Mon., July 7, 2025, 9:20 AM; Arr MAD Mon., July 7, 2025, 10:35 AM
- IB0351 - Lv MAD Mon., July 7, 2025, 1:00 PM; Arr LAX Mon., July 7, 2025, 4:05 PM
Please note. The group flights are only for the Iberia flights listed above. No changes/deviations allowed.
If you prefer, you may book your own international travel. As the program will start and end in Santiago de Compostela (exact location TBD), participants will need to book their travel to and from Spain with these dates and times in mind:
- Arrival in Santiago de Compostela must be no later than 5 PM on Sunday, June 29, 2025
- Return flight from Santiago de Compostela must depart no earlier than 9:15 AM on Monday, July 7, 2025
Important Travel Requirements. All participants must have a valid passport (expiration date at least 6 months from scheduled date of return to the United States). Participants are responsible for being familiar with USA and SPAIN travel requirements. No refunds will be made should a student fail to secure proper travel documentation.
Information on travel from the USA to Spain can be found at the U.S. State Department web site.
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In preparation for this pilgrimage, pre-departure class meetings will be held:
- Saturday, December 7, 2024, 10 - 11 AM Pacific Time via Zoom
- Saturday, January 18, 2025, 10 - 11 AM Pacific time via Zoom
Orientation to walking the Camino with guide Pilar Gómez - Sunday, January 26, 2025 - hybrid meeting held in-person at LMU and online via Zoom
- Mass (for those coming in person) at 2:30 PM Pacific time in St. Ignatius Chapel of the LMU Jesuit Community
- Hybrid meeting, 4:00 - 5:00 PM Pacific time
- Sunday, March 16, 2025 - hybrid meeting held in-person at St. Joseph Center in Orange, California and online via Zoom
- Mass (for those coming in person) at 2:30 PM Pacific time in Sacred Heart Chapel at St. Joseph Center
- Hybrid meeting, 4:00 - 5:00 PM Pacific time
- Saturday, June 7, 2025, 10 - 11 AM Pacific time via Zoom
Pilgrims are required to attend these class meetings; Zoom meetings will be recorded.