Countdown to All of 2027
Exact dates: Holy Door opens Dec 31, 2026 (midday, Praza da Quintana) and closes Dec 31, 2027. The Holy Year runs through all of 2027.
When it happens again: Holy Years fall when July 25 (St. James' Day) is a Sunday. After 2027 the next are 2032, 2038 and 2049.
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What it is
The Xacobeo is the Holy Year of St. James. The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela opens its Holy Door, which stays sealed in other years, and the city becomes the end point for pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago from across Europe.
Why go, and why it's rare
Walking through the Holy Door is only possible in a Holy Year. July 25, 2027, the Feast of St. James, falls on a Sunday, the high point of the year, with the Botafumeiro (the giant censer) swinging through the nave.
Next Holy Year is not until 2032
What to expect
- Activities
- Pass through the Holy Door, attend the Pilgrims' Mass, walk the final stage of the Camino (the last 100 km earns the Compostela certificate), cathedral rooftop tours.
- Markets and food
- Mercado de Abastos for Galician seafood, pulpo á feira, empanada, tarta de Santiago, Albariño from nearby Rías Baixas.
- Crowds
- Very busy in summer and around July 25. Spring and autumn are calmer.
- Weather
- Galicia is mild and rainy. Summer is warm (mid 70s °F); rain is likely in any season outside summer.
- Mobility
- Moderate The old town has hills and cobblestones. Walking the Camino itself is Demanding; we can arrange short stages with luggage transfers.
Best way to experience it
- Suggested trip
- 4 to 6 nights in Santiago, or a 5 to 7 day guided walk of the final Camino stage from Sarria, ending in the city.
- Before and after
- Pre: Porto and the Douro Valley, or Madrid. Post: Rías Baixas wine country, A Coruña, or Bilbao and San Sebastián.
- Stopover cities
- Madrid, Lisbon or Porto (short connections to Santiago, SCQ).
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Plan this experience
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Before you go
Entry requirements
For U.S. passport holders on a vacation. Other passport? Your advisor will check for you.
Spain
No visa (Schengen area)
- Check your passport. Valid at least 3 months beyond the day you leave the Schengen area. At least 1 blank page for stamps.
- Nothing to apply for. Free.
- Know your stay. Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all Schengen countries combined.
- ETIAS (the EU's future online travel authorization, similar to ESTA) is NOT in operation yet. The EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch. There is nothing to apply for today; any site taking ETIAS applications now is not official.
Official ETIAS page (europa.eu) ›
Last verified Oct 12, 2026.
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Entry rules change, sometimes with little notice. Always confirm before you travel. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
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