Loyola Marymount Institute for Spirituality Camino October 2026

Pilgrimage to El Camino de Santiago

Trip Date:
Oct 16, 2026
- Oct 25, 2026
Group Type
Private
Activity Level
Difficult
Price
From $3,688
Deposit $500
Hosted by
Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Institute for Spirituality

Trip Overview

Generations of pilgrims have traveled the Camino de Santiago, listening to God’s voice amid the Spanish countryside. They have walked through small towns, shared the journey with other pilgrims and reflected on their lives as they log mile after mile. That same opportunity is waiting for you as a retreat from the pressures of modern life, a chance to become grounded in the earth around you, and a path of self-discovery. This walking pilgrimage with friends of Loyola Marymount University and the Loyola Institute for Spirituality begins in Sarria and concludes in Santiago, with each day including 12-16 miles of hiking.

The group’s first in-person spirituality meeting will be June 7th from 2 to 5 pm in the Jesuit Community. Please contact a group leader with any questions!

What’s Included?

  • Professional tour manager
  • Roundtrip airfare (if selecting the group flight package)
  • Airport transfers via private motorcoach
  • Accommodations in simple pilgrim guesthouses in double-occupancy rooms, including taxes (single rooms available on a limited basis)
  • Meals as indicated on itinerary, including daily breakfast at lodging and dinners
  • Arrangements for daily Mass
  • While walking the Camino, support vehicle (private motorcoach) and driver on Days 3-8
  • Daily luggage transfer between accommodations (one 15kg bag per person)
  • Gratuities for guide(s), driver(s), meals, or hotels
  • Pilgrim preparation and follow-up materials delivered via email
  • Camino Pilgrim Credentials and Shell

Itinerary

October 16, 2026
  • Depart on your overnight flight to Santiago
October 17, 2026
  • Arrive in Santiago
    • Pilgrims on a land-only package (no flights included) will meet the pilgrims on the group flight at the Santiago airport
  • Transfer to Sarria and check-in to hotel
  • Opening Mass in a local church
  • Start the pilgrimage with an Opening Retreat (location still pending)
  • Welcome Dinner in the hotel
  • Overnight in Sarria

 Accommodations: Hotel Roma

 Meals included: Dinner

October 18, 2026
  • Hike from Sarria to Portomarin (21.6 km ~ 13.5 miles)
  • Overnight in Portomarin

Accommodations: Pousada de Portomarin

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 19, 2026
  • Hike from Portomarin to Palas de Rei (23.9 km or 14.9 miles)
  • Overnight in Palas de Rei

Accommodations: Hotel Mica

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 20, 2026
  • Hike from Palas de Rei to Melide (15.2 km ~ 9.4 miles)
  • Overnight in Melide

Accommodations: Hotel Lux Melide

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 21, 2026
  • Hike from Melide to Arzúa (14.3 km ~ 8.9 miles)
  • Overnight in Arzúa

Accommodations: Hotel Arzua

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 22, 2026
  • Hike from Arzúa to Rua (19.4 km ~ 12.1 miles)
  • Overnight in Rua

Accommodations: Pension Platas

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 23, 2026
  • Hike from Rua to Santiago (19 km ~ 11.8 miles)
  • Participate in the private night tour of the Cathedral
  • Overnight in Santiago

Accommodations: Hotel Virxe da Cerca

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Astorga Plaza Major
October 24, 2026
  • Free day to explore Santiago
    • Take a tour of the Cathedral, explore the shops and piazzas of the city, and enjoy Galician food
  • Attend the noon Pilgrim Mass in the Cathedral, and see the Botafumeiro (pending confirmation)
  • Conclude the pilgrimage with a Closing Retreat (location still pending)
  • Farewell Dinner in a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Santiago

Accommodations: Hotel Virxe da Cerca

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 25, 2026
  • Transfer to Santiago airport and depart on your journey home

Meals included: Breakfast

Pricing

Package Cost
$3,688

Optional Add-ons

Single room supplement (limited availability)
$712 / person
Group flight
$1,205 / person
Travel protection
Quote provided after registration

Pricing listed per person in double rooms and land-only package does not include airfare. Quoted rates may fluctuate based on accommodation selection and availability. Rates also assume a minimum of 20 full-paying pilgrims. Final pricing may adjust based any significant changes in currency exchange rates and on final confirmation with hotels and airlines.

Led by

Fr. Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J.
Fr. Allan Figueroa Deck is currently Distinguished Scholar of Theology and Latino Studies at Loyola Marymount University and Professor of Theological Studies. He has served in a number of academic, administrative, and leadership positions. He held full-time positions at Loyola Marymount University and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. In 1997 founded and served as first Executive Director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, CA. From 2008-2012 he was called to serve as first Executive Director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Washington, DC.
Father Deck is a member of the Board of Directors of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University, and of Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles. He has authored or edited seven books and published more than 50 chapters or articles on pastoral theology, Hispanic ministry, Catholic Social Doctrine, spirituality, faith and culture. Father Deck was a co-founder and first president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS) as well as of the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry (NCCHM). Father Deck also serves as faculty for the Center for Religion and Spirituality at LMU.
Lori Stanley
Lori Stanley is a speaker, writer, spiritual director, retreat leader, and pilgrimage guide. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality, becoming the first layperson to hold this role in the organization’s 28-year history. With more than 30 years of experience in ministry and leadership within the Catholic Church, Lori has dedicated her life to accompanying others on their spiritual journeys. For over two decades, she has also served alongside her husband as a facilitator of Catholic Engaged Encounter, walking with couples as they prepare for marriage and deepen their faith together. Lori holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology with a concentration in Spiritual Direction from Loyola Marymount University. She is deeply committed to spiritual formation and leadership in the Church and is one of five editors of the recently released An Ignatian Spirituality Reader, Vol. II. Rooted in Ignatian spirituality, Lori believes deeply in the power of accompaniment, attentive listening, and discernment to help people recognize God’s love at work in their lives. The daughter of the late Deacon Joe and Dolores Stripling and one of seven children, Lori remains deeply grounded in the values of faith, service, and family that continue to shape her life’s work.
Elsy Arévalo
Ms. Elsy Arévalo serves as Director of the Center for Religion and Spirituality at Loyola Marymount University, where she provides strategic vision, leadership, and direction for the Center’s mission to offer transformative theological education and spiritual formation to diverse communities.  She leads culturally responsive theological and spiritual formation programs in English and Spanish. A trained spiritual director, dynamic speaker, and seasoned facilitator, her work includes founding a three-year formation program in Spiritual Direction and initiatives supporting faith formation in family life. Her current focus is the spirituality of pilgrimage.

Flights

An optional group flight is available for this pilgrimage, with details below. Pilgrims may also arrange their own airfare based on the designated arrival/departure times provided.

Arrival Flight Information -  October 16-17, 2026

  • American Airlines Flight #118
    • Departs Los Angeles (LAX) at 6:00 am
    • Arrives to John F. Kennedy (JFK) at 2:33 pm
  • American Airlines Flight #094
    • Departs John F. Kennedy (JFK) at 4:15 pm
    • Arrives Madrid (MAD) at 5:30 am (next day)
  • Iberia Airlines #517
    • Departs Madrid (MAD) at 7:25 am
    • Arrives to Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ) at 8:40 am

Departure Flight Information - October 25, 2026

  • Iberia Airlines Flight #518
    • Departs Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ) at 9:25 am
    • Arrives to Madrid (MAD) at 10:40 am
  • Iberia Airlines Flight #351
    • Departs Madrid (MAD) at 12:50 pm
    • Arrives to Los Angeles (LAX) at 5:35 pm

 

Hotel Transfer Information

  • Pilgrims will be transferred to/from the airport in one group.

Arrival Flight Information

  • Arrive by: 12:00 PM (noon) on October 17, 2026
  • Arrival airport: Santiago–Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ)
  • Arrival transfer: Pilgrims will be transferred from Santiago to Sarria in one group.

Departure Flight Information

  • Depart on: October 25, 2026
  • Departure airport: Santiago–Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ)
  • Departure transfer: Pilgrims will be transferred to the airport in one group.

More Details

  • Roundtrip airfare (if not selecting the group flight package)
  • Passport, visa, or luggage fees
  • Any personal purchases
  • Any lunches or other meals not indicated on the itinerary, as well as beverages at meals
  • Any required COVID tests or vaccinations
  • Recommended travel protection
  • Anything else not explicitly mentioned as included

Payment Schedule

  • Deposit due upon registration: $500 per person
  • 120 days prior to departure: Final balance

 

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations of individual pilgrims must be made in writing (email or letter) to Verso Ministries. Cancellations are possible at any time, but refunds are subject to cancellation fees at the rates listed here. Cancellation fees are for individual pilgrims. Any cancellation charges incurred from other suppliers or vendors (flight, lodging, ground transportation, tickets, etc.) may come in addition to the administrative fees listed here. All group flight airline tickets, optional excursions, trip options, pre/post extensions, private transfers, and additional hotel nights are non-refundable 100 days or less prior to departure unless otherwise noted. We highly recommend the purchase of individual travel insurance.

  • Within 2 weeks of deposit: Free cancellation*
  • 14 days after deposit & 91 days or more from departure: Deposit is retained
  • 90-61 days prior to departure: 25% of trip cost is non-refundable
  • 60-31 days prior to departure: 50% of trip cost is non-refundable
  • 30 days or less prior to departure: 100% of trip cost is non-refundable

*To qualify for free cancellation within 2 weeks of deposit, deposit must be made 180 days or more prior to departure.

*Final package pricing may adjust based on confirmed accommodations and/or any significant changes in currency exchange rates.

Arriving early or staying late? Pre-stay and post-stay options

 

Want to arrive or depart outside of the designated times?

  • Please note: If you arrive/depart outside of the designated times, private transfers (fee applies) can be arranged on your behalf. Airport transfers outside of the designated arrival/departure times are not included in the package pricing.
  • Need to book a private transfer? Contact us at hello@versoministries.com or call us at (574) 383-9396.

 

Want help arranging your flights?

Frequently Asked Questions

What risks are involved with pilgrimage?

As with any travel, particularly international, it is important to be aware of your surroundings. We monitor travel conditions for the countries our groups visit, and our on-location partners keep us informed of potentially disruptive events, situations, and conditions that might affect travel. If travel to the country is not recommended by the U.S. and/or local authorities, we handle the particulars on a case-by-case basis and update our pilgrims accordingly. To mitigate risk, we encourage all of our pilgrims to purchase travel protection to minimize losses from unforeseen causes, such as travel delays or cancellations and lost baggage.
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How does Verso Ministries prepare me for my journey?

We know from experience that preparing for a journey is just as important as the journey itself. From pre-departure spiritual formation emails and webinars hosted by the Verso trip leader, to providing you with a pilgrim kit to bring with you on your journey, we accompany you through the entire process – before, during, and after the pilgrimage – to prepare your mind and heart for what you’ll encounter. And of course, we’re always available by phone or email to answer and assist with any questions you might have.
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Should I purchase travel protection?

We recommend that all pilgrims consider purchasing travel protection. We partner with Travel Insured International (TII) to offer travel protection.  According to TII, travel protection helps protect you and those you are traveling with from unforeseen emergencies, which always seem to happen at the worst possible time. In the event of emergencies, both before and during your travels, as well other circumstances, like travel delay, lost baggage, missed connection(s), and much more, travel protection can help. Upon registration you will receive a travel protection quotation from TII. If you have any questions regarding your quotation, please call TII. If you need an updated or new quotation, please contact us at hello@versoministries.com or call us at 574-383-9396.
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Who can I contact for more information?

Our team is eager to help and is available 9am-5pm EST by phone at 574-383-9396 or by email at hello@versoministries.com
Read More

Resources

Discover helpful guides and tips to prepare for your pilgrimage and enrich your journey with Verso Ministries.

Planning maps for a Catholic pilgrimage tour

A New Way to Experience Catholic Pilgrimage Tours

Pilgrim walking along path into a town.

5 Things to Know Before Walking the Camino

In Via: The Best and Worst of the Camino with Angie Bosio

What Our Pilgrims Have to Say

Father Kuhn

Jocelyn

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