Pilgrimages

A 2-week Spiritual Pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, Portuguese Route

January 4 – January 19, 2027

For more information contact Dr. Jake Myers (myersj@ctsnet.edu)

Join us for a life-changing, pilgrimage experience!

Our journey takes us along one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in the world, the Camino Portugués, walking north from Porto, Portugal to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (the purported resting place of St. James the Apostle). Over 15 days, you’ll disconnect from the demands of ministry and journey inward toward a deeper awareness of yourself, you calling, and your faith.

As clergy, spiritual leaders, and preachers, you pour yourself out for others constantly. This pilgrimage is structured to pour back into you. Morning devotions and reflections will create space for spiritual growth. Evening group processing will give you room to name and integrate what’s surfacing emotionally. Gentle stretching and restorative yoga will keep your body present and awake to the journey.

You’ll be guided by two experienced preaching professors, walking 7–15 miles per day and staying in semi-private accommodations. The Camino Portugués follows the ancient royal road that Portuguese kings once walked to Santiago, passing through medieval towns, vineyard-covered hillsides, and the green river valleys of northern Portugal and Galicia. You’ll begin in Porto, one of Europe’s most storied cities, before the route carries you through Esposende, Caminha, and Tui, crossing into Spain at the Rio Minho.

The final stretch brings you into Galicia for the last 100 kilometers, a section that earns you the official Compostela certificate upon arrival. In Santiago, you’ll tour the Cathedral of St. James, attend the Pilgrim’s Mass, and receive your Compostela — the Church’s recognition that you made the walk.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage route. It will ask something of your body. It will give something back to your soul.

Your Guides

The Rev. Dr. Anna Carter Florence is the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary, where she has served since 1998. She is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA). Before joining the Columbia faculty, Anna served as an associate pastor for youth and young adults at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. She is the author of three critically acclaimed books, Preaching as Testimony (Westminster John Knox Press, 2007), Rehearsing Scripture: Discovering God’s Word in Community (Eerdmans, 2018), and A Is for Alabaster: 52 Reflections on the Stories of Scripture (Westminster John Knox Press, 2023). She has a forthcoming sequel entitled, B Is for Banquet: 52 More Reflections on the Stories of Scripture. She has published articles and chapters in numerous books and journals, including a year’s worth of lectionary text commentaries for WorkingPreacher.org.

Schedule (January 4 – January 19, 2027)

Day 1: Arrive in Porto

Day 2: Porto to Lavra (12 miles)

Day 3: Lavra to Povoa de Varzim (10 miles)

Day 4: Povoa de Varzim to Esposende (12 miles)

Day 5: Esposende to Viana do Castelo (13 miles)

Day 6: Viana do Castelo to Caminha (12 miles)

Day 7: Caminha to Nila Nova de Cerveira (12 miles)

Day 8: Nila Nova de Cerveira to Tui (9 miles)

Day 9: Rest Day in Tui (0 miles)

Day 10: Tui to O Porrino (10 miles)

Day 11: O Porrino to Redondela (10 miles)

Day 12: Redondela to Pontevedra (12 miles)

Day 13: Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis (13 miles)

Day 14: Caldas de Reis to Padron (11 miles)

Day 15: Padron to Santiago de Compostela (15 miles)

Day 16: Depart for Home

Program Fee

The total program fee is $1,999. A 50% non-refundable deposit is due at the time of acceptance, following interviews. All balances are due November 1, 2026.

Your Program Fee Includes:

• 15 nights’ accommodations in semi-private rooms
• 2 meals per day
• Guided hiking from experienced pilgrims
• Luggage transport from town-to-town during pilgrimage
• Pilgrim’s credential
• Facilitated morning devotions
• Daily walking meditations
• Evening group processing with two Columbia Seminary faculty members
• 20-week customized training plan for physical preparation
• One-on-one sermon coaching

Not Included:

• Airfare, transportation to/from airport
• Visa (if needed)
• Snacks, laundry, personal bus or taxi use
• Compostela fee (optional)
• Travel insurance (required)
• Optional activities (e.g. museums, tours, etc.)
  
  

Applications will be accepted until June 30, 2026. After the application window closes, you will be contacted to schedule a 30-minute Zoom conversation with the program facilitators.