Among the most challenging are the Caminos of Santiago de Compostela, a network of European trails leading to the historic Spanish town where the tomb of the Apostle St. James and the magnificent cathedral have brought Christian pilgrims since the 9th century. Four Northern routes in Spain (930 miles combined) and the 460-mile Camino Frances, as well as the town of Santiago de Compostela itself, are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Last year more than 400,000 pilgrims took one of those routes, or another of the many established trails, to Compostela. In the Middle Ages, the church began issuing passports to pilgrims to grant them safe passage on the long journey. Today the passports are stamped at stations along all the Camino routes, and allow travelers to stay at free or inexpensive albergues (hostels) on their treks. The stamped passports also prove that the pilgrim has walked at least 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) to reach Santiago de Compostela. That gives the pilgrim the right to a Compostela – a document that certifies your pilgrimage.  

Howdy, Pilgrim! 

San Antonio has its own holy road – El Camino de San Antonio Missions. It’s a rare partnership between San Antonio’s Spanish Missions and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The Mission Trail that links the four historic missions with active Catholic parishes, and the beautifully restored Mission Reach of the San Antonio River Walk are now official partners of the Camino de Compostela. 

At the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio’s new Camino Center, adjacent to Mission Concepción, pilgrims can get passports for San Antonio Camino. Those are stamped at each mission and the historic San Fernando Cathedral. Those who show they have walked the 30km trek receive their own Compostelas. (You don’t have to walk it all at once – as in Spain, you can walk the route in as many installments as you wish – just get the stamps.) The Mission Compostelas have a practical use as well as a spiritual application – you get 30km credit towards the 100km requirement if you make a later pilgrimage on the English Camino de Santiago route.  

The new Camino Center isn’t just for pilgrims or Catholics – it has information and exhibits about Camino culture, pilgrimages and the Spanish Missions themselves, and like the Camino de Santiago, they are a popular UNESCO World Heritage site. In 2021, 1.33 million people visited the Spanish Missions, according to the National Park Service. 

Rebecca Simmons, a highly distinguished attorney and former appellate judge, is following her passion today as Executive Director of Las Misiones, the support group for the Spanish Missions, and also of the Camino Center, which opened this spring. But she has taken people on unofficial pilgrimages to the Missions here for decades. 

“Father David Garcia and Archbishop Gustavo García Siller had been thinking about doing pilgrimages here. I saw that Ireland has a Camino society, and they partner with Santiago de Compostela to get credit for pilgrimages to sacred places there. I thought ‘San Antonio was Spanish!’ I went over to Spain and they were thrilled to partner with us. Ireland is the only other place that does this,” she said. 

“We have a map – it’s mostly on the Mission Reach trails. You can go by bike or car and get a Peregrino certificate, but you can’t use that in Spain,” she added. 

San Antonio also has its own Camino group – the Alamo Chapter of American Pilgrims On the Camino, a national group of pilgrims or friends of the Camino de Santiago. Alamo Chapter co-coordinator Susie McCalla says the group has about 400 registered members, many of whom have done multiple routes of the Camino de Santiago. They share support, information and fellowship. When we spoke, McCalla was getting ready for a dinner for a group of Texas pilgrims who were leaving on their trip soon. “We’ll have a blessing of the shells – scallop shells are the symbol of St. James, and pilgrims tie one to their backpacks,” she said. 

Whether you’re a pilgrim or a hiker or a history buff, El Camino de San Antonio is an interesting walk in the National Park – and for pilgrims, it comes with a passport. As they say along the journey to Santiago de Compostela, “Buen Camino!”