Bilbao to Barcelona, Spain
April 25 - May 5, 2025
“For it is not knowing much, but realising and relishing things interiorly, that contents and satisfies the soul.” - St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491 - 1556 AD)
Peregrino Pilgrim is at the heart of Ignatian spirituality.
SDI is pleased to once again invite you on our most popular pilgrimage, walking in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola between Bilbao and Barcelona, Spain. This Pilgrimage will follow the newly designed “Ignatian Camino,” or Ignatian Way from April 25 – May 5, 2025.
St. Ignatius knew himself as a pilgrim, with God as his companion. As a pilgrim he was led on his way to a deeper relationship with God. This grace Ignatius received is intended for all those who follow the Ignatian way, his camino, the spirituality of St. Ignatius.
Accompaniment.
Prayer.
Experience.
Travelers can count on walking and worshipping where St. Ignatius did. It’s a safe bet that Ignatius visited most of the pre-16th century churches and structures we will visit. Ignatius was a religious pilgrim in a religious culture. In smaller towns with only two or three churches, Ignatius might well have visited all of them to attend mass, pray before a locally important shrine, or listen to local friars chant the liturgy of the hours. Ignatius would have stopped at the town’s central square to buy provisions, confirm the traveling distance to the next village, or simply to chat. To be sure, you won’t find “Ignatius of Loyola slept here” signs in Logroño, Zaragoza, Tudela, or Lleida. But at spots along the route, you can presume that Ignatius prayed here, or shopped in this market square, walked beside this river, climbed this same hill to the shrine or monastery, or scanned astonished at this same landscape as you will.
YOUR JOURNEY GUIDE
Fr Josep Lluis Iriberri, SJ
Father Jose serves as Director of the Pilgrim Office of the Ignatian Way in Spain. He has been guiding international pilgrim groups since 2012 and is a promoter of the Way through publications and conferences throughout the world. Born in Barcelona in 1959, Father Jose has been a member of the Society of Jesus since 1981 and a priest since 1992. He holds a degree in Biology from the University of Barcelona and in Theology from the University of Louvain in Belgium. After attending two years in the center Lumen Vitae in Brussels, he earned a Master in Counseling from the Ramon Llull University in Barcelona. He has studied in Jesuit formation in Belfast, worked for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Morocco and was the founder and first director of the Service Accueil Migrants in Casablanca. Father Jose is trained in Appreciative Coaching and is a certified professor of the Enneagram (Pastoral Institute, Loyola University, Chicago), offering training workshops on the Enneagram since 1998.
Pilgrimage package includes: All Accommodations for 10 nights. Pilgrims will stay in local hotels.
- Accommodations are single rooms, with linens and towels provided.
- Includes: bus transfer from Bilbao to Loyola (all pilgrims meet at Bilbao Airport at 2:00 PM), transportation to and from sites along the Camino, luggage transfers on the walks, a Jesuit manager-guide for the entire trip, most meals (details below), single room accommodations, and guided visits.
- Not included: transportation from your country of origin to Bilbao. Certain “Coffee Breaks” on the Pilgrimage Route do not include cost of drinks.
- Meals: Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are provided throughout the pilgrimage, with the exception of two lunches and one dinner, which are out-of-pocket.
- Transportation: During portions of the journey when pilgrims are not walking, air-conditioned coach buses will be provided. Vehicle assistance will be available if needed during the walks. Luggage transfer assistance.
- Please note this is a Pilgrimage/Retreat: Guided prayer, personalized spiritual direction sessions, guided tours of sacred spaces are planned daily, along with optional Eucharist each day.
- Plan for a minimum of 1-hour silent walking, and 2 hours afternoon personal meditation in the afternoons.
Not included:
- Transportation to and from Spain
- Travel Protection Insurance (required)
- Laundry (pilgrims usually wash their clothes by hand, but in some places a washing machine is available (usually 6 to 8 euros).
- Bring one backpack to put all the things you want or need to carry during the walking experiences (raincoat, valuables, water, sunscreen, snacks…)
- Extra taxi or additional transportation not outlined in the itinerary below.
Please note: Though we do not walk the entirety of the route, this is indeed a walking pilgrimage. Each day a bus will take pilgrims to various points along the route, and each pilgrim must assure they can walk at a reasonable pace of three miles an hour, over several miles a day (exact mileages for each day can be found below). Mobility issues can not be accommodated on this particular pilgrimage.
ITINERARY
April 25: Arrive at Bilboa and Loyola
Mass at the Chapel of Jesus Maria. Jesus Maria Retreat House, Loyola – Azpeitia. Dinner provided.
April 26: Loyola (5 miles)
Visit Ignatius family home. Jesus Maria Retreat House, Loyola – Azpeitia
April 27: Loyola - Arantzazu - San Sebastian - Loyola (5 miles)
Visit Arantzazu Shrine. Jesus Maria Retreat House, Loyola – Azpeitia
April 28: Loyola - Laguardia - Navarrete (6.8 miles)
Visit the Santa Maria la Reina Church. Posada Ignatuius, Navarette and Pilgrims Hostel
April 29: Navarrete - Logrono - Javier (7.5 miles)
Visit St. Francis Xavier Castle. Javier Retreat House. Lunch on your own
April 30: Javier - Verdu - Montserrat (2.5 miles)
Visit the Shrine of Saint Peter Claver sj. Hotel Abad Cisneros
May 1: Montserrat - Manresa (8 miles)
Mass at the church of our Lady of Monserrat (Benedictine Monks Liturgy). Spirituality Center – La Cova
May 2: Manresa (6.2 miles)
Prayer at the Cave of Saint Ignatius. Spirituality Center – La Cova
May 3: Barcelona (5 miles)
Visit Ignatian Barcelona. Visit Santa Maria del Mar. Hotel TBD in Barcelona
May 4: Barcelona (4 miles)
Visit Sagrada Familia Gaudi’s Church. Hotel Catalonia. Lunch and Dinner on your own.
May 5: Departures
Journey officially ends after breakfast (provided).
Visit the FAQ page below for more information
TRAVEL AND SAFETY
We accept that in any travel experience, and being in public places in general, contracting COVID-19 is a possibility. If you contract COVID within 7 days of departure, please stay home. Once you are on the Pilgrimage and experience COVID symptoms, you must follow all the guide’s instructions related to COVID isolation, and be prepared to recuse yourself from the pilgrimage at your own expense.
Every pilgrim must bring proof of medical insurance, and travel insurance is required. The Jesuits’ Pilgrim’s Office in Barcelona, and SDI, are not liable for any inconvenience along the pilgrimage, nor can assistance for any health problems along the pilgrimage that may arise (COVID included).
A major component of the pilgrimage experience is walking parts of the Camino route. You should be in decent walking shape, able to walk 4-8 miles a day, at a 3 MPH pace. Luggage service will be provided for the walking portions of this pilgrimage, but you should expect to carry a daypack with essentials and items for your comfort (water, snacks, etc).
A valid passport for the duration of your time in Spain is required. To come to Spain as a general visitor, you must be able to show that:
you are eighteen or older;
you intend to visit Spain for no more than six months;
you intend to leave Spain at the end of your visit;
you have enough money to support and accommodate yourself on your trip.
For other situations and more detailed information, please visit the US State Department webpage on Spain or check with the Spanish embassy in your home country to verify visa requirements.
IMPORTANT: Do not pack your passport or travel documents in your luggage, as you will need them at the airport and upon boarding the plane. Keep them, as well as prescription medication, and any valuables in your carry-on bag, and keep your carry-on with you at all times while traveling.
Your Guide speaks fluent Spanish and English. Prayers, celebrations and spiritual insights will all be offered in English.
Currency in Spain is the Euro. You may bring cash to exchange, use credit cards, or use ATM machines. Credit cards are commonly used in Spain, and cash will work as well (exchanging foreign currency is best done in the airport upon arrival). ATMs will be accessible along the pilgrimage route. Traveler’s cheques are not encouraged, as you must find a bank that will cash them. Very little money is required along the route; the pilgrimage covers just about everything.
Bring moderate clothing that you can walk comfortably in. Include rain gear and sturdy walking shoes or boots for walking over terrain that may at times be hilly or wet. It is impossible to predict, so be prepared for variable weather, aware that walking is part of the journey. Pack a sweater or jacket for potentially cool days and sunglasses and a hat for sunny days.
Local cafes and hotels are likely spots to connect to free wifi networks. You can also purchase a local SIM card to use your smart phone in Europe.
Trip insurance is required. Please visit one of the various websites such as www.travelguard.com or www.insuremytrip.com
Visit Spain’s tourism website for more information on traveling in Spain.
FAQ
SDI follows all guidelines and requirements of local health organizations and government agencies related to COVID-19. As of May 2024 there are no mask requirements or social distancing measures in effect.
If a participant needs to cancel, notice of cancellation must be signed, dated, and received in writing via e-mail or postal mail. SDI will then refund your payment for services not received by you, minus applicable cancellation fees, according to the following schedule: Until 15 October 2024, the cancellation fee is USD$500. From 16 October 2024 – 15 February 2025, the cancellation fee is USD$1,000. No refunds after 16 February 2025. In the event of unforeseen events that force this journey to be cancelled or rescheduled, we will reconsider this cancellation policy guided by reason and common sense.
This pilgrimage is designed to offer the best of both worlds: time to linger at sacred sights and in contemplative repose, as well as daily walks along the pilgrimage route. Pilgrims will be walking for a portion of each day. Distances range from 2.5 miles to 8 miles along gentle terrain. Distances are not great, but you should be in good health.
Pilgrims will stay in simple, clean accommodations, seeking the austerity of the walking pilgrim. This pilgrimage has single rooms available only.
This journey’s itinerary includes several opportunities to participate in mass or chapel services. All these experiences are optional. Throughout the pilgrimage we will share sacred time together designed to deepen our own faith. Each day pilgrims will be invited to do one hour of silent walking, and spend some time in silent meditation in the afternoon at each destination, as the daily schedule allows. Guided prayer and the possibility of personalized spiritual guidance will be available from time to time. Optional Eucharist is available almost every day.
No, you do not need to be a member of Spiritual Directors International to join the journey. We ask only that the contemplative nature of this journey ignite your heart and spirit, and that you be eager to explore its spiritual and historical dimensions.
The journey begins on April 5, 2024 at 2pm in the Bilbao Airport (BIO). Some travelers may choose to fly into the Barcelona airport (BCN) and then travel independently to Bilbao. A private bus will be provided from Bilbao to the Azpeitia Jesus Maria for the group introductory meeting and evening mass.
The journey ends after breakfast on April 15 in Barcelona. You may want to consider extending your journey to include other sites in Spain or Europe.
Weather in April in Spain is very “springlike” with high temperatures averaging in the low 60s F, and evening temperatures dipping into the 40s. Pack versatile clothing for sun, rain, and everything in between.
The $500 deposit is an administrative fee that secures your space in this intimate journey and is nonrefundable. There are no exceptions to the refund policy. The agency that we work with in Spain requires that you obtain travel insurance to cover financial losses from any personal emergencies or other events that require your cancellation. You are responsible for reading your policy and understanding what it covers.
The total number of pilgrims is 24.
Yes, indeed. Pilgrims can arrive whenever they like, but everyone should still gather at Bilbao Airport at 2 p.m. in order to take the private bus together.
If any pilgrim wants to stay longer, just let Fr. Josep know and he will book one or two extra days in Barcelona. Once the booking is made, pilgrims will be asked to pay the extra funds to cover the additional stay.
Yes indeed, with audioguides.
If you have any additional questions, please contact [email protected] or telephone 01-425-455-1565.
Why Join Us
As a professional Spiritual Journeys manager, we excel at helping you to discover special places. Not just any vacation, but truly exceptional trips filled with inspiring and enriching experiences. We believe in seeing the world in the most unique way possible, and we want to share our knowledge and passion for travel and spirituality with all of those whom we guide. Explore our site to find out more.
Guides That Companion With You
Every SDI Journey is led by guides that are experienced both in the local landscape, history, and custom, and also as spiritual companions. Companions that listen to your story and longings with care and compassion, as they offer you deep insight into what is happening on your travel experience.
Pause. Rest. Renew.
We all need downtime. Opportunities abound to slow down, explore and pay attention, find words for the experience in poetry and creative writing, or to take a nap. Simple daily rituals call us together as a community, to share in discovery and wonder.
Which Journey Will You Take? Check our Offerings Now, or call 1-425-455-1565 to book today.
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