Xacobeo 2027: the best time to invest in the Camino de Santiago

The Camino de Santiago has been growing steadily for decades. In 2025, for the first time in history, more than half a million pilgrims collected their Compostela in a non-Jacobean year. In 2026, sector estimates point to between 580,000 and 600,000. In 2027, the Año Xacobeo will arrive, bringing with it a demand that multiplies that of any ordinary year. In this article we explain why now is the best time to invest in the Camino.

The Camino de Santiago and the Año Xacobeo: an event that moves the world

The Camino de Santiago is the most important Christian pilgrimage route in Europe and one of the most famous in the world. Since the Middle Ages, millions of people have walked its various routes to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where, according to tradition, the remains of the Apostle James are kept.

Today, pilgrims from more than 180 countries walk it every year for a wide variety of reasons: spirituality, personal challenge, disconnection, cultural tourism... The profile of the pilgrim is as varied as the routes that converge on Santiago: 10 official itineraries, complemented by dozens of variants and routes in the process of recognition, forming a constantly expanding Jacobean network.

What is the Año Xacobeo and when does it take place

The Año Xacobeo, also known as the Holy Compostelan Year, is celebrated when 25 July — the feast day of the Apostle James — falls on a Sunday. This phenomenon follows an irregular pattern of 6, 5, 6 and 11 years, meaning it occurs only 14 times per century. During the Holy Year, the Holy Door of the Cathedral remains open throughout the year and pilgrims can obtain a plenary indulgence, which has historically multiplied the number of visitors.

The next Año Xacobeo will be in 2027. The previous one was in 2021-2022, and the next will not come until 2032.

Unstoppable growth that multiplies in the Holy Year

The figures for the Camino de Santiago in recent years speak for themselves:

• 2010 (last Holy Year before 2021-22): 272,000 pilgrims
• 2019 (pre-pandemic record year): almost 350,000 pilgrims
• 2022 (Año Xacobeo): 438,000 pilgrims — 26% more than in 2019
• 2024: 499,239 pilgrims — historic record in a non-Jacobean year
• 2025: 530,987 pilgrims — first year to surpass the half-million mark

Historically, each Holy Xacobeo Year has meant an increase of between 20% and 40% compared to the previous year. Applying this pattern to current figures, in 2027 between 650,000 and 750,000 pilgrims could walk the Camino, or even more.

What the Año Xacobeo means for businesses on the Camino

Hostels, rural guesthouses, restaurants, shops, transport services, spas and all kinds of businesses located along the Jacobean routes experience during the Año Xacobeo a demand that in many cases far exceeds their capacity.

Accommodation places fill up months in advance, prices rise and the season extends, because the flow of pilgrims remains high throughout the year. For a well-positioned business on the Camino, the Año Xacobeo represents a revenue increase that is hard to match in any ordinary year.

Furthermore, the Spanish Government has declared Xacobeo 2027 an Event of Exceptional Public Interest, which implies national and international promotional campaigns and significant investment in infrastructure and route signage. The visibility of the Camino in the coming months will continue to grow.

The window of opportunity: investing in the Camino before 2027

The Año Xacobeo is not just a business opportunity: it is one of the few situations in the real estate market where the profitability of the first year can cover a significant part of the initial investment. A well-positioned business on the Camino that is operational from the start of 2027 has a near-guaranteed exceptional year, with sustained occupancy for months and a demand that far exceeds that of any ordinary year.

With the Xacobeo just months away, the most interesting property profile is no longer the long-term renovation project, but the property that is ready to operate or that only needs minor preparation to do so. A well-maintained and well-located property, a running business being transferred or a former establishment with an operational structure can be generating income within weeks. That is today the most valuable asset on the Camino.

Five Camino de Santiago businesses for sale in our catalogue

At Grupo Country Homes we have spent years accompanying buyers looking for properties on the Camino de Santiago, both for residential use and for business purposes. We have options in our portfolio for different budgets and projects, located along different routes and strategic points of the Camino de Santiago.

These are five options from our catalogue designed for those looking for a property ready to operate in 2027: established businesses available for transfer and establishments with everything needed to start operating immediately.

Pilgrim hostel on the Camino Francés, O Pino

€450,000 | View full listing

Located on the last stretch of the Camino Francés, this hostel offers capacity for 54 guests, modern facilities and a strategic street-level location. A business ready to operate and with great potential, in a high-demand area that is a compulsory stop for pilgrims.

• Hostel ready to operate with capacity for 54 pilgrims
• Strategic location, a compulsory stop on the way to Santiago
• Modern facilities with colourful spaces
• Kitchen, dining room, terrace and laundry
• Only 20 km from Santiago de Compostela

Hostel with restaurant in Agés, Burgos

€600,000 | View full listing

This pilgrim hostel and its restaurant have been welcoming and feeding walkers on the Camino Francés for years. The entire business runs at full capacity: 22 accommodation places, a busy dining room and an independent dwelling. It is located in the centre of Agés, a short distance from San Juan de Ortega and Atapuerca.

• Active hostel with restaurant, renovated in 2019
• 22 places in 5 rooms, all with en-suite bathroom
• Restaurant-bar with seating for 30 diners
• Fully equipped independent dwelling
• Solar panels and pellet boiler

Operating hostel on the Camino Portugués, Padrón

€930,000 | View full listing

Located in Padrón, less than 15 km from Santiago de Compostela, this pilgrim hostel sits directly alongside the Camino Portugués. It features a stone courtyard centred around an ancient wine press, a bar with a traditional lareira and oven, and an extensive estate with a swimming pool and hórreo granary.

• Operating hostel with 20 places
• Independent room with private bathroom
• Stone courtyard with ancient wine press and bar area
• Outdoor swimming pool and traditional hórreo granary on a large estate
• Professional kitchen with full equipment

Boutique Hotel in operation on the Camino Primitivo, Arzúa

€965,000 | View full listing

A 16th-century heritage building converted into a Boutique Hotel on the outskirts of Arzúa, just 25 minutes from the city of Santiago de Compostela. Ten charming rooms, a restaurant and gardens with an independent dwelling make up this fully operational business ready to continue its activity.

• Carefully restored 16th-century building
• Hotel and restaurant licence
• Outdoor spaces with terrace, gardens and additional outbuildings
• Independent dwelling for owners
• On the Camino del Norte and a variant of the Camino Primitivo

2-star rural hotel on the Camino Primitivo, Friol

€2,000,000 | View full listing

Built for those looking for more than just a roof on the way, this 2-star rural hotel combines a restored stone building with carefully considered interior design. Located at the foot of the Camino Primitivo, it features a restaurant, café, heated swimming pool and 11 fully equipped rooms.

• 11 rooms with capacity for 28 guests
• Restaurant, café and wine cellar for 52 diners
• Heated swimming pool in an independent building
• 27 kW solar panels, aerothermal system and underfloor heating
• 24 km from Lugo city centre

Invest in the Camino with Grupo Country Homes

Xacobeo 2027 is just around the corner, and the best real estate opportunities do not wait. If you are thinking about investing in a property on the Camino de Santiago — whether to live in, to rent out or to develop a business project — now is the time to do it.

At Grupo Country Homes we have an in-depth knowledge of the rural real estate market and can help you find the property that best suits your project. We accompany you throughout the entire process: from finding the ideal property to completing the purchase, including advice on obtaining the necessary licences. If you would like to explore the available options, contact us with no obligation and we will be happy to help.