El Camino de Santiago: Leading the Way to Global Citizenship, Sustainable Tourism, and Cross-Cultural Exchange

The Camino de Santiago (English: Way of St James) is a network of pilgrimage routes that has existed since the medieval period. All of these routes coverge on Santiago de Compostela, a city in the Galicia region of northern Spain. One of the holiest pilgrimages in the Catholic tradition, the Camino has meant many things to many people over the centuries, and now people of all backgrounds undertake the pilgrimage for religious or spiritual reasons, for self-discovery and reflection, or many other reasons.

If you wish to learn more about the Camino, start with travel expert Rick Steves' video introduction below. Additionally, Olin Library has many books and other materials on the subject. To find them, start with the "Pilgrims and Pilgrimages" entry point, or ask Professor Robinson for help.

Front row (left to right): Rosana Díaz-Zambrana, Brandy Fransen, Patricia Tomé, Fiona Harper, Audrey Hope, Misty Loughry, Halil Kiymaz

Back row (left to right): Donna Lee, Jill Jones, Davey Olsen, Blake Robinson

Credit: Rosana Díaz-Zambrana

In June 2023, 11 Rollins faculty and staff members hiked the last 100 km (62.1 mi) of the Camino de Santiago in Galicia, Spain. In preparation, the peregrinos (pilgrims) practiced their Spanish (and Galician,in one case), hiked on Central Florida's flat terrain, shared tips on the best hiking gear, and much more.

These peregrinos went to Spain as part of the Center for Global Initiatives' Rollins Internationalization Grant (RIG) program, specifically the Faculty-Staff Travel Seminar. The purpose of this program is to enhance participant knowledge of Global Citizenship and key issues, build cross-campus and cross-cultural connections, and share this knowledge to help Rollins students begin their own Global Citizenship journey. All the participants undertook a competitive application process and presented on topics related to their areas of expertise and their intersection with El Camino, the fruits of which you see on this guide.

If you are a Rollins CLA or Holt student eager to explore the world, the Office of International Programs offers many opportunities for you to do so, as does Crummer for its students. There is plenty of global learning going on right here on campus, too!