What is the Camino de Santiago?
Do you have to walk the whole Camino at once?
How many pilgrims will stay at the guesthouse?
Who else can stay at the guesthouse?
Do you own the property for the guesthouse?
Who will do the renovations needed?
How will the guesthouse be managed?
Will the guesthouse be financially self-sustaining in the future?
How does the Casa Camino Antiguo guesthouse tie in with church planting and evangelism in your area?
Pilgrims are transient and only stay one night, is that effective evangelism?
Can I loan money to the project?
Can I volunteer or can we send short-term teams to the guesthouse?
What is the Camino de Santiago?
The Camino de Santiago is one of oldest Christian pilgrimages in Europe, dating back to 812 and it means “The Way of St James”. There are many different routes of the Camino starting all over Spain and also in surrounding countries, but they all lead to one place, Santiago de Compostela in west Spain. The route that goes through our town is called the Camino Olvidado. The Camino ends at the cathedral where the remains of the apostle of St James are said to be buried. For centuries pilgrims have walked the Camino to pay penance or as an act of devotion.
Nowadays people walk it for many other different reasons: to challenge themselves, to be in nature, to see Spain, to take a break out of their normal lives. About half of the people still walk the Camino for religious and spiritual reasons – to find God, themselves and their purpose.
People usually walk about 25km per day and stay the night in an albergue (pilgrim hostel) in bunk-style accommodation with other pilgrims. They take their belongings and sleeping bag with them and continue on their journey the next day.
In 2022, a record-breaking 400,000 people walked the Camino, and movies such as The Way (2010) and the BBC series (2018) The Road to Santiago have made it more well-known. You probably know someone who has walked the Camino.
Do you have to walk the whole Camino at once?
No. For example, the French Way is 780km long and takes about 30 days. Some people walk the whole way without stopping. Others might walk a few days or weeks then return at a later date to pick up where they left off. It may take some people years to finish. Some people may not ever make it Santiago but just enjoy walking the Camino in its various parts.
However if you want the official Compostela which is a certificate saying you have finished the Camino, there are certain requirements. See here for more info.
You can also do the Camino on bike.
Who are pilgrims?
They are just normal people who decide to walk on the Camino. Once you start walking towards Santiago, the idea is that you become a pilgrim, journeying towards a special place. Anyone can be a pilgrim.
How many pilgrims will stay at the guesthouse?
From our research, we also know that only a moderate number of pilgrims walk the Camino Olvidado in our area, approximately 200-250 people between March to October. This is why we expanded the idea of the guesthouse to be a multi-purpose space which would also be used for other groups to stay and be a meeting place for church on Sundays and other ministry activities.
Who else can stay at the guesthouse?
Other community groups like youth groups, walking groups, scouts and church groups. The house will also be for volunteers to stay at, and also available to Christians or mission workers.
Do you own the property for the guesthouse?
Right now we are renting the current property (€13K per year) which is a commercial space in the centre of our town Zalla. We can still do renovations which will be approx €20,000. Under our rent-to-buy contract, we are planning to buy the whole property (€242,000) within two years, and the yearly rent already paid deducted from the final price. In 2025 we plan to buy the property outright with funds we have raised. There are no pre-existing funds or funding from ECM. We are not eligible to take out a mortgage with a local bank and so will be depending on raising the full amount or possible interest-free loans from Christian donors.
Who will renovate the guesthouse?
We have an architect and local construction company which will do the main renovations, putting in rooms, kitchen and bathrooms. Any further light renovations can be done by volunteers.
How will the guesthouse be managed?
The guesthouse will be managed by Camino Antiguo Association, a local platform set up the Aldana and Webb families. We would welcome volunteers from our church, other churches in Bilbao and international volunteers to help with the operation of the guesthouse.
Between March – October the guesthouse will be primarily catered towards pilgrims. In the other months, the accommodation will open for other Christians, community groups like youth groups, walking groups and scouts.
All year around the meeting space will be used by our church plant for Sunday meetings and other activities.
Will the guesthouse be financially self-sustaining in the future?
Once the building is owned and operating, pilgrims and other guests will pay €15-25 euros per night for accommodation, which we estimate to cover the monthly running costs. Since it is a volunteer-run guesthouse the labour costs will not be high and we expect the income it generates to cover its ongoing maintenance.
Who will own the guesthouse?
ECM Spain.
How does the Casa Camino Antiguo tie in with church planting and evangelism in your area?
Reaching outwards: We have our small church plant in our town, but we can be a little invisible and not understood by the local people. By opening a guesthouse, it enables us to serve the community in a visible and practical way, and show people the love of Jesus through hospitality, providing a bed and a good meal. And so we can meet their needs in a Christ-like way. If pilgrims are interested in praying, reading the Bible or talking more about God, we would love that opportunity. Our witness will not just be to the pilgrims or people who say one night with us, but to the local community who will see how a volunteer-run, not-for-profit guesthouse looks like. We will be building relationships with local people and sharing with them the love of Christ through the gospel. Pilgrims will also spend money in the town eating or buying food as they pass through and this helps local businesses. We would also make the guesthouse available for local community groups like walking clubs, scouts or school groups who may need low-cost lodging. In the future we would love to use the guesthouse for other outreach activities in the community.
Strengthening the local church: We pray that the Guesthouse with open up a myriad of opportunities to share the gospel with people in word and deed, to see lives transformed, to make disciples of Jesus and to grow the local church plant. Members of our local church will be involved in this project and we would encourage other Christians from churches in Bilbao to also volunteer. By serving at the guesthouse, people participate in local mission as they reach out to local Basque and Spanish pilgrims and people. Various local churches in Bilbao already know about our plans and are very supportive of the project.
Global mission: Pilgrims can also be from many parts of the world, and the Camino provides a unique opportunity to minister to them right here in Spain. In the future we would love to see international short-term teams and individuals from international churches come to volunteer at the guesthouse. We have supporting churches from England, Australia, Guatemala and the USA who would be interested in being involved in global mission. As people serve longer or short-term, they will participate in God’s mission and come away with an increased awareness of the deep need for the gospel in Basque Country and in Spain. Our prayer is that they become more passionate and prayerful for global mission.
Pilgrims are transient and only stay one night, is that effective evangelism?
It is true that pilgrims are transient, and that we may just have one opportunity to show them God’s love and share the gospel, but this is valuable. Pilgrims are just ordinary people that God wants to redeem. Many times we as Christians are a link in a chain for people to come to know Jesus in their life journey. If we have an opportunity to be that link, then it is worthwhile. We are constantly encouraged by testimonies from other Christian hostels that tell of pilgrims encountering God on the Camino which has been a catalyst for dramatic change in their life. Often pilgrims are at a crossroads in their lives and very receptive to spiritual things. As we serve at the guesthouse, we pray that we can point people towards a saving knowledge of Christ and a relationship with the Lord Jesus.
We are also connected with a group called “Soy el Camino” (“I am the Way”) a group of like-minded Christians who do ministry all along the Camino. Their aim is to provide a way to connect pilgrims to other Christians along their journey, to follow them up and to stay connected with them longer-term.
However, serving pilgrims is one aspect of this guesthouse ministry as we seek to reach people for the gospel.
The wider aim of our guesthouse is to be a positive Christian presence in our local town, serving the community in a real and practical way. By also offering accommodation and activities for other local groups like scouts, youth, walking groups, we open the doors to the local community. Our vision is to involve local people, friends and neighbours who live in our towns – people that we have an ongoing relationship with and with whom we would love to share the gospel. We want to be deeply rooted in the community long-term and offer a valuable service with Christian love, integrity and grace. By being a light in the community we can point others to salvation in Jesus.
How can I give?
Go to our Give page where you can donate through the European Christian Mission website, depending on your country.
Can I loan money to the project?
Yes. Perhaps you can’t give to the project but have some funds you can loan to us for a fixed time. Please contact us if you are interested in this option.
Can I volunteer to help or can we send short-term teams to the guesthouse?
Yes, we would love that. Please contact us if you are interested to serve in this guesthouse ministry.
Casa Camino Antiguo 