Chile Adds Kilometers to the Camino de Santiago with the New Via de los Andes
The Chilean Credential, designed by students and validated by the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, is a bridge between continents for pilgrims.
Last updated: July 7, 2025
On June 27, in an emotional ceremony at the residence of the Spanish Ambassador in Santiago, the Chilean Pilgrim Credential. This innovative document connects the Via de los Andes, the Chilean section of the Camino de Santiago, with the ancient European Jacobean route.
This initiative, pioneering in the world of pilgrimage, arose from a academic competition organized by the Chilean Circle of Friends of the Camino de Santiago and the Creative Campus of the Andrés Bello University. This is the first section outside Europe to obtain an official credential, validated by the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela itself.
Since its inauguration in February of this year, the Via de los Andes offers pilgrims an urban route of 25 kilometers through Santiago de Chile. The route includes points of great spiritual significance such as the Church of San Agustín, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Basilica of La Merced, the Schoenstatt Sanctuary and the Benedictine Monastery of Las Condes, inviting contemplation in the middle of the city.
The Chilean credential not only allows you to register this route, but also makes it possible add the kilometers completed in Chile to the European route to obtain the Compostela, the official recognition given in Galicia.
The Ambassador of Spain, Rafael Garranzo, presided over the ceremony, accompanied by authorities such as the mayor of Vitacura, Camila Merino. The municipalities of Vitacura, Las Condes and Providencia have actively collaborated in the signage, security and institutional support of this new road.
In the ecclesiastical sphere, the Archbishopric of Santiago, through Cardinal Fernando Chomali and Auxiliary Bishop Álvaro Chordi, has provided its full support, reaffirming the pastoral vocation of the Camino.
"This credential is not just a document. It is a gesture of friendship between cultures, an invitation to the pilgrim soul that lives in every human being," said Francisco de Almozara Valenzuela, president of the Chilean Circle of Friends of the Camino.
The project also stands out for its integration between tradition and future, since it was designed by young graphic design students, who managed to capture centuries of history and symbolism in a contemporary visual language that captivated attendees.
