Welcome to La Concha!
Here you can find the latest and past issues of La Concha, a publication of American Pilgrims on the Camino. We plan each issue around a specific theme and invite our members to share their stories, reflections, poetry, photography, artwork, or other original creative works that intersect with that theme. Content is organized into regular sections including American Pilgrims News, Camino News, Hospitalero Corner, Pilgrims Way (reflections on the issue theme), Poetry, and Book & Film Reviews.
We notify our members via email when a new issue is released. If you are not yet a member and would like to receive La Concha updates, you can join here today.
Explore the Latest Issue of La Concha:
Autumn 2026: Hidden Arrows
Find past themed issues of La Concha here.
Explore the Latest From La Concha
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Letter from the Chair – Autumn 2026
Autumn 2026 letter from American Pilgrims on the Camino Board Chair Rachel Ganzon, plus a summary of the July 2026 meeting of the American Pilgrims Board of Directors. -
Chapter Happenings – Autumn 2026
An Autumn 2026 compilation of American Pilgrims on the Camino chapter happenings. -
A Heartfelt Welcome: Pilgrims Enjoy the Palencia Region
A group of 33 American Pilgrims members traveled to the Spanish province of Palencia for an immersive experience exploring the history, culture, wine, gastronomy, and hospitality of the region. -
Letter from the Chair – Summer 2026
Summer 2026 letter from American Pilgrims on the Camino Board Chair Rachel Ganzon, a special In Memoriam section, plus a summary of the April 2026 and January 2026 meetings of the American Pilgrims Board of Directors.
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A Camino Walk Along the Voie de Tours in France
A pilgrim provides highlights of his 17-day trek on the lesser-traveled Via Turonensis from Tours to Pons in France. -
Exploring Changing Meanings of Pilgrimage at 2025 Annual Symposium for Pilgrimage Studies
A pilgrim reports on her experience attending the 2025 Annual Symposium for Pilgrimage Studies hosted by the Institute of Pilgrimage Studies on the William & Mary campus in Williamsburg, VA. Symposium sessions over a packed two days explored the changing meaning of pilgrimage, while also providing a chance to connect with fellow Camino and pilgrimage enthusiasts. She left the experience feeling well fed physically, mentally, and spiritually. -
When in Paris, Consider a Stop at La Tour Saint-Jacques
Whether you are starting a pilgrimage in Paris or just find yourself in the City of Light, consider a stop at the Tour Saint-Jacques, a stunning Camino-related monument now recognized as a starting point for the Camino de Santiago in France. -
Lay Your Burdens at the Camino de California Cruz de Ferro
As part of its mission to promote spiritual pilgrimage along California’s Mission Trail, the nonprofit Camino de California organization has dedicated a Cruz de Ferro at the historic Mission San Miguel Arcángel in San Luis Obispo County. This replica of the iconic iron cross, located at the highest point on the Camino Francés, offers a symbolic place for reflection and unburdening to those traversing the re-established Camino Real route.
More Camino News here.
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New Spanish Federation Hospitalero Age Limits, Many Ways to Serve on Camino
The Federación Española de Asociaciones de Amigos del Camino (FEAACS) recently announced age limits for hospitalero volunteers in the albergues that FEAACS oversees. While these age restrictions will impact some volunteers, it doesn’t change who may register for the American Pilgrims hospitalero training program, and there are many other service opportunities on the Camino to also consider. -
A Fond Farewell to Two Hospitalero Trainers
American Pilgrims on the Camino bids a fond farewell to two dedicated hospitalero trainers. -
Support & Solidarity Two Ways
As a Ribadiso Welcome Service volunteer and as an hospitalera, a woman discovers that she gains as much as she gives by listening to pilgrims’ personal stories. -
Service Scrapbook – Winter 2026
A Winter 2026 compilation of highlights from those who have recently given their time in service on the Camino.
More stories from Hospitalero Corner here.
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Walking in Solitude but Never Alone
Disoriented in the waning light and from exhaustion, and unable to rely on her phone to navigate, a pilgrim speaks out loud to a higher power and surrenders. In that moment, she feels a quiet peace that allows her to receive the knowledge she needs to find her way. -
The Way With Parkinson’s Disease
A husband reflects on the Camino journey he shared with his wife after her Parkinson’s diagnosis. -
The Pilgrim in the Mirror
After a man is annoyed by the behavior of someone staying at the same albergue, he realizes the other pilgrim is a mirror reflecting an image of himself he is not proud of. -
Led & Held Through Grief to the Camino
The Infant Jesus of Prague becomes a source of comfort to a woman after the dissolution of her marriage and all the way to the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.
More stories from Pilgrims Way here.
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Pilgrim Soles
Bill Artz shares his jaunty yet sincere ode to pilgrim feet. -
Laundry Day
A pilgrim spends a rainy day in a Santiago de Compostela laundromat staring into the spinning machines and contemplating the tumbling cycles in our world. -
Tribute to Camino
Amul Purohit’s self-described “attempt to put into words the quiet, enduring pull the Camino leaves on those who have walked it, long after the boots come off.” He draws on experiences accumulated over the past ten years on five separate journeys along various routes. -
Blessed to the End
In this poem by Robert Bain, a pilgrim suffering an ankle injury must slow down and turn back. From this seeming setback, an enduring friendship is forged and a life lesson is learned.
More Poetry here.
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Book Review – Yellow Arrows
A review of Shelli Peck’s engaging and introspective memoir Yellow Arrows, a physical and emotional journey story that ultimately reminds us of the higher purpose that pilgrimage can serve to help point the way in our lives. -
Book Review – The Way Beneath Your Feet
A review of a “brilliantly illustrated and beautifully written” small book in which Paul Fee shares his love of geology with his fellow pilgrims, offering them a preview of what they might see geologically as they make their way along the Camino Francés from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela. -
Book Review: The Codex of Christian Surname
Book review of The Codex of Christian Surname, Shoshana D. Kerewsky’s debut novel set in an alternate late Middle Ages Spain. The story begins with a 13-year-old girl, orphaned and living with aunts, uncles, and cousins in a small town near a pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. The shimmering tale follows the protagonist along the Camino and far beyond, spiraling toward a sacred feminine core. -
Book Review – The Joyful Gypsy Gal
A review of The Joyful Gypsy Gal, in which author Mary Baldree weaves together her Camino experiences in Spain with the larger pilgrimage of her life to tell a journey story of joy and courage.
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Hidden Arrows: A Collection of Imagery
Selected images that consider this issue’s theme, “Hidden Arrows.” -
Parting Gifts: A Photo Collection
Selected photos that consider this issue’s theme, “Parting Gifts,” through the lens of contrast. -
Adding to Your Pack: A Photo & Video Collection
A collection of photos and a video that consider this issue’s theme, “Adding to Your Pack,” from various perspectives. -
Lightening Your Load: A Photo Collection
A collection of photos that consider this issue’s theme, “Lightening Your Load,” from various perspectives.
More in Gallery here.
For back issues of La Concha through Winter 2024, please visit our archive page.
2026 La Concha Themes
The Annual Gathering of Pilgrims marks an unofficial start to a new pilgrimage year. The theme for the 2026 Gathering of Pilgrims planned for April 9-12, 2026, seeks to listen for “Echoes from the Camino: The Gifts We Carry. The Gifts We Share.”
The 2026 Gathering theme considers elements of the Hero’s Journey—the archetypal story structure famously identified by mythologist Joseph Campbell and told in countless works across literature, film, and song. This theme invites us to reflect on the gifts that summon us to journey, the gifts that serve as waymarkers, and the gifts that continue to shape us and reach others long after we return home.
We have drawn on the Gathering’s overarching and supporting themes to form a cohesive set of topics to guide a year of shared reflections, poetry, and imagery in La Concha. We invite you to think about how your pilgrim experiences, creative works, scholarship, and insights intersect with these themes La Concha will explore seasonally:
- Parting Gifts (Summer 2026) – When your call to the Camino came, did it tickle like a feather or strike like a sledgehammer? Did the germ of your journey take root with a changing season of life, or did it sprout suddenly from the ashes of a metaphorical wildfire? In a moment of fear or doubt, did someone offer you a token of encouragement to send you off on your quest? In this issue, we unpack not the necessities we carried, but the gifts-tangible or intangible, delightful or surprising-that helped us step over the threshold from our everyday into the foreign territory of pilgrimage.
- Hidden Arrows (Autumn 2026) – What trials did you face or obstacles did you navigate along the way that were blessings in disguise, offering vital lessons in adaptability, resourcefulness, assertiveness, surrender, compassion, or humility? Was there a friend or foe; a place that felt dark or mysterious; or a specific ordeal that provided a moment of clarity, sudden insight, or sense of direction? As you trod your path, what seed of potential did you unearth, inner resource did you tap into, latent talent did you rediscover, or forgotten part of yourself did you remember? In this issue, we’ll map the unexpected yellow arrows that guided the way or became defining features of our journey.
- Enduring Gifts (Winter 2027) – At journey’s end, the hero returns to their ordinary world carrying the “elixir,” a magic potion of wisdom and power gained through their odyssey. They return with something they didn’t start with and share it with their community. The story of getting the treasure is the treasure. This issue explores the ways we bring the magical elixir of our pilgrimage back to our lives and communities, each offering an echo of the Camino-an outward ripple that touches others far beyond the trail.
We invite American Pilgrims members to share their pilgrim experiences and insights on these themes over the coming year. Watch your email for our call for submissions and associated deadlines for each La Concha issue. If you would like to submit materials and are not yet an American Pilgrims member, learn more at americanpilgrims.org/membership.
Your original creative contributions may take the form of:
- Personal accounts, reflections, and essays
- Poetry
- Artwork
- Photography
Please limit written works to 400 words maximum.
Submissions to the Winter 2027 issue close December 19.
Access the LA CONCHA SUBMISSION FORM for complete submission guidelines and to submit your creative work. We include as many submissions as possible in each issue. We may defer some items to future issues.
Thoughts and opinions expressed by La Concha contributors are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of American Pilgrims on the Camino.
Contact Us
If you have a question for our La Concha team, email our editor-in-chief.