Description: We offer you an unforgettable experience by undertaking the Way of St. James on foot, staying in 3* hotels to get a good rest after each stage, with accompanying guide so as not to miss any details about the sights along the way,...
Price
On request
Availability
On request.
- Minimum participants: 4
- Maximum participants: 15
Place
Arrival in Astorga at clients’ own expense. Meeting point in hotel.
Duration
9 days / 8 nights.
Included in price
-ACCOMMODATION: 8 nights in hotels and rural tourism establishments. We endeavour to alternate stays in comfortable hotels, located in interesting towns along the Way of St. James, with rural tourism establishments whose architecture, hospitality and gastronomy round off the day with a special touch.
- MEALS: Both breakfast and dinner is included. Although lunch is not included, we will stop along the way to eat something and get our strength back in some of the villages we pass through –the guide will suggest a place depending on each day’s itinerary.
- GUIDE: The guide knows the Way of St. James well and will provide information about its monuments, history and scenery. The guide will coordinate the trip at all times.
- TRANSPORT: Apart from transfers to and from our accommodation, it will carry our luggage and provide support during the itinerary on foot. This will enable us to pick anybody up or shorten the route if necessary (providing the stage’s characteristics enable such). Since the minimum number of participants is 4, the vehicle may be a people carrier (like a Mercedes Viano) or a minibus, depending on the number of passengers.
-Tour of Santiago’s old town with official guide.
-Visit to Cathedral roofs in Santiago.
-Travel documentation: map and pilgrim credentials.
-Travel insurance.
Itinerary
Day 1 (Friday): Astorga
Arrival in Astorga at clients’ own expense. Meeting point in hotel, explanatory meeting with guide, handing over of pilgrim credentials and dinner in hotel.
Day 2 (Saturday): Rabanal del Camino – Ponferrada (25 Km). Night in Ponferrada.
After breakfast, beginning of 1st stage of the Way; we head towards Rabanal del Camino to begin the hike. A 25-km (15-mile) walk to Molinaseca, where we finish the itinerary and prepare to visit the town. From there we travel to Ponferrada to visit the Templar Castle and then go to the Hotel. This stage is hard to beat since, apart from the beautiful scenery we discover crossing over the mountains that separate Maragatería from the Bierzo region, we pass through numerous places of great importance in the history of the Way: Rabanal, Foncebadón, Cruz de Ferro, El Acebo, Molinaseca and Ponferrada.
Day 3 (Sunday): Ponferrada – Alto do Poio (17 Km). Night in Sarria.
Breakfast in hotel and beginning of 2nd stage, which is shorter than yesterday’s although steeper. We begin in Herrerías and end in Alto do Poio, 17 km (10 miles) away. While yesterday’s stage was good, today’s is even better. The way into Galicia, going up towards O Cebreiro, is spectacular and gives us the chance to stopover in the town to rest a bit, eat and visit the “Pallozas” (thatched-roof constructions), the pre-Romanesque Church of Santa María and the mountainous architecture of this part of Lugo. After O Cebreiro, we pass through Alto de San Roque and finish in Alto do Poio. There are magnificent views throughout almost the entire itinerary, since the Way goes through highlands overlooking a large area of pasture grounds, woodland and villages. Back in the coach, we drive to Sarria where we spend the night, stopping on the way to visit the Monastery of Samos.
Day 4 (Monday): Sarriá - Porto Marín (24 Km). Night in Sarria.
Breakfast in hotel and beginning of 3rd stage, leaving all our luggage here since we will return after the stage. Today is a 24-km (14.5 mile) walk as far as the Church-Fort of San Nicolás in Portomarín. After Sarria we follow the complete itinerary so that those interested in obtaining the “Compostela” certificate may do so. The most important sights today are Sarria’s old town (Church of El Salvador, Convent of La Magdalena), the Romanesque Church of Barbadelo and the Church-Fort of San Nicolás (erected by the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem). Since Lugo is near, we visit the city to see its impressive Roman wall and Cathedral before returning to the hotel.
Day 5 (Tuesday): Portomarín - Palas (24 Km). Night in Palas de Rei.
We drive to Portomarín and continue along the Way from the place we stopped yesterday. Today we reach Palas de Rei after a relatively easy 24-km (14.5 mile) walk without any steep hills. Accommodation in Palais.
Day 6 (Wednesday): Palas de Rei – Arzúa (23 Km). Night in Arzúa.
We leave Palas de Rei and begin the stage that ends in Castañeda, 23 km (14 miles) away. Today we discover countless items of interest: Leboreiro (small, magnificently conserved village), the medieval bridge over the Furelos River, Church of San Pedro and Church of Santa María in Melide. We also cross the rivers Pambre, Porto, Furelos and Boente, which flow through a region famous for its cattle and its cheese. We have the chance to try the local gastronomy in Melide and get our strength back for the final stretch.
After a bit of rest at our accommodation in Arzúa, we visit the Monastery of Sobrado dos Monxes, whose spectacular size and architecture makes it one of Galicia’s most interesting baroque buildings.
Day 7 (Thursday): Melide – Arca (24 Km). Night in Arzúa.
We return to Castañeda to continue along the Way; from there we go down to the hostel in Ribadiso, a favourite with pilgrims due to its traditional architecture and location beside the Iso River.
We continue on to Arzúa, thereafter going through small villages such as Calzada, Calle, Salceda and finishing the stage in Arca. After today’s 24-km (14-mile) walk, we go back to the hotel.
Day 8 (Friday): Arca – Santiago (20 Km). Night in Santiago.
From Arca we only have a 20-km (12-mile) walk to Santiago, passing through places of special meaning for pilgrims such as Lavacolla or Monte del Gozo, where we glimpse the city. We follow the same itinerary as medieval pilgrims, who reached Porta do Camiño via Rúa de San Pedro, thereafter going through Plaza de Cervantes as far as the Cathedral.
After eating and resting, we enjoy a guided tour of the old town and farewell dinner.
Day 9 (Saturday): Santiago.
Breakfast in Santiago, tour of Cathedral rooftops and end of our services.
Cancellation conditions
- All departures have a limited number of participants.
- Booking requests should be sent to the organisation in writing (fax, mail).
- Once the organisation has confirmed the services, a deposit amounting to 40% of total booking price will be requested as a guarantee.
- The rest of the price should be paid 30 days at the most before departure.
General conditions
Cancellation expenses once booking is confirmed:
- No cancellation expenses at least 2 months before departure.
- 40% cancellation expenses between 60 and 30 days before departure.
- 100% cancellation expenses within 30 days of departure.
We recommend taking out insurance to cover cancellation expenses.
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