2012 Camino de Santiago Tour

In the afternoon, we meet the group in the town of Leon (Spain), whose Gothic Cathedral's magnificent stain glass windows have led people to say that it is made more of glass than stone! We hop in the van and drive west following the Camino de Santiago. We stretch our legs a bit and do a short walk through the green Valcarce river valley. Before dinner, we meet as a group for our Orientation Meeting to discuss our week ahead on the Camino de Santiago Tour!

With our boots and scallop shells on, we get our first glimpses of the green Galician countryside. Our day starts with a steady climb to the Alto do Poio, the highest point of the Camino de Santiago in Galicia. After a stamp and a coffee, we start our descent down to the town of Triacastela, named after the 3 castles that once stood watch over the village. Our first full day of walking in the books! We hop in the van to shuttle to our accommodations for the evening.

The day of the difficult decision! What to do? The Camino de Santiago has 2 paths to reach Sarria - take the path through San Xil and enjoy the beautiful views from atop the ridge or visit the ancient monastery of Samos along the river valley? Traditionally, pilgrims would have to choose one or the other. We, however, get to do both! By day we walk along the hills of San Xil, and in the evening we'll take the van to visit one of Spain's oldest monasteries!

Leaving Sarria, we should take in the views from atop of the city and keep an eye out for the ruins of Celtic castros hiding in the vegetation along the Camino de Santiago. On our way to Portomarin, we walk by the 100km marker, a milestone (or kmstone!) for the millions of pilgrims who have traversed this same spot during the last millennium. As we approach Portomarin, we see the 12th-century Church of San Juan, an interesting fortified church that stands guard over the banks of the River Miño.

We start our day with a gentle climb out of the river valley and pass through typical Galician villages, decorated with their raised corncribs and the occasional carved granite cross that marks the way to Santiago. Continuing west, we walk through the first of many eucalyptus forests along the Camino de Santiago and work our way into Palas de Rei. We've finished our longest day, and what better way to reward ourselves than a glass of Galicia's light Albariño white wine!

Following the now very familiar yellow arrows, we ramble up and down gentle rolling hills along quiet footpaths. Little has changed in this quiet corner of Spain, and the peaceful rural environment of local farmers tending to their lazy cattle in stone houses accompany us back to another time. We quickly arrive back to the present in the bustling market town of Melide, where tender octopus, pulpo, is still boiled in large copper kettles on the street.

Half way to our destination, we leave Melide and on small country roads we wind our way across the Galician countryside. Along the way, our journey is filled with tiny churches dating back to the 12th and 14th-century dedicated to Santiago and Santa Maria. Once in Arzua, we should take advantage to try some of the famous local cow cheese or perhaps a bit of empanada, a light crusty pastry filled with either beef or tuna.

Today we continue to enjoy the wonderful scenery of the Galician countryside and charming atmosphere of tiny 3-house villages. Get a feel for the people and greet a local villager with a “Buenos dias” or “Hola”. You'll see how these quiet and reserved people, quickly wish you well on your journey to Santiago. On this trek, you are no longer a tourist but a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago! Almost there...

9 days, 160 kilometers, and we have arrived to Santiago de Compostela. Congratulations! You are going to love this magical city filled with fantastic monuments and with a lively buzz from the international pilgrims and university students that fill its medieval streets. After performing the traditional pilgrim rituals in the Cathedral, we head to our hotel and get ready for our evening celebratory dinner!

After breakfast, our local historian gives us a closer look at the amazing Cathedral that has seen so many transformations since the original chapel built in the 9th-century. After the tour, we sadly say our last “buen camino” as we leave you at the Cathedral in time for the pilgrims' mass at noon.

This itinerary gives you the opportunity to walk the last 100KM into Santiago. This is a requirement needed to request the Compostela, the certificate granted by the church of Santiago upon the completion of the pilgrimage. It is not mandatory, however, to walk 100km (60 miles) to participate in this Fresco Tour. As with all our trips, your walk is accompanied by a support van and shorter walk options are available on a daily basis.