May27–DepartUSA
IfnotdoinggroupairarriveSantiago,Spainonthe27th.ThenmeetthegroupatairportonMay28totransfertoSarria.Thegrouplands840AMMay28.
May28–GroupTransferFromSantiagotoSarria(Landportionofficiallybegins)
ArriveinSantiago.At9amwewillbemetandtransferred90minutestoSarria.WethenbeginouradventureinSarria,highontheridgesoftheGaliciapeninsulaofSpain.Itisthelargesttownwewillseeaswebeginourpilgrimage.ByancientGaliciastandards,Sarriaisanewcity.Butyet,itischarminginit“new”way.Sarriais
knownforitsimpressivechurchesandmonasteries,mostdatingtothe13thcentury.
Useyourfreetimetoexploreandseethecity’swonderssuchasthechurchOSalvador,whichislocatedonRúaMaior.EquallyimportantistheConventofAMadalenathatinthe13thcenturywasusedasapilgrimhospitalbyItalianmonksoftheOrderoftheBlessedMartyrsofJesus.Sarriaisacitywitharichartistichistoryandisnowconsideredacapitalofantiques.Fromfurnituretoart,peopleflocktoSarria.
OurhotelistheHotelAlfonsowhichoverlookstheSarriaRiverandisashortdistancefromthetownplaza.Youwillhavetheafternoonandeveningtorelaxandexploretoprepareforthejourneythatliesahead.Sarriaisafoodiehaven,soenjoysomeofthelocalcuisines.Thespecialtyifastewcalledcocidowhichisamixtureofwildgameandseafood.Bearinmindthisisthestartingpointformanyonthispilgrimagesoyoumaymeetotherswhoarethereforthesamereasonasyou.
Overnight:Sarria-HotelAlfonsoD
Mar29–SarriatoPortomarin
Followingaheartybreakfast,wesetoutthroughPonteRibieraonwhatisaboutapeaceful13½milewalkthroughprettyvillagesandpeacefulhamlets.Asweexittown,wepasstheMagdanelaConventandthenheadalongquietcountryroadsthatareshadedbyoaktrees.Youwillseeaconstantreminderthatyouareontherightpathbythescallopshellsymbolsalongtheway.Theshellsarefoundontrees,roadsandsigns,pointingtheWay.Medievalpilgrimsworetheshellswhiletravelingthepathtosymbolizetheirjourney.
Alongtheway,youwillspotmanyGaliciantraditional‘hórreos’(granaries).AswepassthroughthetinytownofBarbadelo,makesuretotaketimetoseethebeautifulRomanesquechurchinthevillageofBarbadelowithitsincrediblebaroquealtar.OthersmallhamletswetraverseincludeRente,Serra,Peruscallo,Morgade,
MercadoiroandVilache.Eachprovidesanopportunityforyoutorest,haveasnackorlookaround.
AswemakeourfinalstepstoPortomarin,youwillseeasettoancientstepsandastructureknownastheChapeloftheClouds…thisisthebestandtraditionalwayforpilgrimstoenterPortomarin.ThetownhasmanycuteshopsandrestaurantsbutyoushouldtaketimetovisitthechurchoftheKnightsoftheorderSanJuan.Itisbothatempleandafortress.OncelocatedintheMiñoRiverValleybeforeitwasfloodedasadamreservoir,thestructurewasmovedstonebystoneandreconstructedhere.
We’llcheckintoPoussadadePortomarinoverlookingtheMiñoRiverandveryclosetothechurchofSanJuan.Ifyoureallywanttogolocalthisevening,tryatraditionalmealoffriedeels!
Overnight:PoussadadePortomarinB/D
May30–Portomarin–PalasdeRei
WhenweleavePortomarin,yourCaminowillcrosstheriverMiño(Galicia’slongestriver)andbeginasteadyslopeuphilltowardstheSerradeLigonde.Today’sventurewillcoverabout15milesthroughvariedterrain.We’llstartinshadedforestsandthengoalongsomepavedroadspasthamletssuchasGonzar,HospitaldelaCruzandVentasdeNarón.HospitaldelaCruzwasnamedafteronoldhospitalforpilgrimswhichnolongerexists.ItisbelievedtobethesiteofamassiveChristian–Moorishbattleinthe9thcentury.
Thereareseveralchurchesworthstoppingatalongtheway,butperhapstheoneyoushouldnotmissaretheRomanesqueChurchofSantaMaríainCastromaiorandtheRomanesquechurchinEirexe,withitsportalfeaturingasculptureofDanielwithanimals,aswellasPilgrimSantiago.Weendtoday’sjourneyinthetownofPalaisdeRei.AmongtheplacesyoushouldtakeinisCastillodePambrewhichisthemostcompleteMedievalFortinGalicia,datingfromthe14thcentury.
Youreveningisfree.Whendining,youmaywanttoenjoysomeofthesoftcheesestheareaisknownfor.WewillbeovernightatComplejolaCabana,alogcabinhotelalongtheroutewhichiswithinwalkingdistancethecenteroftown
Overnight:PalasdeRei-ComplejolaCabanaB/D
CastillodePambre
May31–PalasdeRei-Azúra
Todaywillbeyourlongesthike,travelingabout18miles.Thegoodnewsisthattodayismostlydownhill.OurpathwilltakeacrosstheborderbetweentheprovinceofLugoandLaCoruña.WewillbepassingthroughthevillageofCasanovaandthedelightfulvillageofLeboreiro.YoushouldtakeabreakinthelivelymarkettownofMelide,whereyoushouldtryoctopus,Galicia’smostclassicdish,inoneofthemany‘pulperías.’AfterMelide,youwillnoticethattheWaywillstartbecomingmorecrowdedaswemergewiththePrimitiveRoad
ThesceneryherecanbebreathtakingaswefollowtheCastasolRiver,crossingseveralstreams.We’llmakeourwayalongaforesttrackofeucalyptusandoak,bringingustothevillageofBoenteandthechurchofSantiagowheretheparishpriestenjoysbeckoningtravelerstocomeinforavisit.Nextisthepretty,medievalhamletofRibadisoandfinallythetownofArzúawhichconnectstotheCaminointheNorth.Duringyourfreeevening,youshouldvisitthechurchesofSantaMaríaandAMagdalena.
WeovernightattheCasaTeodora,locatedrightontheCamino.Recentlyrenovated,thesamefamilyhasrunthispensionformorethan100years,cateringtotheneedsofpilgrims.Overnight:Arzúa-CasaTeodoraB/D
Jun1–ArzúatoAmenal
Today’sCaminowilltakeusforabout14milesthroughprettywoods,sleepyvillagesandacrossstreamsformostoftheday.Thisisaneasytrekandonethatcanbeenjoyedbystoppingfordrinksandsnacksinthevariousscenichamletsalongtheway.You’llnoticethatthecloseryougettoSantiago,themorejoyouseveryone’sspiritisandthemoresocialtheotherpilgrimshavebecome.
InthetownofSantaIrene,thechapelofSantaIreneisworthavisit.ItissaidIrenewasmurderedherebutthattheimageoftheSaintinsidetheshrinehashealingpowers.ThenearbyfountainisclaimedbysometobetheFountainofEternalYouth.
ThelovelyhamletofRúaisanovernightspotformanybutwewillcontinueonalongcountryroadsandforesttrackstoAmenal.WewillovernightatthehotelAmenal,Amodernizedhistoricstructure,itoverlooksfieldsandforestsbutyetisconvenientforexploringthislittletown.
Overnight:HotelAmenal&HotelBelloCastrofeitoB/D
Jun2–SantiagodeCompostela
Savoreverymomentofthelast10milesofourepicpilgrimage.WewillstopinLavacollaontheoutskirtsofSantiagowhereforcenturiespilgrimswouldcometowashinthewatersontheriverinpreparationfortheirarrivalinSantiagodeCompostela.AshadedpathofrowsoftalleucalyptustreeslineyourjourneytoMontedoGozoorMountofJoy.FromherewewillcatchourfirstglimpseofthespiresofthecathedralinSantiago.
Fromhere,wewillbeenteringthecityofSantiagoandmakeashortwalktothehistoricpartofSantiagoandthePlazadelObradoirowhichisthetown’smainsquare.wemustregisterourarrivalwiththePilgrims’Officetomakeoutpilgrimagecompletionofficial.WewillthenweentertheCathedralitselftobeapartofthePilgrimmass.Heldatnoon,themassbeginswiththereadingoutofthenumberofpilgrimswhohavebeenreceivedinthePilgrims’Officeinthelast24hours,wheretheycomefromandwheretheystartedtheirpilgrimage.Wethencollectoutcertificatesofcompletion.
Afterwardwecancheckintoapropertyeveryoneloves,theSanFranciscoMonumento,ahistorichotelthatwillgiveyouwelldeservedpamperingafteryourjourney.WehavetheafternoontoexplorequaintpedestrianstreetsofthisgemofanancientcitywhichisaUNESCOWorldHeritageSite.Knownforitsarchitectureanddelightfulatmosphereofspiritandculture,youwillfindnotonlypilgrimsbutalsolocalsandstudents,enjoyingafewbitesandsocializingoveraglassofwineinthemanybars,restaurantsandcozycafes.
Overnight:SanFranciscoMonumentoB
Jun3–ExploreonownorjoinonorOptionalFinisterreDayTour!
[captionid="attachment_3804"align="alignright"width="300"]FinisterreDayTripTailslocatedinthelighthouseatCapeFinisterre,wherepilgrimsburnan
objectthatledtotheCaminoSantiago,theendofpilgrimroutetoSantiagodeCompostela.[/caption]
Freeatlast.AFSersloveLeisuretime!
YouhaveafreedaytorestuporexploreSantiagodeCompostela.TheSanFranciscoMonumentoisapropertywithindoorandoutdoorpools.Andofcourse,thecityitselfisknownforitspedestrianareaslinedwithshopsandcafes.Thelocaldailymarketisphoto-worthy-filledwithcolorfulfruits,vegetables,cheeses,seafoodandwares.
Optional:YoualsohavetheopportunitytotakeanoptionalvisittoFinisterre(orFisterrainSpanish),the“EndoftheWorld.”Traditionally,pilgrimsusedtofinishtheirCaminojourneyinCapeFisterra,wheretheyburnedtheirclothesandadmiredthesunsettingovertheAtlanticOcean.Thistourwilltakeustothecoastwhichisknownforitsruggedcliffs,goldenbeachesandsmallfishingvillages.Theviewsherearespectacular!WewillmakestopsattheformidableCostadaMorte,thesmallfishingvillageofMuros,Carnota(hometothebiggestgranaryinGaliciaandthelargestsandybeach),andthevillageofMuxía,famousforitscharmingsanctuarybytheAtlantic.WewillalsovisitthestunningÉzarowaterfall-theonlyriverinEuropereachingtheseaasawaterfall.(60Euros–detailslater)
Overnight:SanFranciscoMonumentoB/D
Jun4–Afterbreakfast,departtoairport.
Allpricesareperpersontwinshare.Singleroomslimitedpergroupandasinglesupplementapplies.Costsetbyhotel/cruiselineandvaryconsiderably.AFSwillfindyouaroommatematch.PleasereviewAFSTermsandConditionsaswellasHeadingAbroadwithAFS.Land-Pricebasedonaminimumnumberoftripparticipants,aswellaslocalcurrencyexchangerateswhichcanfluctuate.WewriteourItinerariesayearinadvance.Thoughunlikely,wereservetherighttomodifyschedules,toursandhotelsifnecessary.Allhotelroomsare"runofhouse."Groupair-Airlinesmayaddsurchargestooffsetfuelinflationortaxes.Thetotalticketcostisnotfinaluntilwereceiveyourfinalpaymentandthegroupisticketed.Ifdoingownair,airporttransfermayormaynotbeincludeddependingonyourairschedule.Donotbuyairuntilthegroupairissetorweadvise-thoughunlikely,airlines,timesanddatescanchange!