Walking the Camino de Santiago - 8 Days

Our trip begins today at Santiago de Compostela Airport where we'll meet in the arrivals hall at 4.30pm. Please note, the latest your flight can arrive is 3:30pm. We then transfer to Sarria. This medieval town in the hills of Galicia marks the starting point our Camino journey and welcomes thousands of pilgrims annually with its well-preserved old quarter featuring narrow cobblestone streets, 13th-century castle ruins, and the beautiful Romanesque Church of Santa Marina.

From Sarria, we continue on foot through Galicia, traversing a terrain of rolling hills. Passing the hamlet of Ferreiros, we'll reach the famous 100-kilometre/62-mile landmark - a magical moment for weary pilgrims. It's here that pilgrims would re-gather their strength, knowing it was only another three or four days to Santiago. More recently this waypoint marked the limit from where you have to walk continuously to achieve La Compostela, the official pilgrim's certificate. This afternoon, we'll reach Portomarin, once a splendid medieval village, which was relocated by Franco to make way for a reservoir. Remnants of the town's more prosperous days can still be seen amongst its narrow streets, such as the attractive Romanesque San Pedro church. Today's 22-kilometre/13.6-mile walk is expected to take around five-and-a-half hours with 540 metres/1,772 feet of ascent and 300 metres/984 feet of descent. The terrain is mainly unmade paths through hilly countryside.

Today, we'll begin with a crossing of the reservoir via a beautifully preserved disused railway bridge - a perfect photo opportunity as the morning mist lifts from the water below. The ancient pilgrim trail then winds gradually uphill through rolling countryside, passing the significant 80-kilometre marker near the picturesque village of Castromaior. Keep an eye out for Casa Carneiro, a fascinating glimpse into the Camino's illustrious past. This medieval inn once welcomed royal pilgrims including Emperor Charles V, who rested here in 1520 en route to his coronation, and later King Philip II on his journey to England to marry Mary Tudor. We'll conquer our final high pass at 722 metres just before Ligonde and enjoy the sweeping views over the landscape. From here, the path winds through hills dotted with eucalyptus groves Cruceiros - those distinctive stone crosses that are such a feature of the Galician landscape. The day concludes with a gentle descent through the countryside to our accommodation just outside Palas do Rei. Today's 20-kilometre/12.4-mile walk is expected to take around five hours with 540 metres/1,771 feet of ascent and 640 metres/2,100 feet of descent. We'll ascend up to the pass (722 metres/2,369 feet) and then continue on unmade paths through gently undulating hills.

Leaving the town behind, the Camino now takes us through idyllic rural Galicia along gently undulating terrain, passing traditional stone farmhouses, grazing cattle, and patchwork fields of green pasture. We'll walk through ancient oak groves and eucalyptus plantations to reach A Coruna hamlet, then cross the atmospheric medieval bridge with its four weathered stone arches spanning the river to enter Melide, famous throughout Galicia for its octopus preparation. Tonight, we'll stay in a typical Galician farmhouse surrounded by rolling countryside, where we can enjoy a traditional dinner featuring locally-sourced ingredients. It's the perfect opportunity to try authentic Galician specialties, particularly Melide's renowned 'pulpo a la Gallega' - tender octopus served with paprika, olive oil, and coarse salt - paired with crisp local white wine from the prestigious Rías Baixas region near Pontevedra. Today's 28-kilometre/16.6-mile walk is expected to take around seven hours with 500 metres/1,770 feet of ascent and 650 metres/2099 feet of descent. The terrain is rural paths through farmland and gently undulating hillsides.

Today we'll pass many 'horreos', typical barns of the region that dot this beautiful countryside. We'll also start to see more signs that we're nearing Santiago, including many pilgrim villages. Crossing the River Iso, we'll arrive in Arzua where the Camino Frances (French Way) that we've been following, and Camino del Norte (North Way or Camino Primitivo) meet - Arzua is also known for its local soft cheese, which you might like to try while we're here! Today, we'll pass many pilgrim sites including pilgrim Guillermo Watt's memorial; he died here whilst on the pilgrimage and his shoes can be found in the stone wall. We can also stop at Santa Irene Chapel to see the statues of Saint James. We'll arrive at the small village of El Amenal and our hotel for the night. Today's 27-kilometre/16-mile walk is expected to take around seven-and-a-half hours with 350 metres/1,476 feet of ascent and 470 metres/1,542 feet of descent. The terrain is rural paths and local village roads.

Today is the final day of our pilgrimage, as we walk into Santiago de Compostela. We'll pass through the village of Lavacolla, where traditionally pilgrims would wash and change into their best clothes for the final stretch of the walk. From here, we'll ascend the final hill to Monte Gozo, from where we'll finally see Santiago Cathedral in the distance. We're now just five kilometres from Santiago's historic centre and the end of our pilgrimage. As we walk the last hour of the trail, we'll share the emotions and sense of achievement of thousands of pilgrims, ancient and modern from all over the world. Finally, we'll complete the trail and claim our 'Compostela'. Our last walk covers 17.5 kilometres/10.8 miles and is expected to take around five hours with 300 metres/984 feet of ascent and 350 metres/1,148 feet of descent. The terrain is unmade paths and roads.

This morning, we'll take a walking tour of Santiago with a local guide, including a visit to the magnificent cathedral. Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is the final and most iconic stop of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Reputed to be the resting place of Saint James the apostle, this religious site has attracted pilgrims since the early Middle Ages. Built in the Romanesque style with numerous Gothic, Baroque, Plateresque and Neoclassical add-ons, the cathedral is one of Spain's most visited tourist sites. We'll also visit the important local squares, churches and buildings around the cathedral.The afternoon is free to wander the city's narrow streets, discover some of the city's other architectural treasures, and enjoy the local food and wine. It's also possible to take an optional excursion to Cape Finisterre - please note, this is a full-day tour, so you would miss the city tour.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Santiago de Compostela.There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Santiago at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ) which is around a 15-minute drive from the hotel.