CAMINO INGLES GUIDED TOUR ITINERARY
Day 1 – Travel to Ferrol
Today you will fly from Dublin to Santiago where the guide will meet the group and travel by coach to your hotel in the centre of Ferrol.
The group will enjoy free time to explore Ferrol, with dinner at the hotel so you can meet your fellow pilgrims. You will have the option to walk the first few kms from Ferrol to Xubia, which is an easy walk bordering the Bay along the outskirts of Ferrol, with the sea as your companion for the whole way. Once in Xubia, it is worth visiting the Monastery of San Martiño de Xubia also known as Mosteiro do Couto which dates back to the 12th century but was later refurbished with elements added of classic Galician Baroque style.
Our Dublin rep will meet the group at Dublin Airport to assist with check in and our Camino local guide will meet the group at arrivals in Santiago Airport.
Day 2 – Walking from Xubia to Pontedeume (21KM)
After breakfast at the hotel, the group will travel to Xubia to continue your walk through the towns of Neda, Fene and Cabanas, where you will enjoy wonderful views of the Bay of Ferrol. Outside the Church of St Nicholas in Neda, you can admire one of the oldest ‘cruceiros’ (way crosses) in Galicia.
Our destination for the day is the charming historic town of Pontedeume which you will enter by its medieval bridge. Pontedeume Old Town is a wonderful example of traditional Galician architecture, with its cobbled streets and arches. One of the iconic sights in the town is the Andrade Tower which used to be part of the palace belonging to this powerful family; as well as the Church of St James, a must-visit for Camino pilgrims.
The group will then be picked up and travel back to the hotel in Ferrol.
Day 3 – Walking from Pontedeume to Betanzos (21KM)
After breakfast, the group will travel back to Pontedeume to continue the walk where we left it yesterday. You will walk out of Pontedeume following the Old Royal Road, the Rúa Real, with its wonderful arches. The trail out of Pontedeume starts with a climb (for about 1 km) but the panoramic views from the top of town are worth the climb! Take a breather and enjoy the view of the town below, the Praia da Magdalena beach and the Bay of Ares and Cabanas.
The trail will take you then through agricultural and rural land on your way to the village of Miño, down by the coast. The trail today is marked by its ups and downs. After passing Alameda Beach and Ponte do Porco the trail heads back uphill.
Following country lanes you will reach the hamlets of A Rúa and San Paio, where you can enjoy views of the ‘ría’ and the Mandeo River, where you can stop to visit the Romanesque Church of San Martiño de Tiobre.
After crossing the old bridge over the Mandeo River, you will enter Betanzos by the Porta da Ponte Vella (Old Bridge Gate), one of the five historic gates from the old town wall. Betanzos was once capital of one of the seven provinces of the Old Kingdom of Galicia. Its old town is a beautiful example of traditional architecture and has many old churches to admire including San Francisco (St Francis), Santo Domingo, Santiago (St James) and Santa María de Azogue; as well as pazos (grand houses) and the gates of the Old Wall. The town is famous for its potato omelette, a must-try.
From Betanzos, the group will be picked up and travel back to the hotel in Ferrol.
Day 4 – Walking from Betanzos to Bruma (26KM)
After breakfast, you will check out of the hotel before travelling back to Betanzos to continue the Camino walk.
Today’s stage takes you from Betanzos to the tiny hamlet of Bruma through forest and mountain tracks as well as well as small country roads and farmland. It is possibly the most challenging walking day of the route, due to the hilly profile of the stage. Along the way you will pass three rural churches: Santo Estevo de Cos, Nosa Señora da Saleta in Presedo and Santa Eulalia de Leiro.
Your luggage will be transferred by coach to the hotel in Santiago.
After the walk, the group will be picked up in Bruma and travel to the hotel in Santiago.
Day 5 – Walking from Bruma to Sigueiro (24KM)
After breakfast, the group will travel back back to the hamlet of Bruma to continue the walk where we left it the day before. If yesterday’s stage of the Camino Ingles was mainly uphill, today will be the opposite with an easy trail and gradual descent helping you all the way to Sigueiro. There are some nice forest track stretches on today’s route before reaching our destination, the town of Sigueiro, in the outskirts of Santiago, where you can find all services and shops.
After the walk, the group will get picked up in Sigueiro and travel to the hotel in Santiago.
Day 6 – Walking from Sigueiro to Santiago de Compostela (16KM)
After breakfast the group will travel back to Sigueiro to walk the last stretch of the Camino Ingles into Santiago de Compostela.
The day starts crossing the bridge over the Tambre River. From there, the Camino Inglés takes pilgrims on small country lanes with very little traffic, parallel to the main N550 road before walking through a pine forest before A Sionlla. From here you will walk through the oak forest called ‘Enchanted Forest’ and across agricultural areas before reaching the edge of the city and make your way across the Old Town to the Cathedral, your stunning finishing point and meeting point for pilgrims for centuries.
Your guide will organise for the Pilgrim Certificates to be collected from the Pilgrims Office.
After the day’s walk, the group will enjoy dinner together at the hotel tonight to celebrate the achievement.
Day 7 – Santiago de Compostela
Today you can enjoy a free day to explore Santiago de Compostela at leisure.
Santiago is a small but always vibrant city, home to one of the oldest universities in Spain and destination for pilgrims from all over the world for many centuries.
Explore the UNESCO listed Old Town, stroll its lovely parks, sample the local gastronomy and get to know the culture visiting its many museums (Galician People Museum, Contemporary Art and Pilgrimage Museum are some of them) or attending some of the many cultural events that take place throughout the year.
A must visit for food lovers is the Abastos Market food market and its many contemporary cuisine restaurants where traditional Galician gastronomy is given a modern twist.
Read our blog: 8 things to do and see in Santiago de Compostela.
Day 8 – Travel to Santiago Airport
After breakfast, you will check out of the hotel and enjoy a walking tour of Santiago.
You will also have some free time before meeting back at the hotel to travel back to Santiago Airport for your flight home. We hope you enjoyed your Camino experience!
