DAY 1: Starting your Camino Journey
Today you will travel to the airport and take a flight to Santiago de Compostela (flights are available from Dublin or London; but can also be organised from a different airport, talk to our team for advice).
The group will be collected at Santiago Airport and travel to the hotel in Vigo, where you will have time to explore the city’s port and Old Town.
DAY 2: Walking from San Pedro de A Ramallosa to Vigo – (20km/5.5hr approx)
The group will travel by bus from the hotel in Vigo to San Pedro de A Ramallosa where you will get your first stamp before starting your Camino walk.
The Camino trail starts at the Romanic bridge of A Ramallosa and continues along the coast through beaches of white sand and crystalline water with the Cies Islands always accompanying us on the horizon, discovering unique natural viewpoints that will allow us to admire the beauty of the south coast of Galicia.
The entry into Vigo is through the famous Samil beach leading us to Bouzas and the fabulous old quarters of the city with a privileged view over the bay and finally our hotel where we finish the walk.
DAY 3: Walking from Cabanas to Capela de Santa Marta-Bertola – (23km/6.5hr approx)
This morning the group will be transported by coach to Cabanas and continue along the Camino trail towards Redondela.
You will start the day’s walk again with beautiful views over Vigo Bay before heading into the lovely market town of Redondela. Here you will spot a statue dedicated to writer Jules Verne who devoted a chapter of his book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to Vigo Bay. Redondela is also the point where the Coastal Camino Portugues route joins the traditional Camino Portugues trail, and a great spot to stop for a morning coffee. You will then continue to Arcade, a lovely fishing village famous for its oysters, and a good place for lunch before tackling the last few kilometres of the day. Today’s finishing point is the small chapel of Santa Marta, in the hamlet of Bertola, where you will be picked up around 5pm.
DAY 4: Walking from Santa Marta-Bertola to Caldas de Reis (26kms/7hr approx)
After breakfast, the group will travel back to Santa Marta Bertola to continue the Camino walk.
After 5km you’ll reach the beautiful Old Town in Pontevedra city, perfect to have a rest and admire its cobbled streets, squares, Romanesque churches and the Pilgrim Virgin church, Virxe da Peregrina, looking after pilgrims on their way to Santiago. After Pontevedra, you’ll notice a change in the scenery as the route moves away from the coast and begins to take pilgrims inland and through pine forests. You can stamp your passport in the pretty chapels and churches along the way such as Santa Maria de Alba and San Mamede Church in Portela.. After Portela, depending on time, it might be possible to take a detour to visit the waterfalls at the Ría Barosa Natural Park.
Your finish line for today is the town of Caldas de Reis, famous for its hot springs, where you will be collected around 5pm to travel back to the hotel in Vigo.
DAY 5: Walking from Caldas de Reis to Padron (18km/5hr approx)
This morning the group will check out from the hotel in Vigo before continuing the Camino walk from Caldas de Reis to Padron.
Today is a shorter walking stage than previous days and you will be passing various hamlets and villages where you will be able to take a coffee break and get your pilgrim passport stamped.
From the village of Santa Marina the Camino trail takes pilgrims along lovely forest paths into Padron, home of the famous small green peppers and Galicia’s most illustrious poet: Rosalia de Castro. In the town’s Alameda Park you will find a statue dedicated to 19th century poet Rosalia de Castro as well as Camilo Jose Cela, Nobel Prize of Literature and also a native of Padron.
After your day’s walk, you will be picked up from Padron and travel to your hotel in Santiago de Compostela where the group will be staying for the next three nights.
DAY 6: Walking from Padron to Santiago de Compostela (25km/7hr approx)
This morning the bus will pick up the group in Santiago and take you back to Padron for your last waking day.
While the day starts along similar forest paths to previous walking days, as you get closer to the outskirts of Santiago de Compostela the stage becomes gradually more urban, with asphalt replacing the forest tracks and countryside we’ve become accustomed to. It is an exciting day as we tackle the last into Santiago.
As the group nears Santiago’s Old Town and approaches Obradoiro Square and the Cathedral, the excitement and joy of all pilgrims is palpable. Walking into Obradoiro Square, you will finally reach Santiago Cathedral where the atmosphere of exhilaration and jubilation is something special, a memory that you will treasure forever. Enjoy and savour this moment, you have arrived!
Your guide will bring the group’s pilgrim passports to the Pilgrim Office to collect your Compostela certificates.
DAY 7: Exploring Santiago de Compostela
Today, you will have the day free to explore Santiago de Compostela at your own pace. The city has been a destination for pilgrims for centuries and the capital of Galicia is a city full of wonders, with beautiful cobbled squares, arched streets and cosy nooks and crannies.
Originally built in the 9th century on the spot where the remains of Saint James were found, the Cathedral is the city’s most important landmark and monument but there are many other wonderful places not be missed in Santiago’s Old Town such as the Abastos Market, the Alameda Park, the University Buildings and its many museums.
In the lively streets of the Old Town such as Rua do Vilar, Rua Nova and Rua do Franco you will find a vibrant mix of pilgrims, locals and students enjoying the many cafes, bars and restaurants. Galicia’s traditional cuisine can be found everywhere; the famous Galician octopus, empanadas (savory pastries), Padrón peppers, caldo galego and Tarta de Santiago almond cake are just some of the region’s many unmissable delicacies you should sample.
Santiago city is split in two areas: the Old Town (Zona Vella), and the New Town (Zona Nova). You can also venture into the New Town, wrapped around the historic quarter and a short walk away where you will find many stores..
DAY 8: Guided city tour and return to Dublin
On your last morning, you will have breakfast in the hotel and check out at 10am. Your local guide will then meet you at the hotel to take you on a guided tour of a the city; the best way to discover this magnificent UNESCO-listed Old Town. You will then have a visit to the cathedral after the city tour. Your bags can be left at the hotel reception while you go on the tour.
Following the tour, you will have a little free time to get lunch and so some last minute souvenir shopping, before returning to the hotel to collect your bags. The group will then be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Dublin.
