TENTATIVE DAILY SCHEDULE
8:00am: Resilience Lesson and Intention setting for the day
9:00am: Hearty breakfast at our hotel
10:00am – 4pm: Walk, talk, connect and reflect
12:00pm: Lunch along the way to Santiago
4:00pm: Finish walking & return to hotel / relaxation / personal reflection
6:00pm: Evening reflection and educational sessions
8:00pm: Dinner & drinks
DAILY ITINERARY
Day 1: Valença do Minho – Orbenlle
At 9am, we will meet you in the center of Vigo, a bustling port town in Spain with its own airport. We suggest you spend the night in Vigo before the tour begins. Once you become acquainted with your guide and your new companions, we will head southwards to visit the 1st Century Celtic ruins at Santa Tecla and from there, we drive south into Portugal where we will begin our hike.
Our first point of call is Valença, a walled town of Roman origins where we look down on the Tuí Bridge, which was built by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower importance), and connects Portugal with Spain. We will walk across this bridge, to the fascinating little town of Tuí, Spain which offers beautiful views of the luscious river valley. A pretty riverside trail leads us to Orbenlle and the end of our day. The route today has a great variety of scenery, natural woodland paths, and quiet country roads, passing by vines, both grape (for wine) and kiwi, indicative of the fertility of the Minho valley. Part of our pathway today is a 1st Century Via Romana (8 miles – Dinner included)
Day 2: O Porriño – Cesantes
We begin todays walk from the center of O Porriño. The town is famous for its pink granite. Leaving behind the bustle of the town, we begin a long climb and are rewarded with sweeping views of the valley of Redondela as we descend through rambling vines and charming lanes to the town below. Redondela is best known for its 19th Century viaducts and the beautiful Iglesia de Santiago with its emblematic rose window and Santiago Matamoros statue. We’ll continue onwards, climbing up past beautiful gardens and vineyards to a little bar in Cesantes where we will end our day. Look out for extensive views to the Puente Rande over the Ria de Vigo. (11 miles – Breakfast and Dinner included)
Day 3: Cesantes – Pontevedra
Onwards from Cesantes, we walk through a wonderful mix of coastal influence and ancient stone paths through the woodlands to the small fishing town of Arcade, the ‘oyster capital’ of Galicia. The walk is delightfully varied through many vinyards and offers plenty of cafés and fountains during the morning. The afternoon is mainly shady woodland, of eucalyptus, before the final approach to the city of Pontevedra. Pontevedra had its golden age during the 15th and 16th Centuries as a port and for sardine fishing. We will pass by multiple churches, basilicas and lively plazas. (10 miles – Breakfast and Dinner included.)
Day 4: Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis
Leaving the old town of Pontevedra, we cross the 12th Century O Burgo bridge. Today, the forest paths and isolated countryside are replete with eucalyptus and pine, and are calming places to get into the zone of simply walking….nothing else. After the village of San Amaro, there is an optional detour to Parque Natural de Ria Barosa to visit the waterfalls. The end of the day brings you to Caldas de Reis, a town that is famed for its thermal waters. The Celts and Romans settled here and it has always been especially important as a resting place for travelers to take advantage of the healing waters. So, join in with the tradition and soak your feet in the lavadero filled with hot water & quench your thirst at the cold spring, just across the Roman Bridge. We spend the night in this pretty spa town. (14 miles- Breakfast included. Dinner on your own.)
Day 5: Caldas de Reis – Padrón
This is a short and peaceful day of walking with a few hills and delightful forest tracks of eucalyptus and pine along with the ubiquitous gorse and broom. Padrón is where the Saint James first preached on the rocks above the town and it was also here that the boat was moored that carried Saint James’ body from Palestine. The town is dominated by the Convent and Fountain of Carmen, and a path that takes you to a shrine formed of the rocks where Saint James first preached. Padrón is also famous for its little green peppers which are fried whole in olive oil and are highly addictive! (11 miles – Breakfast and Dinner included)
Day 6: Padrón – Milladoiro
Today, we take to the trail with walking of gentle terrain through the sleepy villages allowing our final, up-close glimpse into how the locals live and the simplicity of rural Galician life. We reach the beautiful village of Rua do Francos, nestled amongst enormous, ancient oak trees and home to one of the oldest wayside crosses in Galicia. More delightful oak, pine, and eucalyptus woodland routes await before we start our long climb to the modern suburb of Milladoiro, a satellite community of Santiago where we finish our day. (12 miles – Breakfast and Dinner included)
Day 7: Milladoiro – Santiago de Compostela
We begin a gentle descent through a scattering of villages. Along the way we get a brief glimpse of our first views of Santiago de Compostela and its cathedral spires; our final destination. Eventually we arrive into ‘civilization’ and begin ascending our final few kilometers of busy sidewalk before finally, the time comes for the entrance into the medieval heart of this famed city. Our walking journey ends at the steps of the cathedral today. We will gather for a celebratory dinner together and you will receive your “compostella” or pilgrims’s certificate for completing the hike. (4 miles – Breakfast and Dinner included)
Day 8: Tour End – Buen Camino
After a leisurely breakfast, a local tour guide and historian will show us the main sights on a two-hour guided walking tour of the city and the cathedral finishing in time to attend the Pilgrim’s Mass. (Breakfast included)
