Camino Frances Camino Frances Last 100km ST JAMES DAY Guided Tour

You will arrive today at Santiago airport where you and your group will be picked up and brought to your accommodation in Sarria.  You will have some time to settle in, before having dinner at the hotel this evening.  During dinner you will get the opportunity to meet your guide and fellow members of your group.  Either before or after dinner you should get a little time to discover the town of Sarria.

After breakfast this morning, your group and your guide will leave Sarria and make your way to the lovely Portomarin.  Sarria is the most popular starting point of the Camino de Santiago with thousands starting their journey here every year. In the town centre where you will find churches, chapels, monasteries and seven pilgrim hospitals. The main street, Rúa Maior, has a nice atmosphere, where you can relax while enjoying a drink or bite in one of the nice cafes around. Visit the Igrexa de Santa Mariña with its evocative pilgrim mural, the castle fortress and the Magdalena Monastery.  Once you arrive in Portomarin you and your group will enjoy dinner together after which you can rest for the evening.

After breakfast this morning you will begin your second walking day, from the lovely village of Portomarin.  Today the Camino will cross the river Miño (Galicia’s longest river) and rise uphill steadily towards the Serra de Ligonde. You will pass nice hamlets such as Gonzar and Ventas de Narón. Stop to visit the Romanesque Church of Santa María in Castromaior and the Romanesque church in Eirexe, with its portal featuring a sculpture of Daniel with animals, as well as Pilgrim Santiago. Tonight you will finish up your walk in the town of Palas de Rei.  Relax and have a glass of wine after dinner in the company of some of your fellow group members.

This morning after your breakfast, your group will continue on the Camino.  Today, the Camino trail continues downhill, passing the village of Casanova and the delightful village of Leboreiro. You will finish your day in the lively market town of Melide (454m), where you should try octopus, Galicia’s most classic dish.

Once again after a great breakfast, you will say goodbye to the lively market town of Melide and continue along your journey to Santiago de Compostela.  Today the Camino crosses several streams, sleepy villages and follows a mixed forest track and road trail bringing you to the village of Boente and the church of Santiago. Next is the pretty medieval hamlet of Ribadiso and finally the town of Arzúa (389m), famous for its local cheese. In Arzúa, you should visit the churches of Santa María and A Magdalena and here in Arzua where you will finish up your walk for today.

Today’s Camino after breakfast will take your group through pretty woods, sleepy villages and across streams for most of the day. The chapel of Santa Irene, with its unique statue of Santiago, is worth a visit. En-route, don’t miss the lovely hamlet of Rúa (310m). The rest of the route to Amenal is along a mix of good and calm country roads and forest tracks.

After breakfast in Amenal this morning, your next point of interest is Lavacolla on the outskirts of Santiago, where pilgrims used long ago wash themselves in the river in preparation for their arrival in Santiago de Compostela. Rows of tall eucalyptus trees line your journey to Monte do Gozo (‘Mount of Joy’ 368m) and it is from here that will catch your first glimpse of the spires of the cathedral in Santiago. When you arrive in the city (264m, population 80,000), explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s architecture and delight in the wonderful atmosphere of this spiritual and cultural city. With only 14km to walk today, your group should be in Santiago in time for the pilgrim mass (12pm)*.  You will stay tonight in a hotel in the town centre which will be an ideal base to explore the city.  Congratulations you have made it to Santiago

Read our blog post: Top 10 things to do in Santiago de Compostela for ideas before your trip.

This morning you will have a walking tour of the city which has been a UNESCO heritage site since 1985 and home to one of the oldest universities in Spain.  The tour will take you to all the highlights of the old town.

After your walking tour you will take a tapas tour in the city where you can sample all the local delicacies and later that evening you can watch the fireworks to celebrate St James Day.

After breakfast the next morning, use your remaining time to explore the beautiful old town in Santiago de Compostela. You will be dropped back to Santiago airport where your guided tour with us will end. We hope you enjoyed your trip and made some lasting memories.