Family Walking on the Camino Frances

Rate:
Price: from 464€ per person
  • Activity Walking or Cycling
  • Distance 53 km
  • Duration 6 Nights
  • Difficulty Moderate
  • Tour Type Family Caminos
  • Time To Go Year Round

Family Walking on the Camino Frances

If you want to offer your family a classic Camino experience, our Family Walking on the Camino Frances package is for you. You will be walking on the famous Camino Frances from Melide to Santiago de Compostela over five days across the stunning countryside of Galicia.

Think of fresh open spaces and rolling hills as the perfect antidote to lockdown.

This popular itinerary is perfect for experiencing the Camino spirit: you will make friends along the way, learn about the local traditions, and enjoy the delicious Galician cuisine without forgetting some fun time for the little ones!

Every trip we put together for our Camino Families, we design each holiday with a young family in mind. This means thinking about what will educate and entertain the kids – both younger and older kids. Walking or cycling is only one part of the day, and the other part can be full of fun activities so that the kids will sleep well!

Starting in Melide, this 6-night and 5 Day Camino route can either be walked or cycled. It is an excellent combination of nature and culture, with plenty of possibilities for the family’s youngest to learn and play. We like to give you some recommendations on exciting sites for you to visit and make it an unforgettable experience for the entire family.

After walking through rural Galicia, you will enter the majestic city of Santiago on your fifth day. Adding an extra night in Santiago is a great option to discover this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage city. You can also complete your Camino adventure with a delicious Tapas tour of Santiago!


This itinerary is for people with kids (16 yo and under). If your party is made of adults only, look at the Camino from Sarria to Santiago.

Map of the Family Walking on the Camino Frances

Itinerary of the of the Family Walking on the Camino Frances

Melide

Stage: Melide

You arrive in Melide.

14 km

Arzua

Stage: Arzua

After a hearty breakfast, your day on the trail will take you to Arzua, 14km from Melide. The Camino crosses several streams and follows a track bringing you to the village of Boente and the church of Santiago. The medieval village of Rivadiso is your last stop before reaching your final destination for the day. Upon leaving Rivadiso, you will cross a Roman bridge over the River Iso before completing the last 3km to Arzua. The village of Arzua is famous throughout Galicia for its creamy and tasty cheese, the Arzua-Ulla cheese.

To arouse your young ones’ curiosity, we recommend a visit to the Honey & Cheese educational center where they can learn about the origins and the methods of production from ancient times to the present days. It is a great opportunity for them to connect to the territory of Galicia as well as food and nature.

For your night in Arzua, we have selected a charming central hotel, with an outdoor swimming pool for the whole family to enjoy. An authentic dinner will be served on-site so you can fully experience the Galician hospitality

10 km

Salceda

Stage: Salceda

Today is a rather relaxed day, slightly shorter than the previous one, where the path will take you along streams through rustic sleepy villages. This section includes a good number of peaceful picnic spots and turns into a festival of colours in spring with its variety of flowers along the trail.

Today, your younger ones will be able to enjoy the large garden and outdoor space found at your accommodation. After a day on the Camino, it will be time for them to play, in the safe environment of your rural hotel.

Your accommodation is the ideal place to spend the rest of your day on the Camino. Turned into a modern and yet charming hotel, the converted stone house offers space to relax or sip a drink on one of the restaurant terraces. During the summer month, an open-air Jacuzzi is an ideal place to rest your legs after a day on the Camino.
Your evening meal will feature great samples of traditional Galician dishes without leaving the young ones behind with tasty options they will surely enjoy.

9 km

Rua Pedrouzo

Stage: Rua Pedrouzo

This section of the Camino offers a nice variety of terrains and landscapes. You will sometimes follow the road on a good side walking path, venture through picturesque meadows, and cross eucalyptus tree forests. It is an enjoyable walk with no difficulty and numerous possibilities to stop at cafes along the way for a drink or a snack.

After a good day on the trail, your children will be pleased to see that your accommodation has a pool where they can make the most of the warm Spanish afternoon. The spacious garden and terrace make it a perfect place for the whole family to enjoy some relaxing time together.

In Rua-Pedrouzo, your rural hotel offers the perfect combination of countryside charm and modern comfort, with a spacious garden and swimming pool (opening dates to be checked). During the summer season, you can allow yourself a lazy day by the pool. The local chef’s signature dishes served in the restaurant will be the perfect conclusion to your day.

10 km

Lavacolla

Stage: Lavacolla

After leaving Rua, today again in just a short section, the path offers multiple aspects of the Galician countryside. You will walk through majestic eucalyptus forests, past cornfields, and charming stone bridges across refreshing streams. On Monte do Gozo (Mount of Joy 368m) you will catch your first glimpse of the spires of the cathedral in Santiago.

For their final day before arriving in Santiago, your little ones will be able to spend their afternoon in an authentic Galician country house. On top of the spacious green spaces that surround your accommodation, a communal living room with board games and chess will be a great place for them to play and recover from their day.

The house is the ideal place for the whole family to enjoy the peace and quiet before discovering the vibrant city of Santiago the next day. Full of charm and tradition, your accommodation will guarantee a cultural immersion at the heart of Galicia.

10 km

Santiago de Compostela

Stage: Santiago de Compostela

Today you are setting off for your final day on the Camino before discovering the majestic city of Santiago.

Rows of tall eucalyptus trees line your journey to Monte do Gozo (Mount of Joy 368m) and it is from here that you can catch your first glimpse of the Cathedral of Santiago.

After visiting Santiago Cathedral and recovering from your walk, take time to explore this gem of a city, small and vibrant. Its old town will enchant you. In Santiago the Compostela you will find not only pilgrims but also locals and students, enjoying a few bites and socialising over a glass of wine in the many bars, restaurants, and cozy cafes.

The city also has numerous options for children to have fun. If after five days on the Camino they fancy a little bit of time off, we recommend the little train. It is a great way for the whole family to discover the city while resting their legs! The natural history museum is very popular among families. Even the youngest ones are eager to learn about animals and their natural habitat. Of course, if it is some playtime they are after, you will find a good number of playgrounds scattered around the city.

In order for you to be at the heart of it all, we have selected a centrally located hotel. On top of its rustic charms and views of the old town, it offers a peaceful garden.

Accommodation

Standard Hotels

We have hand-picked hotels and guesthouses along the Camino for their character and warm hospitality. Up to 3-stars, you will be staying in the centre of town and close to your Camino trail. All rooms are en-suite with bathroom. For our family packages, we have hand-picked establishments with outdoor space and swimming pools where possible. Where accommodation with private outdoor space is not available, we have selected comfortable hotels with spacious common areas as well as a convenient location close to recreational areas and sights. As your comfort is our priority, we try to book hotels located within walking distance of the Camino. Despite our effort, on rare occasions your accommodation can be located a few kilometers away from the trail, so we organise transportation to/from your accommodation.

Standard Hotel & Guesthouse

Access

How to Get There

Live information on Rome2Rio. We can also arrange private transfers if you prefer, just ask us.

 

Melide

Santiago de Compostela Airport 40km: The Santiago-Lugo service runs every day. You can take the bus directly from the airport and get off at Melide. The journey is approx. 1h and the cost is around 5€pp. See Monbus

A Coruna Airport 100km: In A Coruña, there is a bus from the airport to the train station (Line 443 stop: Avenida A. Molina) departing every 30 min; see Auto Scalpita From there, there is a bus to Melide (A Coruna – Ourense line) that runs twice daily.
See Arrival Gal The journey is approximate 15€pp.

Vigo Airport 140km: From Vigo, you will have to travel to Santiago de Compostela by bus
(about 2 hours), see Monbus or train Renfe.es; then take the Santiago-Lugo and get off at Melide, see Monbus.

Madrid Airport 550km: In Madrid, there is a bus from the airport (Terminal 4) to Lugo. The journey takes around 6h30, and costs 60€pp see AlsaFrom Lugo, you can then take a bus to Melide Monbus

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela Airport 11km: A shuttle bus from Santiago city centre to the airport departs every 30min. Bus stops are the city centre (Plaza de Galicia),  train station (Estación de Ferrocarril) and bus station (Estación de Autobuses). See: Monbus

Vigo Airport 90km: From Santiago, you can take a train to Vigo Guixar (see www.renfe.com) or a bus to Travesia de Vigo (every hour). You should take a city bus from Travesia de Vigo to Vigo Airport (every 30 min).

A Coruna Airport 70km: From Santiago, you can take a train to A Coruña (30 min approximately) and then take a bus from Alfonso Molina (line 4051) to the airport (every 30 min, takes 20 min around). Monbus has services from Santiago to A Coruña Airport (every 3 hours); see monbus.es/en for details.

Porto Airport 210km: There is a direct bus connection between Santiago (Estación de Autobuses) and Porto airport once or twice a day (taking 4h or 6h resp.). See www.alsa.es.

Whats Included

  • Included: Conveniently located family-friendly accommodation, with either family or connecting rooms and indoor and outdoor space for everyone to play or relax. Holiday Pack on your mobile phone (Route ebook and Google Maps) and a 24/7 support number assisting with your trip, for instance, organising a support vehicle if needed.
  • Not included: Flights, drinks, city tax, Travel Insurance (Recommended)
  • Optional: Luggage transfers (On by default. One bag up to 20kg per person), dinners (On by default, where available), bike rental and accessories (On by default) and airport transfers, etc…

Note on Accommodation: We aim to book you into each town listed on the itinerary. However, in case of low availability, we may book you two nights in the same town with provided transfers. If you are booking a Superior collection or Country cottages, please note it is subject to availability and, therefore, cannot be guaranteed. Superior/Country cottage accommodation may be away from the route with included transfers. More details.

Have questions? Read our FAQ pages.

Specialist:Aurelie

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Aurelie

Specialist:Aurelie

Aurelie originally comes from the south of France but her passion for travels brought her to Ireland for the first time in 2006. She loves to hike and connect with nature and has travelled all arou...

More byAurelie

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