- Overview
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Highlights
- Trek one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in the world, The Camino de Santiago de Compostela
- Follow in the footsteps of countless pilgrims, walking 130kms of the legendary Way of St James from Samos to Santiago de Compostela
- Walk through beautiful landscapes and historic towns to collect stamps for your pilgrim’s passport along the way
- Explore romanesque cathedrals, medieval monasteries and unspoiled rural scenery
- Be part of a long-standing tradition in obtaining the ‘compostela’, a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims upon completing the way; gained by walking at least 100km of the route
- In small groups you’ll be accompanied by an experienced Local Guide who’s passionate to share historic info about the route, landscapes and villages
- Receive a complimentary Water-To-Go bottle when you depart on this trip to minimise our plastic foot-print in Spain!
Overview
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela is one of the world’s oldest pilgrim routes; travellers have made their way across northern Spain to Santiago on ‘The Way of St James’ for over 1,000 years.
You’ll follow in the footsteps of countless pilgrims, walking the legendary Way of St James from Samos to Santiago de Compostela covering the final 130kms of this pilgrimage.
The route is marked by the symbol of the scallop shell, typically found on the Galician shores. A long-standing tradition is to obtain the ‘compostela’, a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims upon completing the way; gained by walking at least 100km of the route.
Starting from Samos, you’ll trek the Camino de Santiago for 6 days through charming villages, green forests and rural countryside. Visiting romanesque cathedrals, medieval monasteries and having encounters with many friendly locals and fellow trekkers enroute.
Your final destination is the Santiago, a wonderful UNESCO World Heritage site and a unique city imbued with the aura of a millennium’s worth of journeys. Finishing at the impressive Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the jewel in the crown of this incredible journey.
Join the trip at Santiago De Compostela Airport and transfer to Samos
There will be a complimentary airport transfer to your hotel in Samos departing at a designated time. The transfer is approx. 1 hour 30 minutes. If your flight arrives earlier or later, you might choose to explore the Santiago de Compostela or make your own way to Samos.
It’s a quaint village to explore and visiting the monastery of San Xian de Samos, built on the banks of the river Sarriá will mark the ideal start of your trekking journey along the Way of St James.
Included
Transfer: Private transfer from Santiago De Compostela Airport to Samos
Accommodation: Hotel (twin/multi share basis – share & save)
Meals: Not included
Trek Samos to Sarria
Your Camino de Santiago journey begins from the Monastery of Samos, an impressive old monastery which is one of the largest and oldest in the western world. Taking the quieter route from Samos to Sarria, you’ll walk deep into the Galician countryside. Following the scallop shell waymarkers in the direction of Santiago, your route traces the river into the picturesque countryside passing through a number of traditional agricultural villages. No doubt you’ll encounter locals going about their business and speaking Galician. Continuing through ancient oak forests the afternoon will take you through ancient oak forests, past grazing cows, tiny churches, cobbled farmhouses and small tavernas where you’re welcome to purchase some local food and drinks enroute.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 14kms
Ascent: 200 metres
Trekking time: approx. 5 – 6 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
Trek Sarria to Portomarin
Today a tree-lined trail will lead you from Sarria which provides welcome shade from the sun. The nature and tradition of Galicia makes it one of the prettiest regions in Spain. After walking up and down through fields, your path will emerge into a cluster of farmsteads where locals of all ages work the fields by hand rather than using modern machinery. Your path continues winding up and down rolling hillocks and alongside rocky walls leading you to the town of Portomarin, which was rebuilt on a hilltop from its original location in the River Mino’s valley. This was done to escape flooding when a reservoir was constructed in 1962. The old church was moved, stone by stone, to its current location.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 23kms
Ascent: 255 metres
Trekking time: approx. 6 – 7 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
Trek Portomarin to Palais de Rei
A steady ascent will take you to the village of Ventas de Naron, where the terrain then levels out. Along the way to Palais de Rei there are plenty of cafes where you can enjoy a coffee break.
After lunch, you’ll reach Portos and, time permitting, you can take a detour to the Romanesque Church of El Salvador which dates from 1184 when it was taken over by the Knights of the Order of St James. This then became the official burial place for the order in Galicia. The church is classified as a Spanish national monument due to the important artistic treasures contained within. There are tombs of knights of the Order of St James, a stone Retablo that portrays scenes of the Miracle of the Eucharist and the Descent from the Cross. The most spectacular items are the 15th century Gothic frescos that are rare in Spain. They portray the Annunciation and include two figures that are thought to be King Juan II and Queen Maria of Aragon. This visit takes around 45 minutes and approximately is around 3kms approximately to walk.
Palas de Rei marks the half-way point of your trek where you will spend the night in a hotel. The small town is often buzzing with fellow hikers and you’ll really feel the spirit of the ‘Camino’.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 25kms
Ascent: 300 metres
Trekking time: approx. 5 – 6 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
Trek Palais de Rei to Arzua
This is the longest day of walking though it is along a very picturesque stretch of the Camino, crossing several Roman bridges and passing mediaeval churches. Lunch will be in the small town of Melide, where you’re welcome to sample a Galician delicacy of octopus known as polbo á feira. Following your afternoon of trekking there is more culinary delights as you finish in Arzua which is famous for its cheeses.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 28kms
Ascent: 100 metres
Trekking time: approx. 7 – 8 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basisi)
Meals: breakfast
Trek Arzua to Pedruozo
A great atmosphere surrounds the penultimate stage of your trekking journey. Winding your way along undulating terrain through woods, fruit fields and eucalyptus you’ll reach the village of Pedruozo. Pilgrims now see and feel the goal, and begin to revel in happiness and wonderful sense of achievement together with the many other companions you’ve met along the way.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 19kms
Ascent: 200 metres
Trekking time: approx. 5 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
Trek Pedruozo to Santiago de Compostela
Your final day’s walk takes you climbing up to the famous Monte do Gozo, where pilgrims traditionally took in their first views of the towers of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. As part of the centuries-old tradition, you will make your way through the city’s streets and crowds to Plaza del Obradoiro, dominated by the impressive Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Here you can watch in awe of the impressive “Botafumeiro” incense vessel swung through the halls of Cathedral de Santiago to the sound of singing, while the air was cleansed in great plumes of smoke. This amazing scene takes place most Fridays.
To experience the overwhelming buzz of joining fellow trekkers in the streets of this holy city is something that you’ll remember for years to come. Here you’ll also show your completed passports at the cathedral office in order to receive your Compostela.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 20kms
Ascent: 50 metres
Trekking time: approx. 7 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
Santiago de Compostela to UK
Free morning to explore Santiago de Compostela before returning to the UK or extending your stay in Spain.
Included
Meals: breakfast
Transfers: airport transfer
Supporting local tourism, local communities and understanding the Galician culture
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on local communities and livelihoods across the planet, we’re keen to promote adventures in countries that are actively working towards sustainable tourism and conservation projects. Given the numerous environmental, cultural and conservation projects in place in Spain, we’re particularly keen and passionate to help support the local tourism industry here whilst also giving you the chance to get out and explore this historic pilgrimage trail in a safe and fun manner.
As well as carefully crafting amazing and meaningful adventures across the planet, we’ve made booking them as flexible, safe and as simple as possible. With the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we’ve made a number of updates to our safety guidelines, flexible booking conditions and trip departures. For more info, please our Book and Travel with Confidence page.
On booking your Camino de Santiago Trek, you’ll receive all the exciting trip info via our free mobile travel app.
You’ll have access to your itinerary, trip countdown, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, know before you go trip info, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24 hours a day via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper to benefit the environment and the need of carrying around documents with you. A’ppy days.
With being a small family business we pride ourselves with providing personal, professional and friendly service for your Camino de Santiago Trek.
We appreciate that everyone has different levels of experience and reasons for wishing to embark on this trek and therefore require varying levels of support and guidance. We’re here to help you every step of the way from the moment you join the flock all the way through to completing the trek and beyond.
Jim and Sue’s knowledge and expertise stems from dozens of years of travelling and exploring the destinations that we visit in order to fully support you in the lead up to your adventure. Jim and Sue have both completed this trek numerous times, so are well equipped to answer any of your queries no matter how big or small.
On booking this trip, we will provide you with the recommended flights to and from Santiago de Compestela.
Flights are not included in your to give you the flexibility to travel from your nearest airport, use any frequent flyer points or extend your stay in Spain if you wish. You are most welcome to book your flights through our Flight Agent who is ATOL & ABTA protected.
Complimentary airport transfers are included in this trip at designated times and coincide with most popular flight times.
All nationalities require a full passport. Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. For the latest info, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/entry-requirements
British nationals do not require a visa to enter Spain for the purpose of tourism for up to 3 months. For the latest entry requirements, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain and also Brexit advice at https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers
Travel Insurance is an important part of any booking. It is compulsory that everyone who travels with us has taken out adequate travel insurance which includes, among other things, cover for the full value of your trip, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, activities undertaken, personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects and COVID-19 travel cover.
For UK residents we have partnered with Campbell & Irvine Direct to provide you with a travel insurance. If you would like to obtain cover for your trip please feel free to contact specialist Insurance Brokers, Campbell Irvine Direct for a quote.
You must send your Travel Insurance Policy to Adventurous Ewe no less than one month prior to departure.
Vaccinations
There are currently no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations include: Tetanus. For the most up to date info on vaccinations, please consult with your GP or travel healthcare practitioner 8 weeks in advance of travel. For more info, feel free to visit https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations.
Severe allergies
If you have a severe allergy please inform us at the time of booking. We will do all we can to help, but unfortunately we are unable to guarantee an allergy free environment on this trip. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as ‘adrenaline auto-injectors’ are not carried as standard by AE leaders and crew. Whilst your leader is aware of our trekkers medical history, please also inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.
Adventurous Ewe puts the safety and well-being of you, our leaders & crew and the communities we visit at the centre of all our operations, always. Your safety and well-being is our top priority.
The Camino de Santiago Trek is intentionally challenging and requires individual preparation as the trip is designed to take you out of your every-day comfort zone and achieve something incredible.
Rest assured we have a thorough Safety Management System, indepth risk assessments and risk management systems in place.
You will be accompanied by your Local Guide and Adventurous Ewe Leader for groups over 8 people. Our Leaders are First Aid trained and have extensive experience in leading groups along the Camino de Santiago paths. They will be ultimately responsible for your safety on this trip.
For more info, please visit our Safety and Well-being page.
You’ll be accompanied by a professional Local Guide who’s enthusiasm and knowledge knows no bounds. They’re expertly trained and experienced in every field of this trek, bilingual (English and Spanish) and qualified in remote first aid. They also have a huge passion for what they do and have plenty of historical & cultural knowledge ready to share with you. They are responsible for ensuring the complete safety, well-being and enjoyment of the team whilst also retaining a flexible and fun attitude.
An Adventurous Ewe Leader will accompany groups of over 12 people and is an experienced and passionate leader as well. Leaders have been carefully selected to ensure you have the best experience with a bit of humour thrown in for good measure. Your Leader will be Remote First Aid trained too.
The Leaders have radio and phone contact with each other, the local office and Adventurous Ewe’s HQ.
The Camino de Santiago Trek is graded as ‘Medium’. The trek consists of 6 consecutive days of walking. Your luggage is transferred between hotels, so you only need to take a day pack with you on the walks. The terrain and type of path will vary from paved tracks, tarmac, forest trails to gravel. The walks are not technically difficult although there are some steep ascents and descents, so a good level of fitness is required.
It’s important to bear in mind that the distances walked some of the days are long and you are expected to walk 6 days in a row so there is a high chance to get blisters. We recommend to take extra care in making sure that your hiking boots are comfortable and well worn in. We advise bringing hiking boots and trail running trainers as this will allow you to alternate them at any stage to avoid blisters and pain.
Preparation is key to help you get the most enjoyment and reward from this trek. A good level of fitness, endurance and some gritty determination will help you conquer each day.
A bepsoke training programme will be provided when you join this trip to help you with your preparations. We also have exclusive offers with our Training Partners and Communities – Her Spirit and Strength & Movement Coach, Peter Lant. For more info, please visit our Training & Preparation page.
The more you are prepared, the more you will enjoy the challenge.
Our motto is: Train hard, smile harder and enjoy the journey!
A full kit list will be provided when you register for this trip or you can simply download the ‘Trip Notes’ for this trek. Good kit can make the difference between a fantastic adventure and an uncomfortable one. Well worn in waterproof hiking boots are essential.
An exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code will be provided for specialist outdoor retailers to use both online and in store when joining us for this trek.
To help you get the very best from your Camino de Santiago Trek we will provide you with an exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code to use at a specialist outdoor retailers, both online and in store. They offer a large choice of kit that the staff themselves use while climbing, hiking, mountaineering, running, travelling or enjoying expeditions across the globe and they pride themselves on sharing their experience and knowledge of equipment so you can choose the right gear to suit you.
In April and October expect temperatures in the 40-60F/ 5-15ºC with high chance of rain showers though it could also be simply partly cloudy and more temperate. Temperatures in May and September tend to be about 10F/5ºC warmer than April and October. Expect a combination of sun, showers and clouds.
In the small towns of Sarria, Portomarin, Palas de Rei, Melide and Arzua we stay in comfortable family run hotels and guesthouses. In Rua we stay in a more rural property but has all the flavour and charm of Spain. In Santiago we stay in a comfortable hotel in the old town. All accommodation is en-suite and is based on twin sharing. If you are travelling by yourself you will be paired up with another single client of the same sex. A single room supplements is available for an additional cost and is dependent on availability.
Additional nights in Santiago de Compostela are available, please contact us for a quote.
All breakfasts are included during your trip. Breakfasts in Spain usually consist of coffee with milk, toast with ham, olive oil, tomatoes, cheese and butter and jam. Bakery items such as pastries, fruit and juice are also popular. During this trip you can expect different variations of breakfast at the hotels and pensions we stay at but they will all include at least some of the standard breakfast items that are popular in Spain. If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know.
Lunch and dinners will be eaten at local cafes and restaurants. This allows you to purchase items that you wish and also helps support local businesses. North Spain is rich and produces almost everything one might want to eat from fish and seafood to good quality meat, vegetables and fruit. Your local guide will recommend good places to eat.
Please bring your own water bottles or camelbaks/platypus (or similar) and flasks (if you wish to take a hot drink during your challenge) and refill to avoid the need of purchasing plastic water bottles.
Adventurous Ewe has partnered with Water-to-Go, a filtration system that eliminates over 99.99% of all microbiological contaminants from any non-salt water source – for more info please click here.
Adventurous Ewe trekkers will receive a free Water-to-Go bottle when departing on our Camino de Santiago Trek, and better still, 15% of the purchase value for replacement filters will be donated to our environmental charity partner, Cool Earth. Please help us reduce the volume of single use plastic in this pristine environment.
Remaining balance: £880 per person is due for payment no later than 5 weeks prior to the trip start date.
Pay in instalments, interest free
We’re well aware that adventures can be a significant investment, so we’ve set out to make it easy to afford. Once you’ve put down your deposit, you can pay the remaining balance off in monthly instalments with no extra charges so you can get out there and live your dream.
Fundraising
You are welcome to fundraise for a charity of your choice if you wish to do so. All sponsorship monies are to be sent directly to your chosen charity.
All your trip info will be sent to you through a mobile travel app which is free to download. You will receive an email from Adventurous Ewe with your personalised log in code for this app. For the latest and greatest from the land of adventures, simply follow us at:
Youtube: Adventurous Ewe
Facebook: @adventurousewe
Instagram: @adventurousewe
Twitter: @adventurousewe
LinkedIn: Adventurous-Ewe-Ltd
You’re most welcome to use the hashtags
#ewecandoit #thisflockrock #adventurousewe
Your Local Guide, Adventurous Ewe Leader/s and Crew will have mobile phones and radios communications in case of emergencies. The team are trained to deal with these situations. Please ensure you listen to your Leader during these times and refrain from putting any posts on social media. Should you find yourself unable to continue with the trek, your Leader and crew will make the necessary arrangements. Depending on the situation, you will be met by the support vehicle (depending on access) and you will be transferred back to your accommodation or nearby medical facility as required.
Your Emergency Contact at Adventurous Ewe HQ is Jim Young on +44(0)7747 346 588.
Cool Earth
We are very excited to have teamed up with leading climate change charity Cool Earth, who share our mission to protect the planet’s precious environment in a sustainable manner. The future of rainforest protection is where everyone makes a difference to climate change! We invest a % of our revenue into supporting critical conservation projects around the world through Cool Earth. You are most welcome to help make a difference too by sparing a few pennies. Please give what you can and help save the world’s rainforests today by clicking here. Just £2.50 will save 10 trees and lock up 10 tonnes of CO2.
Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet.
Thank-ewe
What's Included?
Pre-trip:
- Personalised trip support in the lead up to your trek
- Trek training guide
- Discount on personal kit
- Trip info supplied via our free mobile travel app
- Public liability insurance
- Financial Protection for your booking
- Monthly payment plan available
- Risk assessment and emergency management planning
- Free Adventurous Ewe Water-to-Go Bottle
During your trip:
- Local Guide (Spanish & English speaking)
- Adventurous Ewe Leader (for groups over 8 people)
- All ground crew per your itinerary
- Road transfers within Spain per your itinerary
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel
- Accommodation – 7 nights in a hotel (twin or triple share)
- All meals as stated in the itinerary (breakfasts)
- Medical kit and supplies
- All logistical and safety management whilst in Spain
- All trip management and hygienic cleaning procedures of equipment before, during and post trek.
What's Not Included?
- Travel insurance (mandatory)
- Return flights to Santiago de Compestla Spain. Bookings available through our Flight Agent who is ATOL & ABTA protected
- Vaccinations
- Any COVID-19 entry/exit requirements per the UK and Spain Governments
- Personal spending money and drinks
- Meals not listed in your itinerary (lunch & dinners)
- Snacks, electrolytes, water purification tablets
- Kit and equipment as listed on your kit list and medication
- Tips for local crew
- Single room supplement where available
- Any associated costs with leaving the trek early.
TRIP EXTENSION
If you wish to extend your stay in Spain, we can help you with plenty of recommendations of things to do and see. For more information, please contact us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk.
Sustainable and Responsible Travel
Adventurous Ewe is committed to delivering our trips in a responsible and ethical manner with sustainability at its core. We respect and aim to operate our adventures to benefit local people, their economy and the environment!
Some of the responsible travel features embedded in our Camino de Santiago Trek are:
- Using local crew who are qualified Guides, support crew and drivers who are all extremely knowledgeable and experienced
- Staying in local family owned and run hotels wherever possible
- Minimising plastic waste wherever possible with providing a complimentary Water-To-Go bottle on departure
- Careful management of limited energy and water resources
- Offering real life experiences which promote cross-cultural understanding
- Operating with a ‘leave no trace’ ethos – take only memories, leave only footprints
- Adventurous Ewe will make a financial contribution to the environmental charity, Cool Earth, as part of our business partnership.
Tips for sustainable travel on this trip
- Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
- Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own re-usable water bottle on this trip. Your compliementary Adventurous Ewe Water-to-Go bottle is ideal.
- Your packaging waste: If bringing some snacks or new items/clothing from home, please remove as much packaging as possible and recycle or responsibly disregard this rubbish in your home country.
Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet.
Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet.
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