BEFORE THE TRIP | SEPTEMBER 2023
Weekly online preparation and coaching session with Sonia from Travel Awakens for 4 weeks.
THE TRIP
Sonia will travel with the group and will guide you every step of the way, incorporating important daily rituals for the participants.
15th October | Dublin to Vigo
Today you will travel to Dublin 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.
16th October | Walking from Vigo to Arcade (22km)
Departing Vigo, you’ll begin your Camino experience with a walk along the coast to Arcade. The terrain is also quite flat, which makes it a very pleasant walk. The suburban nature of the early part of the day isn’t too appealing, and you’ll need to be careful dealing with traffic, but as you leave the city behind, the route passes through quiet rural areas, with the stunning views of the estuary and Rande bridge on your left. In the early afternoon, you’ll reach Redondela, the point where the Coastal Camino Portugues route joins the traditional Camino Portugues trail, and a great place to stop for lunch. After lunch, you will then continue to Arcade, a lovely fishing village famous for its oysters, and a perfect place to stop for the night.
17th October | Walking from Arcade to Pontevedra (13km)
This morning is a relatively short walk, allowing for a bit of recovery from yesterday’s long first walk day. The group may also opt to start the walk a little later. After leaving Arcade this morning you’ll pass the hamlet of Santa Marta Bertola just over half way through your walk day, and 5km further on you’ll reach the beautiful Old Town in Pontevedra city. After checking into your accommodation, take some time to stroll to town and admire its cobbled streets, squares, Romanesque churches and the Pilgrim Virgin church, Virxe da Peregrina, looking after pilgrims on their way to Santiago.
18th October | Walking from Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis (22kms)
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.
19th October | Walking from Caldas de Reis to Padron (20km)
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. Your accommodation is a couple of kilometres north of the town centre, so be sure to take a little time to explore the town before continuing to the hotel. By staying a little outside the town, you last walk day into Santiago will be a little shorter.
20th October | Walking from Padron to Santiago de Compostela (23km)
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!
21st October | Exploring Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela, destination of pilgrims for centuries and 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.
22nd October | Santiago de Compostela to Dublin
This morning after breakfast and check out, a local guide will take the group on a walking tour of the city, the best way to discover its magnificent UNESCO-listed Old Town. You’ll then have a little free time for lunch before being transported to the Santiago Airport for your flight home.
AFTER YOUR TRIP | MEANINGFUL CHANGE | NOVEMBER 2023
Weekly online post-trip coaching session with Sonia from Travel Awakens for 4 weeks.
