Walking The Camino de Santiago, Spain
Sept. 29-OCT. 7, 2024
9 days
Full Price: $4499
Activity Level — Energetic
Travelers should exercise regularly.
Trip Overview
For a thousand years, pilgrims have traversed The Camino de Santiago.
Now, it’s your turn to follow in their footsteps on this legendary trek as you dedicate nine days walking along the ancient trails that cut across the lush landscape of Northern Spain.
This is not a race.
This is a slower-paced Camino experience where we average about 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) per day and cover a total of 110 kilometers (70 miles).
Need to Know:
Completing this tour will make you eligible to receive the Compostela, the official certificate of completion issued by the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago de Compostela.
An expert Camino guide will be with you every step of the way.
Historical information will be provided each day.
A support van will assist with your luggage, freeing you up to travel light during the day.
All hotels, breakfasts, and delicious Galician dinners with wine are included in the trip price.
We provide snacks and water in the support van.
You can bring 1 piece of luggage no more than 40 lbs + your day pack + a purse.
Recommendations for an even better journey:
Fly to Madrid and stay a few days before you begin walking the Camino. This will help with jet lag and any luggage issues (in case the airline loses your bag, it will have time to catch up with you). We like Hotel RoomMate Alba in Madrid.
We encourage you not to arrive early to Santiago de Compostela. Save Santiago as the surprise at the end of your journey.
Note: All tours include a pre-journey planning session over Zoom where you will meet your guides and other participants.
You can bring 1 piece of luggage no more than 40 lbs + your day pack + a purse.
Read this Packing List.
“I wanted to walk the Camino but didn’t want to fuss with booking hotels or finding restaurants. Bold Spirit Travel provided just what I needed. The three guides on the trip were really helpful, supportive, and knowledgeable. I always knew where I needed to go and felt safe the entire way. Additionally, I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful group of women during my adventure.”
MAIN ATTRACTIONS
Visit medieval, Roman, and Celtic-Iberian towns along the most famous stretch of The Camino.
Walk one of Europe’s most important pilgrimage trails: The French Way.
Soak up the history of the Camino and Santiago de Compostela.
Indulge in delicious and plentiful Galician cuisine.
Traverse varied landscapes while giving your body a good workout.
Bask in the beauty of lush Northern Spain.
Hike with other Bold Spirit women who love travel as much as you do.
Learn about the Compostela, the scallop shell, and other Camino traditions.
Shop along the cobblestone streets of Santiago de Compostela.
Enjoy a guided tour of Santiago de Compostela with a local.
Activity Highlights
Walking ancient pilgrimage pathways
Archaeological sites, historical sites, medieval villages
Local Galician cuisine
Connecting with other Bold Spirit Travel women
DETAILED Itinerary
Day 1: Howdy, Pilgrim
You’ll meet the rest of your Bold Spirit Travel crew at the Santiago de Compostela airport on the first day. (If you fly in earlier than our start date, please plan to meet us directly in Sarria at the hotel.)
Our private driver will pick us up at the Santiago de Compostela airport and take us to Sarria, our home for the first night.
Note that we provide just one group transfer from the airport. You may need to wait for your travel crew.
In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner and get to know your walking buddies—we start our trek tomorrow.
Meals included: Welcome dinner
Day 2: Walking the Walk—Sarria to Portomarin
Good morning, Pilgrim!
Banish jet lag with a strong cup of frothy cafe con leche and one or two Spanish pastries. Big breakfasts are served daily at our hotels and you need the fuel for your many miles of daily walking.
We pick up the trail in Sarria. Walking shoes on and our luggage in the support van, we are ready to seize the day. You will be on the lookout for trail markers: the yellow arrow and the Camino scallop shell. They will show you which way to go (you will also have a map).
You and your Bold Spirit Travel crew will traverse the final 110-kilometers of the Camino, which is the last section of a much longer trail 800-kilometer trail.
But today the plan is to cover just 18 kilometers from Sarria to Portomarin. Get ready to immerse yourself in the beauty of Northern Spain and get your first taste of Camino life.
You’ll grab lunch on your own along the trail. There are many local spots to stop for a quick bite or a more leisurely meal with wine. Our guide will have daily suggestions, but you decide where to stop.
Note that will you need cash for most of these small cafes and restaurants in rural Spain.
Our group stops in Portomarin for the night. Your luggage will be waiting for you at the hotel.
Wash off the trail dust and relax a bit before a hearty group dinner with wine served at the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Kilometers walked: 18 (11 miles)
Day 3: Taking the High Road—Portomarin to Airexe
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and fill your water bottle for today’s trek. Note that our support van will have filtered water for you to refill your bottle along the trail.
Starting from Portomarin, we ascend through woodlands and then pop over our high point for the day, the Sierra Ligonde. Our morning is spent on hushed country lanes. From the top, views abound in every direction.
The villages we pass through today have long-standing associations with the Camino—just think of how many pilgrims have walked these trails before you over the centuries! You are following in many footsteps. Think about those who came before you and why they chose this trail.
We will pass through Castromaior (from the 4th century BC) where you can explore a Celtic-Iberian ruin.
Enjoy lunch today on the trail. Each day, we will offer a lunch spot suggestion for the group. You can always eat with the Camino crew or go solo. It’s up to you.
Our group will travel together, but that does not mean we are joined at the hip. Your pace may be faster or slower, depending on the day. You might feel chatty in the morning and need room for self-reflection in the afternoon. You do you. There is time and space for it.
A final climb brings us to Airexe, a petite village where we stop for the day. Our driver will take us from Airexe to our countryside hotel for the evening.
Freshen up and then swap trail stories over drinks. Enjoy a delicious Spanish dinner at the hotel with our group.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Kilometers walked: 17 (10.5 miles)
Day 4: King’s Country—Airexe to Leboreiro
You’re awake early for breakfast at the hotel before lacing up and heading down the trail. You have been walking a couple of days now. You are finding your stride and getting used to the rhythm of the Camino. The Camino gets easier with each day, though your body may be a bit sore too.
Today you will cut through the town of Palas de Rei, or Palace of the King, named after an 8th-century Visigoth king who was in charge around these parts once upon a time.
Stop for lunch when you feel hungry. There are cafes and restaurants along the way. Make time to have frothy coffees with your Camino buddies as we walk along the trail. Indulge in the fresh OJ that is served in most bars. There are lots of opportunities to linger and chat with new friends found along the path.
From Palas de Rei, the route undulates and eventually drops us in San Xulian, a classic Camino village with a 12th-century church worth admiring.
Our pilgrim group will continue onward, traversing forested trails and two river valleys.
In Leboreiro, we’ll meet up with our driver and zip off to our hotel for a well-earned dinner and a good night’s rest.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Kilometers walked: 16.5 kilometers (10 miles)
Day 5: These Boots Were Made for Walkin’—Leboreiro to Arzua
After breakfast at the hotel, lace up those boots and grab your walking sticks, it’s time to pick up the trail in Leboreiro.
Hit the trail toward the village of Furelos to admire its medieval bridge. The Camino is not about getting to the destination village as quickly as possible. It’s about slowing down and enjoying the many delights along the way. If you tend to lead a fast-paced life, can you challenge yourself to slow down on this trek and spend more time just being in the moment?
Melide is the next stop on your route. Plan to grab lunch at a local pulperia to sample one of Galicia’s specialties—pulpo Gallego, aka steamed octopus. After lunch, we ascend and descend, traversing quaint hamlets and swaths of forest to end our walk in Arzua.
Arzua is a buzzing town famous for producing creamy cheeses. You might pick up a wedge for later. This is also a good place to do laundry, find an ATM, or pick up anything you might need at a pharmacy. Many of the villages we stay in are tiny with few services so Arzua is a smart place to stock up on anything you feel you need.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Kilometers walked: 19.5 (12 miles)
Day 6: On the Road Again—Aruza to Santa Irene
You’ve got the hang of this Camino thing now. You know how to put on double socks and Vaseline to protect your feet. You have a knack for moleskin and washing out your quick-dry shirts. You’ve embraced eating a big pilgrim breakfast before hitting the trail. You’ve found your stride.
You have 17 kms today to reach Santa Irene. Plan to stop for lunch in Salceda at Tia Teresa, an unassuming restaurant that serves some of the best scallops and a tarta de Santiago on the trail.
Part of the Camino’s magic is the food. Savor the flavors of Spain while you are here. Order a beer or wine with lunch. Relax. The Camino, and our itinerary, allow time for food and rest. We challenge ourselves physically each day, but we also enjoy moments of respite with a cold drink in the shade.
Our Bold Spirit Travel posse continues westward on the trail through stands of eucalyptus until we reach Santa Irene. Enjoy an icy drink and wait for the rest of our group. Then hop in the van and we are off to our hotel for the night.
Once settled in your room, enjoy a hot shower and put your feet up. Your legs and feet will be sore. Give them a break and maybe opt for a sweet little siesta.
Dinner is together this evening at the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Kilometers walked: 17 (10.5 miles)
Day 7: The Journey, Not the Destination—Santa Irene to Villamaior
You’re getting closer to our final destination, Santiago de Compostela. But today, we enjoy the journey.
You will pass through some beautiful scenery as you stroll woodland trails. You will also pass by the Labacolla airport, definitely a sight the pilgrims of 800 years ago would not have seen!
Lavacolla translates, roughly, to washing one’s, um, private areas. This is where pilgrims used to clean themselves in a stream before descending into Santiago de Compostela, the holy city and their final destination. But we have no need to stop and bathe here—there’s a nice shower at the hotel. ;-)
Dinner will be enjoyed together in the evening after hot showers and some time to put your feet up. Play a game of cards with fellow pilgrims or write in your journal. Tomorrow you will reach Santiago.
Meals included : Breakfast, Dinner
Kilometers walked: 17 (10.5 miles)
Day 8: Villamaior - Santiago de Compostela
This is our last day walking the Camino together. We have a goal today: get to the Santiago Cathedral before the Pilgrim Mass begins at 12 noon. Some of our pilgrim posse may want to experience this well-known mass and others may skip it. Either way, we aim to be in Santiago in time to get in line so those who want the experience can attend.
We begin our trek with a climb from near Villamaior to Monte del Gozo, or Mount Joy, where on a clear day the towers of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral can be spotted. The saying goes that if you are the first in your group to spot the church towers, you may officially change your name to King (Rey, Leroy, Le Roi). Or maybe Queen? It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?
The walking portion of our journey ends today at the steps of the cathedral. Your facilitator will help you navigate getting your Compostela as well as attending the Pilgrim’s Mass if you wish to do so. You might just want to sit in a plaza and pat yourself on the back while enjoying a glass of wine. You may want to go shopping (Santiago has wonderful boutiques).
Check into our historic hotel and then wash off the trail dirt. You made it! Rest and then explore this city. Pop into the Pilgrim’s Museum to learn more about the walkers who came before you. Get a (well-earned) massage.
We have much to celebrate. Walking so many kilometers is a great accomplishment, and while your feet may be tired, your heart will be full. Tonight, we will gather for one last dinner. Raise a glass to your fellow pilgrims!
Meals included: Breakfast, Celebratory Dinner
Kilometers Walked: 8 (5 miles)
Day 9: Buen Camino!—Santiago de Compostela
You have accomplished something BIG! Your body (and spirit) is strong and amazing. What a gift!
Today, enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel followed by a two-hour guided walking tour of the city and the cathedral with our local guide.
Later, it’s time to say “adios” to your Bold Spirit Travel friends. Arrange a taxi to take you to the airport (it’s a quick ride from downtown Santiago and the hotel will call a cab for you; this is not included in the tour price).
Or, extend your trip and explore Cape Finisterre on the ocean which is Km Zero on the Camino. Finisterre, or Fisterra, was long considered a holy place for the pre-Christian people who lived here. Take a day tour by bus and see this gorgeous coastal area.
You could also extend your trip another week and walk to Finisterre on the Camino. We can help you arrange this.
Pro Tip: Take a day tour by bus and see this gorgeous coastal area. You could also extend your trip another week and walk to Finisterre on the Camino. Book with Discover Galicia.
Meals included: Breakfast
Kilometers walked: Zero!
What’s Included:
Eight nights at beautiful hotels, inns, and B&Bs (based on double occupancy; if you don’t want a roommate, opt for the single upgrade option)
An English-speaking Bold Spirit facilitator accompanying you every step of the way
All meals as indicated in the detailed itinerary
Group airport transfer from Santiago de Compostela airport to our hotel in Sarria on the tour start date
Private land transfers for the Bold Spirit group throughout the entire adventure, if you feel you need a break from walking
A small group experience—no more than 14 Bold Spirit women travelers on each trip
Local expert bilingual guides walking with us
Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel
Checkpoint stops on the trail with snacks
A planning guide to get you ready for this Bold Spirit adventure
What’s Not Included:
Round-trip airfare—you need to arrive in Santiago de Compostela and meet us at the airport
Gratuities for guides and drivers
Cost for additional activities such as massage or a day trip to Fisterra
Meals not outlined in the detailed itinerary. Lunches are not included but there are stores along the route and small bars/restaurants that cater to pilgrims.
Alcoholic beverages, unless otherwise specified (most meals include wine)
Personal expenses, such as souvenirs
Travel insurance (recommended – see below)
Optional private room upgrade
Early hotel check-in
Telephone charges
Room service/minibar
Laundry
What to Bring on This Adventure:
Comfortable trekking shoes and sandals
Bathing suit
Day pack or bag
Reusable water bottle
You will receive a detailed packing list upon registering
Staying in Touch with New Bold Spirit Friends
For each Bold Spirit trip, we will set up a community WhatsApp group so you can stay in touch with the inspiring women you meet on your trip and share photos.
Travel Insurance
Insurance is recommended for your Bold Spirit trip. We highly recommend that you obtain adequate coverage for cancellation, curtailment, and loss of luggage, and personal effects. Your deposit and final trip balance can then be recovered via a claim to your insurance provider in the event that you must cancel your adventure due to unforeseen circumstances.
Check out insurance options at Squaremouth. TinLeg, or Atlas Journeys. Note that if you want Cancel for Any Reason insurance, you need to get it within 10 days of your first deposit for the trip.
Other Considerations
Our itinerary is subject to change based on availability and unforeseen conditions.
The minimum group number for this trip to run is six participants.
You will have a private driver and van support for the entire hike. Store your luggage and walking poles in the van if you need to.
You’ll stay in hotels, family-run Pazos, renovated farmhouses (Casa Rurales), and Galician manor homes located in villages a short distance from the Camino trail. Rooms have private bathrooms but the smaller inns may or may not have AC, hairdryers, or televisions.
Food Options: There are limited vegetarian and vegan options on this tour. Pack a trail mix and protein bars, especially if you are vegan.
Your deposit for this trip is non-refundable. We use the deposit money to secure your hotels and guides, this is why it is non-refundable. Please get travel insurance in case you have to cancel for an unforeseen reason.
Email us with questions about this.
You must abide by Spanish rules and COVID protocols. Bold Spirit Travel is not responsible if you cannot enter Spain due to lack of vaccination or other entry requirements.
Refund amounts are determined as follows:
120+ days before trip: Full refund minus non-refundable deposit
120–90 days before trip: 50% of balance minus non-refundable deposit
90 days or fewer before trip: No refund
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