Self-guided pilgrimage
10 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 2
Moderate
Flights
available
15.0Kg CO2e
Headwater
Navigation App
The Spanish Camino de Santiago is one of THE most ancient walking routes in the world. Ever since the 9th century, the French Way has led thousands of pilgrims on an 800km journey across northern Spain, winding from the Pyrenees across the wheat fields of old Castile to pass through Leon, the seat of Spanish Kings, full of soaring cathedrals and hushed convents, before entering Galicia. The route then builds to a spectacular finale at Santiago de Compostela's majestic Baroque cathedral, the last resting place of St James the apostle.
Your walk begins in Leon and, in keeping with the pilgrimage route, you walk daily along farm tracks, paths and country lanes, enjoying sociable lunches in restaurants en route. You'll stay in an astonishingly diverse range of properties including restored parish houses, converted water mills and stylish farmhouses, all packed with period features. We've included transfers after breakfast on the first three walking days, after which you'll walk all the way to Santiago. The sense of achievement on arrival is immense, and sharing in this tradition with your fellow pilgrims en route is incredibly rewarding.
Everyone on the Camino has a Pilgrim Passport that can be stamped in bars, hotels and churches along the way to qualify for a certificate from the official Pilgrim Office in Santiago. You'll notice a profound and heart-warming camaraderie with other walkers, as day by day you fall in and out of step with people from all over the world, some of whom have been walking for months, covering hundreds of miles! You'll also find complete strangers cheering you on and wishing you 'Buen Camino!' ('Enjoy your walk!').
Walks on this holiday are on village streets, country lanes, farm tracks and rural paths. Walking boots are essential. Walking poles are recommended.
Arrive at your historic hotel in the heart of Leon. There are masses of restaurants and tapas bars on your doorstep, so we've left the choice up to you for dinner tonight.
You stay at Posada Regia.
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The Posada Regia is perfectly located in the centre of Leon, just off the main (largely pedestrian) street and around a five minute walk from the impressive central cathedral. The hotel has two buildings on adjacent streets.
The main building is where the restaurant and bars are located. Once inside you enter the world of 'old Leon' as even part of the original Roman city wall has been incorporated into the structure of the new building. The atmosphere is rustic with lots of timber and tile floors, and this building is next to a lively square where it is pleasant to sit out for drinks of an evening. The second building (where Headwater rooms are located) is 20m down a quieter street. Bedrooms are attractive with bold colours and smart new bathrooms.
Your day starts with a guided tour of Leon's magnificent Gothic cathedral, which is often called the 'House of Light', and a visit to the Basilica of San Isidoro, one of the most important Romanesque churches in Spain and resting place of Leon's medieval monarchs. You will then receive your Pilgrim Passport at the local albergue and we'll provide a transfer (1hr) to Cruz de Ferro, the highest point on the Camino, marked by a pre-Roman cross. The Camino winds downhill through fragrant pines where once the Knights Templar protected pilgrims from bandit attack. A path lined with wild chestnuts, cherries, peppers and fennel leads to Molinaseca and your hotel.
You stay at Hotel El Palacio.
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El Palacio is perfectly located on the banks of the river in Molinaseca and in a restored building that was formerly known as the Casona de Don Pelegrin. Recently renovated the modern rooms offer flat screen TVs and WiFi access.
After a short transfer (30 mins), you ascend the Rio Valcarce valley, climbing into moody oak woods strung with lichen and strewn with early purple orchid. O Cebreiro is an 11th century village in the heart of the Cordillera Cantabrica. Walk to the viewpoint above the village for a perfect sunset and views over four ranges of hills then return along the narrow, cobbled streets, past traditional thatched houses known as pallozas.
You stay at Hotel O'Cebreiro.
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The Valina family have run much of the accommodation in O Cebreiro for generations, and the village certainly looks like time has stood still. With amazing views in all directions, this tiny place is one of the most charming on the Camino. There are rooms in three different buildings, each just 20m apart and made from the heavy, grey stone typical to this area.
One building is an 11th century monastery and is actually connected to the little church next door so the monks could walk directly between their rooms and their pews! Rooms are light and more spacious than you would suspect in such small 2 storey buildings.
The main restaurant is next to the cafe and bar, often filled with characters from the village. English is in short supply but there are so many nationalities passing though here you will always find someone to help!
After a short transfer we drop you off at Triacastela. As the Camino meanders between heather-clad villages overlooking the Monastery of Samos, you can hear the bells ringing. On reaching Sarria - the antiques capital of Galicia, you'll be whisked to Javier and Raquel's elegant country rectory (10 mins), complete with chapel and al fresco dining patio area.
You stay at Rectoral de Goian.
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A rectoral in Spain is the equivalent of a parsonage in the UK. A grand home, often in a picturesque location built of attractive old stone. Such is the case with The Rectoral de Goian, just 8km from the centre of Sarria, it's a gorgeous property set in isolated countryside in landscaped gardens that are just too perfect.
The Rectoral building is horseshoe shaped - it has an open patio and balconies facing the garden so it is ideal for eating al fresco in the evening. There is even a tiny chapel in the garden that is still used!
Bedrooms are gorgeous with stone walls, beams, wooden floors and modern bathrooms, all with views on to the patio or the garden. Raquel and Javier don't speak English, so a phrase book will come in handy here too.
A Roman bridge leads out of Sarria up the Celerio Valley, where you'll traverse the hamlets of the southern flank of the Sierra del Paramo. Descend into Portomarin - the original village was drowned by the Belesar Reservoir, and some remains still shimmer below the surface!
You stay at Casa Rural Santa Marina.
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This eco-friendly hotel is located on the banks of the Mino river. The rooms are located in the Main building and are decorated with wood panelling.
Drop into Portomarin's church then follow the Torres stream, passing between cornfields lined with ox-eye daisies. Stamp your Pilgrim Passport in country churches dedicated to the Order of St James before arriving at your beautifully restored rectory.
You stay at Casa Roan.
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An old farmhouse that has been renovated beautifully in keeping with the rustic country feel. The inner courtyard has been restored and the estate is filled with gardens. The rooms have maintained their traditional wood and stone walls and have been furnished with restored furniture from the original house.
Country lanes lead past fortified farmhouses into the hillside town of Palas de Rei (Palace of the King) as you enter the province of A Coruna. You'll pass typical, raised Galician granaries, and chickens scamper across narrow streets as you enter vineyards, with views east to the Montes del Vacaloura.
You stay at Casa de los Somoza.
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In the tiniest village of just a few houses, Jesus Cardelle's rustic country Turismo Rural is a popular stop on the Camino. The house was originally a farm, and has an old world charm about it with tiled floors and wooden beams throughout. The garden outside is always full of passing pilgrims having a drink in the sunshine, and playing Jesus' typical in house Galician skittle game. This is a simple village and a simple hotel, full of rustic charm. There is no English spoken here.
Today's first stop is Melide - a thriving country town where tavernas brim with locals enjoying Galician seafood in specialist pulperias (octopus restaurants). Drop into the Romanesque church to admire the frescoes, before lanes lined with bright yellow celandine bring you into the lively market town of Arzua. Continue on to your elegant manor house, surrounded by tranquil countryside, just outside the town.
You stay at Pazo Santa Maria.
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Juan Manuel Duque took on this ruined Galician stately home on the outskirts of Arzua as a retirement project several years ago, and has restored it to it's former glory using original materials and creating an atmosphere of perfect peace and tranquillity.
Most rooms are set into the old stables around a central courtyard, with several also in the main house where the luxurious public lounges can be found on the ground floor.
The walls are solid stone, the beams and roof all ancient, and the dining rooms sports a giant fireplace and other original features. The entire complex is set in landscaped grounds on the edge of Arzua so it is around a 10 minute walk from the centre where all the shops and banks are located, as well as your onward route to Santiago.
Arzua's colonnaded streets lead into open country where local farmers wear berets as they tend vines and build haystacks with pitch forks. Your route rises and falls through river valleys, crossing rushing streams.
You stay at O Muino de Pena.
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Just off the Camino (you will be picked up from Pension Compas which is on the Camino by Javier), can be found some of the loveliest and most unusual properties to stay in, and this is one of them.
Hidden in the backwoods and valleys this ancient mill sits next to a rushing river and weir, instantly relaxing you with the sound of running water. The bedrooms are on the top floor as you enter (you enter on the second floor as it is built on a steep hill), and all are utterly charming with beams, stone walls and dark wooden furniture.
Downstairs, much of the heart of the mill has been retained, with giant wheels and massive machinery blending perfectly with the bar and dining area and looking quite spectacular. The open riverside garden is perfect for a drink, and the entire place feels as if it is a mythical secret hideaway. Javier will drive you back to the Camino (10 minutes) in the morning.
Excitement mounts as you set off towards Monte do Gozo (Mount of Joy), where pilgrims of old caught their first glimpse of the spires of Santiago. On reaching Santiago's historic centre, congratulations are everywhere as a steady stream of pilgrims reach their journey's end below the cathedral's spectacular Baroque facade. Drop into the Pilgrim Office to collect your certificate if you wish, before checking into our historic hotel near the old marketplace - still a riot of colour!
You stay at Hotel Virxe da Cerca.
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Just on the edge of the historic centre in Santiago de Compostela, the Virxe da Cerca sits just below the old market - it is still used by the locals daily and is definitely worth wandering through.
Our superior rooms are in the grand old 4-storey building that backs on to an extensive garden at the back. The breakfast room overlooks the garden while the in house restaurant is on the ground floor in the depths of the building with solid stone walls and a cosy atmosphere.
It is only a 5-minute walk into the heart of the old town so it is perfect for exploring, and feels like coming back to your very own stately home in the city.
Room upgrades: Suite.
Suites offer extra space.
Enjoy Santiago and the cathedral before taking a taxi to the airport (pay locally approx 15 euro). Alternatively, stay on for extra nights to explore this beautiful historic city. Walking through the old streets of Santiago is a fantastic way to spend your time here, with Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings lining the old town's streets and plazas.
If you'd like to extend your trip with extra hotel nights we recommend: Hotel Petit Palace Preciados, Madrid.
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The Hotel Petit Palace Preciados enjoys an excellent position just off the bustling Puerta del Sol Square, which is considered one of the central spots in Old Madrid. The hotel itself lies just off the pedestrian area to the north where the famous Corte Ingles department store is located. You are ideally situated for exploring all of Madrid's famous sights.
The hotel has a charming turn of century facade and many of the rooms have wrought iron balconies from which you can sit and watch the world go by.
The 75 rooms are furnished in a modern style with laminate flooring and crisp white decor. All are double glazed and air-conditioned and are equipped with mini bar, satellite television and direct dial telephone. The bathrooms are well appointed and many have hydro massage showers.
Room upgrades and extra nights: Contact us for details.
These tour prices are based on two people sharing. Single supplement from £378.
We can book your flights, protected by ATOL and ABTA. Please ask at time of enquiry.
This holiday is based on a minimum of 2 passengers.
If you choose a flight inclusive package with us, you will fly into Madrid airport, with onward rail included. We can also provide transfers from the station to your hotel, please contact us for details and prices.
We hold an ATOL License and are fully ABTA bonded, so you can book your flights with us in confidence. We can book most airlines and will advise you of your most convenient airport and flight options.
Flight prices vary massively and change quickly. At Headwater we will sell you your flights at the same price you can buy them yourself. We simply add £35 per person to cover your flight protection, to learn more please click here.
Subject to availability and dependent on service provider, please ask at time of enquiry and book early to avoid disappointment.
Follow the steps of Colin Stump, a travel expert, on his journey along the Camino. Read everything you want to know about this unique experience.
Self-guided pilgrimage
10 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 2
Moderate
Flights
available
15.0Kg CO2e
Headwater
Navigation App
