May27–DepartUSA

IfnotdoinggroupairarriveSantiago,Spainonthe27th.ThenmeetthegroupatairportonMay28totransfertoSarria.Thegrouplands840AMMay28.

May28–GroupTransferFromSantiagotoSarria(Landportionofficiallybegins)

ArriveinSantiago.At9amwewillbemetandtransferred90minutestoSarria.WethenbeginouradventureinSarria,highontheridgesoftheGaliciapeninsulaofSpain.Itisthelargesttownwewillseeaswebeginourpilgrimage.ByancientGaliciastandards,Sarriaisanewcity.Butyet,itischarminginit“new”way.Sarriais

knownforitsimpressivechurchesandmonasteries,mostdatingtothe13thcentury.

Useyourfreetimetoexploreandseethecity’swonderssuchasthechurchOSalvador,whichislocatedonRúaMaior.EquallyimportantistheConventofAMadalenathatinthe13thcenturywasusedasapilgrimhospitalbyItalianmonksoftheOrderoftheBlessedMartyrsofJesus.Sarriaisacitywitharichartistichistoryandisnowconsideredacapitalofantiques.Fromfurnituretoart,peopleflocktoSarria.

OurhotelistheHotelAlfonsowhichoverlookstheSarriaRiverandisashortdistancefromthetownplaza.Youwillhavetheafternoonandeveningtorelaxandexploretoprepareforthejourneythatliesahead.Sarriaisafoodiehaven,soenjoysomeofthelocalcuisines.Thespecialtyifastewcalledcocidowhichisamixtureofwildgameandseafood.Bearinmindthisisthestartingpointformanyonthispilgrimagesoyoumaymeetotherswhoarethereforthesamereasonasyou.

Overnight:Sarria-HotelAlfonsoD

Mar29–SarriatoPortomarin

Followingaheartybreakfast,wesetoutthroughPonteRibieraonwhatisaboutapeaceful13½milewalkthroughprettyvillagesandpeacefulhamlets.Asweexittown,wepasstheMagdanelaConventandthenheadalongquietcountryroadsthatareshadedbyoaktrees.Youwillseeaconstantreminderthatyouareontherightpathbythescallopshellsymbolsalongtheway.Theshellsarefoundontrees,roadsandsigns,pointingtheWay.Medievalpilgrimsworetheshellswhiletravelingthepathtosymbolizetheirjourney.

Alongtheway,youwillspotmanyGaliciantraditional‘hórreos’(granaries).AswepassthroughthetinytownofBarbadelo,makesuretotaketimetoseethebeautifulRomanesquechurchinthevillageofBarbadelowithitsincrediblebaroquealtar.OthersmallhamletswetraverseincludeRente,Serra,Peruscallo,Morgade,

MercadoiroandVilache.Eachprovidesanopportunityforyoutorest,haveasnackorlookaround.

AswemakeourfinalstepstoPortomarin,youwillseeasettoancientstepsandastructureknownastheChapeloftheClouds…thisisthebestandtraditionalwayforpilgrimstoenterPortomarin.ThetownhasmanycuteshopsandrestaurantsbutyoushouldtaketimetovisitthechurchoftheKnightsoftheorderSanJuan.Itisbothatempleandafortress.OncelocatedintheMiñoRiverValleybeforeitwasfloodedasadamreservoir,thestructurewasmovedstonebystoneandreconstructedhere.

We’llcheckintoPoussadadePortomarinoverlookingtheMiñoRiverandveryclosetothechurchofSanJuan.Ifyoureallywanttogolocalthisevening,tryatraditionalmealoffriedeels!

Overnight:PoussadadePortomarinB/D

May30–Portomarin–PalasdeRei

WhenweleavePortomarin,yourCaminowillcrosstheriverMiño(Galicia’slongestriver)andbeginasteadyslopeuphilltowardstheSerradeLigonde.Today’sventurewillcoverabout15milesthroughvariedterrain.We’llstartinshadedforestsandthengoalongsomepavedroadspasthamletssuchasGonzar,HospitaldelaCruzandVentasdeNarón.HospitaldelaCruzwasnamedafteronoldhospitalforpilgrimswhichnolongerexists.ItisbelievedtobethesiteofamassiveChristian–Moorishbattleinthe9thcentury.

Thereareseveralchurchesworthstoppingatalongtheway,butperhapstheoneyoushouldnotmissaretheRomanesqueChurchofSantaMaríainCastromaiorandtheRomanesquechurchinEirexe,withitsportalfeaturingasculptureofDanielwithanimals,aswellasPilgrimSantiago.Weendtoday’sjourneyinthetownofPalaisdeRei.AmongtheplacesyoushouldtakeinisCastillodePambrewhichisthemostcompleteMedievalFortinGalicia,datingfromthe14thcentury.

Youreveningisfree.Whendining,youmaywanttoenjoysomeofthesoftcheesestheareaisknownfor.WewillbeovernightatComplejolaCabana,alogcabinhotelalongtheroutewhichiswithinwalkingdistancethecenteroftown

Overnight:PalasdeRei-ComplejolaCabanaB/D

CastillodePambre

May31–PalasdeRei-Azúra

Todaywillbeyourlongesthike,travelingabout18miles.Thegoodnewsisthattodayismostlydownhill.OurpathwilltakeacrosstheborderbetweentheprovinceofLugoandLaCoruña.WewillbepassingthroughthevillageofCasanovaandthedelightfulvillageofLeboreiro.YoushouldtakeabreakinthelivelymarkettownofMelide,whereyoushouldtryoctopus,Galicia’smostclassicdish,inoneofthemany‘pulperías.’AfterMelide,youwillnoticethattheWaywillstartbecomingmorecrowdedaswemergewiththePrimitiveRoad

ThesceneryherecanbebreathtakingaswefollowtheCastasolRiver,crossingseveralstreams.We’llmakeourwayalongaforesttrackofeucalyptusandoak,bringingustothevillageofBoenteandthechurchofSantiagowheretheparishpriestenjoysbeckoningtravelerstocomeinforavisit.Nextisthepretty,medievalhamletofRibadisoandfinallythetownofArzúawhichconnectstotheCaminointheNorth.Duringyourfreeevening,youshouldvisitthechurchesofSantaMaríaandAMagdalena.

WeovernightattheCasaTeodora,locatedrightontheCamino.Recentlyrenovated,thesamefamilyhasrunthispensionformorethan100years,cateringtotheneedsofpilgrims.Overnight:Arzúa-CasaTeodoraB/D

Jun1–ArzúatoAmenal

Today’sCaminowilltakeusforabout14milesthroughprettywoods,sleepyvillagesandacrossstreamsformostoftheday.Thisisaneasytrekandonethatcanbeenjoyedbystoppingfordrinksandsnacksinthevariousscenichamletsalongtheway.You’llnoticethatthecloseryougettoSantiago,themorejoyouseveryone’sspiritisandthemoresocialtheotherpilgrimshavebecome.

InthetownofSantaIrene,thechapelofSantaIreneisworthavisit.ItissaidIrenewasmurderedherebutthattheimageoftheSaintinsidetheshrinehashealingpowers.ThenearbyfountainisclaimedbysometobetheFountainofEternalYouth.

ThelovelyhamletofRúaisanovernightspotformanybutwewillcontinueonalongcountryroadsandforesttrackstoAmenal.WewillovernightatthehotelAmenal,Amodernizedhistoricstructure,itoverlooksfieldsandforestsbutyetisconvenientforexploringthislittletown.

Overnight:HotelAmenal&HotelBelloCastrofeitoB/D

Jun2–SantiagodeCompostela

Savoreverymomentofthelast10milesofourepicpilgrimage.WewillstopinLavacollaontheoutskirtsofSantiagowhereforcenturiespilgrimswouldcometowashinthewatersontheriverinpreparationfortheirarrivalinSantiagodeCompostela.AshadedpathofrowsoftalleucalyptustreeslineyourjourneytoMontedoGozoorMountofJoy.FromherewewillcatchourfirstglimpseofthespiresofthecathedralinSantiago.

Fromhere,wewillbeenteringthecityofSantiagoandmakeashortwalktothehistoricpartofSantiagoandthePlazadelObradoirowhichisthetown’smainsquare.wemustregisterourarrivalwiththePilgrims’Officetomakeoutpilgrimagecompletionofficial.WewillthenweentertheCathedralitselftobeapartofthePilgrimmass.Heldatnoon,themassbeginswiththereadingoutofthenumberofpilgrimswhohavebeenreceivedinthePilgrims’Officeinthelast24hours,wheretheycomefromandwheretheystartedtheirpilgrimage.Wethencollectoutcertificatesofcompletion.

Afterwardwecancheckintoapropertyeveryoneloves,theSanFranciscoMonumento,ahistorichotelthatwillgiveyouwelldeservedpamperingafteryourjourney.WehavetheafternoontoexplorequaintpedestrianstreetsofthisgemofanancientcitywhichisaUNESCOWorldHeritageSite.Knownforitsarchitectureanddelightfulatmosphereofspiritandculture,youwillfindnotonlypilgrimsbutalsolocalsandstudents,enjoyingafewbitesandsocializingoveraglassofwineinthemanybars,restaurantsandcozycafes.

Overnight:SanFranciscoMonumentoB

Jun3–ExploreonownorjoinonorOptionalFinisterreDayTour!

[captionid="attachment_3804"align="alignright"width="300"]FinisterreDayTripTailslocatedinthelighthouseatCapeFinisterre,wherepilgrimsburnan

objectthatledtotheCaminoSantiago,theendofpilgrimroutetoSantiagodeCompostela.[/caption]

Freeatlast.AFSersloveLeisuretime!

YouhaveafreedaytorestuporexploreSantiagodeCompostela.TheSanFranciscoMonumentoisapropertywithindoorandoutdoorpools.Andofcourse,thecityitselfisknownforitspedestrianareaslinedwithshopsandcafes.Thelocaldailymarketisphoto-worthy-filledwithcolorfulfruits,vegetables,cheeses,seafoodandwares.

Optional:YoualsohavetheopportunitytotakeanoptionalvisittoFinisterre(orFisterrainSpanish),the“EndoftheWorld.”Traditionally,pilgrimsusedtofinishtheirCaminojourneyinCapeFisterra,wheretheyburnedtheirclothesandadmiredthesunsettingovertheAtlanticOcean.Thistourwilltakeustothecoastwhichisknownforitsruggedcliffs,goldenbeachesandsmallfishingvillages.Theviewsherearespectacular!WewillmakestopsattheformidableCostadaMorte,thesmallfishingvillageofMuros,Carnota(hometothebiggestgranaryinGaliciaandthelargestsandybeach),andthevillageofMuxía,famousforitscharmingsanctuarybytheAtlantic.WewillalsovisitthestunningÉzarowaterfall-theonlyriverinEuropereachingtheseaasawaterfall.(60Euros–detailslater)

Overnight:SanFranciscoMonumentoB/D

Jun4–Afterbreakfast,departtoairport.

Allpricesareperpersontwinshare.Singleroomslimitedpergroupandasinglesupplementapplies.Costsetbyhotel/cruiselineandvaryconsiderably.AFSwillfindyouaroommatematch.PleasereviewAFSTermsandConditionsaswellasHeadingAbroadwithAFS.Land-Pricebasedonaminimumnumberoftripparticipants,aswellaslocalcurrencyexchangerateswhichcanfluctuate.WewriteourItinerariesayearinadvance.Thoughunlikely,wereservetherighttomodifyschedules,toursandhotelsifnecessary.Allhotelroomsare"runofhouse."Groupair-Airlinesmayaddsurchargestooffsetfuelinflationortaxes.Thetotalticketcostisnotfinaluntilwereceiveyourfinalpaymentandthegroupisticketed.Ifdoingownair,airporttransfermayormaynotbeincludeddependingonyourairschedule.Donotbuyairuntilthegroupairissetorweadvise-thoughunlikely,airlines,timesanddatescanchange!