12-Day / 11-Night Gentle (Slow Pilgrimage)

From your point of arrival, use the public transport information we provide to make the journey to Sarria.

You begin your walk in the oldest part of Sarria with views across the town before passing the monastery of La Magdalena. A medieval footbridge leads you into charming countryside. Here the Camino guides you along quiet country tracks and paths that weave through fields and woodland. The route passes through many peaceful, rural communities, offering countless opportunities for taking relaxing breaks at cafes, restaurants and “honesty stalls”.

More cafes and restaurants will tempt you to take an early break today. As you descend into the valley of the river Mino and cross over the Embalse de Belezar reservoir you can often enjoy stunning views of Portomarin, a picturesque town that was rebuilt in the 1960s on a nearby hill after the original town was flooded.

Today you are following in the footsteps of Spanish kings and Roman emperors. The route guides you through small villages over the hills of the Sierra Ligonde and you pass an impressive Iron Age hillfort at Castromaior. Today’s walk ends at the now tranquil hamlet of Ventas de Narón, which was the site of a bloody battle between Muslim and Christian forces in 840 AD.

You pass two former pilgrim’s hospitals that are said to once have sheltered such illustrious guests as Charlemagne, Emperor Charles V and his son Phillip II of Spain. The walk then descends to Portos, where you have the option to take a detour to the ancient seat of the Knights of Santiago at Vilar de Donas. A final gentle ascent brings you to the little hill of Alto Rosario where pilgrims used to pray the rosary and from where you soon arrive in Palas de Rei.

A short day of easy, level walking along woodland paths and tracks. You pass through tiny settlements with ancient romanesque churches and over medieval bridges. All along the route little cafes invite you to stop for a snack or a coffee. Once you are in Melide, where the Camino Primitivo joins the Camino Frances, the traditional ‘pulperias’ will try to tempt you to sample one of Galicia’s specialities – pulpo (octopus).

Another day of pleasant and gentle walking across three shallow river valleys and mostly on shaded woodland paths and tracks, where cafés and riverside picnic areas are perfect for breaks. In Ribadiso you pass a medieval pilgrim hostel, one of the oldest hostels still operating along the Camino. Your day finishes near the 14th century chapel of La Magdalena in the town of Arzua, which is famous for its local cheese.

As other routes join the Camino Frances you will find more and more pilgrims sharing the walk towards Santiago with you. The walk leads you through quaint hamlets and, as the vegetation becomes more Mediterranean, the oak and chestnut woodlands of eastern Galicia slowly give way to eucalyptus and pine forests and even the occasional palm tree.

A very short day that gives you time to relax and have some coffee along the route. Leave Salceda along a woodland path, continue through the woods around Alto de Santa Irene until you arrive in the traditional and tranquil hamlet of A Rua.

The second last day of the Camino brings you once more through little villages, woodlands and open country along quiet paths and tracks. Not far from Santiago de Compostela you come to the village of Lavacolla where it is said that, after weeks or months of travelling, pilgrims traditionally bathed in the local stream to purify themselves before their arrival in Santiago.

From Lavacolla the Camino soon reaches the top of Monte do Gozo, the Hill of Joy. Here is the place where pilgrims can get their first view of their destination, the spires of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The end of your walk then leads you through medieval streets and past grand squares, fountains, palaces and churches before you arrive at the magnificent cathedral.

There are regular flights from Santiago Airport as well as bus and train services from Santiago to other Spanish cities and airports. Full details provided upon booking.