The Best of the Way of St. James of Compostela14 days / 13 nights /9 walking days
 | Across Castille and Galicia you will experience the best sections of the Camino Frances. The journey, as well as showing you the best of the Spanish pilgrimage route to St. James of Compostela, will avoid the the indutrial suburbs in the big towns. But the principal attraction of doing the 'Best of...' is that it will give you enough time to enjoy at your own pace the magnificent historic cities of Burgos and Leon whilst staying in 2 and 3 star accommodation. |
Day 1: Arrive Burgos
Day 2: Free day in Burgos with transfer in the afternoon to Castrojeriz
Day 3: Castrojeriz - Fromista
Altitude at departure: 800m/2640ft
Up to the plateau again before going down to cross the twelve arches of the Itero bridge which marks the frontier between Burgos and Palencia provinces. We come to the Castille canal which is followed to the entry into Fromista, whose church of St. Martin is a model of Romanesque architecture.
Altitude at arrival: 780m/2574ft, 25.5 kms/15.9 miles, 6 hours 30 minutes
Day 4: Transfer in the morning to Leon. Free afternoon in Leon.
Day 5: (Leon) Puente de Orbigo - Astorga
Altitude at departure: 819m/2703ft
Transfer in the morning to Puente de Orbigo, followed by walk to Astorga. This section is one of transition from the implacable Meseta to the Montes of Leon and short enough to allow you to enjoy Astorga on arrival. Astorga, with its Gothic cathedral, Gaudi palace and Roman mosaics, is a fascinating city.
Altitude at arrival: 869m/2868ft, 17.8 kms/11.1 miles, 4 hours 30 minutes.  |
Day 6: (Astorga) Rabanal del Camino (or beyond) - Ponferrada
Altitude at departure: 1149m/3792ft
Morning transfer to Rabanal del Camino, then walk to Ponferrada. The route soon leaves the village and climbs gradually among the mountains. We are in the heart of the countryside, the air is fresh and morale is high. At 1504m/4963ft, the Cruz de Ferro is the high point of the route since Le Puy-en-Velay, and the view is wonderful. However, no time to delay, as we can see Ponferrada is away to the west below, and there is still a long way to go. We tumble down to Acebo and Molinaseca, two superb villages with their wooden balconies. Then across the Bierzo plain and finally we arrive at Ponferrada and its templar castle.
Altitude at arrival: 543m/1792ft, 32.7 kms/20.4 miles, 8 hours 15 mins
Day 7: Free morning in Ponferrada then transfer to Villafranca del Bierzo. Free afternoon.
Altitude at departure: 543m/1792ft
Today the route wanders across the river plain of the Bierzo as far as Cacabelos (483m/1594ft), then Villafranca, 'the Frankish town', charming nestling against the foot of the mountain.
Altitude at arrival: 511m/1686ft, 22.5 kms/14.1 miles, 6 hours 15 mins Day 8: Villafranca del Bierzo – O Cebreiro
Altitude at departure: 511m/1686ft
Another beautiful section through the mountains as we pass from Catille to Galicia. Leaving Villafranca to avoid the motorway that accompanies the normal route, we can take a path that climbs through broom to the village of Pradela (940m/3102ft) and then redescends to Trabadelo (600m/1980ft) to rejoint the main route. Several possible variants bring us to O Cebreiro, a lovely town with wonderful views of the Galician countryside and which has always been an important point of pilgrimage.
Altitude at arrival: 1300m/4290ft, 30kms/18.75 miles, 8 hours. Day 9: (O Cebreiro) Sarria – Portomarin
Altitude at departure: 420m/1386ft
Transfer to Sarria and then walk to Portomarin. Tracks and baths take us through hamlets and villages to Portomarin, a village reconstructed higher up on the slopes after the original in the valley had to make way for a lake created with the construction of a dam.
Altitude at arrival: 550m/1815ft, 22.5 kms/14.1 miles, 5 hours 45 mins
Day 10: Portomarin – Palas de Rei
Altitude at departure: 550m/1815ft
The route after Hospital de la Cruz follows a charming path that meanders through woods, hedges and prairies, dotted with the very distictive local granaries ('horreos'), and crucifixes similar to those in Brittany that remind us that we are in Celtic country.
Altitude at arrival: 565m/1865ft, 24.5 kms/15.3 miles, 6 hours 30 mins
Day 11: Palas de Rei – Arzua
Altitude at departure: 565m/1865ft
Almost without realising it we lose altitude as we approach the sea and lots of greenery and forests of eucalyptus. Half way, Melide (454m/1498ft) marks the meeting point of the Camino Frances and the northernmost variant of the Camino del Norte.
Altitude at arrival: 389m/1284ft, 29.4 kms/18.4 miles, 7 hours 30 mins
Day 12: Arzua – Lavacolla
Altitude at departure: 389m/1284ft
The last long stage, so that we can arrive in good time tomorrow to explore Santiago itself.
Altitude at arrival: 320m/1056ft, 28.8 kms/18 miles, 7 hours 30 mins
Day 13: Lavacolla – Santiago de Compostela
Altitude at departure: 320m/1056ft
A formality today but savour these last few paces and prepare to enjoy the delights of Santiago.
Altitude at arrival: 264m/871ft, 10.1 kms/6.3 miles, 2 hours 45 mins
Day 14: end of holiday after breakfast.The Best of..
|
