Global Adventure - Hike the Camino Frances to Santiago and the Galician coast in Spain

Arrive in Madrid, Spain no later than 7pm on Monday May 27 and transfer to the local hotel (not a covered expense).  We will gather together in the evening and review the upcoming program.  The following 13 days will be spent in hiking and cultural activities in the area arranged by the local tour company.  The trip ends in the morning of day 14, June 9, 2024 in Santiago, where participants can arrange transportation back to Madrid and flights home.

NOTE:   Travel from your home to Madrid will require a flight departure on May 26, with the time change.  Travel from Madrid back home to Seattle will get you home late on June 9 or early on June 10 depending on your flight times.

Itinerary Highlights:   

Our adventure begins in Madrid with a city tour, Flamenco show, and a welcome dinner including an overview of the Camino adventure to come.  On day 3 we'll transfer to Sarria, where our Camino walk will begin.

Days 4-9 will be self-guided hiking the 100km of the Camino Frances in 6 stages.   Day 4 (Stage 1) is from Sarria to Portomarin 11.6 mi/1493’; Day 5 (Stage 2) is from Portomarin to Palas de Rei 15 mi/1866’; Day 6 (Stage 3) goes from Palas de Rei to Castaneda 13.9 mi/1332’; Day 7 (Stage 4) covers the stretch from Castaneda to A Salceda 10.9 mi/1320’;  Day 8 (Stage 5) will be from A Salceda to Lavacolla 10 mi/980’; and Day 9 (Stage 6) is from Lavacolla to Santiago 6.2 mi/750’.  This section of the Camino is the most traveled and takes us through pastures, forest paths, stone fences and cornfields, passing charming old cities, medieval churches and monasteries. Part of our adventure will be meeting and walking beside other hikers/pilgrims from all around the world, interacting with them in our lodgings and restaurants as well.  Along the way, participants will stamp their Pilgrim’s Passport at official stops to document their journey.  In the small villages along the way, there will be frequent opportunities to stop and admire the Galician Romanesque architecture and sample Galician delicacies like Pulpo (octopus) and tarta de Santiago (almond tarts).   

On the 9^th day we will encounter large crowds of people as we reach the historic pilgrim destination of the Cathedral of St. James in the city of Santiago.  In Santiago, on day 10, we will have a guided tour of the city and attend the Pilgrim’s Mass at the Cathedral with the Botafumeiro ceremony, followed by a tapas lunch tour, and the collection of our “Compostela” certificates.  After lunch, we will transfer to Cee, where colorful boats can be seen bobbing in the tiny harbor, and then begin our samplings of the Camino Finisterre and Camino Muxia. 

Day 11 (7.3 mi/ 1047’) will be spent hiking through the green, peaceful and coastal countryside to Finisterre (called the “end of the world” by the Romans). The lighthouse at the cape was important for signaling ships along this “Costa da Morte”- so named because of the many catastrophic shipwrecks in this region.  Here we can take off our boots and refresh our feet in the sand and sea while viewing the colorful sunset over the Atlantic horizon. 

Days 12-13 (7.3 mi/983’ and 10.4 mi/1170’, respectively) will be spent hiking through the coastal hills among forests and pastoral fields to the seaside resort town of Muxia, where we can pause for a pilgrimage-ending moment of meditation and gratitude. 

After breakfast on our final day (14), we will transfer back to Santiago where our tour will end.  From here, participants can make their way back to Madrid, or continue exploring on their own.

Throughout our journey, participants will only need to carry a day pack as luggage will be transferred to the lodging each day.  Participants needing a rest day will be able to take a taxi to the next destination.

Time of Year:   Spring time with moderate temperatures and fewer crowds

Lodging:   13 nights in private in-suite accommodations, hotels or traditional Galician manor houses, called pazos. These are large stone houses, often surrounded by extensive gardens.

Food:    All breakfasts, a welcome dinner in Madrid and tapas in Santiago are included in the trip price.  Lunches will be on your own, and it is recommended that participants purchase lunch food a few days at a time at grocery stores that are conveniently located along the way.  Cash may be needed for this as credit cards may not always be accepted.  Dinners can be in restaurants in the vicinity of overnight stays, and can be with the group or on your own, but are not covered in the trip price except as noted above.  

No guarantees that specific dietary requirements can be met in every village where we stop to eat.  Bread and pasta are staple foods and will be hard to avoid.  However most supermarkets and grocery stores will offer gluten free, vegan and vegetarian choices and you may choose to eat some of your dinners in the room if other options aren't available in the smaller villages.   Communal dinners in the pilgrim hostels will often have a vegetarian option but gluten free isn't well known here.  Let your leader know in advance what your specific dietary requirements are and you can look together for options in each village.

Leader’s Experience:   Linda Shewey (lshewey@comcast.net) has been a Mountaineer’s hike leader for 14 years and has led several multi-day trips.  This will be the fourth Global Adventure trip she’s led or co-led.  She has visited this area in Spain several times and has hiked short portions of the Camino.

Participant Requirements:    Must be a current Mountaineers member with an up-to-date waiver  on file.  This outing includes multiple consecutive days (up to 6) of hiking distances up to 15 miles per day on variable eterrain, so participants need to be in good aerobic condition and show proven ability to hike multiple days in a row (at least four 8–10-mile days at a 2 mi/hr pace) and demonstrate participation in a fitness/training program adequate to prepare for this trip. Participants should have a positive attitude, ability to be flexible, an inquisitive nature, appreciation for the natural world and history of the culture, and a demonstrated ability to get along well with groups.  

Covid precautions:

1)     Participants must be fully vaccinated to participate in the trip. 

2)     In addition, participants are expected to practice conservative covid behavior before and during transit to the trip including masking at airport and in planes and avoiding crowded indoor spaces whenever possible.

3)     Self-test proactively any time before or during the trip, when they experience a symptom commonly related to covid (this means participants need to carry self-tests).  Any positive test will mean that the participant will need to wear a mask and isolate from the rest of the group members as much as possible, and if seriously symptomatic they're asked to leave the group and quarantine at their own expense for at least 5 days (or longer if not symptom free, per CDC guidelines) before flying home.

Insurance:  The Mountaineers require that everyone carries not just international medical insurance but also evacuation insurance sufficient to get them home if needed.

Note:  As a Mountaineers group we will operate as interdependent, capable travelers making our way together and helping one another succeed and be safe.  You are responsible for your own safety and that of your fellow travelers. You must have the ability to navigate on trails with a map and compass.  See daily trip profile, attached.

Trip Price Detail:    $3750 including all lodging, daily luggage transfer, transfer from Madrid to Sarria, transfer from Santiago to Cee, transfer from Muxia to Santiago, all breakfasts, Pilgrim’s kit, informational program and route map, Pilgrim’s mass with Botafumeiro ceremony in Santiago, guided visit in Madrid, Flamenco show with dinner in Madrid, guided visit in Santiago, tapas tour in Santiago, and value added tax.

Not included are your airfare (approx. 1800), transportation from Madrid airport to hotel (about $20), transportation from Santiago to Madrid (about $130), 10 lunches and 11 dinners (about $320), taxi fare if needed for a rest day (up to $100), travel medical and evacuation insurance (about $200) and tips for guides/drivers/hotels (about $150)

Registration Instructions:   Please complete and submit the application form at the button below.  After the leader’s approval, open the trip listing and click on REGISTER.  After clicking on this button the website will send you to a shopping cart where you will need to provide a credit card to pay the 50% deposit ($1875) in order to hold your space on the roster.  As soon as you have registered, please also complete and submit the Trip Agreement and Release forms at the buttons below.

Registration will close on Jan 15, 2024 or whenever the roster fills.  A place on the roster can only be held with payment of the deposit.  The balance of the trip payment is due by Feb 15, 2024.

APPLICATION

TRIP AGREEMENT

RELEASE  SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Cancellation Policy:  If you cancel from this adventure, you may receive a refund less non-recoverable expenses incurred, as follows. 
• Cancellation made more than 90 days before starting the tour (prior to Feb 26, 2024): 250€
• Cancellation made 90 to 60 days before the start of the tour (Feb 27-mar 27): 500€
• Cancellation made 59 to 30 days before the commencement of the tour (Mar 28- Apr 27): 70% of the price
• Cancellation made 29 days or less before the start of the tour (After Apr 27): 100% of tour price. No amount is refundable.
In addition to these fees, there will also be a $100 administrative fee.

No refunds for cancellations within 29 days of the trip start date.  If you cancel prior to that 29-day deadline, you have the option of delaying your refund to see if your space is backfilled.  If it is backfilled, you can be refunded the trip cost (less $100) after the participant has paid the registration fee.  If the space is not backfilled, there will not be any refund.