Camino Pilgrimage TBD ·  October 2027

Today you will depart on your overnight flight to Madrid, Spain.

After our arrival in Madrid, we will be met by our Pilgrimage Manager who will be with us for the duration of our pilgrimage. We start our journey to Avila where St. Teresa of Jesus began the great reform of the Carmelite Order in 1561. We will see many religious buildings connected with Ávila’s revered heroine. She was born here in 1515 and is considered one of the Catholic Church’s greatest mystics. We will visit the saint’s relics in the Convent of St. Teresa, built on the site of her birthplace. Afterwards, we check into our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B/D) Overnight Avila

This morning, we will visit the Monastery of the Incarnation where Teresa became a Carmelite nun and where her cell can be seen. In a small house nearby lived St. John of the Cross, who was the confessor to the nuns. In the Monastery is his famous three-inch drawing of Christ Crucified. We will visit the Monastery of St. Joseph, the first of seventeen monasteries that she founded for the new Discalced Carmelites. Continue northwest to Sarria, which is a popular pilgrims’ starting point for the Camino de Santiago. (B/D) Overnight Sarria

Today we will begin our walk along the Camino de Santiago. This section of our walk is spread equally between quiet country roads and natural pathways, passing through many small hamlets that seem to blend seamlessly one into the next. After arrival in Portomarin, we will regroup and be transported back to our hotel in Sarria. (B/D) Overnight Sarria

We check out of our hotel this morning and are bussed to where we stopped yesterday. A day of varied terrain awaits as we start skirting Belesar reservoir and climbing up through woodland before a further gentle climb to Alto do Rosario (Rosary Heights). A short descent takes us to Palas de Rei, our stopping point for this day. (B/D) Overnight Palas de Rei

Today we will cross four river valleys mostly on pathways through woodland. In Melide, a medieval township with close links to the Jacobean pilgrimage, the French Way temporarily becomes an urban route. Upon arrival, we will have a chance to visit the town’s medieval center and churches, and try Melide’s local delicacy: Pulpo (Octopus). Afterwards, return to our hotel in Palas de Rei. (B/D) Overnight Palas de Rei

This morning we check out of our hotel and are transported back to Melide. Our walk today takes us through meadows, oak and eucalyptus woodland, passing countless small hamlets, some of which bear names that echo their historical connections with the Pilgrim’s Way. This is the county of Arzua, a land with a strong dairy production known for its delicious cheeses. (B/D) Overnight Arzua

Today we walk on numerous natural pathways with good shade offered by trees. The Camino now becomes busier with pilgrims as we near the fabled city of Santiago. This nearness is evidenced by the number of times we have to cross the highway as well as the copious amounts of cafes and other places to rest and soak up the Galician atmosphere. Upon arrival in O Pedrouzo, we are bussed back to our hotel in Arzua, to rest up before our final walking day. (B/D) Overnight Arzua

After an early breakfast, we return to O Pedrouzo, where the first part of our final stage into Santiago meanders through dense woodland. Enjoy the shade and peace, for as we approach the city, asphalt roads take over and the Way fills with other pilgrims. After leaving the town of Lavacolla, the Way approaches the Monte do Gozo (The Mount of Joy), a small hillock from which we will able to see for the first time, in the distance, the towers of the Cathedral of Santiago. The final few miles are a gentle descent into the heart of the city. (B/D) Overnight Santiago

This morning we will enjoy a complete tour of Santiago de Compostela. Visit the impressive Cathedral, which is considered to be one of the finest pieces of architecture in Europe. Climb up the stairs behind the altar to embrace the statue of St. James, then descend into the crypt where a silver urn contains his relics. See the Portico de la Gloria, (Portico of Glory) an unparalleled masterpiece. Walk to the top of the Cathedral for a panoramic view of this glorious city. We will also visit the museum in the cloister adjoining the Cathedral. In the afternoon we will depart Santiago de Compostela and drive south to Fatima, where the Blessed Virgin appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta in 1917. (B/D) Overnight Fatima

Today we will celebrate Mass on the spot where Our Lady appeared at the Chapel of Apparitions. Visit the Basilica to see the tombs of Saints Francisco and Jacinta and then on to the hamlet of Aljustrel where the three children lived during the Apparitions. Continue to Valinhos, the site where Our Lady appeared following the children’s release from prison. This evening, we participate in the Stations of the Cross along the Via Sacre. (B/D) Overnight Fatima

Transfer to the airport in Lisbon to catch our return flight home.