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must in Spain |
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Always
wanted to challenge yourself
physically and mentally with
a extended biking trip through
mountainous territory? Inspired
to try a more demanding tour,
but still want the reassurance
of a sag van and a guaranteed
bed at the end of the day? Consider
our Camino de Santiago from
León tour – 310
kilometres of rewarding tracks
along one of Europe’s
most historic tourist trails.
More than twenty thousand cyclists
completed part or all of the
Camino de Santiago in 2004 –
come see what drew them to the
Saint James Way.
It runs through the north of
Spain and allows us views of
the most breathtaking landscapes,
the most unique monuments and
the most typical villages in
this part of our country. You
will savour the rich Spanish
gastronomy, offering traditional
regional cuisine with excellent
wines. |
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Itinerary |
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Day
1 LEON
From Madrid, we’ll
travel by van through the
Sierra de Guadarrama and
over the fertile plains
of Castile to the historic
city of León, founded
in 68 B.C. and home to the
cathedral with the most
beautiful stained glass
windows in Spain. We’ll
spend the late afternoon
visiting the Cathedral,
wandering around the winding,
slate-paved streets of the
Barrio Húmedo (renowned
for some of the best tapas
bars in Castile); and, before
dinner, we’ll head
to the Madres Carbajales
convent to get that all-important
piece of documentation that
will record our pilgrimage
– the Credencial del
Peregrino. That night we’ll
stay in the town’s
historic centre, close to
the Royal Pantheon of San
Isidro, located right on
the Camino itself. |
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Day
2 León - Astorga.
(48 km, gently rolling terrain)
The
day begins with a quick
visit to the Parador of
San Marcos, which was established
as a pilgrim’s hospital
in the sixteenth century,
but which now serves as
a luxury hotel. From there,
we’ll start our trip
winding westward through
small towns whose economies,
for centuries, were dependent
on the pilgrims making their
way westward along the Camino.
Today’s riding is
a good warmup for the next
couple of days, as we go
through the western plains
of Castile towards the mountains
that mark the limits between
Castile and Galicia. Our
hotel for the evening is
the town of Astorga, famous
internationally for the
Archbishops’ Palace
(designed by Antoní
Gaudí, creator of
Barcelona’s Sagrada
Familia), the Town’s
Cathedral…and some
of the most delicious chocolate
outside of Catalonia. |
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Día
3 Astorga - Villafranca.
(55 km with climbing)
Today’s the day when
we move from the rolling
hills of Castile into the
mountains which mark the
beginning of the end of
the Camino! Since it’s
our first day of serious
climbing, we’ll take
to the road and ride to
the highest point on the
Camino, a gradual climb
of 800 metres/2,624 feet
(which also means a stunning
twelve-kilometre descent
to Molinaseca and through
to Ponferrada!) After visiting
the Templar Castle in Ponferrada,
we’ll travel by van
to the town of Villafranca
del Bierzo, where we’ll
stay in a converted monastery.
If time permits, we’ll
visit a winery owned by
a unrepentant rock musician-turned-impresario
who produces some of the
area’s best vintages. |
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Día
4 Villafranca - Portomarín.
(55 km, hills and climbing)
This stage of the Camino
is considered to be most
difficult by Camino riders,
who regularly share survival
stories of how they managed
the climbs up to the peak
of O Cebreiro. You don’t
have to ride that section
– the minivan is there
for the less macho cyclists
among us – and anyway,
it’s worth saving
your energy for the brake-burning
25 km descent that follows.
After visiting the restored
village and mountaintop
chapel at O Cebreiro –
spiritual home to the recent
Camino renaissance - we’ll
get on the bikes and enjoy
the downhill ride into the
hamlet of Triacastela. We’ll
ride through (and visit)
the Monastery of Saint Julian
in Samos, then trace our
way along back country roads
through pine and eucalyptus
forests, away from the main
Camino route. through to
Sarria (where we’ll
break for lunch). Our accommodation
for that night is in Portomarín,
situated on the banks of
the Miño River. The
hotel is located in the
reconstructed old town centre,
which was moved and rebuilt
in the mid-50s to make way
for a power dam. |
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Day
5 Portomarín - Arzua.
(51 km, rolling terrain)
Central Galicia is carpeted
in dense pine forests and
eucalyptus groves, which
will provide shade as we
trace our way through tiny
hamlets spread along the
Camino, many of which don’t
have much more than a couple
of inhabitants and a lot
of cows! Luckily, Galicia
is criss-crossed with country
lanes, giving us the opportunity
to get off the beaten path.
We’ll discover some
charming lanes that takes
us away from the maddening
crowds on the Camino, and
take the time to the isolated
ruins of castles, fabulous
views and the peace of the
countryside. After having
lunch on the grounds of
the Palace of Ulloa (made
famous by Emilia Pardo Bazán,
the doyenne of Galician
literature). That night,
we’ll stay in Arzúa,
within easy striking distance
of Santiago de Compostela.
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Day
6 Arzua - Santiago Compostela.
(38 km, rolling terrain)
The final day of the tour
is short but stiff. We’ll
bike the final kilometres
through rolling countryside,
past Lavacolla Hill, where,
ages ago, pilgrims would
tidy themselves up before
attending the Pilgrim’s
Mass at the Cathedral. From
there, it’s on to
the Monte do Gozo, where
you get your first glimpses
of the end of the road:
the Cathedral of Santiago.
It’s a quick 4 kilometre
ride into the centre of
Santiago itself, where narrow,
winding streets reach the
Praza do Obradoiro, home
of both the Cathedral of
Santiago and the Parador,
the former Palace of the
Catholic Kings. After visiting
the Pilgrims’ Affairs
office, where we’ll
receive the coveted Compostela
certificate (making us official
pilgrims) we’ll have
a farerwell dinner and a
walk though the lamp-lit
streets of the Old Town. |
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Day
7. End of the trip
After
breakfast, we’ll drive
back to Madrid through the
southern reaches of Galicia
and across the broad, golden
plains of Castille.
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PRICE
(EURO):
1450
€ in hotels 4*-3*
160 € single
supplement |
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DAYS/NIGHTS:
7
d / 6 n
LEVEL:
Medium
DATES
(Sundays):
March
22
April
5 and 18 (Sat)
May 3 and 23 (Sat)
June 14
July 4 (Sat)
August 29 (Sat)
September 27
October 11
INCLUDED:
Accommodation,
breakfast, dinners, lunches,
luggage transfers, transfers
on the trip, quality touring
bike (road bike optional).
NOT
INCLUDED:
OPTIONS:
- Return from Santiago
by plane.
SUPPORTED
TOUR
MINIMUM GROUP 4 PERSONS
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- The friendship along
the way with all pilgrims.
- The Cathedral and atmospheric
streets of the city of
León.
- Riding along gorgeous
paths through ancient
oak forests.
- Replenishing your energy
with local cuisine and
wine.
- The thousand-year-old
ritual of congratulating
yourself on your achievement
in front of the Cathedral. |
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