Along the Camino - A Voyage from Portsmouth to Vigo

Embark the MS Island Sky this afternoon. Transfers will be provided from Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station at a fixed time. Enjoy welcome drinks and dinner as we sail this evening.

Spend the next two days at sea sailing to the northern coast of Spain following in the footsteps of centuries of seafaring pilgrims from Britain and Northern Europe. During your time on board relax and perhaps take in a lecture or two by our Guest Speaker.

This morning we arrive into La Coruna. From here we will walk part of the English Way which has two starting points, La Coruna and Ferrol, La Coruna being the preferred route for British Pilgrims. Pilgrims started walking the English Way or the ‘Seafaring Way’ in the 12th century and it was popular with Medieval pilgrims from Scandinavia, Flanders, England, Scotland and Wales. It played host to Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land, Icelandic monks, and during the Hundred Years War pilgrims from Britain sailed as we did to the coast rather than passing through France. Vessels chartered for the purpose of pilgrimage had to receive permission from the Crown before they could set sail. The pilgrimages are well documented by ceramic pieces and coins found during excavations of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. The walk today will pass through Pontedeume, before walking through villages and woodlands ending in Mino. The walking today will be split into sections so that you can choose to walk as much or as little as you wish, and we will break for a picnic lunch. For those who prefer a more leisurely day there will be a morning tour of La Coruna followed by an afternoon at leisure.

We will disembark this morning and set out to walk some of the Portuguese Way. The Camino Portugues which starts in Lisbon has been in use since the 10th century, but it was in the 12th century after the independence of Portugal that it became more prominent. The pilgrimage of Queen Isabel of Portugal in the 14th century solidified the routes for pilgrims. The walk today will be two parts, the first will be the section that crosses from Portugal into Spain starting in Valanca and walking to the Medieval town of Tui. After lunch in a local restaurant we will drive to the next section which will start in Caldas de Reis taking you through countryside, woodland and villages to Magarinos. On finishing the walk we will transfer to Santiago de Compostela. For those choosing not to walk today, there will be a guided visit to the Pazo de Faramello, an early 18th century building with strong Italian influences that convey the Genoese origin of its founder, the Marquis of Piombino. This pazo was the location of the first paper factory in Galicia and the old mills and corresponding tools can still be seen. Admire the perfectly kept French 19th century gardens spread across more than two hectares leaning out in terraces over a tiny canyon whilst we enjoy lunch. After lunch we will drive to Santiago de Compostela where we will check into the Parador Hotel for three nights. We will meet this evening for dinner at the hotel. (B, L, D)

Today we will head to Melide to walk a section of the French Way, perhaps the most famous of the nine major Camino routes. Its 800 kilometres of trails have inspired many artists, writers and filmmakers. Melide is the only town where two Camino routes meet, the French Way and the Camino Primitivo (Original Way). From the 10th century, Melide grew in popularity as the Camino de Santiago did, as the number of pilgrims passing through increased so did the traders and innkeepers, allowing the town to grow in prosperity. The town has a number of impressive chapels and beautiful Medieval architecture. The route today will take us through forests and over streams passing quaint villages and farms. For those not wishing to walk today, there will be the option of a tour to the elegant and historic town of Ponteverde where we will see the Peregrina Chapel, the city’s most emblematic building. This Baroque church has an unusual, rounded facade and was built in the late 18th century in honour of the Virgin guiding pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. There will also be a visit to Pazo de Rubianes, an elegant country estate dating back to the late 17th century and surrounded by extensive vineyards en route back to Santiago de Compostela. (B, L)

For those choosing to walk today, we will depart the hotel after breakfast to walk the final section of the Finisterre way. This is a unique route as it takes pilgrims from Santiago de Compostela to Cape Finsterra, once believed to be the ‘Edge of the World’. The Camino Finisterre predates Christianity, as pagans would walk to the mythical Cape as they believed this was where the sun died. We will walk the last section of the Way into the city of Santiago de Compostela finishing at the beautiful Cathedral. On arrival at the Cathedral we will meet with our fellow passengers and enjoy a guided tour of the city of Santiago de Compostela. Visit the Conventual de San Francisco, the Faculty of Medicine and the world-famous Plaza del Obradoiro. Inside the impressive cathedral, we will visit the Romanic crypt and see the facade of Platerias, the Quintana Plaza, House of Parra, the facade of Azabacheria and the facade of San Martin Pinario. This afternoon will be at leisure before our farewell dinner this evening. (B, D)

This morning, we will visit Pazo de Oca, usually referred to as “Galician Versailles” is the final milestone of St James´s way. Originally a fortress dating from the 12th century, it was during the 18th century when Fernando Gayoso, Marquis of Camarasa transformed it into its current appearance of golden granite stone wall that evokes a forgotten paradise full of romanticism. Above all, the gardens at Oca are what astonish the most. Recently restored to its 18th century glory, the beauty here is the fusion of formal garden with working farm. After lunch we will transfer to the airport for the scheduled flight to London. (B, L)

Itineraries are subject to change.