May 26 – June 10/2023
with Julio Cochoy and Doris Kizinna
Cost: $3695 CAD Shared $4350 Single Accommodation CAD (includes tax)
Experience a pilgrimage.
For more than a thousand years, pilgrims have walked the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain ending at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela where the remains of St. James are buried. To this day, pilgrims from around the world continue to make this journey, each person walking for their own reasons. Maybe for you it’s a spiritual journey, a chance to get away from life and reflect. Maybe this will be a chance to challenge yourself physically and mentally and to walk with other pilgrims sharing the experience together. Maybe it’s a chance to be in nature walking through the beautiful countryside and ancient villages of northern Spain. Your challenge and purpose await you on this journey.
Consider this journey an experience of 2 caminos, the French Way and the Finisterre Camino. We will be walking the final portion of the The French Way: the classic, most popular route that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will begin in Samos, Spain walking for 7 days to Santiago de Compostela. We will have two nights of rest in the incredible pilgrim’s city of Santiago de Compostela and then begin our second camino, a 5 day walk to Finnesterre (via Muxia), KM 0 of the Camino. We will walk a total of 253 kms. You may choose to walk each day alone or with others you meet along the way or with members of our group or a mix. We’ll gather together in the evenings for dinner and community, sharing stories of our experiences on the Camino and if you wish some of the incredible wine of the region. All accommodation will be booked for you and if you wish a support vehicle will carry your bag for you. We’ll stay in comfortable guesthouses and hotels along the way. Julio and Doris will be waiting in the community we will stay in to guide you to the accommodation. We’ll build a community of Pilgrims sharing the journey together.
Walking the Way Itinerary 2023:
Camino de Santiago (Samos to Santiago) – Finnisterre Camino (Santiago – Muxia – Finisterre)
Friday, May 26: WE BEGIN! Arrival day in Samos, Galicia, Spain. Fly to Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) and if you arrive by 2 pm at the airport Julio and Doris will pick up with a shuttle to head to the hotel, about a 125 km drive. If you arrive later, then you can arrange a taxi on your own to Samos. Overnight at Casa de Botica: https://acasadabotica.com/ Optional afternoon visit the Samos Bendictine Monastery, 400m from Hotel https://www.abadiadesamos.com/ Dinner together. Pilgrims Mass at the Monastery at 7:30 pm if you wish to attend. Opening gathering and orientation after the mass, 8:30 pm at the Hotel. Rest.
Saturday, May 27: 12 km. SAMOS TO SARRIA Breakfast at Hotel. Leave your bag in the lobby so that it can be shuttled for you. 9 am depart to begin the walk together from Samos to Sarria. As we begin we will personally reflect on the journey and then walk at our own time and pace. Feel free to walk alone or with others. Lunch on your own as you choose. You will have plenty of time in Sarria to check out the quaint old town, enjoy a sit in a café in your afternoon freetime. Overnight at La Casona de Sarria http://www.lacasonadesarria.es/ Dinner together. Rest for the next big walking day.
Sunday, May 28: 22 km. SARRIA TO PORTOMARIN Breakfast at Hotel, don’t miss it, it’s a good one served family style in the downstairs dining room. Walk from Sarria to Portomarin through woodland trails, shade, small towns, and a big descent down to the town of Portomarin on the banks of the river Mino. Lunch on your own and walking at your own pace. Overnight Albergue PortoSantiago https://albergueportosantiago.com/ . Pilgrims Mass if you wish to attend at Igrexa de San Nicolás at 20:00.
Monday, May 29: 19 km PORTOMARINE TO LESTEDO Breakfast at the Hotel. Walk from Portomarin to Lestedo, lunch on your own enroute. A varied terrain, 500 meter slow altitude climb. Overnight at Hotel Calixstino , a rural country hotel http://hosteriacalixtino.com/ Dinner together at the Hotel.
Tuesday, May 30: 20 km LESTEDO TO MELIDE Breakfast at the Hotel. Walk from Lestedo to Melide, crossing 6 shallow river valleys with the path mostly through woodlands. Lunch on your own. Overnight Hotel Lux Melide: https://www.luxmelide.net/. Dinner at a local restaurant to try the local delicacy Pulpo (Octopus) if you wish!
Wednesday, May 31: 14 km. MELIDE TO ARZUA Breakfast at the Hotel. Walk from Melide to Arzua, a shorter walk and slower day, flat and pleasant landscape. Overnight in a beautiful country house Pazo Santa Maria: http://www.pazosantamaria.com/
Thursday, June 1: 20 km. ARZUA TO OPEDRUZO Breakfast and walk from Arzua to O’Pedruzo. Half of the walk is on wooded pathways, start to see eucalyptus trees, downhill to O’Pedruzo. Lunch on your own and walk at your own pace. Overnight Noja Rooms: . Dinner together.
Friday, June 2: 22 km. OPEDRUZO TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA Breakfast at a bar in town. Walk from O’Pedruzo to Santiago de Compostela for the final day of walking our first stage and entry into Santiago. Meet together at the Camino Monument in Monte de Gozo and walk the final 5 km into Santiago as a group. First part of the walk is in Eucalyptus groves and then on paved roads. Overnight tba. Dinner out in the city together to celebrate the completion of the first stage.
Saturday, June 3: SANTIAGO Free day in Santiago/REST DAY. Pilgrims Mass at the Cathedral in Santiago at 12 noon. Lunch on your own and Freetime. Overnight tba. Dinner out in the city together.
Sunday, June 4: 21 km. SANTIAGO TO NEGREIRA Breakfast at the Hostal. Depart for our Finnisterre Camino Walk from Santiago to Negreira, begin as a group and exit the city together. Walk through eucalyptus forests, picturesque traditional hamlets and over a legendary bridge to the modern town of Negreira. Overnight at Casa Neboa https://casaneboa.com/. Dinner at a restaurant in the village.
Sunday, June 5: 22 km. NEGREIRA TO SANTA MARINA. Breakfast at the Hotel and walk from Negreia to Santa Marina. Hotel tba. Lunch on your own enroute.
Monday, June 6: 22.5 km. SANTA MARIA TO DUMBRIA. Breakfast at Hotel Walk from Santa Marina to Dumbria. Lunch on your own enroute.
Tuesday, June. 7: 20.5 km. DUMBRIA TO MUXIA. The walk to the ocean and the small town of Muxia. We will walk together to the Church on the edge of the sea and contemplate the walk and the inner journey.
Wednesday, June. 8: 28.5 km. MUXIA TO FINISTERRE. The final big day of walking, a pleasant and isolated stage of the walk winding through forest and villages with the sea often in sight. There is a sense of wild sea and idyllic countryside on this final big day of walking. Overnight in Hotel Rural Finisterrae. Overnight: https://hotelruralfinisterrae.com/
Thursday, June. 9: 10 km. FINISTERRE. Finisterre Town to Lighthouse and return and free day, closing celebration. Overnight at Hotel Rural Finisterrae.
Friday, June. 10: Departures to Santiago in the morning with our shuttle to SCQ Santiago Airport departing at 9 am. If you need to leave earlier please arrange your own transport. If you wish to stay longer, same arrangement and enjoy! The Camino continues……
The Way
This parade of sacrifice; such an offering.
Beauty laid out in homage.
Beautiful feet over and over blessing the earth.
Tears watering ancient soil; each tree teaching.
The journey unimaginably long; laid out under the milky way.
Human connection as it could be; open hearts littering the Way.
Walking in the steps of Saints and Bodhisattvas, I bow down.
d.k.2019
Video of the Pilgrim’s Mass in the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela
