Sarria to Santiago de Compostela

 

The Laid Back Last 100 Kilometers is a fully-supported guided walking tour from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela.  That means that from beginning to end, our team will be there to make sure everything goes smoothly.  You will be joining other pilgrims from around the world to walk the last section of the Camino Francés.

This fully-guided walking tour covers the same distance, Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, as our Last 100KM Tour. The only difference is, this tour has a daily average of walking 16kms or 10 miles a day. We shorten the walking stages so we have more time to enjoy the walk and our down time at the end of each day. If you are looking for a slower paced walking tour, this is the tour for you!

 

The Last 100kms, Sarria to Santiago:

The Way of Saint James, is one of the oldest and most famous pilgrimage routes in Europe.  The Last 100 Kilometers is our most popular Camino walk from Sarria to Santiago. Many of our pilgrims start with this Camino section, fall in love with the Camino spirit, and then walk other sections of the Camino de Santiago.

If you are slightly concerned with the walking stages and would like to feel you can walk at a slower pace, we suggest you start with our Laid-back Last 100KM Tour. This tour is walked exclusively in Galicia, the most north-eastern state in Spain that sits over Portugal. Galicia is home to one of the four official languages in Spain: Galician.

Our Last 100Km guided walks start in the small town of Sarria, Galicia. We walk through oak woodlands, fragrant eucalyptus forests and traditional Galician villages covering the last 113KM (give or take) of the Camino Frances. We do this in 7 walking days. On average, we cover 16kms per day.

The Credencial:

Andaspain will provide you with a credencial, or “Pilgrim passport.”  This is the booklet which certifies the genuine pilgrim status of the bearer. It is used to collect official stamps along The Way to demonstrate that you have walked the last 100kms. The Credencial is the modern equivalent of the “letters of safe-conduct” carried by medieval pilgrims that permitted them passage through the different kingdoms along the route.  Our modern version is a document printed and issued by the Cathedral authorities in Santiago de Compostela.

Pilgrims can get a stamp at the hotels, bars, churches, etc. Our guides will remind you of this while you are walking and even point out some of our favorite stamps! Once you arrive in Santiago de Compostela, our guides take your completed credencial to the Pilgrim´s Office to request your Compostela.

The Compostela:

Walking the Last 100km of the Camino de Santiago means that you can request your Compostela, or certificate of completion of the pilgrimage. There are two documents which contemporary pilgrims may receive upon arrival at the Pilgrim´s Office in Santiago. One is the Compostela, a document written in Latin that confirms the completion of pilgrimages undertaken for religious devotion or of spiritual searching. The other is a certificado, or certificate, confirming completion of the journey by those pilgrims who have undertaken the journey for recreational motives. At the end of our group walking tour, our guides will make sure you have your Compostela or Certificate and will provide you with a protective tube to safely carry it home.

Highlights of the Last 100KMS Guided Walk, Sarria to Santiago:

  • Private, guided walking tour of Madrid city-centre with a local expert guide.
  • Private transfer from Madrid city center to the start of your Camino walk in Sarria
  • Discovering Northern Spain by walking through its small towns and experiencing first-hand the culture, food and traditions.
  • Great camaraderie with other pilgrims as you walk the most popular section of the Camino de Santiago.
  • The rolling, bucolic scenery of Galicia and a chance to see myriad churches and chapels dedicated to St. James.
  • The chance to try great Galician food such as pulpo (octopus with paprika), empanada (hearty savoury pastry), tetilla (cow’s milk cheese in the shape of a woman´s breast), albariño (Galician white wine) and caldo gallego (ham broth with chard and potatoes).
  • Arriving at the Plaza de Obradoiroto see the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, along with the familiar faces of all the other pilgrims who have, like you, walked to get there!
  • Private guided tour of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

Itinerary, Sarria to Santiago

Day 1:  Meet at our boutique hotel in Madrid and have a private walking tour of the old town with our local city tour guide. Welcome dinner and meeting. – Accommodation in Madrid

Day 2 : Drive north from Madrid to Sarria stopping en route for lunch in the Camino town of Astorga. –  Accommodation in Sarria

Day 3:  Sarria to Ferrerios – 13.9km : 8.6m  – Accommodation in Portomarín

Day 4:  Ferrerios to Gonzar – 16.5km : 10.2m  – Accommodation in Portomarin

Day 5:  Gonzar to Palas de Rei – 17km : 10.5m – Accommodation near Palas de Rei

Day 6 : Palas do Rei to Melide- 14.4km : 9m – Accommodation near Palas de Rei

Day 7:  Melide to Tabernavella – 19.5km : 12m  – Accommodation near Arzua

Day 8:  Tabernavella to Amenal – 17km : 10.5m  – Accommodation near Arzua

Day 9:  Amenal to Santiago de Compostela – 16.3km : 10m – Accommodation in Santiago de Compostela

Day 10:  Private guided tour of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Tour ends.

 

SUPPORT ON OUR GUIDED WALK FROM SARRIA TO SANTIAGO

You will have have at least 1, though normally 2 English/Spanish speaking guide/s. On our walks from Sarria to Santiago, we like to have one guide walk along the trail, if possible. This does not necessarily mean the guide will be walking with you. Our other guide will be driving our support vehicle along the trail.

We ensure we gather info about your health needs in advance for any necessary precautions. We are also happy to talk to you directly if you need reassurance about any identified need.  We are here to ensure your individual Camino goal is obtained and you can reach Santiago safely.

On our guided trips, if you need to shorten your walking day, our guides can tell you the best part of the trail to walk that day – whether you need to avoid the steep incline/decline, or if you need to stick to softer walking paths. Our guides can also try to  provide extra checkpoints for you throughout the day.

Andaspain Walking Adventures has a wide range of guides – from those who have been born and raised in Spain; to those who followed their heart and found themselves studying the culture, history and the spirit of Spain and the Camino de Santiago. Whoever is your guide, we ensure you will have one of the highest quality tours along The Way.

I´M A VERY FAST/SLOW WALKER – WILL THAT BE A PROBLEM?

This is our MOST important Camino de Santiago information and advice!  We encourage everyone to walk at their own pace.  The Camino is not a race and you want to enjoy yourself.  When you slow down or speed up to walk with others, you find you may have issues with your body and/or feet. We plan our days so that everyone can walk in their own way.

Pick up in Madrid

To make getting to the start a bit easier, we will pick you up in Madrid. That first evening in Madrid you have a private guided walking tour of Madrid city center and then, together we have dinner in the heart of the city. This tour includes a private transfer to the start of the Camino de Santiago in Sarria. We then set out to walk from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela!

Checkpoints from Sarria to Santiago:

Our guides check in with you during your walking group tour about 2-3 times a day along the trail. These check-ins will include time to fill up your water bottle and/or pick up a snack. One of the check-ins will be at lunch time, whether that be a picnic lunch or our recommendation location to help with ordering. At all of the check-ins, we will have our support van if you need to pick up/up drop off a jacket, collect your walking stick, or change into a different pair of shoes.

Daily maps of the walking day:

Each day you will be provided a daily map and overview of the walk ahead. This map will include information such as the daily terrain, checkpoint locations, lunch spots, and highlights to see along the way.

Luggage:

We take care of all luggage handling and transportation. This means leaving your bags with your guide and starting your walk. We handle the details of getting them into the next hotel room.  We also find it handy to keep a small bag in the van with stuff you might need throughout the day. We have our support vehicles which means being able to take a rest by shuttling ahead to the lunch spot, or if the need arises to get you straight to your room.

Maximum of 15 persons:

We keep our guided walks to a maximum of 15 persons. This means we can ensure you experience a personalized and intimate experience with our guides and your fellow pilgrims. We have found any group larger than this, means we are not able to provide the level of care and quality of service that Andaspain aims to do. If you have a private group that is larger than 15 we do accommodate this number with a private guided group walk.

FOOD

We include all breakfasts, 5 lunches and 7 dinners including wine on this guided walk. This allows you to have the opportunity to try out your Spanish and order from a local bar, Don’t worry – we will be there to assist you! We will also provide recommendations for any meals not included from Sarria to Santiago.

You will have the chance to try great typical Galician food such as pulpo (octopus with paprika), empanada (hearty savory pastry), Spanish tortilla(a potato and egg omelet), Tetilla (cow’s milk cheese in the shape of a woman´s breast), albariño (Galician white wine), Tarta de Santiago(traditional almond cake), and Caldo Gallego (ham broth with chard and potatoes).

Picnic Lunches on our Guided Walks:

Our picnics include fresh salads and lighter options, all taking into consideration any food allergies or lifestyle choices as vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free, etc.   We use local products so you are always tasting the typical foods of the area. We also ensure you are discovering any fresh vegetable and/or fruit that are in season at the time of  your Camino walk.

Checkpoint snacks:

Andaspain provides water and snacks at our “checkpoints.”  Our snacks consist of fresh local fruit, a variety of granola bars, mixed nuts, delicious pastries, and anything else specific to our group’s needs.  Walking with Andaspain also means you do not need to carry lots of water or fill up from the public fountains. (We do not know how often the fountains are treated, thus we do not advise to drink from them.) We provide water at our checkpoints to fill up your water bottle.

Dinners:

You get a wide variety of dinners on our guided Camino trips from a family-style dinner from a local organic garden with their homemade wine and liquors, to a home-made dinner prepared by the owners of our Casa Rural of authentic paella, either seafood or vegetarian.  One night you may even dine in our Pazo‘s high-end restaurant. On nights we do not eat at our hotel, we take you to our favorite local restaurants. One of our favorite restaurants is owned by pilgrim Pepe who previously was a butcher but opened a restaurant on the Camino to provide organic local cuts prepared on order. (He also serves a wide range of items including fresh fish and vegetarian/vegan options.)

Contact us!   Please get in touch if you have any further questions about our Laid-back Last 100km tour from Sarria to Santiago. We are happy to arrange a time to discuss further.

 

Photos by RCI Photography.