Why walk the Camino de Santiago with Andaspain?

Your Personalised Camino Experience with Andaspain Walking Adventures.

We know there are many other Camino de Santiago tour companies. Most have the same itinerary, use similar hotels and have guides that know the trail just as well. However, we take pride in the fact that we are a small, boutique company that live and breathe the Camino de Santiago. This means we know we can offer you a different, more powerful and personalised Camino de Santiago experience. Here are some of the reasons why:

1.There is a limit on the amount of pilgrims on our fully-guided Camino tours so we can ensure a high level of care and personalised Camino interactions.

We only allow up to 15 persons on our fully-guided Camino walking tours (we will allow more persons on a private guided tour). We do this so we can ensure our guides can build personal relationships with every single pilgrim who decides to walk The Way with us. Our aim is not pack a large bus to get as many people to Santiago as possible. Our aim is to curate a personalised Camino walk; and a life changing experience for each pilgrim who decides to walk with Andaspain – however their Camino unfolds. This is simply done by prioritising our interpersonal interactions and the individual needs of our pilgrims.

2.We are a Camino family.

We do not simply say goodbye and farewell at the end of your Camino. We feel impacted by every single one of our pilgrims who walk with us. Not only do we share the experience of your Camino, but through that we end up sharing a part of one another’s lives. We cherish this and often find ourselves on Zoom calls with past pilgrims, or planning visits with others, or handing out invites to Andaspain guides’ weddings! We form a bond with the Camino, our guides, our pilgrims, and  each other. We often get to see pilgrims who meet on the trail maintain a lifelong friendship. We are simply a Camino Family.

3.Our team reside and work right here on the Camino.

We are a Camino tour family that live and work on the Camino de Santiago. You can find Ashleigh and Vanessa living right on the Camino Frances at their home and bar at km33, TabernaNova. Kate and her family live close to the Camino del Norte in Asturias and spend weekends walking the trail. Most of our guides live on the Camino de Santiago or in Santiago de Compostela.

One guide lives on the Camino in Santiago de Compostela on the famous street that sells the popular and historic stone, Azabache! Another guide lives in the heart of Santiago and  takes guests through the city on culinary tours. And another lives in old town Santiago and spends her  free days providing yoga classes for locals in Spanish, as well as those of us who need a yoga class in English from time to time! As a result we always have our finger on the pulse of the Camino.

This allows us to take you on your own journey, feeling as if you too are a local.

4.We are big foodies.

We love the local food and drink! This means we will always seek out the best culinary delights Spain has to offer. We love to try new restaurants and try any new twists to our favourite recipes. We are constantly looking for the new tapas bar or the best place for an Albarino. Whatever is your food focus for your Camino, we will go out of our way to help you find it.  From our picnic lunches to local hidden gems, we can ensure you that you will go home experiencing the top-notch food culture of Spain and Galicia.

5.One of the owners is always involved in your Camino experience.

Collectively, Andaspain has over 50 years of Camino experience. This also lends to your personalised Camino experience. Both of our owners, Kate and Vanessa, have worked and lived near the Camino for over 15 years. If you don’t speak to Kate on your first email or telephone exchange, you will probably see Vanessa along the trail or at your celebratory dinner in Santiago de Compostela. The owners of Andaspain make sure they are involved in every step of your personalised Camino adventure. They take pride in the service they provide, as well as value their guides.  This ensures the guides enjoy their work, and in turn your Camino is the unforgettable experience you had hoped for.

6. We love our job. We love people.

To us, it is not work. We love the Camino. We love sharing it with you. Most of our guides walked the Camino de Santiago prior to being a guide. They then sought out how they could continue a journey along The Way. How could they pass that knowledge over to pilgrims starting their own personalised Camino story. This is how we made our team. We also have fun. We welcome all persons regardless of religion, race, gender, sexuality….We welcome everyone to walk, have fun, and find their unique Camino path with us.

6.We live the Camino.

The Camino de Santiago is more than a walking trail. It is something that evokes a change in you, no matter how small or how large that may be, or when that takes affect. You will leave Spain a different person. We understand that. We treasure that. We hope to keep that spirit  alive with our wonderful pilgrims as they travel back to their homes all over the world.  Each time we witness the Camino affect, we also breathe the change. We live the Camino.

Our most popular guided Camino de Santiago Tours

Now that you know what we are about, we wold love for you to join our bilingual, qualified guides on one of our pre-organised, small group Camino de Santiago walking tours. These dates are already set on our fully-guided walking tour page on our website.  Our fully-guided tours are made up of fellow pilgrims from all over the world (up to 15). You will have an adventure of a lifetime with a  personalised Camino experience!

Our most popular tour, and normally the first walking section people do of the Camino, is the Last 100Kms of the Camino Frances. This tour is the last section of the Camino Francés from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. You will walk 115kms of the Camino de Santiago through beautiful oak woodlands, fragrant eucalyptus forests and traditional Galician villages. Walking the Last 100kms of the Camino de Santiago means that you can request your Compostela, or certificate of completion of the pilgrimage.

Our other top recommended tour is our Best of the Camino de Santiago. This walk takes you through the best walking sections of the Camino Francés through Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León, and Galicia. Each region is different and boasts spectacular scenery, food, wine, and historical monuments. We take you slightly off the Camino de Santiago for a guided winery tour and tasting in La Rioja. We finish our Best of the Camino Tour with a day trip to visit Finisterre and Muxia!

Contact us now for any further information. We are happy to speak directly on the phone to ensure you are 100% confident in booking your Camino de Santiago with Andaspain Walking Adventures. Buen Camino! 

 

*All photos by RCI Photography