ITINERARY: The Pilgrimage

Day3 - Walking from Portomarin to Palas de Rei (24km)

Today’s stage is 24kms long, leaving Portomarín and the river Miño behind and walking across the countryside to the town of Palas de Rei. There is some uphill walking to be done on your way to the beautiful Serra de Ligonde, the highest point of today’s stage. You will get to admire some of the wonderful churches, tiny villages, and scenery along the way. In Os Lameiros, you will get to admire its wonderful stone cross ‘cruceiro’, built in 1670 with one side depicting the crucifixion of Christ and the other side featuring an image of the Virgin.

Day4 - Walking from Palas de Rei to Arzua (29km)

At 29kms, the longest walking stage of the week awaits today, however, the path is downhill for most of the day with just a few ascents. The path begins through a forest track from Palas to San Xulián or San Xiao do Camino, a very pretty stretch and one of the most wonderful of the trail. San Xulián or San Xiao do Camino is a picturesque little hamlet with a wonderful Romanesque Church and a ‘cruceiro’ stone cross in the centre of the village. Halfway to Arzúa,, you’ll find the market town of Melide, which is famous for its octopus restaurants known as ‘pulperias’ serving Galicia’s most traditional dish. A perfect place to stop for lunch. The second part of the day you will walk through lovely countryside and charming little hamlets such as Leboreiro with its traditional ‘cabazo’, Boente and Ribadiso by the medieval bridge over the River Iso. Once in Arzúa, you will have time to relax and explore for a bit, even try some of the local cheeses before dinner.

Day5 - Walking from Arzua to O Pedrouzo (19km)

Arzúa is the dairy capital of Galicia and home to some of its best cheeses. The group will leave the market town by the pretty Rua do Carmen street, with its wood-cladded dwellings. After the Fonte dos Franceses (the Fountain of the French) we leave the town behind, replacing the urban landscape with lush meadows and cows happily enjoying the green pastures. Wonderful forest tracks, quiet country roads and farmland make our Camino path for the day. Our finish line is the village of O Pedrouzo.

Day6 - Walking from O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela (19km)

From O Pedrouzo, pilgrims continue the walk through the last great oak wood of this ancient Camino trail to the hamlets of Amenal before walking up the hill to Cimadevila. Next on the trail you will pass the village Lavacolla, a place where pilgrims used to stop to wash in the stream, hence its name. The path then continues on to Monte do Gozo, the Mount of Joy, where you will catch your first glimpse of the city and the spires of the cathedral. We are only about an hour away from Santiago Cathedral and as you approach the city, the quiet path and country roads give place to an excited atmosphere as the group enters the city outskirts. Walking down Rua de San Pedro and entering the Old Town, the excitement of all pilgrims is palpable. Walking down the steps under the archway and into Obradoiro Square, you will finally reach Santiago Cathedral and Praza do Obradoiro where the atmosphere of exhilaration and jubilation is something special, a memory that you will treasure forever. Enjoy and savour this moment, you have arrived!

Day7 – Departure

This morning after breakfast and check out, you'll have time to explore the city and to discover its magnificent UNESCO-listed Old Town before your departure time.

ITINERARY: The Online Coaching Sessions

Pre-Travel Preparation

If you don't prepare beforehand, you may end up traveling with your 'home eyes' - viewing through the lens of your own cultural background and personal experiences. This can limit your ability to fully embrace the transformational power of your pilgrimage.

By priming your mind, body and soul to be in an optimal state ahead of the experience, you will be able to make the most of this journey, connect on a deeper level, achieve your goals with a sense of accomplishment, and enjoy a greater sense of emotional fulfilment.

This trip includes 4 online coaching sessions to help you set intentions, clear out old baggage and open yourself up to transformation:

1.: Physical Preparation

Priming your body with activities that will help you prepare for the physical demands of the journey.

2.: Mental Preparation

Cultivate the right mindset with information about the local culture, history, and customs, creating a deeper connection with the destination and the people who live there.

3.: Emotional Preparation

Building a positive emotional foundation that will help you approach the pilgrimage with a sense of wonder, curiosity, and openness by engaging in activities that inspire and uplift you.

4.: Spiritual Preparation

Strengthen your spiritual connection ahead of the journey, define your deeper intentions and meaning behind this trip to help you center yourself and connect more deeply with the true purpose of the pilgrimage.

Post-Travel Incorporation

Without taking time for reflection after your pilgrimage, you risk losing the benefits you gained and reverting back to your old ways of thinking and behaving once you return home.

Dedicating time to identify, process and internalise what you learned and experienced during your trip will help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your values, and your place in the world. By applying these newfound insights to your everyday experiences, you can make positive changes, and live a more fulfilling life.

This trip includes 4 online post-trip coaching sessions to reflect on your journey, process your experiences, and create a plan for implementing lasting change in your life:

1.: Self-Reflection

Setting relevant goals based on your insights and experiences to maintain the momentum and motivation for growth and transformation that you gained during your pilgrimage

2.: Plan of Action

Breaking down goals into manageable steps, making them less daunting, easier to achieve, helps with progress tracking, prioritisation, and resource allocation.

3.: Overcoming Obstacles

Identify potential obstacles that may prevent you from achieving your goals and how you can convert them to opportunities for growth and learning.

4.: Accountability

Having a system to support and encourage you to stay accountable and on track will make a big difference in achieving your goals.

Frequently Asked Questions: Camino de Santiago

How much walking experience do I need to have in order to participate in this pilgrimage?

You do not need to have any specific amount of walking experience in order to participate in this pilgrimage. However, it is important to be physically fit and able to walk for extended periods of time. If you can regularly walk for 10k - 15k at home, you should be well placed to walk the Camino where stages can be in the order of 20km/day. If you have any concerns about your physical ability to participate, it is recommended that you consult with a healthcare professional before signing up.

Will you travel with us?

While I will not be walking with you during the trip, I will be virtually available before, during and after to offer support and guidance.

What kind of transformation can I expect from this journey?

The Camino has the power to bring about significant personal transformation, but the specific changes you experience will depend on your individual goals and intentions for the journey. With the coaching support and the guidance of the journey itself, you can expect to gain a greater sense of clarity, purpose, and self-awareness, as well as the tools and techniques to create lasting positive change in your life.