Camino de Santiago – The St. James Way

Day 1: Arrival in Santander
Your adventure begins with our Welcome Briefing in the hotel at 4 pm where you can meet the group.

Day 2: Santander - Selores
Santander, the bride of the sea, has a lot to offer in every respect.The bay in front of the city is one of the most beautiful in the world.The imposing limestone massif of the Picos de Europa, Spain's largest nature reserve, is only 25 km away from the Atlantic coast as the crow flies.Today, the Picos de Europa mountain range is always within sight. The first attraction is the Stone Age paintings in the Altamira caves.The small town of Santillana del Mar turns out to be a medieval gem with over 30 stately noble palaces. We continue along the Rio Saja to Selores, our destination for today.

Day 3: Selores - Cervera de Pisuerga
Today we spend the whole day in the Parque Natural de Saja Besaya, a nature reserve covering 245 square kilometers with extensive oak and beech forests.It is quiet here, the broom is in bloom, golden eagles and peregrine falcons circle in the air.The park provides a habitat for many wild animals and endangered wolves.So don't be alarmed if you hear a wolf howling.

Day 4: Cervera de Pisuerga - Santa Colomba de las Arrimadas
Today takes us along the southern edge of the Picos de Europa towards Leon, the first major pilgrimage destination.The road winds its way west through green hills. Every now and then we catch a glimpse of the mountain peaks of the Picos.The silence and the vastness of the landscape give us our first taste of the solitude of the Meseta plateau.

Day 5: Santa Colomba de las Arrimadas - León
Adios Picos de Europa! We will cross the western edge of Meseta with its endless distance and rolling hills, towards León. The royal city of León in the High Plain of Castile welcomes us. Its colorful streets are filled with life and provincial charm. It is now time to explore the huge variety of the Castilian culinary delights, such as Iberian pork, sausages, chestnuts and not to forget the delicious wine from Bierzo. We have plenty of time to discover León and to relax in our hotel.

Day 6: León - Villafranca del Bierzo
We will leave the royal town behind us and travel by bus to the ancient Roman city Astorga. We invite you to visit the episcopal palace and cathedral built by the Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí. Astorga is also known for its sweet treats and chocolate, such as mantecadas and hojaladres, which are best enjoyed with a cafe con leche. From here we explore a variety of ancient little villages along Cruz de Ferra and the Templar castles in Ponferrada. Our destination today is the beautiful city of Villafranca.