History of the Camino:  According to legend, in 40 AD the body of St James was clandestinely transported to Northern Spain and buried in secret. Centuries later, it is said that a hermit witnessed a shower of stars that led him to the lost tomb and, with this story, began a golden age of medieval pilgrimage to Santiago.  In the 1400's pilgrimage fell out of fashion and the Camino was mostly forgotten until the 1980's when the Spanish restored the path and the Camino de Santiago became one of the great footpaths of Europe. Today, many villages along the Camino have scarcely changed since medieval days.

Our guided walks: To walk every step of  the entire route would take over a month but, by having a support bus skip over the less attractive sections, our walkers can hike the most scenic and historic stages of the Camino. Two experienced guides accompany the group so each day there is a choice of doing an easy walk at a relaxed pace or a longer, more challenging walk. Days on this historic route do wonders for body, mind and spirit but our tours have NO religious focus. Accommodation is in comfortable three and four star inns and Paradors as well as old monasteries which have been converted to atmospheric hotels.  

Level of Difficulty: The terrain is varied - flat meseta - rugged mountains - rolling farmland. Each day we divide into two groups, each with its own guide. The bus drops off the more energetic group first and they cover a longer distance (up to 20 km a day) with some ascent. The bus takes the easier group further along the trail to start the day so they walk a shorter distance (about 10 km) at a slower pace and with less ascent. The support bus follows and is available at various junctions along the way. When the path goes through mountains the bus can take the easier group to near the top so the walk is a spectacular, gradual descent. Those who prefer a more energetic day in the mountains can start with an ascent. 

Our meeting point 15 night itinerary:  Bilbao      End of Tour:  Santiago de Compostela.
Our meeting point 9 night itinerary:  Leon           End of Tour:  Santiago de Compostela.