Camino Vuelta

You will be pre-booked in a traditional hotel in the heart of Pamplona, a well-preserved, historic city in north-eastern Spain that dates from Roman times. Spend your afternoon visiting Pamplona’s 12th Century neighbourhoods of San Nicolas and Cernin, and indulge in delicious pintxos (tapas) in one of the bars. Pamplona is also world-famous for its San Fermin festivities. Spaniards and tourists alike gather around the gated streets to watch a crazy few run with the bulls through the city streets to the main bullring.

As soon as we leave Pamplona, we notice a drastic change in the landscape: sunflowers and cereal fields surround us as we pass el Alto del Perdon before heading down to Puente de la Reina, where the French and Aragonese Ways to the city of Santiago meet. The second half of the day you will be cycling through vineyards and red earth crop fields. We also pass by a few famous landmarks of the Camino such as the Monasterio of Irache and its bodega, and the steep climb up to Villamayor de Monjardin. Shade also decreases as we get closer and closer to Logrono, capital of world-known wine region, La Rioja.

Yet another superb but challenging day awaits you as you cycle along red earth tracks and through the countryside of La Rioja, then through hilly crop fields. Have lunch in one of the great milestones on the Camino de Santiago, in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. This is one of the most demanding days because of the length and steep ascents and descents – but once you arrive in Burgos it is worth it!

Burgos still preserves important vestiges of its mediaeval splendour and the city boasts a masterpiece of Spanish Gothic architecture: the Cathedral of Burgos (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Apart from a visit to the historic quarter, you can take walk along the banks of the Duero and Arlanza rivers.

Today you will come to understand the meaning of the local phrase “Castilla es ancha” (Castilla is wide) as you journey across the very flat Meseta or plateau. All day long, you will notice the influence of the Camino de Santiago as there is not a single village that does not have obvious references to it. Crop fields give patches of beautiful colour to the agricultural landscape all year round, so stunning landscapes will keep you entertained as you ride. The first half of the day is mainly flat and it gets a bit more undulating on the second half to Carrion de los Condes.

As you continue your journey through the colourful Castilian meseta or plateau, the landscape seems endless and the agricultural aspects are beautiful. This section of the Camino Vuelta is relatively flat when compared to the more extreme ascents and descents in the Pyrenees Mountains and Galician hillsides. We finish the day in the vibrant city of Leon.

From the early morning, as you cycle along the high plateau you will see Astorga on the horizon. Stop a couple of hours for lunch and to visit this unique city with its 2,000 vibrant years of history, where Renaissance cathedrals and Roman baths jostle with the modernism of Gaudí. In the afternoon, comes the real challenge: an impressive 1,500m track to the iconic Cruz del Hierro (the Iron Cross). Beautiful natural landscapes and vibrant towns will enrich your day before you reach Ponferrada, a city guarded by the Knights Templars’ Castle. The old part of the city is a pleasant pedestrian area where tourists and locals chill out on the terraces of Plaza del Ayutamiento and Plaza de la Encina.

Starting in the mountain-hugging town of Ponferrada and finishing in Triacastela, this Camino crosses the magnificent O’Cebreiro Mountains before winding down to more gentle terrain. This leg of the journey can be very challenging for its steep inclines and rocky mountainside roads, but the feeling of relief arriving in Triacastela is worth the hard work!

As we continue up and down on our way out of the Galician mountains, the route offers more spectacular sights and historical buildings along your route well-worth a stop to experience. In the morning, we reach Sarria, where all pilgrims seem to know each other and where most start their journey to Santiago. Expect a climb up through oak woods, passing by the Romanesque Church of Barbedelo, before crossing over the Belesar Dam in Portomarin. Then, the Camino route to Palas de Rei is not too difficult – despite its typical Galician ups and downs!

This is probably the most exciting day of your whole journey on the Camino as today we finally reach the city of Santiago de Compostela! Before that, we will have to go through the now-usual highs and lows of Galicia’s undulating landscape, the most exciting of which is probably El Monte de Gozo (Mount of Joy). From here, you can see the cathedral in the distance for the first time before entering Santiago de Compostela!

After breakfast, we bid you farewell.
If you wish to stay in the area, we recommend that you:
– Take your time and visit the magnificent historic centre of Santiago.
– Continue with us along the wild Camino Fisterra (Finisterre Way), and stay overnight at the hotel in the lighthouse!
– Or take a bus to Fisterra to visit the unspoilt sandy coves and beaches of the west coast. With very few tourists, you are guaranteed a very special experience. Buses depart from Santiago Bus Station at 9am and 10am. Buses return to Santiago at 4:45pm and 7pm. The journey takes 3 hours.