Want a twist on the classic Camino that gives pilgrims a spiritually enriching experience away from the crowds on the way to Santiago de Compostela?
The Variante Espiritual of the Camino takes pilgrims from either the town of Tui along an alternative to the Camino Portugues, or from Oia in the very south of Galicia along the Camino Portugues Coastal. Both routes offer a deeply fulfilling pilgrimage, culminating in a boat journey that emulates a journey undertaken by St James himself that sails along the sparkling waters of the Ulla River.
The route’s origins stem from the execution of the Apostle James in the year 44 AD. Following his death, its is said that a group of Spanish disciples clandestinely placed his body in a boat made of stone and, guided by angels, sailed to the mouth of the Ulla River and landed at Iria Flavia (present-day Padrón). From there, the disciples carried the body of St James to the site of what is now the city of Santiago.
The Camino Espiritual includes your boat journey on the Ria de Arousa plus all of the usual benefits of Follow the Camino’s tour packages.