7-Nights Spain: Landscapes from the Camino de Santiago

Country Walkers

Spain: Landscapes from the Camino de Santiago

Soak up the rich history and cultures of northern Spain as you explore scenic local paths and highlights from the Camino de Santiago. Our local team has selected from over 50,000 miles of trails lacing the Iberian Peninsula to curate the very best of this trail network. Starting in the heart of Basque Country, a walk along the Camino’s Northen Way brings you the spectacular coastal scenery of Cantabria—returning each evening to relax in historic accommodations. Walk the most idyllic segments of the Camino’s French Way, visiting the charming, thatched huts of O Cebreiro, tasting traditional Galician orujo, and exploring a local vineyard perched above the Ribeira Sacra Canyon. Enjoy a scenic slice of the Camino’s Finisterre Way as you walk among fragrant pines and eucalyptus into the city of Santiago de Compostela—where you’ll spend an opulent evening at the incomparable Hostal dos Reis Católicos, located on the Plaza del Obradoiro next to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Along the way, your local Country Walkers leaders will enthrall you with tales of the Camino de Santiago and the ancient cultures of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, and beyond.

Highlights:

• Stay in historic Spanish paradors for your entire trip, richly historic landmark buildings converted into luxury hotels with spacious rooms.
• Walk among a remarkably diverse array of landscapes, from rural coastal fields and cliffs to mountain villages and deep valleys and gorges.
• Hike the steep vineyard-laden slopes in Ribeira Sacra’s spectacular Canyon de Sil, then enjoy a wine tasting and lunch with the family that runs the winery.
• See how a local shepherd and his border collie corral their rare Xalda sheep during a fascinating sheep-herding demonstration.
• Sample the beloved beverages of Galicia, including distilled apple cider and the Celtic-influenced Queimada, and learn how they are prepared.

Vacation Inclusions

• Exceptional boutique accommodations and historic Spanish paradores
• 16 on-tour meals: 7 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 6 dinners
• Local leaders with you throughout tour
• Local wine and/or beer with dinner
• Entrance fees and special events as noted in the itinerary
• Telescopic walking sticks provided on tour

Featured Destinations

Villafranca del Bierzo
Bilbao Bilbao Bilbao, the capital of Vizcaya Province, lies seven miles from the sea and has a coastline featuring rocks and steep cliffs, creeks and small estuaries; small fishing villages nestle in the inlets below green hills. The port of Bilbao is the largest in Spain and is built against the mountains. The city's fine museums include Fine Arts Museum and Guggenheim Museum. The Guggenheim Bilbao Museum is devoted to American and European art of the 20th century. The Fine Arts Museum specializes in paintings by Spanish masters. Our Lady of Begona Church is a 16th-century church on a hill with a good view of the city and valley. Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art is located in an old convent of Dominican nuns, a 16th-century, L-shaped cloister housing this fine museum with an outstanding exhibit of silversmiths' crafts that is one of the best collections in Spain. The Bullfighting Museum shows interesting bullfighting paraphernalia, such as costumes, photographs of famous toreros and a collection of posters. Visitors can try their gambling luck at Gran Casino Nervion.	Destination Guide
Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is now considered by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site and attracts visitors from all over the world thanks to its fantastic monuments. The town is named after the Apostle Saint James ("Santiago"), who is buried here. In 2000 Santiago de Compostela was given the title of European Cultural Capital. Santiago is certainly one of Spain's most monumental towns, with a particular architectonical style all of its own. But it is as well a town plenty of life, with one of the most famous Universities and a large number of students who guarantee youthful ambience inbetween the historical walls. The region's cuisine is of great reputation, and it is said that nowhere has better seafood than Santiago.	Destination Guide
Monforte
Cangas de Onis,
Santillana del Mar Santillana del Mar Santillana del Mar has been called by many writers ‘the most beautiful village in Spain.’ Stroll through the rustic cobblestone streets that are lined with stone houses decorated with carved heraldic symbols and enjoy the delightful church square. It is located in the western coast of Cantabria, and is one of the biggest cultural treasures in the region. The other treasure, the Altamira Caves, are located just 2 kilometres away. Santillana del Mar is an “alive museum” of a medieval village developed around the “Santa Juliana” collegiate church, the most important religious monument of the Romanesque in Cantabria. Most of the houses were built between the XIV and XVIII century. The whole Santillana can only be visited on foot. But the genuine flavour of this stony and millennial museum, which is the village, is its own move of people, its always flowered balconies, the charm of its nooks and traditional shops, where you can have a glass of milk with “bizcocho” (the typical product of the local confectionery).

View Full Itinerary

Valid Date Ranges