"El Camino de Santiago" - Trip Detail

Legend & History of "El Camino de Santiago" In the Middle Ages, Santiago de Compostela, the third most important city of pilgrimage after Jerusalem and Rome, attracted pilgrims from all parts of Europe. It remains one of Spain's most remarkable cities with old quarters, churches, conventual buildings and an air both ancient and mystical. The Apostle, James the Greater (Santiago is Spanish for St. James), known as the "Thunderer" on account of his temper, crossed the seas, so the legend goes, to convert Spain to Christianity. His boat was cast ashore at the mouth of the Ulla, and he preached for seven years before returning to Judea where he was decapitated by order of Herod Agrippa in the year 42AD. His disciples, forced to flee from Palestine, stole his body and returned to Spain to bury it near St. James' earlier landing place. Invasions by the Barbarians and later the Arabs caused the grave to be lost to memory. Early in the 9th century, a star is believed to have pointed out the grave to some shepherds. This legend was to reinforce the theory that Compostela was derived from "campus stellae" which is Latin for field of stars. The remains of St. James soon became the object of a local cult and then pilgrimage. In 1130 the first ever known "tour guide" was written by a Poitou monk that described the inhabitants, climate, and the most interesting sights along the route. As a result of the 500,000 to two million pilgrims passing along the route every year, churches and towns all prospered and many hospices and hospitals were built to receive the weary. The stopping places along the way would form a Calle Mayor (main street) around which a village would develop. With the passage of time, however, the faith that made people set out on pilgrimages began to diminish. Finally in 1589, the bishop of Compostela removed the relics of St. James to a place of safety from the ongoing religious wars. They were lost for 300 years, and the pilgrimage was virtually abandoned. In 1879 the relics were recovered, recognized by the Pope and the pilgrimage recommended by the Church. Today, thousands of people still make the 500 mile journey every year, usually on foot. The route is well marked and is lined with all the original history and buildings that were built 600 to 1150 years ago. Many refuges still offer pilgrims free accommodations, sometimes on the dirt floor of a barn. A passport is used to mark your progress through the route and stamps are given at different spots along the way to verify completion at the end of the Camino.

Camino de Santiago Passport complete with stamps and dates

Rumor has it that if you successfully make the journey all the way to the remains of Santiago, your time in Purgatory will be halved - but I think it may be a tough one to prove!

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Day by Day Itinerary Day 1 (Saturday) - Arrive in Barcelona, Spain This day will be used to relax and recover from any jet lag. You will be picked up from the airport and immediately taken to your hotel where you can sleep, relax, or if you like, check out Barcelona. We will be organizing lunch and dinner as well as casual sight seeing for anyone who is interested. Day 2 - (Sunday) - Start of Bike Trip Roncesvalles to Pamplona/Iruña - 45km It will be an early start! After breakfast we will be loading up for the drive to Roncesvalles where the trip begins. After getting our passports and all the gear organized, it will be an easy day of riding with only a 45km ride which will bring us to Pamplona for our second night in Spain. Day 3 - (Manday) - Pamplona to Viana - 85km Today will be our first full day of riding. No major climbing, with only minor ups and downs and one 800ft climb. Day 4 - (Tuesday) - Viana to Santo Domingo - 84km Okay, the legs may be getting just a little stiff but we´ll keep them moving. Once again there are no major climbs but there is a gradual increase in elevation as we make our way to Santo Domingo. Here we will be staying in a 5 star Parador which is a converted 15th century castle. Day 5 - (Wednesday) - Santo Domingo to Burgos - 74km Once again, no major climbs but we will still be working up a gradual elevation increase right up to Burgos. Day 6 - (Thursday) - Burgos - Rest day Today is a rest and recovery day. We will be relaxing in this beautiful city of 169,000 people which is home of some spectacular buildings such as the main cathedral (which is the third largest in all of Spain), Monestario de las Huelgas Reales and the Cartuja de Miraflores. Other attractions include Casa de Cordón, Hospital del Rey, and the archeological finds in the Sierra de Atapuerca. Or if you prefer, you can just chill in the Plaza Mayor with a cup of the best coffee going and enjoy the day in Spain! Day 7 - (Friday) - Burgos to Carrión de los Condes - 83km Back on the bike and away we go. The first 45km we will be working our way from an elevation of 2500ft to an elevation of 4500ft but it is in a fairly smooth fashion. From the peak of 4500ft it's a great ride down into Carrión de los Condes which is at an elevation of about 2000ft. Day 8 - (Saturday) - Carrión de los Condes to Leon - 95km Today we will pass the half way mark of the trip. Although today is the longest of the trip, it is very flat with a constant elevation of about 2200ft. Leon is city of 150,000 people and like Burgos, is full of amazing architecture. Here we will be spending the night in another of Spain's famous 5 star paradores which is the Parador Villafranca. Day 9 - (Sunday) - Leon to Rabanal del Camino - 72km Day 10 - (Monday) - Rabanal del Camino to Villafranca del Bierzo - 56km Day 11 - (Tuesday) - Villafranca del Bierzo to Barbadelo - 73km Day 12 - (Wednesday) - Barbadelo to Melide - 57km Day 13 - (Thursday) - Melide to Santiago de Compostela - 53km Wahoo! Today we finish the riding and follow tradition by entering the Cathedral in the Obradoiro Plaza. The ride is an easy 53km with no major elevation gains or descents. In Santiago de Compostela we will receive our official "compostelana" written in Latin complete with all of our names. Tonight will be a bit of a bash and to reward ourselves we will be staying in another one of Spain's 5-star paradores for the last 2 nights together on the trip. Day 14 - (Friday) - Santiago de Compostela - Sight Seeing Today will be a day spent touring around this amazing city. There are so many things to see and do that we can't begin to list them! Day 15 - (Saturday) - Santiago de Compostela back to Barcelona or Pamplona Today is the last day together as a group. From here you have the option make your way back to Barcelona or Pamplona. But no matter where your destination is, we will help you get the bikes packed and organized and make sure you are safely on your way home. Day 16 - (Sunday) - Return Home

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