Medio Camino

Leòn is a fun city with centuries of history to explore. Spend the morning walking from cafe to cafe sampling coffee and pastries. Explore the city while doing a little shopping. Have lunch outside at a sidewalk cafe. Tour the cathedral in the afternoon before meeting for dinner in our private dining room at La Posada Regia.

Leaving the big city behind we roll first through Hospital de Orbigo with its well-preserved Roman bridge. Stop for a riverside lunch (aka – “second breakfast”) in sight of the cathedral in Astorga. The house next door – designed by famed Spanish Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi i Cornet – is one of his most beautiful private residences. Head into completely new scenery on the exit from town: lavender fields and mountain scrub trees blanket the hillsides now. Spend tonight in the tiny town of Rabanal del Camino, with fewer than 100 year-round residents. Enjoy views of tomorrow’s mountains, beckoning from every window.

Start the morning with a brisk climb up to the Cruz de Ferro, the highest point on the Camino de Santiago. Legend has it that if you add a stone that you’ve brought from home, you may leave your burdens here and prepare for rebirth on the remainder of your journey. Didn’t bring a stone from home? It’s okay to bring one from a little closer. Traverse the ridge line on the way to a stop at the colorful Refugio in Manjarin. Welcomed by a bunch of friendly dogs and cats, stop for a photo, and some refreshments. Enjoy the 20 kilometer downhill to lunch in Molinseca. Visit the Templar castle in Ponferrada before rolling through cherry orchards into Villafranca de Bierzo.

Ride the most mountainous day of the journey today. Begin with a mellow hour of cruising through a deeply-cut valley leading towards the pass. Settle in for the long steady climb up to Cebriero. What a feeling of accomplishment – and a healthy need for a hearty lunch! The three-course lunch at the top of the mountains will do the job nicely, thank you. Roll through the hills after lunch, past the Albergue in Tricastella, welcoming cyclists with a bicycle hanging on an exterior wall. Continue riding the path as it slices right through farms – with chickens running everywhere – on the way to the transportation hub of Sarria. Feeling brave? A Fred Flintstone steak can be yours for dinner! Tonight’s restaurant specializes in char-grilling very ample portions to perfection.

Deep in the heart of Galicia, the hills are a mixture of forests and centuries-old family farms separated by stacked rock fences. The scent of eucalyptus fills the air; its bark blankets the trail. Portomarin, our lunch town, sits on top of a hill next to a former lake that is now a lush valley. Stay tonight in Melide, just a short 52 km (34 miles) from tomorrow’s destination, the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

You’re almost there! The feeling of enthusiasm is palpable. Cross several small stone bridges over tiny streams on today’s route. Eucalyptus forest thickens, shading the trail as you near the final hill up to the airport. The last few miles seem endless – then suddenly you arrive at the John Paul II Monument at Monte do Gozo. This signals the first glimpse of the city. Get your final stamp here, then coast downhill into Santiago. The square in front of the cathedral is alive with activity. Your fellow pilgrims arriving there congratulate each other and take photos. Set your bike down for a bit. Take time to explore the cathedral – final stop on your journey – while the guides head to the Compostela Office to get your certificate for completing The Camino de Santiago. Our farewell dinner will be filled with toasts and tales of The Way. Buen Camino, Amigos! Tonight’s lodging at Costa Vella is included.

Sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and then head to the airport anytime you wish.