The English Camino
It was the preferred route for pilgrims from Scandinavia, the Netherlands, northern France and, above all, England and Ireland. As early as the 11th century, there is documentary evidence of landings on the Galician coast and the arrival of pilgrims in shallow-draft vessels. Some of these expeditions included crusaders, who stopped in Santiago to visit the apostle’s tomb before reaching Jerusalem. Many chose the English route, where they found shelter in monasteries and hospitals. The pilgrimage to the apostle’s tomb started from the ports of A Coruña or Ferrol. In the 15th century, this was the golden age of this beautiful route, rich in historical and artistic heritage.
DAY 1: Arrive by your own means in El Ferrol. Accommodation in El Ferrol. Breakfast included.
DAY 2: FERROL-NEDA (14KM): Nowadays, the Church of Compostela only grants the Compostela to pilgrims who have walked at least 100 km or cycled at least 200 km, so most pilgrims start from Ferrol, since A Corunna is less than 100 km from the Holy City. To begin this beautiful but difficult pilgrimage, remember that the traditional and indispensable yellow arrow signs are often missing; strangely, when they are present, they create uncertainty as to which direction to take. The best advice is to follow your intuition and always head south. The first part of the English Way crosses an area with numerous road infrastructures and large installations linked to the naval and military industries. With these preliminary tips in mind, the route begins at the Ferrol das Curuxeiras port and heads towards the A Gándara industrial area, where you can enjoy the military Church of San Francisco, the Arsenal or the Co-Cathedral of San Xián. Walking parallel to the mouth of the River Ferrol, you will come across the railway line that links Ferrol to Betanzos, which is crossed by an underground railway. Soon you will reach the monastery of San Martiño de Xubia, one of the oldest in Galicia. Continue along this road and, after crossing the Muiño bridge over the Xubia river, you will arrive in Neda.
DAY 3: NEDA-MIÑO (26 KM): After passing through Neda, our next stop is Fene, famous for its shipyards. From here the route climbs up through the mountains to the edge of the main road. A stretch of the route runs parallel to the road until we reach Cabanas, where we can visit the church of San Martiño do Porto and the beach of Magdalena. We walk quietly along the promenade and cross the bridge that gives access to the beautiful town of Pontedeume. From here we head towards Breamo, Buiña, Viadero and Bañobre. At this point we cross the medieval bridge over the river Baxoi and after a few minutes we reach the first buildings of Miño. The stage ends in Miño, crossing the river Baxoi over a curious medieval bridge with a single arch.
DAY 4: MIÑO-BETANZOS (10KM): From a scenic point of view, this is the most interesting part of the route, as it crosses a rural, mountainous and isolated area dotted with small villages devoted to livestock farming. Leaving Miño along the Calle Real, we pass through a beautiful coastal landscape until we reach the Ponte de Porco and the beautiful temple of San Pantaleón de las Viñas, where we begin a dangerous and steep stretch that takes us to the village of Matacabalos and later to Souto. After this short stretch, the descent to Betanzos begins, with wide panoramic views of the estuary and the marshes, which will allow us to enjoy our way until we reach the beautiful Betanzos, which we enter through one of the preserved gates of the medieval wall, crossing the old town to the Praza de García Hermanos, where the Arquivo do Reino de Galicia (Archive of the Kingdom of Galicia) is located. We can also visit the hermitage of Ntra. Sra. de Los Remedios and one of the most beautiful crosses in Galicia.
DAY 5: BETANZOS-MESÓN DO VENTO (24KM): To continue our route, we leave the town of Betanzos via the street of O Rolo and the bridge of As Cascas. Continue through the villages of O Coto, Campoeiro and Xanrozo until you reach the municipality of Abegondo. Once there, we cross the bridge of Limiñón; after a pleasant walk along the river, we cross the bridge of Presedo, where we can enjoy the temple of San Antonio de Cos. Continue towards Francos, Bocelo and Vilardel. Once you reach A Malata, after Monte, Fontela and Vizoño, the route heads up into the mountains to the point where the two variants of the English Way meet, in the municipality of Mesía, and finally to Mesón do Vento.
DAY 6: MESÓN DO VENTO-SANTA CRUZ DE MONTAOS (16KM): The last part of the route follows mostly rural roads in a quiet setting with gentle slopes. The stage begins in Bruma, from where it heads towards the village of Ordes. It passes through the villages of O Seixo, Carreira, Mámoas and A Carballeira, and then a mountainous stretch begins, leading to the village of A Rúa. Past the Trabe mill and the O Cubo bridge, it continues towards Outeiro de Abaixo, where it takes a wooded path that leads to the church of San Xulián de Poulo, in Outeiro de Arriba. After A Senra and A Rúa, the path reaches Carballo, passes through Casanova de Pereiro and crosses the Ponte Pereira bridge, possibly of medieval origin, to arrive at the end of today’s stage in Santa Cruz de Montaos.
DAY 7: SANTA CRUZ DE MONTAOS-SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (24KM): We begin our final stage by heading towards Baxoia, which will take us to Sigüeiro, in the municipality of Oroso. We leave Sigüeiro along the Calle Real, keeping to the right of the road and taking a dirt track that runs parallel to the motorway. This will take you to Sionlla, from where you can see Compostela as you cross the bridge over the Tambre river. The route continues parallel to the river to A Barciela, crosses the Tambre industrial estate towards Meixonfrío and enters the centre of Santiago via Cruceiro da Coruña. From here, the route passes through some of the city’s most beautiful neighbourhoods, such as Santa Clara, San Roque, Algalia and Azabachería, before arriving at the magnificent Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
DÍA 8: Check out and end of our services.
INCLUDED
– Accommodation in double or single room. Breakfast incl.
– Transport of backpacks for each of the stages along the route (max. 15 Kg per backpack).
– Accommodation along the way: Hotels, rural houses, hostels or pensions.
– 1 Guided tour of Santiago (historic centre): 2h in Spanish.
– Informative dossier.
– Travel insurance with 24-hour telephone assistance service.
NOT INCLUDED
– Support car. Transfers IN/OUT
OPTIONAL SERVICES
– Discount for third person in extra bed sharing room with 2 adults 10%.
– Half board supplement (no discount for 3rd person) per person/night €18.00
– Picnic lunch supplement: sandwich, drink and dessert person/day €9.40
– Santiago-Sarria airport transfer supplement: (max. 4)* €162.50
– Santiago city to Santiago airport transfer supplement: (1 to 3 people) €41.25
– Santiago city to Santiago airport transfer supplement: (4 to 7 people) €63.75
– Private transfers and/or support car during the route: please ask.
– Cancellation insurance: please ask.
* FLIGHT DELAYS OR WAITING FOR LUGGAGE CLAIM: €25.00/HOUR