Camino Primitivo: Stage 2

Trip Type:

Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Grade & Terrain

This walk is graded moderate to strenuous and includes daily walks on average of 20 – 25 km per day. You can expect to walk for between five and eight hours each day and much of it is rather arduous walking with some steep inclines/declines.

The Camino Primitivo follows a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths.

Navigation

The route is marked with yellow painted arrows but please take care at intersections.  There will always be other walkers around in case you are looking for help. A detailed information pack including route notes, local information and maps will be waiting for you at your first accommodation.

• Accommodation in small rural hotels and guest houses with en-suite W/C.
• Daily Breakfast
• Baggage Transfers
• A detailed information pack for the group leader including route notes, maps, and local information.
• Camino guide book.
• Emergency support from our local and UK offices in the event of a problem.

• Return travel to Spain.
• Lunches, dinners (optional), snacks or drinks.
• Travel Insurance.
• Personal Equipment.
• Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage.

• Additional nights accommodation along the way.

When To Go

This trip is available to start on any day from the beginning of March to the end of October. Option & extension prices will be displayed as part of the booking process.

Time of Year

The Camino Primitivo is best enjoyed from March to October. The weather in Northern Spain is very varied, during the winter months (Nov – Feb) some sections of the Camino can be covered in Snow and the path might be harder to follow, we usually recommend walking between March and October the best walking season. July and August can be extremely busy on the Camino and very hot so we tend to tell people to avoid these months.

The North of Spain is the wettest part of the country, so you can expect rain at any point, though during the summer months it doesn’t tend to hang around for too long. However, we recommend always carrying a light waterproof, just to be on the safe side.

Getting to the Start

Santiago de Compostela Airport is situated 134Km outside of Lugo. There is a bus connection to the city centre, operated by Freire S.L, the journey time is one hour 30 minutes and a ticket costs €15.00.

Santiago de Compostela is the nearest airport to Lugo and is easily reached from the UK by Ryanair who operate a regular direct service. If you are coming from Europe then please look at the Santiago Airport website and check what airlines suit you best.

If you are coming from overseas you have a few options here. You can fly into London and catch a Ryanair flight to Santiago but remember they don’t have much weight allowance. Alternatively, you can fly into Madrid and catch an internal flight or a train from here will take approx 7-8 hrs. You can catch internal flights with either Ryanair or Vueling airlines to the main hubs of Madrid and Barcelona if you are flying here from overseas.

Getting from the End

From Santiago City Centre to the Airport

From Santiago, you can arrange a private transfer through Macs Adventure, to ensure a smooth end to your Camino. Alternatively, a bus runs between the airport and Plaza de Galicia in Santiago, stopping at different points in the city (Pazo de Congresos, Capilla San Lázaro, the bus station, the railway station, Rúa da Rosa, and others). From the airport, the bus departs from 00:00 to 23:30, every half hour (duration 20 mins). Please see the Santiago Airport website for current timetables.

From Santiago to Madrid by train

If you would prefer to travel by rail, you can take a train (fast trains are available, 6h30 duration approx.) from Santiago to Madrid with RENFE.

By Bus within Spain

There are good bus connections from Santiago to other cities within Spain – see http://www.alsa.es for bus schedules.

Baggage Transfer

Baggage transfers are included (max 20kg per person). Your main bag will be transferred each day between your overnight accommodation so that you only need to walk with a day pack.

General Information

Pilgrim's Passport

The Pilgrim's Passport is available in any church/pilgrim office on the route and these are clearly marked in your guidebook.   You need to get the passport stamped in churches, restaurants and hotels along the way.  At the end of the walk, in Santiago, you can obtain your Compostela Certificate (only if you have walked the last 100km). For the other sections of the trail, the passport is used as a souvenir with all the colourful stamps you will receive. Santiago de Compostela Cathedral Restoratiom.

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral Restoration

Please Note - Due to restoration works on the interior of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, the Pilgrim Mass has been moved to an alternate location until further notice. Unfortunately, during the restoration of the Cathedral the Botafumeiro will not take place.

Equipment

Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, lightweight clothes, waterproofs and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable Travel Insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.