ACCOMPANIED TRAVEL
SMALL GROUP: from 6 to 15 people
GUARANTEED DEPARTURE: from 6 participants
LENGTH: 17 days – 16 nights
16 breakfasts – 15 picnics – 14 dinners
HIKING LEVEL: EASY to MODERATE – The choice of the most beautiful hikes.
BY MINIBUS: From one hike to another
LUGGAGE TRANSPORTED: Hiking with only a small day pack
ALL INCLUSIVE tour accompanied by French speaking guides.
“The Complete” Via de la Plata, one of the great Spanish pilgrimage routes, still little visited and linking Seville in the south to Santiago de Compostela in the northwest: a circuit halfway between a historical journey and gentle hiking, in comfort with Guide/Driver. On average, 3 to 5 hours of walking per day on the most beautiful sections of this path with cultural and tourist visits. Whether you are a pilgrim or a hiker, COMPOSTELA – or THE PATH OF THE STARS – never leaves you indifferent. A unique and original journey.
Book flights and transfers (trains) to and from PAU according to your choice of dates and destinations.
DAY 1 (FRIDAY): PAU (France)
Arrival in Pau and drop off at hotel. The departure of the tour being on Saturday morning, this night is essential to be ready for the departure of the next day at 9 am. Dinner is on your own.
DAY 2 (SATURDAY – Start of Tour): PAU (France) – ARANJUEZ (Espagne)
Meeting at 9 am at the train station in PAU – Transfer to the Madrid area. Dinner and lodging in Aranjuez or surroundings.
Transfer: 7 hrs (Interspersed with breaks along the way)
DAY 3 (SUNDAY): ARANJUEZ – SÉVILLE
Arrival in Seville in the afternoon. First approach and visit of the city. Dinner and lodging.
Transfer: 5 hrs (Interspersed with breaks along the way) – Hiking: 1 hr
DAY 4 (MONDAY): SÉVILLE – CASTILBLANCO
Continuation of the visit to Seville and hike among olive and orange trees in the hills approaching the Andalusian sierras. Dinner and accommodation in the village of Castilblanco – the “white castle”, founded on an ancient Muslim fortress.
Transfer: 1 hr / Hiking 12 km – Duration: 3 to 4 hrs
DAY 5 (TUESDAY): CASTILBLANCO – ZAFRA
Through the beautiful and peaceful sierras of Seville, the green landscapes are surprising and the typical Andalusian villages are full of history. Passage from Andalusia to Extremadura. Dinner and accommodation in the monumental city of Zafra.
Transfer: 1.5 hrs / Hiking: 13 km – Duration: 3.5 hrs to 4 hrs
DAY 6 (WEDNESDAY): ZAFRA – MÉRIDA
Hike through vineyards and orchards and then enter Merida, the ancient Roman capital of “Lusitania”, via the impressive Roman bridge over the Rio Guadania. World Heritage Site, its “Roman city” welcomes you with its theaters, amphitheaters, aqueducts, temples and incredibly well preserved remains. Dinner and accommodation in Merida.
Transfer: 45 mins / Hiking: 14 km – Duration: 3 to 4 hrs
DAY 7 (THURSDAY): MÉRIDA – CACERES
Between vineyards, clear cork oak forests and undergrowth pastures, we continue crossing Extremadura, the most rural region of Spain. Arrival in Caceres, a monumental and historic city, with its old quarter surrounded by Arab walls, its cobbled streets and stately homes: a marvel declared a World Heritage Site. Dinner and accommodation in Caceres.
Transfer: 45 mins / Hiking: 13 km – Duration: 3.5 to 4 hrs
DAY 8 (FRIDAY): CACERES – BAÑOS DE MONTEMAYOR
Passing near the Lake of Alcantara, then Galisteo and its fortified town. Milliaries and Roman remains, churches and chapels line this route, in the heart of Extremadura. Dinner and accommodation in Baños de Montemayor, a renowned spa since the Roman period.
Transfer: 1 hr / Hiking: 12 km – Duration: 3.5 hrs
DAY 9 (SATURDAY): BAÑOS DE MONTEMAYOR – SALAMANCA
Entering Castile on the ancient Roman road through the amazing Sierra de Bejar. The crossing of an old Roman bridge gives access to the extraordinary city of Salamanca, also belonging to the “heritage of humanity”. This oldest university in Spain has preserved its old monumental quarter. Dinner and accommodation in Salamanca.
Transfer: 1 hr / Hiking: 14 km – Duration: 4 hrs
DAY 10 (SUNDAY): SALAMANCA – ZAMORA
Calzada de Valdurciel and its beautiful church – El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino and a walk along the Roman road. Arrival in Zamora, the most important Romanesque architectural complex in Spain with its cathedral, twenty-four churches, castle and walls. Dinner and accommodation.
Transfer: 45 mins / Hiking: 14 km – Duration: 3.5 to 4 hrs
DAY 11 (MONDAY): ZAMORA – RIBADELAGO
Incursion into the wild Sierra de la Culebra and the mountainous landscape of oak and chestnut trees of the Tera river valley, with its typical villages and the ancient fortress of the Templars of Monbuey. Dinner and accommodation in the charming village of Puebla de Sanabria.
Transfer: 1.5 hrs / Hiking: 18 km – Duration: 4.5 hrs
DAY 12 (TUESDAY): RIBADELAGO – XUNQUEIRA DE AMBIA
Entering Galicia and discovering this beautiful and magical rural region and its undulating and mountainous landscapes. We will pass through many picturesque hamlets and villages with their silos, chapels and crosses along the way. Dinner and accommodation in the vicinity of Vilar de Barrio.
Transfer: 1.5 hrs / Hiking: 20 km – Duration: 5 hrs to 5.5 hrs
DAY 13 (WEDNESDAY): XUNQUEIRA DE AMBIA – LALIN
Discovery of the imposing monastery of Oseira and continuation through the hamlets, fields and forests of Galicia. Dinner and accommodation in Lalin.
Transfer: 1 hrs / Hiking: 17 km – Duration: 5 hrs
DAY 14 (THURSDAY): LALIN – SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELLA
Short hike from Susana to Santiago de Compostela and entry into the city through the Camino Real. Visit its exceptional heritage and the cathedral, a masterpiece of universal architecture.
Transfer: 30 mins / Hiking: 8 km – Duration: 2.5 hrs
DAY 15 (FRIDAY): SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA – SANTILLANA DEL MAR
Return to France with a few stops on the Camino del Norte, the Spanish northern route linking Santiago to the foot of the Pyrenees along the Atlantic and the Cantabrian coast. Dinner and accommodation near Santillana des Mar.
DAY 16 (SATURDAY): SANTILLANA DEL MAR – PAU (France)
Continuation of the return route – Arrival in PAU around 5 pm.
The time of arrival of the end of the accompanied tour being approximate, night in Pau is unavoidable – Free dinner and accommodation.
DAY 17 (SUNDAY):
Return to Bordeaux, Toulouse or Paris, then to Canada.
NOTE : Depending on the flight schedule, additional night to be considered in one of these cities, before departure for Canada. Reservation on demand according to your choice of dates and airport.
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