Introduction to the Pilgrim Road

We have chosen a popular and more convenient way of enjoying the Pilgrim Road; we travel by bus, stay in good hotels and visit the most famous sights.

Several times during the trip there is the opportunity for some light hiking (without luggage) so that we can blend in with some “real” pilgrims on this famous route.

On our version of the Pilgrim Road there is a broad selection of different sights and experiences which are not necessarily associated with the religious origins of the pilgrimage. We experience not only beautiful and varied countryside along the Way but also bustling towns and cities. We come across many great architectural styles including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau, culminating in the absolutely spectacular modern Guggenheim Museum, now the emblematic building of the city of Bilbao.

We also get to visit a “bodega” (a winery) in La Rioja, the most famous wine area in the whole of Spain. We are given a tour of the installations, explanations of the whole process and, of course, opportunities for wine-tasting.

This journey passes through four distinct Spanish autonomous regions which in the past were different countries, with very different cultural backgrounds still evident in their different language, traditions and gastronomy.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Bilbao

On arrival at Bilbao airport you will be met by your English speaking guide and transferred to your hotel in the centre of the city.

Day 2: Bilbao and the Guggenheim

In the morning we take a walk along the banks of the River Nervión, cross the Calatrava bridge and then visit the Guggenheim Art Museum, the world-famous masterpiece of the Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry. The opening of this iconic construction in 1997 marked the beginnings of a radical change in the face of this great Basque city. Until then it had been a grimy, heavily industrialized city with absolutely no tourist-appeal at all. Now the old factories have been demolished, the industry has been moved out of town to new modern installations and Bilbao has become an attractive clean and interesting city which welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

After the museum you have plenty of leisure time to have lunch (Bilbao is a perfect place to experience “el tapeo” – you go from bar to bar tasting different wines and tapas in each one. This is more typical of this part of Spain than anywhere else and definitely should not be missed!).

After this there is plenty of time to wander around the old town and enjoy the atmosphere and the many small, specialist shops before returning to the hotel for dinner.

Day 3: The Wine District of “La Rioja”

Today we leave the Basque country and head for the most prestigious wine area in Spain, “La Rioja”. We are soon passing through the extensive vineyards whose position and orientation have proved so perfect for the growing of wine-grapes. After only one hour, we arrive in Haro, the capital of this world-famous wine region where we are given a tour of one of the local wineries (bodega). We learn all about the processes involved in the making of the wine, methods of storage and even how to taste it!

After the bodega there is time at leisure in the Centre of Haro for lunch and a stroll around the town and then we head out to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a milestone on the Pilgrim Road.

A thousand years ago a hermit called Domingo had a bridge built over the River Oja and built a refuge for the travelers on the Way. His contributions to the welfare of the pilgrims was recognized by the church and he was canonized, thus giving the name to the village and providing one of the many legends about the Road. On the way to Burgos, those who wish to, have their first opportunity to actually walk along a section of the Pilgrim Road. Continue on to our hotel in Burgos.

Day 4: Burgos

Burgos is indoubtedly the most important city historically which is traversed by the Pilgrim Road, not least because it was the birthplace of the powerful Kingdom of Castile. We take some time to admire the Casa del Cordón, a beautiful 15th century palace where Ferdinand and Isabella welcomed Columbus back from his second journey to the New World. A walk along the gracious, plane-tree-lined promenade by the River Arlanzón takes us to the unique city gate, Arco de Santa María. From here onto one of the most impressive Gothic cathedrals in Spain, inspired by Notre dame in Paris. Here is the tomb of El Cid, the national hero who liberated Valencia from the Moors in the 11th century.

In the afternoon there is the option to go for a walk along the river as far as the monastery of Miraflores where the parents of Isabel la Católica (Isabella of Castile) are laid to rest. Hotel in Burgos.

Day 5: León

As we drive into the region of León today, there is another opportunity to take a short walk along the Pilgrim Road. Travelling along the plain “Tierra de Campos” we come to Fromista where we stop at the Castile Canal which was built in the 18th century to ship corn and wool from Castile to the coast for export, especially to northern Europe. There is free time here to take in the local atmosphere and perhaps visit the church of San Martín.

We continue on to the city of León which was the capital of the kingdom of the same name. We take a tour on foot of the old part of the town with its narrow streets and many beautiful buildings. This part is known as “the thirsty part of town” due to the amazing number of bars here. We visit the well-preserved market square which dates from mediaeval times and the cathedral which has 18.000 square metres of leaded glass windows. Hotel in León.

Day 6: The Wine District of El Bierzo

On the way to El Bierzo, we have a stop in Astorga which, with its 24 refuges, was a very important city on the Pilgrim Road during the Middle Ages. It has a beautiful 17th century baroque town hall and is one of the few places outside of Catalonia that is home to a building by Antoni Gaudí the famous Catalonian architect of the Art Nouveau period – the Bishop’s Palace. We resume our journey travelling across the Castilian Plain until we come to Monte Irago. Here there is yet another opportunity to take a short walk along the pilgrim road. We arrive in El Bierzo, one of the many “official” wine districts in Spain. French monks came to the area in the past and not only built monasteries here but also planted extensive vineyards which have continued to thrive and be expanded up until the present day. Hotel in El Bierzo.

Day 7: Last Stretch to Santiago de Compostela

Today we go along the last stretch of the pilgrim road into Santiago. As we cross into Galicia, known for being the wettest and therefore the greenest region in Spain, we stop in Cebreiro which is 1300 metres above sea level and affords wonderful views over the countryside. We can see many examples of the characteristic straw-roofed huts of Celtic origin which were inhabited until quite recently. We visit one of the oldest village churches in Spain, Santa María la Real, dating back to the 9th century. We continue our journey along some picturesque backroads until we stop in Portomarín, beautifully situated by the river Miño. We can see here the 12th century fortress-cum-church and a typical Galician mansion. The speciality of the town is aquavit. We then carry on until we arrive at our hotel in Santiago de Compostela.

Day 8: Santiago de Compostela

Now we have reached the end of the Pilgrim Road The city has arisen around the grave of St. James (Santiago) the Apostle which was famously discovered by a farmer named Pelayo in a field in 813 a.d. In the morning we visit the historic centre which is one big outdoor museum full of small, winding streets, pretty squares, old monasteries, mansions, typical Galician houses and the very old university. The tour ends at the cathedral where St. James is buried under the main altar. The afternoon is at leisure for you to explore this amazing city which is now visited by 10 million people every year!.

Hotel in Santiago de Compostela.

Day 9: Day at leisure

You might want to do a final bit of shopping and don’t forget to try the speciality of the city – Santiago tart and the local Ribeiro wine. Overnight in your Hotel

Day 10: Departure

Transfer from the hotel to Santiago airport for your flight back to Dublin

Price inclusions

• Flight Dublin to Bilbao
• All transfers as per itinerary.
• 9 Nights in carefully selected hotels
• Meals on a Half Board Basis
• Flight from Santiago de Compostela to Dublin
• Taxes and Charges of €107

Booking remarks

• Inclusive of taxes and service charges as indicated
• Single room supplement €300 for the duration
• Non refundable or transferrable booking deposit of €200 per person
• Full payment due on confirmation
• 2% surcharge if balance is paid by credit or charge card
• Optional Insurance €30 (conditions apply)

Accommodation details

Bilbao,  Hotel Nervion ***
The Barceló Nervión***, situated right in the center of Bilbao just 200 meters from the Guggenheim Museum and the old city, is one of the city’s most emblematic hotels.
The hotel features WiFi for wireless broadband Internet access.
The high quality of the facilities and services offered by this completely renovated hotel makes it far superior to its official categorization. It was awarded with the Ekoscan Diploma in 2004 for environmental improvement, being the first hotel in Vizcaya to obtain it.

• Located in Bilbao
• It is less than 14 minutes from the airport
• 15 kilometers from the port
• 200 meters from the railroad station and the Bilbao Subway
• The hotel offers panoramic views of the bay, the Calatrava pedestrian bridge and the Guggenheim Museum

Double

• Enjoy these spacious rooms with two beds or double bed. The fixtures and fittings are completed with WiFi Internet connection, air conditioning, heating, bath and shower, hairdryer, telephone and satellite TV.

Single

• These are single rooms with single beds. They include WiFi Internet connection, air conditioning, heating, bath and shower, hairdryer, telephone and satellite TV.

Bars & Restaurants

• Menu / buffet / a la carte Restaurant Ibaizabal
• Cafeteria and Piano Bar

Additional Services

• Currency Exchange
• Hairdresser (close to the hotel)
• Tours
• Bicycle Rental
• Professional Massage Service
• Fax and Photocopy Services
• Doctor
• Cyber Corner
• Safe
• Accessible to the physically handicapped

Burgos,  Hotel Norte y Londres **

The oldest of the Camino de Santiago

The Hotel Norte y Londres ** is in the heart of Burgos, in the pedestrian plaza de Alonso Martínez, just 150 meters from the Cathedral, the statue of El Cid and the shopping and tapas area.

Receive a friendly, polite and cozy welcome, without sacrificing the demands of today, in a hotel ideally located to enjoy all the sights, shops, rides and food from Burgos.

Rooms:

• Full bathroom
• Hair dryer
• Telephone
• TV
• Internet and Free Wifi
• Desktop
• Central Heating
• Bath Kit

Leon,  Hotel Conde Luna ****

Located in heart of the Leon Capital, at the front of the Emperador Theatre, next to the Plaza de Santo Domingo, in the midst of financial corporations, fashion stores, and in the tourist and monumental circuit of the city.

From the Hotel Conde Luna you can walk to the well-known district called Barrio Hamedo, the narrow side streets and the Plaza mayor, as well as:

• Catedral
• la Casa Botines
• Bascilica de San Isidoro

The privileged location of the Hotel Conde Luna, facilitates the visitors access to the city for sight-seeing without the need of using a vehicle

All rooms and rest-rooms of the Hotel Conde Luna were totally refurbished during 2004, and installations as well as equipments were fully renovated, which clearly contributes towards a great improvement in the quality of the services offered.

142 ample rooms

Services

• Hair dryer
• Air Conditioner
• Mini bar
• Telephone
• Internet wifi
• Television
• Room service

Ponferrada,  Hotel Temple ****

Because of its setting and architecture, the Hotel Temple Ponferrada is seamlessly integrated into the medieval spirit that gives charm to the city. Strategically located in the Camino de Santiago , is the ideal option for pilgrims seeking comfort and convenience.

Rooms:

• Wi-Fi
• En-Suite bathroom
• Fax
• Laundry
• Room Service
• Hair dryer
• Music
• Writing desk
• Telephone
• TV
• Canal +
• Satellite TV
• Heating
• Air conditioning
• Safe
• Non-Smoking Rooms
• Mini bar

Santiago, Hotel  San Lorenzo ***

Hotel San Lorenzo is located in a privileged area, just 5 minutes walking up to the Obradoiro square, where the Cathedral is

The hotel is surrounded of centuries of stone and green spaces so you can enjoy your stay in a relaxing environment after walking along the streets of Santiago, a city full of charm and history.

Rooms:

• Air conditioning
• Central heating
• Complete bathroom with amenities
• Hair-dryer
• Direct dial telephone
• Safe box
• Satellite TV
• Canal +
• Alarm clock service
• Laundry service

Dates and Prices

Date	Price
08 May 2012	€1,499
05 June 2012	€1,499
04 Sep 2012	€1,499