Marion’s 2014 Itinerary for the Camino Santiago de Compostella

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One of my first official Camino activities of 2014 was to book our air travel and finalize our full travel itinerary with my walking partner Marta.   Although I have been training since June, I still have to deal with the travel logistics including timelines, work approvals, airfares, lodgings, cash flow, cost, passports (mine has expired) and synchronization with travel buddies.   The reality of the commitment of time, money and effort hit me full force once I started to receive my ticket confirmations.  It was confirmed and official, I was really going to walk 800 km’s on the Camino Santiago de Compostella arriving in France on May 16 and going home from Paris on June 29.  Marta and I toasted and congratulated each other on our hard work and ticket confirmations over a glass of good Spanish red wine as we coordinated the travel for our spouses who will be joining us for the last week walk into Santiago.

The following table is the outcome of our planning last weekend.  We have 3 full rest days at the start of the trip which we will spend in Biarritz and St Jean Pied de Port and we added a couple of days at the end of our trip in Paris before flying home.  We are using Macs Adventure for our self-guided tour and they will support us by booking our lodgings, moving any baggage we don’t want to carry and providing advice and emergency support as required.    Below is our finalized trip Itinerary.

Date Camino Walk Day Where to Comments Total Km’s
Fri May 16 Travel day Toronto to Paris Lufthansa Airlines
Sat May 17 Travel day Paris to Biarritz Air France-Arrive 3 pm
Sun May 18 Travel day Relax in Biarritz Spend day tourist
Mon May 19 1 Relax in St Jean Pied de Port Mac Adventures-Day count starts
Tue  May 20 2 Roncesvalles Tough but beautiful walk in the Pyrenees 23
Wed May 21 3 Akerreta Mountain passes, beech, oak woods, River Arga 27
Thur May 22 4 Pamplona Undulating plain, fortress town, urban landscape 15
Fri May 23 5 Puente la Reina “Bridge of the Queen”, beautiful 6 arch bridge 22
Sat May 24 6 Estella Olive trees, small towns 20
Sun May 25 7 Los Arcos

Isolated 12 km between towns

20
Mon May 26 8 Logrono Rioja wine growing region 27
Tue May 27 9 Najera Rioja country roads 27
Wed May 28 10 Santa Domingo Country roads, mountain ranges 21
Thur May 29 11 Belorado Crop fields, oak woods 22
Fri May 30 12 Atapuerca Oak meadows , Oca Mountains 29
Sat May 31 13 Burgos Valley of the Pico River 20
Sun Jun 1 14 Burgos Extra Day in Burgos
Mon Jun 2 15 Walk to Hornillos Transfer back to Burgos in evening 20
Tues Jun 3 16 Castrojeriz Transfer from Hornillos Burgos 18
Wed Jun 4 17 Fromista Crop fields 27
Thur Jun 5 18 Carron de los Condes Path follows the road 19
Fri Jun 6 19 Calzadilla de la Cueza 16
Sat Jun 7 20 Sahagun 22
Sun Jun 8 21 El Burgo Ranero 18
Mon Jun 9 22 Mansilla de las Mulas River Esla, Portillo Hill 19
Tue Jun 10 23 Leon Leon Plateau 17
Wed Jun 11 24 Extra Day in Leon
Thur Jun 12 25 Villadangos del Paramo Leon Mountains 21
Fri Jun 13 26 Astorga Broom, heather, oak trees, conifer plantations 26
Sat Jun 14 27 Rabanal Del Camino Mount Irago 19
Sun Jun 15 28 Molinaseca 24
Mon Jun 16 29 Villafranca del Bierzo wealthy area of Bierzo 30
Tues Jun 17 30 Herrerias de Valcarce 22
Wed Jun 18 31 O’Cebriero Steep climb 9
Thur Jun 19 32 Triacastela 22
Fri Jun 20 33 Sarria Hamlets 18
Sat Jun 21 34 Portomarin River Mino 24
Sun Jun 22 35 Palas de rei Pine groves Eucalyptus trees 24
Mon Jun 23 36 Arzua Farming region of Ullo 28
Tues Jun 24 37 Rua 19
Wed Jun 25 38 Santiago de Compostela St James Cathedral 18
Thur Jun 26 39 Extra Day in Santiago
Fri Jun 27 40 Fly to Paris Spend day in Paris
Sat Jun 28 Travel day Spend Day in Paris
Sun Jun 29 Travel Day Paris to Toronto Fly Home

I will continue to evolve the travel itinerary with more information about each town, the geography, eco systems, history, and points of interest of the regions being walked through.    I am already dreaming about the freedom of wandering through the mountains, valleys, plains, meadows, forests, towns and cities for 40 days following the call of the open road and most days arriving at a new location to discover and enjoy. One of the definitions of a Pilgrim is “A Traveler, A Wanderer”.   A Pilgrim on the Santiago de Compostella is a wonderful role to have.

I would love to hear from those who have traveled this path. Don’t forget to leave a link back to your own blog too if you have one, via the commentluv feature here on the site.

Buen Camino

Marion

 

One thought on “Marion’s 2014 Itinerary for the Camino Santiago de Compostella

  1. Marvellous planning you have done, and lots of room for serendipity.
    I have stayed in the majority of towns and villages and cities that you are staying in.
    Quite the adventure!
    I hope you make it to one of my hikes soon – I am looking forward to meeting you.
    Hasta luego

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