Cycle the Camino de Santiago

Cycle the Camino de Santiago

822 Views
8 Days From

$3375

Cycle the Camino de Santiago

8 Days Starting in León and ending in Santiago de Compostela

Visiting: Spain

Tour operator:

Exodus Adventure Travels

Tour code:

MWC

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

6 - 16

Physical rating:

Moderate / Challenging

Age range:

16-99

Special diets catered:

Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

Active

Interests:

Cultural, Photography

Activities:

Cycling, Sightseeing, Walking

From: $3375

NB: Prices correct on 16-Sep-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela across northern Spain is one of the world's oldest pilgrimage routes. Also known as 'The Way of St James', it originated in the region of Galicia where the tomb of the Apostle James the Great was discovered in the 9th century. The way is marked by the symbol of the scallop shell and the grooves that join together are said to represent the many different routes pilgrims take to reach Santiago. The Gothic cathedrals, medieval monasteries and miles of beautiful rural scenery make this section of the ancient route so popular.

Highlights

  • Visit impressive Gothic and Romanesque cathedrals

  • Follow the famous pilgrimage route to Santiago 

  • Enjoy the varied and beautiful landscapes of Castilla and Galicia 

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Start León

The trip starts in León. We may have time to visit the beautiful gothic cathedral and stroll around winding narrow streets before a trip briefing and our first meal as a group.



Accommodation: Apartahotel Exe Campus San Mamés

Day 2 : Ride Across The Plains Of Castille Through Countryside And Quaint Villages To Astorga

Meals Included: Breakfast

We head into the countryside, riding across the plains of Castilla through cultivated countryside and quaint villages with adobe houses and wine caves. We take lunch in Hospital del Orbigo and on entering the village we cross a medieval bridge, which is one of the longest pilgrimage bridges in Spain.). We then ride the final 9mi (15km) to the beautiful walled town of Astorga, with views of the León mountains in the distance.



Accommodation: Hotel Gaudi

Day 3 : Climb Into The León Mountains To The Monte De La Cruz De Ferro; Descend To Molinaseca

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today's ride is the most beautiful of the trip as we leave the Castilian plains and climb gradually into the León mountains to the Monte de la Cruz de Ferro (4,938ft/1,505m). We pass through Castrillo de los Polvazares en route, known for its very special architecture created by strong orange-coloured stone. After riding through the mountain village of Acebo (the main street is a straight line of beautiful balconied houses) we enjoy the rest of our descent into Molinaseca with stunning views of the surrounding valley.



Accommodation: Hostal El Palacio

Day 4 : From Molinaseca To Vega De Valcarce

Meals Included: Breakfast

The highlight today is the ride to the beautiful town of Villafranca with views across the green valleys of Galicia and wooded mountains of León. After the first easy and mainly flat 15.5mi (25km), passing through vineyards as we are in the wine region of El Bierzo, then we have a short climb to Villafranca, which is worth a look for its many monuments and picturesque town square. Then, we cycle another 15 km to the village of Ambasmestas just in the middle of the picturesque valley of Vega de Valcarce, on the foothills of Monte de O'Cebreiro.



Accommodation: Hotel Ambasmestas

Day 5 : O'cebreiro To Portomarin. Enter Galicia's Landscape Of Traditional Agricultural Villages; Cycle Past Samos Monastery And Sarria

Meals Included: Breakfast

In the morning will take a transfer up to the mountaintop and the small village of O'Cebreiro. This fairytale village is the first population of Galicia where we can appreciate wonderful views of the valleys that surround this peak and admire the slate-roofed black houses



From O’Cebreiro, as we enter Galicia, the landscape changes dramatically and the area is populated by traditional agricultural villages. Each family has small plots of land, which they cultivate for their own vegetables, and we pass many local people working the land and tending to their cattle. As well as a change in culture, landscape and language, Galicia has a gastronomy that uses high-quality products prepared in simple but very delicious ways. We enjoy lunch in Samos, which is home to one of the oldest monasteries in Spain and afterwards we will cycle through chestnut forests passing Sarria, and then along tree-lined paths to arrive to our destination for the evening, Portomarin.



Accommodation: Hotel Villajardin

Day 6 : Cycle Through Beautiful Rural Galician Countryside To Palas De Rei; Continue To Arzua

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today we will start with a 13km climb to arrive at the best preserved Celtic settlement in northern Spain. Then afterwards we have a downhill section from Ventas de Naron to Palas de Rei, a small town full of the pilgrim spirit. Then we cycle along a picturesque stretch of the Camino, as we cross several Roman bridges and cycle past Medieval churches to get the town of Melide, which is renowned for its octopus with potatoes dish, and end our day in Arzua, well-known for its cheeses.



Accommodation: Hotel Arzua

Day 7 : Short Ascents And Descents To Monte De Gozo; Follow The Pilgrims' Route To The Cathedral Of Santiago De Compostela

Meals Included: Breakfast

Our final day involves several short ascents and descents towards Monte de Gozo. From here, as pilgrims have done for centuries, we wind through the city streets and crowds to Plaza del Obradoiro, which is dominated by the impressive cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.



We then move onto the Pilgrim's Office for those who wish to obtain the compostela (certificate of accomplishment).



Accommodation: Hotel Loop INN Santiago

Day 8 : End Santiago De Compostela

Meals Included: Breakfast

The trip ends after breakfast. Say goodbye to the group and start your return journey home.

What's Included

  • All breakfasts

  • Local bike hire

  • All accommodation

  • London flights (if booking incl. flights)

  • Airport transfers

What's Not Included

  • Single accommodation (available on request)

  • Travel insurance

Food


All breakfasts are included.

Breakfasts will be continental style with cold cheese, meats and bread, as
well as pastries, tea and coffee.

Vegetarians: Please be aware that a meat and fish diet is the norm in
Northern Spain. Many vegetarians have not experienced any problems, however
please be prepared to be flexible. Please note that mealtimes in Spain are
later than in many other countries; dinner is usually taken between 21:00 and
21.30.

Accommodation

In the smaller villages, we stay in characterful family-run casa rurales and in larger towns we stay in larger hotels. All have en suite facilities and are situated beside the Camino de Santiago.

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Check out our Q&As

  • Who is Exodus Travels?

    At Exodus Travels, we've been exploring the world for nearly 50 years. From Walking and Trekking, Cultural and Cycling, Responsible Wildlife, to Polar and our new Premium Adventures, we are proud to offer award-winning small group and self-guided tours to 100+ countries worldwide.

  • Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

    The minimum age for this tour is 16 years old.

  • Are flights included in this tour?

    International flights are not included with this tour.

  • Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?

    We are happy to assist with pre and post tour accommodation. Please enquire for detailed information.

  • Is there a supplement for solo travellers?

    If you would like to be paired with a tour member of the same gender, there is no additional charge. A single supplement can be requested if you would like your own room.

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes, our local guides are English speaking.

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Exodus has been trading since 1974

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.

Reviews from travellers on this tour

Camino de Santiago

An excellent trip with glorious weather - we were

An excellent trip with glorious weather - we were so lucky! 2 fab guides, great cycling, amazing food and mucho vino tinto! Thoroughly recommended and brilliant off road on the camino at times made for a different experience.

Cycle The Camino de Santiago

A wonderful experience overall, we enjoyed walking

A wonderful experience overall, we enjoyed walking through pine forests, pretty villages, farmland and countryside with stunning views Our guide Josea was friendly and fun and very passionate about his job.... he cared about the welfare of everyone in the group and always ready willing and able to give advise and treat our blisters. Hosea took us to all the best cafes and restaurants where we enjoyed very fresh locally produced food and wine. All our baggage transfers went extremely smoothly and the hotels were all of a really good standard.

Cycling Leon to Santiago

This was my first group cycling holiday and it was

This was my first group cycling holiday and it was just brilliant. The cycling was challenging but great fun. There were not many flat sections, a lot of “undulating” and a few big climbs but it was all manageable with plenty of stops for coffee, lunch or a quick visit to a castle or church that we were passing. The cycling never felt pressurised and all our group managed fine. The weather was great, the scenery was varied and lovely , food and accommodation was all good and our group all got on really well.

Fabulous cycle trip

A fantastic week in this beautiful part of Spain w

A fantastic week in this beautiful part of Spain with a great bunch of people. Despite the wintry conditions (hail in May at one point !) we had a terrific week. The Camino is a fairly tough ride due to some big ascents , but you are well rewarded with fantastic views and some great downhills . The tour leader , Alfonso , was great ; he was patient , knowledgeable and really a pleasure to be with for the week. Jose transported bags and supported on snacks and water en route and was great.

Possibly my favourite Exodus trip so far

This is a great trip. More challenging than it loo

This is a great trip. More challenging than it looks on paper as most of the steepest climbs are off road. We had great weather although it was very hot for the most challenging climb. Even so, we all made it to the top successfully. Javier and Alberto were our guide and transporter and really made the trip special. I didn’t do the Camino for religious purposes but collecting stamps in your pilgrim passport along the way and travelling to the same places as everyone else on the route made this trip a bit different.

CYCLE THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

Great trip, great guides

Great trip, great guides

Camino de Santiago

An excellent experience. The guide Alfonso and sup

An excellent experience. The guide Alfonso and support driver Gensi were both well above the expected standard - always friendly, always helpful, very informative, no problem was too large and both provided much needed motivation and advice. Would love to do it again.

CYCLE THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

A Good trip. My only complaint was that I was issu

A Good trip. My only complaint was that I was issued with the wrong size bike and had to suffer back ache for the firfirst day due to shortage of a suitable bike. There were no spare bikes in case of breakages and I felt this put unnecessary strain on the leader.  

CYCLE THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

This was a really great trip- the history of the C

This was a really great trip- the history of the Camino, interesting towns, the Galician countryside, some reasonably challenging climbs and a good group of people who got on well.

CYCLE THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

This was a great trip,  a varied on/off road trip

This was a great trip,  a varied on/off road trip through Galia, stunning Autumn landscapes, good food, culminating in arrival at Santiagao, a real classic old Spanish city. Whilst this is advertised as a road trip, a lot is actually off road through forest tracks which I really enjoyed

Read all 36 reviews

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Book with Confidence

  • Transfer as credit to Future Tours

    Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.

  • Low Deposit

    Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.

    Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

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