Camino de Santiago 2022 - Cancelled
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The core of this journey is a six-day pilgrimage by mountain bike. While every bike stage bears a certain level of endurance or “suffering,” we like to distinguish between Moderate and Strenuous. Moderate stages may be long stages without extensive elevation gain. Strenuous stages can be categorized as hard due to lots of elevation gain and/or long, gradual climbs and distances. Please refer to the details below of each day’s ride.

Itinerary at a glance

Two days dedicated to culture, food, and history of Spain staying in the heart of Madrid. Savor three fabulous culinary explorations and an introduction to the purpose and history of the Camino de Compostela, the main attraction of this journey.

Six spectacular bike stages across northern Spain, averaging 50 miles per day. We will be staying in some of the most amazing hotels along this ancient pilgrimage route, including monasteries and palaces. This all-inclusive part of the tour includes the best food Spain has to offer.

Enjoy Santiago de Compostela, including the pilgrim’s mass at the Cathedral and focal point of the Camino de Compostela. With your official pilgrimage certificate in hand, we conclude this journey with a wonderful farewell dinner.

Detailed Itinerary

Today is for relaxing at our hotel, adjusting to the time change and heading out into Madrid to start our discovery. Once everyone has settled in, Michael and Christoph will take us on a charming neighborhood stroll through Madrid to orient us before we enjoy a delicious Spanish welcome dinner.

Meals: D
Hotel: Mercure Santo Domingo
Activity level: Easy

This day is dedicated to Madrid and its major sites. We'll explore Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art, the Prado, Reina Sofia and Bornemisza museums, which are all part of the top-ten list of things to visit while in Madrid. We continue the introduction by discovering charming neighborhoods, enjoying aperitifs and tapas – all while watching Madrid come to life as the evening progresses. Hemos llegado! We have arrived!

Meals: B L
Hotel: Mercure Santo Domingo
Activity level: Moderate

After meeting our last tour member, Ramon our bus driver, we drive to Puente la Reina – about 35 miles from Southern France. We will break up the five-hour journey by bus with stops in the countryside. This is a great time to rest your biking legs and catch up with your journal and reading. Puente La Reina, The Queens Bridge from the 11th century, is our starting point where over 45,000 other pilgrims pass each year. Here we pick up our pilgrim’s passport and assemble our bike gear. Relax today, as tomorrow we are in the saddle!

Meals: B, D
Hotel: Hotel Jakue, Puente la Reigna
Activity level: Easy

Finally, we are spinning wheels! We head out on our journey to Los Arcos. There is much to see on this shorter but mountainous stage. We will stay in the beautiful town of Santo Domingo in the Rioja region, right on the Camino. A dinner and a recap of our day will fuse our group as modern-day pilgrims and their trusted steeds (bikes).

Meals: B, Snacks, D
Hotel: Hotel Parador Santo Domingo
Activity level: Strenuous
Bike Stage: A rather tough first ten miles of the 44 km/27 mi stage will kick-off our bike journey, demanding some climbing skills. While this is our shortest stage, it does lead us down Roman roads and a few obstacles in the path. This is an eventful and fun stage, traversing medieval bridges, rolling along Roman roads, climbing hill towns, and enjoying a free-flowing wine fountain! (Note: we are lengthening this stage in order to have an unforgettable stay in Santo Domingo, bridging 123km/76 miles from Puente la Reina. We will attempt to bike beyond the suggested 44km/27.5miles.))

Today we’ll arrive in Burgos, the “food capital” of Spain. A moderate stage guarantees that we have time to discover the magnificent cathedral of Burgos. The cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most beautiful Gothic style cathedrals ever constructed. Built in the early 13th century and in less than forty years, the cathedral of Burgos is strikingly holistic in Gothic style. A vibrant city, Burgos will be fun to explore and then spend the evening dining in style after our ride.

Meals: B, Snacks, D
Hotel: Corona de Castilla, Burgos
Activity level: Moderate
Bike Stage: We categorize this stage as moderate due to long, rolling hills instead of climbs. Still, the 55 km/34 mi ride will leave you happily exhausted. If we keep good pace, we will be rewarded with a free early evening in one of the most amazing Gothic cities along the Camino - Burgos!

From Burgos we set out for Carrion. This stage takes us through beautiful countryside at the end of which we may explore the times of the Roman occupation of Europe by visiting the Roman Villa of La Olmeda. The Camino is full of ancient and modern discoveries!

Meals: B, Snacks, D
Hotel: Monasterio San Zoilo, Carrion de los Condes
Activity level: Moderate to Strenuous
Bike Stage: We are almost inclined to call this 84 km/52 mi stage a strenuous stage if it wasn’t for it being relatively flat. However, distance on a bike saddle can often lead to suffering, so let’s not underestimate this second longest stage! You will be rewarded with an easy path to ride through miles of grain-fields, poppy flowers, and castles; over medieval bridges and through ancient towns. Today’s hotel is an absolute highlight of the trip! Let’s make sure we get there with time to spare for enjoying our stay.

Today is our longest stage of the trip, Carrion to Leon. This stage takes us to breathtaking countryside of the high plains of the Castile and León region of Northern Spain. Home of ancient Roman gold mines, this region traces its history and importance far into the past of Spain. Rich in architecture, history and culinary highlights, this stage will leave you transformed and in love with Spain forever. Tonight we will stay in the city of León, another spectacular medieval city, where we enjoy León's famous kitchens and cuisine. After 90 km, we deserve a real treat!

Meals: B, Snacks, D
Hotel: Hotel Tryp, León
Activity level: Strenuous
Bike Stage: Due to distance, this 90 km/55 mi stage deserves to be called strenuous. It is day four in the saddle and it’s due to hurt by now. Remember that the Camino is supposed to be about suffering. The physicality is part of the transformative pilgrimage journey.

This stage marks the transition between the high plains of León and the green rolling hills of Galicia. We will ride through the region of El Bierzo, where the Roman Empire had its most important gold mine. We will take a break by the Templar castle in Ponferrada and will end the day in Villafranca, originally founded as a resting place for pilgrims on their way to Santiago. The town boasts a castle, a monastery and several churches dating back to the 12th century.

Meals: B, Snacks, D
Hotel: Parador de Villafranca, Villafrance del Bierzo
Activity level: Strenuous
Bike Stage: After a flat start, this 67-74 km/41-45 mi stage will get us back to steeper inclines and speedy descents. Depending on the temperatures we will encounter, this stage borders on strenuous. We created two versions of this stage, differing in length. It is up to our threshold for pain to decide on which one will be right for each of us.

Our last stage takes us from Melide to Santiago de Compostela. This stage will lead us through the region of Galicia. We will roll into our destination to receive one last stamp in our pilgrim's passport, which grants us our certificate for completing the Camino. We will discover the city and enjoy an evening as a group of pilgrims among many.

Meals: B, Snacks
Hotel: Hotel Tryp, Santiago de Compostela
Activity level: Moderate to Strenuous
Bike Stage: Today is all about arriving in Santiago. We will plan on tackling our last 53 km/32 mi, but may cut this stage short for the sake of a timely and safe arrival in Santiago. We hope to make this final stage one more time a strenuous stage, in true Camino de Santiago fashion, as the suffering will only sweeten the moment when our eyes finally rest on the grand façade of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela!

Today we will join hundreds of pilgrims for mass, a spiritual highlight for believers and non-believers alike. We will discover Santiago, enjoy each other’s company, do some souvenir shopping and some much needed resting. At our farewell dinner we will revisit our recent adventures, laugh together and one more time indulge in some of the best food on this planet. Remember though, we have a tour reunion in a month from now to exchange stories, relive the highlights and exchange photos. Farewell to Santiago, farewell to Spain and farewell to the Camino! Many of us will return!

Meals: B, D
Hotel: Hotel Tryp, Santiago de Compostela
Activity level: Easy

One more scrumptious Spanish breakfast and we will depart each other's company. Where will you decide to go next? From here you may want to return to your favorite town along our journey, visit the beach, travel into France or Portugal, or try out the bullet train (RENFE) on your way back to Madrid. Michael and Christoph will help you with suggestions this morning and help you plan your next steps.

Adios for now! Thank you for riding with us!

Meals: B

Gracias por un gran viaje!