COMPOSTELLA ROUTE - SPAIN

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This adventure is a unique horse riding holiday in Spain.

From the 10th century to the present day, pilgrims have made their way to Santiago to view the shrine of St James the Apostle along a traditional route that passed across Castile, through Burgos and León to Santiago de Compostella. This ride takes you through some of the most beautiful, historic and interesting countryside in France and Spain, before arriving in the distinctive Celtic region of Galicia bordering the Atlantic.

The complete route covers just under 500 miles from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago in Spain. If you do not have the time to undertake this epic pilgrimage on horseback you can ride on the first half only – from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Leon in Spain or the second half from Leon to Santiago. The beginning and end of the routes are more mountainous while the middle stretches give opportunities for some faster riding.

Trip length Complete Route: 25d / 24n / 24d riding First Half: 8d/7n/7d riding Second Half: 13d/12n/12d riding (FULL) Ride price detailed prices price promise 2012 full trail: double pp £3,749/€4,149/$5,789 2012 2nd half: double pp £2,235/€2,575/$3,455 Departure dates Full Ride: 1-23 September 2012 Second Half from Leon to Santiago: 8-23 September 2012 Approximate riding time per day 4-7 hrs Riding ability required Walk, trot and canter, be riding fit. Group size 8-11 Meeting point (getting there) Pau, France (PAU) for complete route and first half, or Leon, Spain (LEN) for second half Transfer Will be arranged closer to the time payable locally. Flight guide London - Pau from £30 single with Ryanair London - Madrid from £45 with Easy Jet Santiago - London from £50 with Ryanair Single supplement detailed prices No single rooms available (on some or all nights). Riders must be prepared to share.

SAMPLE ITINERARY - COMPOSTELLA ROUTE

Due to the length of the itinerary we have set put the abbreviated route below. Please click for the full Compostella Route with descriptions.

Day 1: SAINT-JEAN-PIED-DE-PORT

Day 2: SAINT-JEAN-PIED-DE-PORT to RONCEVAUX (23 kms)

Day 3: RONCEVAUX to LARRASOANA (27 kms)

Day 4: LARRASOANA to PUENTE LA REINA (35kms)

Day 5: PUENTA DE LA REINA to ESTELLA (22 kms) 

Day 6: ESTELLA to LOS ARCOS to VIANA (40 kms)

Day 7: VIANA to LOGRONO to AZOFRA (44 kms) 
 
Day 8: AZOFRA to SANTO DOMINGO DE LA CALZADA to REDECILLA (27 kms)

Day 9: REDECILLA DEL CAMINO to SAN JUAN DE ORTEGA (37 kms)

Day 10: SAN JUAN DE ORTEGA to BURGOS (25 kms)

Day 11: BURGOS to HONTANAS (31 kms)

Day 12: HONTANAS to CASTROJERIZ to FROMISTA (35 kms)

Day 13: FROMISTA to LEON to CHOZAS DE ABAJOS (Change over day)

Day 14: CHOZAS DE ABAJO to PUENTE Y HOSPITAL DE OBRIGO (19 kms)

Day 15: PUENTE Y HOSPITAL DE OBRIGO to MURIAS DE RECHIVALDO (20 kms)

Day 16: MURIAS DE RECHIVALDO to RABANAL DEL CAMINO (16 kms)

Day 17: RABANAL DES CAMINO to MOLINASECA (25 kms)

Day 18: MOLINASECA to VILLAFRANCA DES BIERZO (30 kms)

Day 19: VILLAFRANCA DES BIERZO to O CEBREIRO (30 kms)

Day 20: O CEBREIRO to TRIACASTELA (21 kms)

Day 21: TRIACASTELA to BARBADELO (23 kms)

Day 22: BARBADELA to PALAS DE REI (41 kms)

Day 23: PALAS DE REI to ARZUA (26 kms) 

Day 24: ARZUA to MONTE DE GOZO (34 kms)

Day 25: MONTE DE GOZO to SANTIAGO (5 kms)

NOTES - COMPOSTELLA ROUTE

It is not possible to have a single supplement on the pilgrimage route. On this riding holiday accomodations are simple and vary from small hotels and occasionally Pilgrim hostels in keeping with the "pilgrimage style". 
Pilgrims travelling the "Chemin de St Jacques" look for a room when evening arrives and how far they travel in a day varies.  Although everyone is always accommodated, it is not possible to make reservations for specific hotels. There would be too many cancellations and rebookings as people travel slower or faster than  they anticipate. 
By September the largest number of people will already have passed for the summer but it is still possible that we may have to change the planned overnight accommodation and sometimes we will sleep in a "pilgrim hostel" where there is no single room! You should bring a sleeping bag in case this is needed for those situations.

The weight limit for this ride is 15 st/209 lb/95 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.

FURTHER DETAILS
As we are specialists in our field we have extensive knowledge of all our products from details of accommodation and meals to number/size/type of horses to pace of riding ... and much more.
Should you wish to receive further details of this ride please click here.

WHAT IS INCLUDED
All accommodation, horse, guide, meals (breakfast, picnic or restaurant at lunch time, restaurant at night including wine with meals) from dinner on day 1 (or day 13) to lunch of the day 13 (or 25), transfer from Oloron, between Leon and Calzadilla.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Drinks. Items of a personal nature. Optional cultural visits or entry fees, travel to Oloron or Leon and back from Leon
or Santiago. Hotel extensions in Santiago if you wish to stay longer.

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