Castilla y Leon means Romanesque architecture, austerity and also wine. Castilla y Leon offers many possibilities to the tourist wishing to enjoy a cultural and gastronomic break. Castilla y Leon is a crossroad for many types of wine: white Rueda made from the verdejo grape, red wines such as Ribero del Duero or Bierzo wines made from the Mencia grape. In this tour we are crossing Castile and walking part of the French camino between León toward the border with Galicia. Very good wines, some of them not famous..yet, and good food (meat and vegetables).
This section of the Camino is a beautiful walk: from Leon that was the capital of the kingdom of Leon in the Middle Ages to Astorga. This part of the Camino is good for meditation or speed-up if you want to save time. After Astorga mountains come again. To walk up to Cruz de Ferro and later to O'Cebreiro need much effort.
This is the nearest route for you arrival at Madrid airport. Itinerary not valid to get the Compostela certificate.
ITINERARY
1st day: ARRIVAL IN MADRID -
ARANDA DEL DUERO .
2nd day:
RIBERA DEL DUERO WINERY- RUEDA WINERIES
3rd day:
LEON - ASTORGA
4th day
camino stage: ASTORGA - RABANAL DEL CAMINO (19 km - difficulty 1/3).
5th day
camino stage: RABANAL DEL CAMINO - MOLINASECA (24 km - difficulty 2/3)
6th day:
PONFERRADA
7th day
camino stage: PONFERRADA - CACABELOS (15 km - difficulty 1/3)
8th day:
BIERZO WINERIES
9th day
camino stage: CACABELOS - AMBASMESTAS (23 km - difficulty 2/3)
10th day:
TOUR OVER AFTER BREAKFAST
The Price includes:
- 9 nights handpicked hotels and inns, all with en-suite accommodation, on a bed and breakfast basis.
- 6 dinners
- 3 lunches
- Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel.
- All group transportation from Madrid to Cebreiro
- Professional English speaking guides and local experts
- Bus excursion to Bierzo Wineries
- Ponfererda castle visit (ticket)
- Pilgrimage walk along the Camino de Santiago trail
- 5 wine tastings
- Visit of Bierzo canned food factory
- Travel insurance
- Credencial (Pilgrim's passport)
- Camino Tips and maps
- 24/7 telephone assistance (English-speaking)
The Price does not includes:
- Single room supplement
- Activities indicated as optional
- Additional meals
- Personal expenses
- Wine or alcohol with meals, unless specified.
- Services not specified.
PRICE PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE ROOM
GUARANTEED DEPARTURE WITH GROUP OF MINIMUM 16 PARTICIPANTS
DAY - BY - DAY
1st day: ARRIVAL IN MADRID - ARANDA DEL DUERO BODEGAS DUERO.
Depart Madrid toward Ribera de Duero area where you will spend most of the day in Peñafiel seeing family owned wineries, the fabulous castle, and one of the oldest plaza mayor, an artisanal cheese maker. Enjoy tasting the suckling lamb in a special welcome lunch. Continue to Aranda, see how the wine barrels are roasted, explore 13th century wine cellar caves and walk around the town.
Accommodation in Aranda
2nd day: RIBERA DEL DUERO WINERY- RUEDA WINERIES
Today we wake among wineyards in an estate belonged to the Crown until the 19th century when it became the property of the Duke of Caldas who sublet it . After breakfast we begin our visit with a Ribera del Duero winery, a winery situated within the estate of the same name, while tasting our wines, oils or gourmet cheese. After our first wine tasting we visit another winery but in Rueda. Here we propose you a famous Winery that has wines of the 4 most important Origin denominations in Spain: Rueda, Ribera de Duero, Toro and Rioja. But the original one is in Rueda. In this original one, they make wine tastes, and has a shop too, however, the most high bet is to have been created over the rehabilited old traditional wineries and they have united them all to create a real Maze to bring to life the old mith of the Wine and the Minotaurs Maze. In this winery you can enjoy Wine taste activities, guided visits, activities and has a Restaurant where we are going to taste a delicious dinner
Accommodation in Tordesilla
3rd day: LEON - ASTORGA
On this day you will be leaving Rueda zone to discover León. Those interested in Medieval History will recognize the name León, the ancient Spanish kingdom that today represents a province in the community of Castile-León. Its homonymous capital offers an extremely attractive setting for enjoying a weekend where tapas, wines, the St. James’ Way and, supposedly, the Holy Grail, guide our steps. First we visit the terrific cathedral, than we have a tapas route in the Barrio Húmedo (húmedo means “wet”, an adjective that doesn’t refer to the rain, but rather to the local custom of washing down evening chats and strolls with wines from the province) A warning: this is not a city for vegetarians. León’s tapas and its pork products are virtually synonymous. In the afternoon we will go to Astorga to visit the magnificent Gaudí Palace .
Accommodation in Astorga
4th day camino stage: ASTORGA - RABANAL DEL CAMINO (19 km - difficulty 1/3).
The first village we come to after leaving Astorga is Murias de Rechivaldo. The Camino starts a gradual and steady ascent to the intersection of Santa Catalina de Somoza before moving onto to El Ganso, after about an hour’s walk. It’s now time for the last steep slope of the day before we reach the end of the stage in Rabanal del Camino after hiking through an oak forest with its huge Pilgrim's Oak that provides a resting point for travellers.
Possibility to walk only the distance you want or all the stage
Dinner and accommodation in Rabanal
5th day camino stage: RABANAL DEL CAMINO - MOLINASECA (24 km - difficulty 2/3)
This stage is the highest on the entire route and is one of the most picturesque routes on the Way. The road out of Rabanal climbs to a mysterious landscape wrapped in clean mountain air. The Camino leads to the Iron Cross at an altitude of 1,500 metres, which is marked by a simple tall cross on a large wooden mast. The route continues onto El Acebo, another famous hamlet and essential stop on the Camino which welcomes us to the Bierzo region. Then it moves onto Riego de Ambrós and returns to the 21st century in Molinaseca. With deep medieval roots, el Bierzo a thousand-year-old mining territory is closely linked to pork and one of its most famous sausages: botillo. This exceptional product is ideally accompanied by wines with the El Bierzo designation of origin.
Possibility to walk only the distance you want or all the stage
Dinner and accommodation in Molinaseca
6th day: PONFERRADA
The day stars with a transfer to Ponferrada. This is one of the most beautiful stages on the pilgrim route which reach in Ponferrada. Ponferrada is the last major urban area before Santiago. You will cross the Bierzo region, a sunken plain nestled within a ring of mountains before arriving in Ponferrada, where the Templar Castle is well worth a visit. Free time in the afternoon for shopping .
Dinner and accommodation in Ponferrada
7th day camino stage: PONFERRADA - CACABELOS (15 km - difficulty 1/3)
Today is an easier Camino as the total distance to be walked is 15,3 kilometers. You will mostly pass through a wine region, the Bierzo today and if you can, the local wine is excellent so tasting it is a good idea. Upon leaving Ponferrada you will pass through the suburb village of Compostilla, a former mining town, followed by Columbrianos. Fuentes Nuevas and Camponaraya are two other villages that are very close to each other. Cacabelos is a bigger town where it might be worth to stop to visit the Archaeological Museum as well as the Iglesia de Santa Maria de la Plaza.
Possibility to walk only the distance you want or all the stage
Dinner and accommodation in Cacabelos
8th day: BIERZO WINERIES
Bierzo is a small wine region in the Northwestern "shoulder" of Spain. It's another of those wine places that you may not have heard of ... yet. The center of wine production is found in and around the town of Cacabelos, a village in Bierzo zone and on the French Camino: here wine lovers will find several wineries open to visitors where highly sought-after winemaker chosen as the best winemaker in the world for 2014 and 2015. Today we are going to visit three of these wineries. We also visit and taste the pure handmade canned food elaborate in a local famous factory. To close this day we'll enjoy a fantastic dinner in a Bierzo restaurant.
Accommodation in Cacabelos
9th day camino stage: CACABELOS - AMBASMESTAS (23 km - difficulty 2/3)
Pieros and Valtuille de Arriba are the two next villages you will encounter on your way before getting to Villafranca del Bierzo, a medium sized town with a population of over 5,000. From Villafranca del Bierzo, where you will be rewarded with a visit to the famous Puerta del Perdón (Door of Forgiveness) in the church of Saint James, the route moves onto the small village of Pereje and then Trabadelo, La Portela and Ambasmestas. Part of the route runs parallel to the road. And we finish our Camino visiting the O Cebreiro. Tonight a special farewell dinner
Possibility to walk only the distance you want or all the stage
Dinner and accommodation in Ambasmestas.
10th day: TOUR OVER AFTER BREAKFAST
After have breakfast transfer to Madrid.
