Camino del Norte
Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela

Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela Our Coastal Camino de Santiago and Picos de Europa trip offers day after day of postcard-perfect images - imposing ocean cliffs, soaring mountains, ancient religious sites, coastal fishing villages, inland farming hamlets. Scenes that inspire and awe travelers, even veterans of the popular Camino Frances, Spain's inland pilgrimage route.

On our adventure, we walk 8 to 10 miles each day, tracing the historic pilgrims' trail to the holy city of Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of St. James are thought to be buried. This route is unique, however, in that we journey across the northern coast of Spain along the Camino del Norte, exploring a part of Iberia where typical travelers don't often venture.

We meet in Bilbao, home of the giant Guggenheim Museum, but begin our pilgrimage in Santillana del Mar, proclaimed by Jean Paul Sartre as the most beautiful village in Spain and home to the prehistoric caves of Altamira. We follow white beaches and coastal cliffs to the seaside village of San Vicente de la Barquera, where seagulls soar overhead and fisherman bring in the bounty for our evening meal. Next, we trek across the dramatic valleys of the Picos de Europa National Park, where mountain tops rise to 8,000 feet above sea level.

Along the way, we visit monasteries, hike by centuries-old stone houses, and enjoy gourmet picnics with mountain landscapes as our backdrop. Returning to the coast, we follow the Atlantic shoreline west before heading inland through the lush, sleepy farmland of Galicia. Here, our path merges with the more popular Camino routes as we walk our final steps into Santiago.

13 days of coast and trail hiking with 12 nights of extraordinary coastal accommodations; visits to historical sites, ancient churches and monasteries; and a cable car ride in the Picos de Europa are all part of this multicultural experience. All breakfasts, 8 lunches and 8 dinners including local wines are part of this tour. Your guide is a culinary trained chef who takes particular care in the foods provided -- picnics are a gourmet experience. Group is limited to 14.

The new Northern Adventures-Spain is our shorter offering to the popular 13-day Camino del Norte route along Spain's beautiful northern-coast expanse. On this abbreviated 8-day expedition, you'll have the opportunity to experience some hidden gems nestled in the region of ASTURIAS or locally known as La Costa Verde, an unforgettably beautifully and rugged section of the Iberian Peninsula. Direct flights are available from London, Paris and Barcelona to Valladolid, the city where we begin our adventures. A three-hour van ride across the wheat fields of the wide-open meseta brings us to the oldest national park in Spain, the Picos de Europa, where summits reaching nearly 9000 feet soar into the heavens alongside the inviting blue expanse of the Atlantic Ocean only 20 miles away.

We follow coastal footpaths, pilgrimage roads and mountain trails, always with the van trailing close behind for those who wish to relax a bit. All accommodations are owner-operated, country manor houses that ensure a high standard of quality and service. All breakfasts and all but two lunches are included in the tour price.

This 8-day walking tour begins on the border of Galicia in the fertile valley of El Bierzo and climbs to the small Celtic village of O'Cebriero. Our daily hiking pace is 10 to 14 miles along marked footpaths, rolling hills and through ancient villages.

This tour guarantees the Compostela--the pilgrim's diploma. We cover the final 120- kilometers of the Camino walking from inn to inn, always with the van trailing close behind for those who wish to relax a bit. All accommodations are owner-operated, country manor houses that ensure a high standard of quality and service. All breakfasts, 5 lunches and 6 dinners including local wines are included in the tour price. Group is limited to 14.

Tours:

Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela 35-days The Complete Camino, a 35-day walking pilgrimage across Northern Spain covers every inch of this ancient path known as the Camino de Santiago. Immerse yourself on this unique exploration where we walk from the border of France through the steps of time to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. With use of a support vehicle and time on our side this trip gives us the opportunity to investigate a variety of the historically rich sites that the Camino has to offer.

Included is a day trip to Cabo Finisterre, the end of the Earth. All accommodations in hotels with private baths, full support van, all breakfasts and other meals are included. Group is limited to 18.

photo by Duane Larson

Grab a yoga mat, your hiking boots and a good novel and join us on this unique journey in the mountains of Asturias in Northern Spain! Begin each day with a special yoga practice taught by a visiting yoga instructor (see dates below). Later, we’ll follow local hiking trails along established footpaths, ancient trade routes, through narrow canyons, over mountain passes and into the lake district of Somiedo National Park. Plan to hike approximately 10 to 15 miles per day and practice 1-2 hours of yoga in the yoga studio of Fuentes de Lucia. Seven breakfasts and seven other meals are included in the tour price. All levels of yoga students are welcome on this active holiday.

Yoga Holiday with Roberto Rodriguez Nogueira of Valladolid, Spain
July 5 - 12, 2008 & Aug. 9 - 16, 2008

Yoga Holiday with Joanne DeVito
of Brandford, CT
September 20 - 27, 2008

Yoga Holiday with Susan Merrill
October 11 - 18, 2008

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Spanish Steps has joined forces with Senderos Patagonicos to bring you this exciting, new adventure in the Andes. On this 10-day journey, we’ll base ourselves in the lovely area of San Carlos de Bariloche, a town settled in 1902 by European pioneers and made famous for it’s wool production and mouth watering chocolates. We’ll embark on daily excursions into the surrounding mountains that share the frontier with Chile and hike trails on the shores of pristine lakes and rivers. Group is limited to 14.

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