Overview
The Camino de Invierno is also known as the Winter Way, as it was taken by pilgrims en route to Santiago through Galicia during winter months. In particular, it avoids the village of O Cebreiro, at 1,300m and prone to heavy snow. Available between April and October, this is the last section walking from Monforte de Lemos to Santiago, with highlights including Galician wine country, heavenly views from Monte Faro (1,181m) and the many monasteries of the Ribeira Sacra region. An eight day self-guided walking holiday, staying in a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels. With luggage transfers.
- Ribera Sacra
- Pico Sacro
- Ponte Taboada
- Catedral de Santiago de Compostela
- Monte Faro (1,181m)
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Monforte de Lemos
Welcome to Monforte de Lemos, the capital of the Terra de Lemos region. Depending on arrival time, spend some time wandering around the Old Town and especially Ponte Vella, the town’s Roman Bridge that crosses the Cabe River.
- Overnight in Hotel Ribeira Sacra or similar
Day 2: Monforte de Lemos – Chantada | 30.4km
Today’s route heads through Ribeira Sacra, stopping at multiple monasteries along the way. The trail is mostly uphill and passes vineyards that hang almost vertically above the Miño River.
- Walking for the day: 30.4km, 7h
- Overnight in Hotel Mogay or similar
Day 3: Chantada – Rodeiro | 25.4km
This stage of the route ascends Monte Faro, with panoramic views over Galicia. On clear days, Os Ancares, Serra do Courel, Cabeza de Manzaneda and Peña Trevinca, the highest point in Galicia (2,124m), are all visible from the summit.
- Walking for the day: 25.4km, 6h
- Overnight in Hotel Carpineteria or similar
Day 4: Rodeiro – Lalín | 21.8km
After a few days in the wine country, this next stage of the route follows a rural path that runs through central Galicia. The day concludes in the town of Lalín.
- Walking for the day: 21.8km, 6h
- Overnight in Hotel Pontiñas or similar
Day 5: Lalin – Silleda | 15.3km
This short stage of the route is fairly flat and follows paved paths. Cross over Ponte Taboada, before continuing alongside the Deza River into Silleda.
- Walking for the day: 15.3km, 3h
- Overnight in Eco Hotel Nos or similar
Day 6: Silleda – Ponte Ulla | 19.7km
Today’s route enters the province of A Coruña. Descend along a path that crosses multiple bridges, before arriving in Puente Ulla, the final stop on the route to Santiago de Compostela.
- Walking for the day: 19.7km, 4h
- Overnight in Eira Gundian or similar
Day 7: Ponte Ulla – Santiago de Compostela | 20.9km
The final stage of the route leads to the iconic Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. Stop to visit Santa Maria La Mayor, before entering the Old Town via Plaza de Mazarelos, the only entrance of the old medieval wall that is still standing. Enter Plaza del Obradoiro, before bringing you day and pilgrimage to a close at Catedral de Santiago de Compostela and collecting your Compostela Certificate.
- Walking for the day: 20.9km, 5h
- Overnight in Hotel Lux Santiago or similar
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Important: We aim to book you into each town listed on the itinerary, however, in case of low availability, we may book two nights in the same town and provide transfers. On some occasions, your accommodation can be located a few kilometers away from the trail, in these instances, we will organise transportation to and from your accommodation.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Mogay
- Hotel Ribeira Sacra
- Hotel Carpineteria
- Hotel Pontiñas
- Eco Hotel Nos
- Eira Gundian
- Hotel Lux Santiago
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinners are available either from your accommodation or from local restaurants in the areas you stay.
Difficulty and terrain
This walk is graded moderate and includes walks of up to 30km (7h) a day. The route follows a mixture of farm and dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths and is clearly marked with yellow painted arrows (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you to only follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available from April until October.
The best months for walking are from April–June and September–October, as the summer months can be very hot.
The flexibility of self-guided walking holidays means that there are no fixed dates meaning you can start your trip on any date during the season.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) or A Coruña (LCG).
By train or bus
Arrival in Monforte de Lemos
From Santiago de Compostela railway station, you can take a train to Ourense-Empalme and change here for Monforte de Lemos. For more information and timetables, please visit Renfe.
If you are able to travel to Spain without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with railway stations in Monforte de Lemos and Santiago de Compostela. For more details, see the national rail operator Renfe.
Departure from Santiago de Compostela
Bus line 6A runs regularly between Santiago de Compostela and Santiago de Compostela Airport. For timetables and further information, please visit TUSSA. Alternatively, you can book a private transfer with us.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights in private en-suite rooms
- 7 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers on all walking days (one piece up to 20kg per person)
- Guided tour in Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)
- Galician cheese tasting in Santiago de Compostel (unavailable on Sundays)
- Pilgrim’s Passport and scallop
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches and dinners, drinks and snacks
- Additional luggage
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on the spot)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Half board
- Additional tours in Santiago de Compostela
- Extra nights
- Airport transfers
Compostela/Pilgrim’s Passport
You need to get your passport stamped in churches, restaurants or hotels along the way to obtain a Compostela Certificate at the end of the walk in Santiago de Compostela.
Important: Due to the large influx of pilgrims during summer, the Pilgrim Office in Santiago has installed a numbered ticket system for issuing pilgrim certificates (the Compostela). This new system allows pilgrims to collect a ticket and check the status of the queue and estimated waiting time to obtain the Compostela. The number of tickets per day is limited, so on days with high numbers of pilgrims arriving, there is a possibility that not all pilgrims will be able to collect their certificate on the day of arrival and will, instead, need to collect it the following morning. Therefore, if obtaining the Compostela is important to you, we recommend arranging return travel in such a way that allows you to be in Santiago de Compostela the morning after your arrival.
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