French Way SignaturePrivate Supported Group Tour

Make your way to Monforte de Lemos by train from Madrid or private transfer from Santiago Airport. Set beside the River Cabe, this historic town developed around its hilltop fortress and Benedictine monastery and provides a memorable introduction to the Ribeira Sacra. Settle into the Parador before exploring the old quarter, crossing the medieval bridge or visiting the impressive Colegio de Nosa Señora da Antiga. The surrounding vineyards and excellent local cuisine offer a taste of the landscapes and traditions you will discover during the days ahead.

After breakfast, your driver will take you to Morgade, near the Camino’s 100 km marker, where your walk toward Santiago begins. Follow peaceful country lanes and woodland paths through rolling farmland, oak forests and small villages with traditional stone and slate houses. Your first stage ends in Portomarín, whose historic center was relocated stone by stone before the original town was submerged beneath the Belesar Reservoir. After time to explore, your driver will take you to Lugo, renowned for its beautifully preserved Roman walls and atmospheric old town.

A morning transfer returns you to Portomarín. Cross the reservoir and begin a steady ascent through woodland, farmland and quiet rural communities. Near Castromaior, you may visit the remains of an ancient fortified settlement with origins dating back more than 2,000 years. Continue through the green Galician countryside toward Lestedo. At the end of the stage, your driver will meet you and take you to an elegant 18th-century Galician manor house. You will return to the same point the following morning.

Return to Lestedo and continue along peaceful tracks shaped by centuries of pilgrimage. Romanesque churches, medieval bridges and traditional villages accompany the route as it crosses the gentle landscapes of inland Galicia. Arrive in Melide, where the French Way meets the Camino Primitivo. The town is particularly known for pulpo á feira, Galicia’s traditional octopus dish seasoned with olive oil, salt and paprika. After time to explore, your driver will take you to a historic country manor nearby.

Leave Melide and follow shaded woodland paths, stone lanes and small bridges through the Galician countryside. The shorter distance allows your group to enjoy the stage at an unhurried pace, pausing in Camino villages or at rural cafés along the way. Your destination is Arzúa, a welcoming Camino town known for its mild, creamy cow’s-milk cheese. With Santiago drawing closer, enjoy the growing sense of anticipation shared by pilgrims approaching the end of their journey.

With only 40 km left to reach Santiago de Compostela, you notice the atmosphere along the Way is changing. Pilgrims are celebrating their arrival and starting to realize it will soon be time to part with the friends they have been walking with for over a month. The countryside itself is changing, as you enter forests with totally symmetric rows of eucalyptus, that produce curious visual effects. The villages you pass virtually have no name and seem stuck in time. You will spend the night in a beautiful guesthouse just a few minutes drive off from O Pedrouzo.

This is it! Only 22 km separate you from your goal: the resting place of the Apostle Saint James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Walk through peaceful woodland and villages, cross the river at Lavacolla and climb to Monte do Gozo for your first sight of the City of the Apostle. Soon, you will reach Praza do Obradoiro, where the Cathedral will rise before you, majestic and beautiful. Stop here for a while, breathe in the moment and celebrate in whatever way feels right. There is still much to enjoy today: check into your nearby hotel, collect your Compostela, attend Pilgrim Mass, celebrate with a wonderful dinner and marvel at the architecture of our beloved city.

Enjoy a final breakfast in Santiago and, depending on your departure time, perhaps one last walk through its quiet stone streets. Your private transfer will collect you from the hotel and take you to Santiago Airport for your onward journey. The Camino ends here, but the landscapes crossed, historic places visited and experiences shared across northern Spain will remain long after everyone returns home. We hope this will be the first of many journeys with Ultreya Tours.