Nature, outdoors, and fellowship. That’s all a child needs to “learn by doing”. These values, which are not taught so closely in schools, are just some of the many educational possibilities that the Camino de Santiago offers us. From this perspective, the Jacobean routes offer an interdisciplinary, cooperative, co-educational and environmentally focused educational proposal. These are just some of the keys to making the Portuguese Way a unique journey in the minds of students, and a perfect choice for a school trip.

Precio
From
435€

Travel Itinerary

On this first day of arrival in Tui, the place where your journey will begin, students will begin to share their first group experiences. There will be a small welcome meeting in which the teachers and/or monitors will explain to the students how the dynamics of the trip will be carried out during the week. During this meeting, the credentials and the commemorative gifts of the experience will also be handed out. It is the perfect moment to inform the students about the route of the Camino de Santiago from Tui in these school trips.

After the meeting there will be time to make a short visit to Tui and visit its main points of interest, before going to sleep to rest and start the first stage of the next day.

Every day, before starting to walk, monitors and teachers will give the students the relevant information about the stage.

This first stage is characterised by being smooth and comfortable, alternating paths with asphalted tracks and roads, following the course of the Louro river. We recommend to do the section between the municipality of Tui and O Porriño by the alternative route of the natural space of As Gándaras and Louro river, in order to avoid the original route that crosses an industrial estate.

Once you arrive in O Porriño, besides having all the services for pilgrims, you will be able to visit the Town Hall, the Fonte do Cristo, the Templete del Metro de Madrid and the Botica Nova, among others; and share group reflections on this first stage of the route.

The route that takes place during this stage is perfect for dealing with the students environmental issues on environmental conservation of river environments and economic issues on secondary or industrial activity, apart from the heritage theme, which will be present throughout the length and breadth of the Camino.

In this stage you will alternate asphalted stretches with paths, passing through wooded places with native and foreign vegetation. In some sections you will find steps with big stones that will help you to save streams, they are the famous Galician corredoiras. This way you will arrive to Redondela, an important seafaring town located in the middle of the Vigo estuary, known as the “town of the viaducts” because of the numerous bridges that characterize it. Redondela is worth a stop on the way to visit and contemplate the panoramic view of the Vigo estuary, the parish church of Cedeira, the Convent of Vilavella and the Museum of Meirande. After walking a little more than 5 kilometres you will arrive at your destination, Arcade, capital par excellence of oysters in Galicia.

At this stage, a good subject to deal with students will be the production of molluscs in rafts in the Vigo estuary. The important work of primary production that takes place in this estuary and the pollution associated with it.

You will leave Arcade behind and start the stage crossing one of the most important bridges in Galicia in terms of history, Ponte Sampaio. It is a colossal stone bridge that spans the river Verdugo and where, during the War of Independence, a battle was fought that led to the withdrawal of French troops in Galicia. After crossing the bridge you will wander among villages, pazos, hórreos and cruceiros until you reach the Brea Vella da Canicouva, an evocative path of large slabs along which the Roman road XIX used to pass.

In Pontevedra there will be time to rest and discover the city. Pontevedra is for many people one of the most beautiful cities in Galicia, and it is not for less, a walk through its cobbled streets and squares will be enough to realize the special charm it hides. After Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra is the place on this route with the largest number of heritage elements. You can visit, among others, the Ruins of Santo Domingo in the Provincial Museum of Pontevedra, the Royal Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, and the symbol of the city: the church of La Peregrina.

Perfect stage to deal with historical topics about the multitude of historical events that took place over the years in the Vigo estuary, specifically on the island of San Simón, and Ponte Sampaio.

After crossing the river Lérez, the Way leaves Pontevedra along Rúa da Santiña, from where you will arrive at the Marismas de Alba observatory, a large wetland of 80 hectares that is home to hundreds of plant species and 123 species of birds. The route runs along roads where there are many crossroads and level crossings, so you will have to be extremely careful. Once you get to Briallos, we recommend you take a detour of half a kilometre to visit the Cascadas del Barosa, a natural site of extraordinary beauty, with a beautiful sixty-metre waterfall and fourteen mills arranged along the waterfalls. Already in your end of stage, Caldas de Reis, the water will continue being the protagonist to be one of the thermal villages of major reference in Galicia.

A place that dates back to prehistoric times, Caldas de Reis is currently a place widely visited for the medical properties of its thermal waters. In fact, one of the main attractions of the city is the water route, a circular route 9 km long where you can see waterfalls and natural areas bathed by water. As for its architectural heritage, the churches of Santa María de Caldas, Santo Tomás and San Andrés de César are worth mentioning. And of course, a visit to the Botanical Garden-Park, declared a Picturesque Site and Historical Garden, is a must.

At this stage, taking advantage of the visit to the botanical garden, a good topic to discuss with students will be that of autochthonous and allochthonous vegetation, referring to eucalyptus plantations as an economic means of timber production and the environmental impact this creates on the soil for the autochthonous species of Atlantic vegetation.

After leaving the thermal village of Caldas, in this stage you will enter the valley of Bermaña following the route through its forests of centenary trees, oak groves, cornfields and cruceiros. After a gentle ascent you will reach Santa Mariña de Carracedo, a village with a church, a rectory and a granary. You will continue your way to Padrón passing through deep forests with water mills and leaving behind small villages until you reach Pontecesures. After crossing the bridge of Roman origin, a few kilometres away you will find the end of the stage, Padrón, the place where the ship that carried the body of the Apostle Santiago landed and a town famous throughout Spain for its delicious peppers, and for such important Galician literary figures as Camilo José Cela and Rosalía de Castro.

In Padrón, you should stop to visit the famous Pedrón, in the Church of Santiago, which according to legend was used to moor the boat that transported the Apostle upriver to the place.

This stage will be perfect to deal with the theme of the legend of the Traslatio and to learn a little about the Galician literary cultural movement from the Rosalía de Castro Museum.

Today you will make the last stage, so we recommend leaving early to make the most of the day in Compostela. During this stage you will find a high density of urbanized areas, which confirms that you are reaching the finish line. The most remarkable of this stage, apart from the Cathedral of Santiago, is the beautiful collegiate church of Iria Flavia, considered the first cathedral of Galicia in its beginnings and currently holds the title of second cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. In its cemetery, under an olive tree, you will find the humble tomb of Camilo José Cela. The route continues through the municipalities of Teo and Ames until the entrance to Santiago de Compostela through the southern part of the city and the arrival at the coveted Plaza del Obradoiro.

As you get closer to the city, the blisters, injuries, fatigue, etc. will disappear until the most magical moment of the whole route: the entrance to the Plaza del Obradoiro. Hugs, tears, joy for arriving and sadness for finishing, a unique moment that will remain engraved in everyone’s memory forever. So just enjoy it.

After embracing the Apostle, don’t forget to pick up your Compostelas at the Pilgrim’s Office after handing in the credentials you have been stamping along the Way. This is the Diploma of the effort, deserved by all of us.

Finally, you can spend the afternoon strolling through the majestic old town and enjoy your last day as pilgrims.

A day of farewells, the end of a journey and the beginning of many, is what we always say to our pilgrims. Today girls and boys will wake up with one more road in their lives; but not a road of kilometers, but a road of experiences. A path in which they were collecting emotions and feelings at every step they took, a path that invited them to stop and see everything that goes unnoticed in their daily lives; and taught them to see what could be improved, to reflect and to be better people. A path that will surely be projected in their lives and will give them the opportunity to continue walking free towards their own goals.

This is our farewell, and as it happens in all school trips, it is time to cry because we are leaving, and because we have met friends who will last longer than we thought in this Camino de Santiago that began in Tui.

After leaving the lodge, end of our services.

Map of the Way

Type of accommodation

Detalles

Services included

8 days / 7 nights accommodation8 days / 7 nights accommodation
Luggage transfer during the stagesLuggage transfer during the stages
Complete documentationComplete documentation
Pilgrim’s CredentialPilgrim’s Credential
Free scallop and pilgrim’s t-shirtFree scallop and pilgrim’s t-shirt
Travel insuranceTravel insurance
1 FREE Teacher for every 20 students1 FREE Teacher for every 20 students
MP (Breakfast and dinner)MP (Breakfast and dinner)

Optional Services

ServiceIn private hostels from Tui
Full board supplementFull board supplement105€ per person
Extra night in Santiago de CompostelaExtra night in Santiago de Compostela25€ per person
24 hour accompanying monitor24 hour accompanying monitorConsult
Transportation from the schoolTransportation from the schoolConsult
Full board supplement Full board supplement
In private hostels from Tui 105€ per person
Extra night in Santiago de Compostela Extra night in Santiago de Compostela
In private hostels from Tui 25€ per person
24 hour accompanying monitor 24 hour accompanying monitor
In private hostels from Tui Consult
Transportation from the school Transportation from the school
In private hostels from Tui Consult

Photos

Frequently Asked Questions

The group trips are itineraries in which you will do a section of the Camino de Santiago as part of a group with other people, who like you, are looking for an unforgettable experience. We have a wide range of departure dates throughout the year, with the option of hiring a return bus from different cities (only on certain dates). You will be able to choose the type of accommodation you want and you will have all the services included so that you only have to worry about walking and enjoying.
In your travel documents, you will find the names of the accommodations assigned to you, as well as their contact telephone number and location.   As a general rule, all accommodation is located in the centre of the different towns along the Pilgrims' Route to Santiago de Compostela, without the need to deviate too far from the route. But sometimes, due to lack of availability, it is possible that some accommodation may be a little far from the village or even in neighbouring towns.   For all the accommodations that are at a considerable distance from the route of the Camino, we will provide you with a free taxi service that you can use to get to your accommodation and return to the Camino the next morning.   In any case, these are exceptions that we will inform you at the time of booking.
Luggage transport service by default is included in all our trips and it is not necessary to request it. You will be able to do the Camino de Santiago without your luggage on your back with the peace of mind that your suitcase will be at your next accommodation on your arrival.   Along with your credential you will also receive stickers, which you must cover with the requested information and stick it in a visible place on your suitcase.   Once you have arrived at your accommodation, we recommend that you ask at reception where you can leave your luggage. You will have to leave your luggage at the indicated place first thing in the morning for our carrier to pick it up. This way, when you arrive at your next accommodation your luggage will already be there.
We include a compulsory insurance with each trip that will cover you for any inconveniences that may arise during the Camino de Santiago. We will send you the insurance policy together with your travel documents.
The basic travel insurance included in our packages has a wide coverage against unforeseen events, with which you will also have guaranteed medical assistance and numerous benefits that you can consult in the General Conditions of Travel Insurance.
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