Last week you could find us in Portugal training up some of our German speaking guides for a new bespoke guided cycling route we have put together for a German client. This particular route goes from Porto to Lisbon on electric bikes. For our guided tours, at The Way Experiences we pride ourselves in the quality of our guides. Our minimum standards are high! We personally take our guides through the routes they will be guiding step by step and pedal by pedal. We make sure they take note of the best places to stop for coffee, take photos or the perfect place for just a little rest on the way. We test the local restaurants and cafes for the best spots for lunch and dinner. We ensure our guides are knowledgeable on local architecture, culture, cuisine, history, wildlife, fauna, and flora.
We also ensure they are skilled in guiding groups. We want every single member of the group to have the very best experience on our guided tours. Our guides are all fully trained first aiders, and many are also qualified and experienced mountain guides. Not that, that´s necessary for the terrain they´ll be covering when leading you on The Camino! But it´s nice to know they are committed outdoor folk who can handle a range of situations. We only employ guides who are passionate about what they do, and we think this shows. Their love of walking and cycling, the outdoors, the terrain they are covering, and culture comes through when they are guiding. Needless to say, speaking fluently the local language as well as the language of those they are guiding is a must.
As standard guided routes with fixed date departures we currently offer the Portuguese Way Cycling, The French Camino Cycling and the French Camino Walking. However, if you are a private group of 6 or more, we will happily put a guided tour together for you for whichever route and dates by foot or by pedal power that you fancy.
Sill fresh in my mind, I can´t recommend the Porto to Lisbon cycling route enough, it really does tick every box. Starting in the iconic city of Porto and ending in the bustling city of Lisbon, you´ll cycle through pretty seaside towns along cycle routes that take you through gently undulating countryside. Always with that dramatic Atlantic Sea on your right. Whilst is it not (yet) one of our fixed date departure tours, if you are a group of at least 6 people, drop us a line and we´ll put it together for you.
The Camino del Norte is an absolutely stunning route steeped in beauty, culture and history. The Northern Way starts in Irún and there are 35 sections and 820 kilometres before you arrive in Santiago de Compostela. This route crosses the whole of the north of Spain. It´s an absolute gem, following the Cantabrian coastline from France to Galicia.
Often overshadowed by the more popular and transited French and Portuguese Way, The Camino del Norte is an absolute gem of a route. The Camino de Santiago originated in ancient times as a pilgrimage taking Christians to visit the tomb of Saint James (Santiago). All routes take you to the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela, and more specifically Santiago Cathedral.
The Jubilee or Jacobean year (Xacobeo) is the year when the day of St James the Apostle (25th of July) falls on a Sunday. This happens about 14 times each century. Every 6, 5, 6 and 11 years apparently. This was decreed by Pope Calixtus II in 1126 and coincided with the laying of the last stone at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.
The Credencial del Peregrino or Pilgrim´s Passport is a small booklet that you carry with you and get stamped along The Way. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages when the booklet was used quite literally as a passport to provide safe passage to pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela.
Sustainable travel and tourism is at the forefront of everyone´s minds so I wanted to share with you here some observations about the Camino de Santiago and sustainable tourism in rural Galicia. Operating in the most environmentally responsible manner possible is really important to us here at The Way Experiences. We are not a mass market tour operator.
As you make your way along The Camino you will be struck by the variety of the gastronomy on offer. Not just as you travel through the different regions of Spain but even down to the towns and villages you pass through. Here is a taster of a few things to expect and look out for if you are doing the final stretch of The Camino.
