Camino de Santiago Trek

This was an amazing experience and one I will never forget. I was invited by a best friend and whilst i wasn't sure I could do the whole walk, coming from couch potato status, I made it with the help of our wonderful guide Jose, the support of my friend and everyone in the group. The Galician countryside is just beautiful and we were blessed with some lovely weather in May, mostly blue skies and sunshine but not too hot. Most of the walk is through beautiful woods and the scents of the countryside even from farmyard to Eucalyptus trees was wonderful.

Superb holiday largely due to the hard work and care from the guide Jose.

I have always heard people talking about the Camino de Santiago as something very special and spiritual. After doing it myself I can only confirm that everything they say about it is absolutely true. It was very nice to walk and chat with the group and get to know other walkers along the way. Such a great experience!! Buen Camino!

What a lovely walking holiday! I enjoyed the beautiful gentle scenery, abundance of wild flowers, the history, the food, wine, meeting people from other countries, the peace of the countryside, the little places we passed through. We were lucky with the weather. Hot but manageable with well planned breaks in little cafes and restaurants so we didn't have to carry too much. Accommodation was better than I thought it would be. Mainly modern even if simple hotels. We were well looked after by our friendly and conscientious guide Jose who had to deal with a group with mixed walking experience and ability. As we neared S de C ,the trek got busier but not as much as I thought it would and it wasn't at all commercialised.

A lovely week's walking in the very green scenery of Northern Spain.  There was a different feeling about this trip as you know you are following in the footsteps of the thousands of people that have walked that route as a pilgrimage since medieval times.

From start to finish, the trip was organised very well by our friendly expert guide Javier Ramirez. Each day, we'd have a short briefing where he explained what the terrain would be like, what stops we were making and notable highlights you'd encounter on the walk. He also kept us right when it came to collecting our pilgrim stamps en route - as you need a certain amount to receive your pilgrim certificate at the end in Santiago. Every stage in the route was enchanting, we'd make pitstops at rustic farmhouses for traditional Galician homemade fare and fluffy Santiago cake - the perfect treat after a couple of hours walking. We also got the opportunity to taste the famous Galician tapas including fresh octopus and scallops with caramelised onions - they were especially delicious. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, walking through sleepy villages, hushed oak forests and past babbling brooks. Even though this region is famous for its rain - it didn't rain on us once, so I'd recommend booking to go in May! It was wonderful to see this part of Spain and walk sections of one of the oldest pilgrimages in the world. Although I'm not religious, it was a really moving experience, especially seeing the Botafumeiro swinging at the Pilgrim Mass in Santiago's famous cathedral. I'd love to go back and do a different route with Exodus in the future. Thank you, Javier, for being such a wonderful guide, and for showing us Modus Vivendi, the oldest bar in Galicia!

Well organised and planned trip. Group size was only 7 but the smaller group was better. Scenery and sights were fantastic. Our guide had very good knowledge and took us to great restaurants.

The walk was quite an achievement for me and, as I am close to 70 years old, I'm glad I have experienced it. The travel arrangements by Exodus were good, though I would have preferred to arrive at the start in Samos much earlier than 2.30am! All the hotels were modest and clean and comfortable for our overnight stays. As a group we ate dinner together which was nice, with our guide often suggesting suitable venues. So all in all a wonderful experience.

A GREAT experience, amazing scenery and good group size. The standard of the hotels varied a bit in style, breakfasts and facilities, but most were fine, clean and comfortable. The Group Leader was very informative throughout and adapted well to my deafness supporting me and making sure I was aware of all instructions e.g., setting off times etc. The Group Leader also found some good places for the stops each day and some lunches and evening meals were lovely. The weather was good which was a bonus for us all! The pace some days was tough with steep inclines and descends, so I walked with sticks which were a great help. I would suggest that training is essential for this trek and a pair of worn in footwear. The only downside was Air Europa the airline for the 4 flights. They lost my case on the way home and then when it arrived 2 days later it was damaged. They also did not honour the prebooked and paid for seats on the aeroplane.

Starting the Camino in Samos makes a lot of sense, it is itself a lovely setting with a great hotel for the first night, a pause before the walking starts. The walking programme was well planned building up slowly, after a couple of days it was easy to walk 25k, particularly as we were blessed with sunny weather and our group was honestly full of really friendly walkers. Even the hotels, although modest, were at least of Premier Inn standard.