EASTER ON THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
8 days along Spain's "Vía de la Plata"
March 28- April 5, 2024
"... this 8-night itinerary will take you to (Spain's) sacred heart." - Chris Haslam
Recommended in The Sunday Times Travel as one of "The Best Holiday Destinations for 2023"
processions on EASTER SUNDAY in CÁCERES
EXTREMADURA
Prepare for an unforgettable 8-night adventure along the Vía de la Plata, a lesser-travelled route of the Camino de Santiago, that acquaints you with Spain’s past and present, at the most poignant time of the Spanish church year.
Our journey takes you on gentle walks through contrasting landscapes of Spain, from Andalusia, through Extremadura, Castile & León and Galicia, stepping off the beaten path briefly for a night in the Portuguese town of Braganza. Along the way we dive into regional history, experience provincial music, see awe-inspiring architecture, and, of course, have excellent food and wine.
More specifically, we start with the dramatic setting of the Maundy Thursday Processions in Seville, then we bear witness to the solemn processions on Good Friday in Mérida, followed by Easter Sunday in the world heritage town of Cáceres. Continuing from the Hispanic world’s oldest university town of Salamanca, we travel through the land of the Conquistadores in Extremadura, dipping into the Portuguese town of Braganza. And, after taking in the lush pastures of Galicia, we arrive at our final destination, Santiago de Compostela.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
♥ Watch the Holy Thursday processions in the very heart of Seville from a private balcony
♥ Good Friday in Seville, Tour the Alcázar Palace, the Cathedral, the site of the Old Mosque & walk through the Santa Cruz neighbourhood.
♥ Walk along the Roman road to the abandoned Roman dwelling of Cáparra
♥ Easter Sunday procession in the World Heritage town of Cáceres
♥ A guided visit to the World Heritage Site of Mérida with its Roman theatre & the Roman Museum designed by Rafael Moneo.
♥ A visit to the award-winning provincial cheese-maker Vicente Pastor
♥ A wine tasting along the Vía de la Plata
♥ Dinner at the Michelin-star, G Pousada, in Braganza, Portugal
♥ Visits to the cathedrals & 13th-century university buildings of the Golden City of Salamanca
♥ Private mass with at Santiago de Compostela’s Santa Susana Church
♥ Farewell dinner in the 15th-century Parador de Santiago de Compostela
MEET YOUR HOSTS
JOANNA WIVELL Originally from Yorkshire, UK, Joanna Wivell has always felt a natural attraction to Spain. She lived in Madrid for 19 years, where she first worked in television for the lifestyle channel, Canal Estilo, and then the National Geographic Channel. For the last 16 years, she has been showing visitors Spain with a personal, insider’s view through her company’s Insider’s Travel. Joanna has enjoyed walking on her travels through South America and in Europe. She has a love for flamenco dancing, languages and connecting visitors to Spain.
BISHOP CARLOS LÓPEZ LONZANO is the Episcopal Bishop of Spain, an indigenous national church & proud member of the Anglican Communion. Bishop Carlos studied theology at the United Theological Seminary in Madrid and has a doctorate in theology from the Ovidio University of Constanza. He recently published an article on the history of the church in Spain with the Sorbonne. He has been the Episcopal Bishop of Spain since 1995 during which time, he has created over 20 new parishes in Spain. He was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Aside from his Pastoral duties, the Bishop is an enlightened architectural historian, flamencologist and gourmet cook.