Camino de Santiago Encompassed

In Madrid enjoy some free time to visit Palacio Real, Real Jardin Botánico or Escorial. Sip delicious sangria or check out the nightlife in Malasaña's Plaza del Dos de Mayo. In Galicia's antique hotspot, Sarria, stop in the antique fairs and pick up a souvenir or two. Along your Camino de Santiago walk, perhaps picnic in beautiful Barbadelo, Renta or Ferreiros. In Palas de Rei indulge in coffee, shopping or see Pambre Castle. In Melide, try the local specialty, octopus, in one of the many 'pulperías'. Hike across streams and follow the forest through picturesque Ribadiso to Arzúa, home of the Santa María and A Magdalena churches. Visit the chapel of Santa Irene, with its unique statue of Santiago. You'll depart Salceda early to reach Santiago de Compostela in time for the pilgrim's mass. The cathedral on the stunning Praza do Obradoiro, houses the presumed tomb of St. James the Apostle believed to have been interred here in the 1st century AD.