Our collective success depends on a strong team. We don’t accept applicants on a first-come first served basis. Most people come to us via referral or invite from people who have participated in other tours.

We aim for a diverse group of people who contribute individual qualities to our overall success as a group.

The Camino requires endurance, both physical and mental, so we look for strengths in these areas and a willingness to support each other along the way.

Once your application is received we’ll arrange a phone call to answer your questions and share more detail about what to expect.

Because we have a twelve week preparation program including twice per month group calls and a personalized fitness training program, we don’t accept applications within three months of the tour.

All participants invited, are notified by e-mail. At this time a deposit of $2000 USD will be required to join the tour.

Occasionally someone will need to withdraw from the tour due to unforeseen circumstances. Once a tour is full, we can place you on a waiting list if you would like.

The cost of the training program and tour is $6400 USD for a shared room and $7200 for a private room.

Deposit of $2000 USD is required at time of registration.

Balance of final payment is due 90 days before the tour.

Payments can be made with US dollar, UK pound or Euro.

The cost of the tour includes:

• Guide services of John Colver and co-guide.

• Personalized fitness training plan.

• Copies of ‘Fit By Nature’ and ‘Camino Fitness’ books

• Twice monthly 45 minute group meetings via video conference

• All accommodation for seven nights.

• All meals.

• Pick-up and drop-off from Santiago or Vigo airport or train station.

• Ticket for boat from Villanova de Arousa to Padron

Not included:

• Air travel to Spain.

• Hotel room services.

• Alcohol beverages.

Each day will include between five and eight hours walking on a mix of roads, paths and forest trails.

A fitness training program is included and as part of the application process we’ll invite you to use our Camino fitness self evaluation from which we can recommend whether we feel this tour is a good match for you.

Because we will train together - in our respective countries & cities - we expect your endurance and strength will see many gains. As a rule of thumb, you would want to be comfortable walking 4-5 miles at the beginning of the twelve week process.

Our groups and participants have the highest rate of completion of any walking tour company we know of. This in no small part due to the encouragement and support of other team members.

Each participant will receive copies of ‘Fit By Nature’ and “Camino Fitness’ books to accompany the personalized training plan.

If you are experiencing injury or illness, we advise seeking direction from a medical professional before joining a tour.

Accommodations range from five star hotels in Vigo and Santiago, to three and four star hotels on the stages in between. We select hotels based on excellent service, cleanliness and comfort. Rest and recovery are critical elements of a successful Camino so we avoid cutting corners so that we can all begin each day as well-rested as possible.

Examples of hotels are; Hotel Monumento San Francisco, Paradores Hotels and The Pousada de Armenteira.

We’ll confirm the choice of hotels at the time of booking.

If you need to withdraw your application before the 90 day final payment date, ‘The Camino Less Travelled’ will issue you a refund minus $500.

If you need to withdraw your application after the 90 day final payment date, ‘The Camino Less Travelled’ will issue you a refund minus the full deposit of $2000.

Arrival

Day one of the tour is the day we begin walking. So we ask that you arrive as close to 3 p.m. - or before on the day before the tour begins. We will have a short briefing over dinner that evening.

Departure

We will arrange transport to take you to Santiago Airport or Train Station in the morning after the Tour ends.

General Information

There are shops, pharmacies, and other services available along most of the route.

Most shops are closed on Sundays, but cafés and bars remain open. We’ll let you know where the nearest supermarket is in each town we visit.

Wi-Fi is available at all accommodations and in many of the cafés where we stop for breaks.

Mobile phone coverage is generally good, with only a few small areas of weak signal. If you'd like a local SIM card, we recommend Movistar or Vodafone. We’re happy to assist you with the purchase—just note that ID is required.

Spain uses the Euro. Most businesses accept Google Pay, Apple Pay, and credit/debit cards for purchases over €10. We recommend bringing about $25 USD per day in cash for snacks, drinks, and small purchases.

Hiking Poles

If you’re not checking luggage, keep in mind that hiking poles are typically not allowed in carry-on bags. We can purchase poles for you (€25) and arrange to donate them after the trip.

Gear

For any hiking or athletic gear, Decathlon has a wide selection, with stores located in Vigo and Santiago.

Your passport needs to be valid for six months beyond your departure date from Spain.

Currently, UK and US citizens, and citizens from other visa-exempt countries, holders of an ordinary passport, can visit and stay in the Schengen area (including Spain) for up to 90 days in a 180-day period without the need to obtain a visa. Spain is reviewing entry requirements and we will keep you posted on any changes.

We strongly advice participants to purchase travel insurance.

Galica is famous for it’s seafood and meat. There are vegan and vegetarian options, but less than we might be used to in US or UK. This can require some planning.

Please let us know your preferences as well as any allergies, and we’ll do our best to meet your needs.

The culture of Galicia is welcoming and friendly. The roots are Celtic and you’ll find this in music and food. As well as Spanish, Galicians speak Galeco which is drawn from Portuguese. So if you hear a ‘Bom Dia’ instead of a ‘Buenas Dias’ your ears are not playing tricks on you!

Time.

Galicia is on CET — Central European Time. (Note that Portugal is on WET - Western European Time, so an hour behind Galicia).

Spain does everything later than most countries. Cafes and restaurants open at 8 a.m. (sometimes 7). Shops open at 10 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. They open again from 5 until 9 p.m. Dinner starts around 8 p.m. and it’s common for Spanish people to eat after 10 p.m. We try when we can to eat meals earlier, so we can rest and go to bed early.

Safety

Spain has one of the lowest crime rates of any first world country. And crime in Galicia is less than one half of the national statistics. You can expect to be - and to feel - safe at all times during your stay.

Language

Local businesses and people really appreciate hearing Spanish when ordering a coffee or buying something. We’ll cover some useful phrases as part of our training and preparation. Also - everyone here knows how to use Google translate. Most local people don’t know English, but hotel reception and many shops will speak some English or Spanglish!

Tipping is not expected in Spain. Exceptions to this are dinner restaurants where a small tip (5 - 10%) is welcome for good service. However, it's at your discretion and you won't offend anyone by not tipping.

Many churches offer a ‘Sello’ Camino passport stamp and welcome a donation. It’s good to have some loose change handy for this.