A Walk to the End of the World

Camino de Santiago Women’s Retreat
Santiago, Spain – Finesterre/Muxia, Spain
May 15 – 23, 2021


People walk the Camino for a variety of reasons . . . to be part
of an ancient tradition . . . to feel close to nature . . . to search
for meaning, authenticity, a rekindled sense of wonder . . . to renew faith,
or to find it . . . to celebrate or mourn a passage in their lives.
 

 

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela throughout history has enticed countless pilgrims from all over Europe and now all over the world to take up the trail. It is an ancient – and often enchanted – pilgrimage. People from Saint Francis of Assisi and Charlemagne to Ferdinand and Isabella to Dante and Chaucer have taken the journey, which comprises a nearly 500-mile trek across highways, mountains, cities and fields.

Since the moment the tomb of the apostle Saint James was discovered in the 9th century, many pilgrims have journeyed beyond Santiago to the Atlantic coastline of Finisterre, which in those days was considered the westernmost point in Europe, the final stage of an itinerary marked in the sky by the Milky Way and considered to be “the end of the world.”

JOIN US for 9 days, 8 nights and 74 miles
of wonder and transformation . . . one footfall at a time!

 

 

Feeling nature in its purest state and among breathtaking scenery, you will walk the 74 miles of the Camino from Santiago to Finisterre and beyond to Muxia . . . nine days on the ancient pilgrims’ path across northern Spain, visiting sanctuaries from the Middle Ages and deeply experiencing the magic of this path and its ancient tradition.

PRIVATE RETREAT
Join us for the unique opportunity to walk a path from today to “the end of the world” where with each footfall you will create a mindful, meditative space and you will slowly begin to listen to your own heart and find your way back to the woman you were born to be.  All in the company of your fellow retreatants and surrounded by pilgrims from all over the world

Facilitator, Karen Ely, would love for you to join us for a unique private retreat opportunity . . . to experience this ancient tradition . . . to immerse yourself in the Spanish culture and the Camino tradition . . . and to get deeply in touch with yourself and your own dreams.

OUR CAMINO HOME
Each night we will stay in a series of inns located along the Camino from Santiago to Muxia.  Each will provide us with a delightful place to relax at the end of the day, a private en suite shower, and the opportunity to gather with other pilgrims for dinner in town.  Each morning the inn will supply us a delicious breakfast before sending us on our way.

OFFERED THROUGH MARLY CAMINO
This is our second Camino retreat with Marly Camino and because of their professionalism, remarkable guides, knowledge, attention to detail and over-the-top service, we cannot imagine anyone we’d rather tour with.  Marly is a woman-owned company committed to offering the best possible experience for people wishing to find their “way” or their Camino.  Opening its doors in 2006, directed by mother-daughter team Ligia Margarita and Samantha Sacchi Muci, they have provided unforgettable Camino experiences for tens of thousands of people.  “The level of enthusiasm and support/organization provided by the Marly staff as well as the unique and delightful accommodations far exceeded our expectations,” is a typical testimonial on their website. For more information, visit marlycamino.com.

 

FACILITATOR
KAREN ELY is a speaker, facilitator, mentor and author who inspires audiences of women of all ages, incomes and backgrounds to live to their full potential.  She is the founder and director of the Sedona Women’s Institute, one of the country’s premier women’s programs, which has offered hundreds of programs and touched thousands of women all over the world since its inception in 2003.  Karen is also the author of five well-received books, including:  Daring to Dream: Reflections on the Year I Found Myself, A Retreat of My Own, Breathing Space: Mini-Retreats for the Heart & Soul, 21 Days of Gratitude and 21 Stepping Stones to a More Peaceful, Meaningful Life. A Safe Place to Stand will be published in 2021.   Karen has a lifetime of retreat facilitation experience and a deep commitment to assisting women in creating and living authentic lives of passion and joy.  For more information on Karen and her work, please click here.

 


RETREAT ITINERARY


Meet in Santiago

Night in Santiago

Santiago attracts millions of people from all over the world, many of them pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago.  Its historic center has been designated a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.  We will gather at a beautiful hotel for a get acquainted dinner and then after a good night’s sleep, we will enjoy breakfast before being greeted by the Marly Camino guides for an introduction to our Camino experience and then we will step onto the ancient Camino.

 

Santiago – Ponte Maceira (10.5 miles)
Night in Ponte Maceira

We will start our walk to Finisterre form the Plaza de Obraoiro, home to Santiago’s famous cathedral.  Along this section of the Camino we will pass small villages and cross ancient Roman bridges. The destination for our first day will be the beautiful medieval town of a Ponte Maceira, which is one of the most picturesque villages along this route.

 

Ponte Maceira – Vilaserío (10.5 miles)
Night in Vilaserio

We will begin the day by crossing the ancient bridge over the Tambre River and enter the region of A Barcala.   This stage of the Camino will put us in mind of Scotland with a hilly landscape reminiscent of the Highlands and reservoirs that convey the impression of Lochs.

 

Vilaserío – Olveiroa (12.4 miles)
Night in Olveiroa

Today’s walk will be filled with many open and high views of the Galician countryside, enchanted forests and many beautiful old stone homes & cafes before arriving in Olveiroa for the night.

 

Olveiroa – Cee (10.5 miles)
Night in Corcubión

We will leave Olveiroa and walk towards the dam of Castrelo before climbing to a place where we will get spectacular views of the area with the river Xallas in the background.  We will pass through the village of Hospital, a good place to pick up some provisions, before we continue our rural walk into Cee.

 

Cee – Cape Finisterre (9.9 miles)
Night in Finisterre

Our route will start by heading up to the Lagosteira Dunes and then continue towards Finisterre.  Upon arrival in Finisterre, a typical maritime village, our route will continue to the lighthouse located on the Cape that marks the Finis Terrae, the end of the world for Romans.

Interesting fact:  In the hostel in Finisterre we will be issued the Fisterrá, a certificate that commemorates our pilgrimage to the End of the World.

 

Cape Finisterre – Lires (8.7 miles)
Night in Lires

We will walk through eucalyptus and pine covered hills, where the forest slips all the way down to the sea, on a rural path through farms and fields and forests. Along the way we will pass several beautiful beaches.

Interesting fact:  According to the medieval tradition Dugium, today’s San Martiño de Duio, is the place where Rome’s legate lived and where the Apostle’s disciples went to get approval to bury his remains in the lands of Compostela.

 

Lires – Muxía (9.9 miles)
Night in Muxia

From Lires, we will walk up to high ground with beautiful views of the coast. We will then walk down along Lourido Beach towards Muxía, which is a seaside spiritual site that is a most sacred place, rife with legend, natural beauty and a unique and intimate ambiance.  Muxia is the the second medieval “end of the world” because we now know that Muxía is actually the westernmost point of mainland Europe, not Finisterre, and is the actual “end of the world!”

Fun facts:  On the way to Muxía and going around Monte Corpiño there is a fountain where the pilgrims traditionally washed themselves as a symbol of purification and respect.  Tradition holds that the Virgin arrived in Muxía in a stone ship to support the Apostle on his preaching through the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The holy stones there are supposed to be the remains of this ship.

 

Muxia – Santiago
Night in Muxia

In the morning we will be transported back to Santiago for travel home.

 

 
RETREAT FEE:  $2,975

Retreat fee includes:

  • Welcome dinner in Santiago, Spain on May 15th
  • 8 nights shared accommodations with en suite bathroom ($375 extra for private room)
  • All breakfast on walk
  • Final celebratory dinner on May 22rd
  • Transportation back to Santiago
  • Pilgrim’s Mass at Santiago Cathedral at noon on May 23th
  • Travel insurance for the entire tour
  • Daily transfer of ONE piece of luggage per person per day
  • Informational program with daily stages
  • Pilgrims’ Kit
  • Value added Tax (VAT)

Not included in the retreat fee:

  • Flight to and from Santiago
  • Santiago lodging on May 23th (if you decide to spend the extra night)
  • Lunches and dinners (except our welcome dinner on May 15th and our final celebratory dinner on May 22rd
  • Tips

 

RETREAT FEE:  $2,975

~ $1,200 is due at time of registration ($500 of this is non-refundable)

~ The remaining $1,775 is due no later than February 15, 2021 (after this date, there are no refunds).

 

AT THIS TIME THIS RETREAT IS SOLD OUT.  If you would like to be on a cancellation list, please email us at info@SedonaWomensInstitute.com. 

 

TO REGISTER and pay the $1200 deposit, please click below:

 

TO PAY the final $1775 fee, please click below:

 

For more information:

Please email or call us at info@SedonaWomensInstitute.com or 928-254-1897

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