Challenge level: 3 out of 5
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23 October - 30 October 2021 | On Sale | |
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Duration | 8 days |
The Challenge
Join our spectacular new pilgrimage on the final stretch of Camino de Santiago. Following the footsteps of countless pilgrims, star-gazing Celts and tourists, we’ll tackle a whopping 115km on the Camino de Francis, aka. the French Way.
Setting off from the Gothic town of Sarria in North West Spain, we’ll wind our way up and down lush valleys and enchanting forests full of eucalyptus, fir and oak trees. We'll encounter magnificent, man-made monuments and breath-taking natural landscapes, looking out for woodpeckers and taking in an amazing range of architecture built across centuries.
We’ll stop in rustic hamlets and traditional Spanish towns, with chances to gain insight into the current local lifestyle and the captivating cultural history of the pilgrimage.
Dating back to around the 10th century AD, the famous Camino de Frances actually begins in France and extends some 800km, but this final section gives a perfect alternative for time-tight trekkers.
We’ll, of course, end at the Holy city of Santiago, with a free day to explore its mix of ancient and modern architecture. 2021 marks the Holy Year of the Camino de Santiago, so the city will be more vibrant than ever! You can take in the towering spires of the cathedral and enormous statue celebrating Pope John Paul’s 1993 Holy Year visit, along with the striking contemporary art in the modern galleries.
Places are limited and are likely to go extremely fast for this amazing trek in the Camino de Santiago Holy Year! We recommend you register early to avoid missing out.
covid-19 - keeping you safe
As we hope you know, the health and safety of our participants is always - and has always been - our highest priority.
Our team of experts here at DC has created a brilliant 14-step initiative, to minimise the risk of coronavirus and maximise your safety. Please click here to see our ground-breaking plan and rest assured that you're safe booking with us.
free transfers for all 2021 challenges!
If you feel worried about travelling as your 2021 challenge draws closer, you can transfer your booking and registration fee balance to another 2021 or 2022 challenge free of charge, up until 12 weeks before your departure date.
Pay your registration fee and your challenge costs yourself.
£1,299
Pay the balance
Pay your registration fee and raise the minimum target for your chosen charity.
£2,600
Minimum sponsorship target
We understand if you're worried about making plans right now because of COVID-19, but please rest assured that your health and safety are always our highest priorities.
We are delighted to be leading the industry with our 14-step initiative to minimise the risk of coronavirus.
If the challenge can’t happen in October because of COVID-19, we would postpone the challenge until next year. We would, of course, let you know as soon as possible and give you the full details so that you can mark the date in your diary.
A challenge must meet the following criteria to go ahead:
We're also currently offering free transfers for all 2021 challenges!
This means you can register now and then if you feel worried about travelling later on, you can put both your registration fee and your challenge balance towards any other 2021 or 2022 challenge of your choice, up until 12 weeks before our trek begins.
*This offer is subject to change and may expire. We will let all participants know if the deadline to request a free transfer changes so that you can decide in plenty of time.
Absolutely! As part of our amazing 14-step initiative to minimise the risk of coronavirus, we're delighted to have found a fantastic travel insurance policy, which covers you for this type of activity and also for cancellation because of medically diagnosed COVID-19.
Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate cover for your challenge.
You can see the insurance policy here or click here to check out the full 14 actions we're taking to keep you safe.
This challenge is not designed for Olympic athletes – it is designed for people looking for an amazing goal to train and get fit for. A number of the people who will take part on this challenge will have a low level of fitness level when they sign up.
This challenge is the perfect motivation to get fit, improve your own mental and physical health and support your favourite charity in a big way.
We strongly recommend you train for the trek as we'll be tackling some steep terrain on our way to Santiago and the fitter you are, the more you'll enjoy it.
Once you register for the challenge, we'll send you a realistic training plan. This builds up gradually over time so you'll be ready and raring to go by the time we depart for Spain.
Please don't be! The majority of people will sign up on their own and our Dream Challenges are renowned for the amazing camaraderie and life long friendships made, as our groups take on these incredible feats together.
Once you've signed up for the challenge, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group for everyone registered for The Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage 5-Day Trek.
Please feel free to use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow trekkers on your training and fundraising. You may also want to reach out to the other participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.
Absolutely not! One of the amazing things about the challenge is that people from all walks of life, aged 18 or over, will come together to do something very special.
You will of course need a pair of walking boots.
We'll supply you with a comprehensive list of everything you will need to take on the event well before your departure date.
Your luggage will be transported to our accommodation on each day of the challenge, so you will only need to carry a small day pack containing essential accessories and equipment.
We recommend packing light, as you will need to carry your luggage to and from the airport in the UK.
We will stay in comfortable hotels on a twin-sharing basis throughout the challenge.
We'll encounter a range of terrains throughout the trek, including tough climbs and gentle stretches. We'll follow clear trails through forests, villages, fields, towns and along the coast.
Yes of course! If you wish to extend your stay in Spain, please let us know at least fourteen weeks before the challenge start date and we can arrange this for you.
The best way to get in touch is to email us at events@dream-challenges.com, or you can call us on 01590 646410 during office hours (9am - 5pm Monday - Friday).
Your registration fee of £199 per person is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.
Your challenge costs of £1,299 (ie. 50% of the fundraising target if you choose the sponsorship option) cover:
*Accommodation is included on a twin-sharing basis. If you would rather pay for a single supplement and have a room to yourself, we can arrange this for you for an additional cost of approx. £250.
**Please note that lunch is not included for this challenge, to give you the opportunity to fast during the day for a true pilgrimage experience. There will be many places along the way for you to buy lunch/snacks on each day of the challenge.
Please email us at events@dream-challenges.com if you would like to do this at least fourteen weeks before the challenge starts.
In addition to paying your registration fee (£199) and either self funding your challenge costs or fundraising the minimum sponsorship target, you will need to budget for your:
Travel Insurance
You will need to take out your own personal travel insurance covering health, accident, loss and repatriation.
We're delighted to have found a fantastic travel insurance policy, which covers you for this type of activity and also for cancellation due to medically diagnosed COVID-19.
Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate cover for your challenge.
We will send you the details once you have registered. You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a charity trek in Spain.
Visa
Currently, UK citizens don't need a visa to travel to Spain for tourism. We'll let you know if this changes before our challenge.
The Dream Challenges team are here to help you achieve your challenge and will support you all the way. We are on hand from the minute you sign up to answer any questions that you may have about your training or the challenge itself.
Once you've registered, we will send you a realistic training programme to help you get fit for the trek. The programme builds up gradually as our departure date draws closer.
We also have fantastic first-aid-trained challenge guides, a group of porters and two doctors accompanying us throughout the challenge for groups of ten participants or more.
As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.
We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website here, to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.
NHS Fit for Travel website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home