Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines -
Sail away from the safe harbor -
Catch the trade winds in your sails -
Explore! Dream! Discover!
Mark Twain
Hola and Bienvenidos!
Have you dreamed of walking the Camino Santiago
or Lourdes,
but don't know where to begin?
Could you use a little help planning?
Would you like the security of walking with a small group?
Come and join us on one of our following walks to
Santiago de Compostela
and
Lourdes:
The Best of Both
HOLY YEAR 2021 !!!
May 2 - 23, 2021 - St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago
with Annie Carvalho
Only 1 spot left - can be shared or private
May 3 - 24, 2021 - St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago
or
May 8-24, 2021 - Pamplona to Santiago
with Joe Walsh
Only 2 spots left
23 days and 22 nights
€1605 ($1800 - $2400) SJPP to Santiago*
€1350 ($1500-$1950) Pamplona to Santiago**
Single supplement €475
A $200 Nonrefundable Deposit will hold your spot.
See Booking Conditions for refund information
(First price in USD based on exchange rate which is $1.11 on 9/5/19)
* St. John Pied de Port to Santiago for those who want to cross the Pyrenees
** Pamplona to Santiago for those who do not want to cross the Pyrenees
PRICE INCLUDES the following:
+ 22 Nights Lodging (double occupancy - shared room)*
+ Land transfer from Pamplona to SJPP*
+ Backpack Transport (on walking days)
+ Taxi or Bus Land transfer as per program (Viana-Burgos-Leon)
+Land shuttle from Orisson - SJPP - Orisson as per program
+ Land transfer from Villafranca to O Cebreiro as per program
+Dinner in Roncesvalles
+Dinner in Rabanal del Camino
+ Buffet Breakfast in Santiago
+A few other Continental breakfasts included
+ 50 plus Pages of preparatory information and notes
+ Detailed Packing List
+ List of Hotels with Contact Info for Family/Friends
+Pilgrim Mass at Roncesvalles
+Personal Help with Planning
+Pilgrim Shell and Credential
+Experienced Group Leader
+Digital Walking Booklet with Maps
+Updated kilometer list
+Itinerary Calendar
+Helpful Spanish phrases
+Info on banks, cash, ATM use
+Info on food
+Info on Pilgrim etiquette
+Info on booking flights
* St. John Pied de Port to Santiago for those who want to cross the Pyrenees
** Pamplona to Santiago for those who do not want to cross the Pyrenees
NOT Included in Price
Your flight and airport taxes
Visas and passports
Medical expenses
Insurance
Meals, drinks, tips
Daily expenses
Transfer to and from airports unless otherwise noted
Equipment
Your flight and airport taxes
Visas and passports
Medical expenses
Insurance
Meals, drinks, tips
Daily expenses
Transfer to and from airports unless otherwise noted
Equipment
Join us on our special
Holy Year Pilgrimage to LOURDES,
Monasterio San Juan de la Peña,
and the unique 12th c. church,
Santa Maria de Eunate
(linked to the Templars)
9 nights/10 days
€1200 per person (€250 single supplement)
A $200 Nonrefundable Deposit will hold your spot.
See Booking Conditions for refund information
(First price in USD based on exchange rate which is $1.11 on 9/5/19)
Meet us in Pamplona before the Best of Both
for a wonderful pilgrimage to 3 sacred places;
Lourdes,
Monasterio San Juan de la Peña
and Santa María de Eunate
for a wonderful pilgrimage to 3 sacred places;
Lourdes,
Monasterio San Juan de la Peña
and Santa María de Eunate
Price includes the following:
+5 nights lodging in Pamplona (double occupancy shared room)
+Trains from Pamplona to and from Lourdes
+4 nights lodging in Lourdes (double occupancy shared room)
+3 breakfasts in Lourdes
+Day trip:Transport from Pamplona to Monasterio San Juan de la Peña
+Day Trip: Transport from Pamplona to Iglesia de Eunate
+ Preparatory Information
+ Detailed Packing List
+ List of Hotels with Contact Info for Family/Friends
+Personal Help with Planning as Needed
+Experienced Group Leader
+Itinerary Calendar
+Info on banks, cash, ATM use
+Info on food
+Info on Pilgrim etiquette
+Info on booking flights
NOT included in Price:
Your flight and airport taxes
Visas and passports
Medical expenses
Insurance
Meals, drinks, tips unless otherwise noted
Daily expenses
Transfer to and from airports unless otherwise noted
Equipment
+5 nights lodging in Pamplona (double occupancy shared room)
+Trains from Pamplona to and from Lourdes
+4 nights lodging in Lourdes (double occupancy shared room)
+3 breakfasts in Lourdes
+Day trip:Transport from Pamplona to Monasterio San Juan de la Peña
+Day Trip: Transport from Pamplona to Iglesia de Eunate
+ Preparatory Information
+ Detailed Packing List
+ List of Hotels with Contact Info for Family/Friends
+Personal Help with Planning as Needed
+Experienced Group Leader
+Itinerary Calendar
+Info on banks, cash, ATM use
+Info on food
+Info on Pilgrim etiquette
+Info on booking flights
NOT included in Price:
Your flight and airport taxes
Visas and passports
Medical expenses
Insurance
Meals, drinks, tips unless otherwise noted
Daily expenses
Transfer to and from airports unless otherwise noted
Equipment
Tentative Itinerary
- April 23 Friday - Meet in Pamplona
- April 24 Saturday - Train to Lourdes
- April 24, 25, 26, 27 - Lourdes
- April 28 - Train to Pamplona
- April 29 Thursday - Taxi to/from San Juan de la Peña
- April 30 - Taxi/bus to/from Eunate
- May 1 - Free day in Pamplona
T E S T I M O N I A L S
Happy People
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Pat & Paul (2014)
We want to thank you for the kinship we have shared, the memories which are priceless, and the most amazing experience and journey of our lives! Our special thanks to Joe, whose company we thoroughly enjoyed! 
Lee (2014)
Thank you Annie, and thank you to Joe. He allowed each and every one of us to make our own Camino, express it in our own way and made it safe for us as we did.. 
Gary (2014) 
Nick (2014)
In short, it was an unforgettable experience and goes down in history as a great holiday! 
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Jan (2014)
I think that during the lead-up to the walk I was quite effusive about your attention to detail,
and the comprehensive amount of information that you supplied before we left home.
With Annie Carvalho and John Brierley as my advisors there was nothing that was lacking
to help me prepare for the Camino.
I also really want to thank Joe for the way he shepherded us over the Pyrenees.
If I have any advice for pilgrims it would be to walk at your own pace,
even if it's not the pace that you thought was normal yesterday.
Today's pace is the pace for today.
I think that during the lead-up to the walk I was quite effusive about your attention to detail,
and the comprehensive amount of information that you supplied before we left home.
With Annie Carvalho and John Brierley as my advisors there was nothing that was lacking
to help me prepare for the Camino.
I also really want to thank Joe for the way he shepherded us over the Pyrenees.
If I have any advice for pilgrims it would be to walk at your own pace,
even if it's not the pace that you thought was normal yesterday.
Today's pace is the pace for today.
Gerry - (2014)
"My Camino, under the advice and guidance of Annie Carvalho, was a resounding success for me.
Annie's knowledge of the Camino, its highs and lows, is legendary and any walker will benefit greatly from this.
Her selection of a mix of Albergues, private apartments and small hotels was excellent
and having a room booked each night was a great relief for a weary traveler.
I have no hesitation in recommending Annie to any potential Peregrinos."
"My Camino, under the advice and guidance of Annie Carvalho, was a resounding success for me.
Annie's knowledge of the Camino, its highs and lows, is legendary and any walker will benefit greatly from this.
Her selection of a mix of Albergues, private apartments and small hotels was excellent
and having a room booked each night was a great relief for a weary traveler.
I have no hesitation in recommending Annie to any potential Peregrinos."
Father Jeffrey Edmunds (2012):
Last September, as some of you know, I flew to Spain and spent a month walking the great medieval pilgrim’s path to the Shrine of St. James, the Camino de Santiago. It was an extraordinary experience -- life-enhancing, and faith-affirming! If you find and watch the 2010 Martin Sheen feature film The Way, you'll get a fairly decent idea of what the experience can be like…. But if you see the film then you might think that you, too, should walk the Camino!
There are many ways to experience the Camino. Some folks walk just the last leg from Sarria to Santiago, which takes less than a week. They really don't get the pilgrim experience. Not even close. Far more physical/emotional/spiritual investment is called for than that! You shouldn't even even consider doing that! On the other hand, I doubt that many of you will have the time to walk the entire 800 kilometers -- five or six weeks -- any more than I did. Or the inclination to do it alone. Or to sleep in the snore-racked dorm rooms of the albergues.
Is there a middle option? There is! Annie Carvalho has devised a do-able and affordable middle option -- and having done it I can assure you that it works splendidly!
Now, to walk with Annie you need to be healthy (you don't need to be an athlete!), flexible, and determined: the group goes forward rain or shine, hot or cold...! The Camino experience is not a "tour," and Annie is not a "tour guide." She functions more as a facilitator, as a knowledgeable fellow pilgrim.... If you walk with her I can assure you that it will be your Camino, not hers! The bed & breakfast accommodations she books are perfectly adequate, considering the modest price. And her walkers more than satisfy the requirements for Santiago pilgrim's certificates: I'd love to show you mine!
You can enjoy as much or as little camaraderie along the Camino as you want: I made friends I will never forget. My group included Americans, Australians and South Africans. The youngest was in her 20s; the oldest was 70.... Sometimes I walked or ate with others; often I walked or ate alone. I was always and entirely free to do what I wanted, when I wanted, how I wanted. I was religiously motivated, myself, but most of my fellow peregrinos were not -- they were simply out to savor the finest walking holiday in the world....
In the end everyone in my group made it to Santiago successfully -- 370 kilometers (230 miles)on foot -- and everyone of us finished knowing that we'd done something grand.
Annie's small group walks start in the south of France, take three weeks to cover about half the full distance, and include all the best bits! I commend her to you and to all those you know. Enthusiastically!
Last September, as some of you know, I flew to Spain and spent a month walking the great medieval pilgrim’s path to the Shrine of St. James, the Camino de Santiago. It was an extraordinary experience -- life-enhancing, and faith-affirming! If you find and watch the 2010 Martin Sheen feature film The Way, you'll get a fairly decent idea of what the experience can be like…. But if you see the film then you might think that you, too, should walk the Camino!
There are many ways to experience the Camino. Some folks walk just the last leg from Sarria to Santiago, which takes less than a week. They really don't get the pilgrim experience. Not even close. Far more physical/emotional/spiritual investment is called for than that! You shouldn't even even consider doing that! On the other hand, I doubt that many of you will have the time to walk the entire 800 kilometers -- five or six weeks -- any more than I did. Or the inclination to do it alone. Or to sleep in the snore-racked dorm rooms of the albergues.
Is there a middle option? There is! Annie Carvalho has devised a do-able and affordable middle option -- and having done it I can assure you that it works splendidly!
Now, to walk with Annie you need to be healthy (you don't need to be an athlete!), flexible, and determined: the group goes forward rain or shine, hot or cold...! The Camino experience is not a "tour," and Annie is not a "tour guide." She functions more as a facilitator, as a knowledgeable fellow pilgrim.... If you walk with her I can assure you that it will be your Camino, not hers! The bed & breakfast accommodations she books are perfectly adequate, considering the modest price. And her walkers more than satisfy the requirements for Santiago pilgrim's certificates: I'd love to show you mine!
You can enjoy as much or as little camaraderie along the Camino as you want: I made friends I will never forget. My group included Americans, Australians and South Africans. The youngest was in her 20s; the oldest was 70.... Sometimes I walked or ate with others; often I walked or ate alone. I was always and entirely free to do what I wanted, when I wanted, how I wanted. I was religiously motivated, myself, but most of my fellow peregrinos were not -- they were simply out to savor the finest walking holiday in the world....
In the end everyone in my group made it to Santiago successfully -- 370 kilometers (230 miles)on foot -- and everyone of us finished knowing that we'd done something grand.
Annie's small group walks start in the south of France, take three weeks to cover about half the full distance, and include all the best bits! I commend her to you and to all those you know. Enthusiastically!
Patricia Moak (2012)
I highly recommend this group. It's a great way to walk on the Camino, especially if you have limited time.
The trip was exactly as advertised, with no surprised.
I'm going on my own this year, thanks to the education and experience I got with Annie.
Highly recommended!
Linda Hendricks (2012)
This group, above all others appealed to me the most because:
1) it was well priced amongst its competitors, especially for the duration it offered--22 days--most only offered two weeks.
2) it started from St. Jean pied de port, where I specifically wanted to start. All others I researched did not.
3) it was clearly advertised as a no-frills trip, the rooms promised would be clean and in good order, but not superior or deluxe. There are many photos and description of rooms and room/types provided on the website, so one may get a good idea of the kind of accommodation to expect.
4) Our group leader and her assistant were in communication with us daily, sometimes several times a day to provide information we needed to get to the next town. We had a meeting every night to discuss the next day's agenda.
It is not a guided trip; but on the website and in meetings with the group it was often mentioned that if anyone wanted to walk with the group leader, they were welcome to ask and make arrangements. it was the perfect trip for me because I wanted a certain level of independence so I could walk how I wanted, and not have to be part of a group, or be tethered to a group leader at all times.
In my opinion, this lady fulfilled her end of the bargain quite well. I am a satisfied customer, and had a marvelous Camino experience!
This group, above all others appealed to me the most because:
1) it was well priced amongst its competitors, especially for the duration it offered--22 days--most only offered two weeks.
2) it started from St. Jean pied de port, where I specifically wanted to start. All others I researched did not.
3) it was clearly advertised as a no-frills trip, the rooms promised would be clean and in good order, but not superior or deluxe. There are many photos and description of rooms and room/types provided on the website, so one may get a good idea of the kind of accommodation to expect.
4) Our group leader and her assistant were in communication with us daily, sometimes several times a day to provide information we needed to get to the next town. We had a meeting every night to discuss the next day's agenda.
It is not a guided trip; but on the website and in meetings with the group it was often mentioned that if anyone wanted to walk with the group leader, they were welcome to ask and make arrangements. it was the perfect trip for me because I wanted a certain level of independence so I could walk how I wanted, and not have to be part of a group, or be tethered to a group leader at all times.
In my opinion, this lady fulfilled her end of the bargain quite well. I am a satisfied customer, and had a marvelous Camino experience!
Bob and Evette Hackman (2012)
You did what your literature stated and the price was right. We loved our trip so much that we returned the following year and we hope there is more to come.
Initially, I was concerned that we might end up with an odd group of people, but we really enjoyed our group and have kept in contact with many of them.
You did what your literature stated and the price was right. We loved our trip so much that we returned the following year and we hope there is more to come.
Initially, I was concerned that we might end up with an odd group of people, but we really enjoyed our group and have kept in contact with many of them.