Camino de Santiago: Hiking the Way in Galicia, Spain

The Arcos director Helder was wonderful! We met him at the airport. The kids pushed themselves on the Camino de Santiago hike and felt a great sense of accomplishment and camaraderie when it was complete. It was their first time in Europe so that added a lot of learning. They felt a sense of community with the other walkers, and bonded with the small group. Trust your kids, let them have an experience.

My son loved gaining independence, the opportunity to interact with others and the combination of walking, sightseeing, and education. Because of this great experience I am looking into finding similar programs in other European countries for my son next summer.

My daughter did the Camino de Santiago hiking program with Arcos and gained so much confidence in meeting and talking with other pilgrims along the way. My advice is to make sure your child trains for the walking prior to the program. Another added benefit was the increased confidence in her Spanish speaking skills.

I highly recommend doing the Granada, Spain and Camino de Santiago with Arcos. A key tip is to pack light, which I struggled with after a month in Granada. The scenery was beautiful and it was fun meeting other pilgrims along the way. I enjoyed the independence and the chance to try many new things.

Our directors were friendly and fun, ensuring we had a great time. A slight challenge was restarting after long breaks during extended walking periods. However, the independence and opportunity to interact with international students were significant benefits.

Arcos gives your child just the right amount of challenge and support for a first experience traveling abroad. They set the stage for our son to be excited to do more traveling and learning abroad in the future! Be sure to encourage your child to train for all the walking using the shoes they plan to wear. Encourage them to meet people beyond their group-mates, as there are pilgrims on the Camino from all over the world.

My daughter came out of the Camino de Santiago with a sense of accomplishment and a boost in confidence! Encourage your child to train ahead of time, which will make their hike that much more enjoyable. That was a key part of my daughter having a positive experience. We are very happy with Arcos and will definitely look into future programs with them. Far more affordable than many other travel programs for teens out there!

Come with an open mind to a new country, remember to enjoy where you are and soak it in. It is not a race! My Arcos director was amazing! I loved her expertise in Spanish culture and specifically the area in Galicia. She was available 24/7 for whatever the group needed and made sure everyone was included and felt up to the challenges each day. She made sure everyone was fit and well to keep going on our trek. I would follow her again in a heartbeat! My advice is to pack light and practice trekking over long distances. I highly recommend to put your phones down at the table during meals so you can get to know your fellow travelers. We did this with our group and I am so glad we did because we laughed with the company we had and really got to know each other.

I participated in the Camino de Santiago: Hiking the Way program with Arcos over the summer in which we walked alongside pilgrims from all over the world to Santiago de Compostela. I strongly recommend this program for anyone who would like to experience northern Spain on foot.

I walked the Camino de Santiago (also known as the Way of St. James) in northern Spain with Arcos over the summer. We walked from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela on the French Route in Galicia. I highly recommend this program for anyone who is up for the challenge!

Everyday I learned so much about Spanish culture and architecture as we visited many cathedrals and other beautiful sights. I had amazing food and met some nice people as well. It was a great combination of hiking, exploring, and socializing!

The greatest benefits were autonomy, language skills, and friendships with a broad spectrum of kids. Highly recommend both the language and culture program and the Camino hike. It was a maturing experience for our son and an incredibly well-operated organization.