Sauntering the Spiritual Variant of the Camino de Santiago

What’s so spiritual about the Spiritual Variant?

A lot, it turns out.

The author and his wife spent five days walking - and boating - along this side trail to the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago. They visited two large monasteries, at Poio and Armenteira, both of which offer accommodations to pilgrims and peaceful surroundings that invite spiritual reflection. A boat ride up the Ulla River from the seaport of Vilanova de Arousa invoked the spirit of the Translatio, the legendary transport of St. James’ body from Palestine to Spain in the first century.

The scenery of Spain’s O Salnes region proved an added bonus, with charming fishing villages, forested mountains, and expansive vineyards in the Albarino wine country. The Clines found the Route of Stone and Water particularly captivating, with its waterfalls, abandoned corn mills and rain forest-like vegetation.

Join Kenneth and Bina as they experience the sights and sounds of the Spiritual Variant. Part travel journal and part guidebook, this book includes historical research on how the route got its name, as well as practical information about places to eat and sleep along the way.