Post Camino Retreat

Why not stay in Galicia since you are already there?

We are going back to Isla de la Toja, about an hour's drive from Santiago (they will pick up if you have no car). Heated pools, spa with great pool, water views from most rooms...this will be our third stay at the hotel, GH La Toja. The area is famous for seafood, boat trips, wine, etc..

We once combined Santiago and La Toja with a stay on Lanzarote, during May. There is a cheap Vueling flight from Santiago to that island, and weather will be more predictable, probably, than on the mainland....or Balearics.

Lanzarote is an enchanting island with architecture, great food, gardens, volcanic peaks, terrific restauurants....unlike anyplace on the mainland or other islands.. And there is only one high-rise on the island....so no big concete-block hotels like on other of the Canaries..it's not well-known to Americans or Canadians.

https://www.cntraveller.com/article/the-best-things-to-do-in-lanzarote

https://turismolanzarote.com/en/

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/on-the-spanish-island-of-lanzarote-high-design-and-natural-wine

Make sure to book your hotel in Santiago months ahead since so many pilgrims will there in springtime....

Thank you for the information. I will definitely look into your recommendations.

Look at A Coruna as well. Historic port and beach city, good communications train and air.
We like NH Hotels - this might suit you NH Collection A Coruña Finisterre

We also started our walk from Sarria. We took the train from Madrid. When we went they were doing work on the tracks at some point and we were transferred to a bus. It was a very easy ride. We walked September 2024 so I would hope the train tracks are repaired by now.
We used Santiago Ways to book our hotel rooms and luggage transfer. They were also available for a pickup if you couldn’t finish the days walk. I don’t remember if there was an extra charge.
Just a quick note, the second day of walking is all uphill, till you have to go back down. In hindsight we should have planned either a rest day or a few shorter days.
A few times there were route choices and we seemed to always take the wrong one. Wish we had read more about the route.
I shed my backpack after the first day and switched to a waist pack. I even wrapped my water bottle strap around my waist. Anything on my back bothered me, you might feel differently.
One more piece of advice, we avoided blisters by slathering our feet with vaseline, wearing a layer of toe socks (thin nylon slip on type) as a base layer, then merino wool socks. I know it sounds like a lot, but we were 8 walkers and none of us got blisters.

When we walked from Sarria in 2019 we stayed at the following hotels:

HOTEL MAR DE PLATA - Sarria
PENSIÓN ARENAS PORTO. Some in our group stayed at VISTALEGRE HOTEL - Portomarín
CASA LEOPOLDO. Some in our group stayed at Hotel Casa Belinde - Palas de Rei
PENSION BEGOÑA. Some in our group stayed at Pension Resaurante Teodora - Arzua
PENSION RESIDENCIA PLATAS -Pedrouzo
HOTEL LUX SANTIAGO, some in our group stayed at Hotel Herradura - Santiago de Compostela.

All the hotels except Casa Leopoldo were pretty basic/no frills and catered to walkers, but were very clean. Casa Leopoldo was very nice and had a B&B feel.

We stayed an extra day in Santiago and switched to Hotel Rua Villar that had more charm and character than the modern interior Hotel Lux.

Photos of our walk are at: http://jaimeelsabio.com/vac_pages/2019vac2.html
Prior to the walk we spent two nights in Lugo. The train to Sarria departs from Madrid’s Chamartín station.

Our trip was arranged through Macs Adventure.

For a really elegant place to stay in Santiago, try the Parador. If your budget is not ok with their prices, try next door at San Martin Pinario. You need to send them an email to get a reservation. I stay there every time I finish a Camino. The dining room is wonderful and the whole building exudes calm and beauty. https://www.sanmartinpinario.es/

Have you thought about going to Muxxia or Finesterre? Gorgeous sunsets, beaches, lots of seafood.

It is up to you to decide if dividing 110km into 6 days is manegable or not. Some people prefer 9 or 10 days others are fine with 5.
I book my own places that suit me the best, using apps like Wise Pilgrim or Camino Ninja, so you get places that are actually on the Camino. They include hotels and pensions and private albergues with private rooms. Luggage transfer is easy to arrange too. Use Jakotrans. A message each evening is enough. Cost is 7€ per bag.

Rather than start in Sarria, a few km past is Barbadelo. Private rooms at Casa Barbadelo, a pool, good food and and in the morning, you can walk for a few hours without the crowds of Sarria. I list other places on my YouTube channel, Camino for Everyone.

I wear my pack and send on a small bag with a few kg. of stuff. A pack with a hip belt will take the weight off of your shoulders. Once you put water, rain gear, snacks, 1st aid, etc. in a day pack, it will drag on your shoulders.

The Parador in Muxia is a fantastic place....a real gem of contemporary architecture, with lots of art and exhibits.
Rooms overlook a gorgeous beach set in a sandy cove; water is turquoise. They also have a pool with the same view.

T.hey serve meals,and there are some good places to eat in the port of Muxia, about a 10-minute drive from the Parador.

My first thought was also the Parador in Muxía.

My second thought was the Hotel Faro de Lariño, but it might be a hair pricier, there is no pool, and there is no restaurant on-site. There is a great one within walking distance (Riba da Cheda), though. I never stayed at the hotel but it looked gorgeous; I stayed in a rental apartment just down the road (Apartamentos Ramona, good value, but perhaps too basic and too much to Spanish taste for what you're after).

My final thought is the region northeast of Porto, very scenic, with some amazing hotels like the Posada Mosteiro Amares, much less expensive than the Douro valley. The main drawback is cross-border logistics from Santiago: you'd have to find your way to Porto airport (3 hours by bus), rent a car there, and drive up.