Camino de Santiago Walking Retreat in southwest France

Location icon
Esprit Meraki, 32400 Nogaro, France
Users icon
Up to 30 in group
Date
5 Days Package (4 nights)

Retreat Highlights

  • 3 unforgettable days walking the Camino de Santiago: 10km/5miles, 12 km/6 miles and your choice of 8/ 17/28 km (distances appoximate)
  • 4 nights in the same comfortable room in an authentic 200-year-old French farmhouse
  • Wholesome brunches and decadently delicious dinners
  • Walking along vineyards, meadows, orchards, ancient woods, lakes - the ultimate way to reconnect with nature and with your authentic self
  • Introduction to walking meditation and writing meditation
  • Walking the Camino de Santiago can literally change your life – you can find solutions to problems, answers to questions and clarity on the way forward – just as thousands of hikers have before you, for the last 800 years

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

Would you like to reconnect with nature by walking through the vineyards, woods, sunflower fields, and lush meadows in the south of France?

Follow in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands (over 200,000 in 2018) of people, from all walks of life, who make their way to Santiago de Compostela each year.

For most, this pilgrimage to self-discovery is an unforgettable experience. Only a few return home unchanged.

This retreat is your chance to join them, to reconnect with nature, with yourself, and with others. In addition, you will receive instruction in Walking Meditation and Writing Meditation, to enable you to profoundly relax and recharge your batteries in this largely unspoiled and unexplored corner of France, the country of Dumas' D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers, and manage stress ever more effectively when you get home.

Everything will be taken care of for you.

You will sleep in the same bed each night, you do not have to carry a heavy backpack with you, and you will eat healthy locally sourced food - all you have to do is concentrate on experiencing everything that walking the Camino has to offer.

You arrive in time for dinner on Day 1, walk the Camino on Days 2, 3, and 4 and leave after breakfast on Day 5. One afternoon after your walk, you will have the opportunity to visit a local wine seller, where you can sample some of the best wines the region has to offer.

The easiest way to get here is to fly to Toulouse, take the train to Auch, and visit the glorious cathedral with its exceptional hand-carved choir - the Camino de Santiago goes through Auch and many walkers stop at this famous cathedral. You can check your luggage into temporary storage at the station. When you have had a scrumptious lunch at one of the sidewalk bistros on the square in front of the cathedral, you take the bus to Nogaro, where you'll be picked up and transferred to the retreat. The bus station is right next to the train station.

Or you can rent a car, or take a taxi, and the most entertaining and cheapest way to get here is by getting a lift from the carpooling site, BlaBlaCar(dot)fr.

A warm welcome awaits you at this 200-year-old authentic Landaise farmhouse amidst the Armagnac and Cotes de Gascogne vineyards in the sun-blessed southwest of France!

Retreats start on Mondays at 18h00 and end on Fridays at 11h00.

Please contact us to confirm availability before making a booking.

Schedule

Day 1: Arrive after 18h00, in time for a scrumptious welcome dinner

Day 2: On the first day, guests walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostella from EAUZE to MANCIET. This section is about 12 km long and takes about 2,5 – 3 hours to walk. The walk meanders through woods, vineyards, meadows, orchards and sunflower fields from the Roman and cathedral city of Eauze towards Manciet, a small market town with a beautifully preserved lavoir.

Day 3: On the second day, guests walk from MANCIET to NOGARO. The route continues past an ancient church that once belonged to the Order of the Knights of Malta and an 18th-century milestone with a Maltese cross to Nogaro or Nogarium, which means ‘a place planted with walnut trees.’ This small town was established in the 11th century and has a fine Romanesque church. The walk takes about 2,5-3 hours to walk and is about  10km.

Day 4: The third day’s walk is from NOGARO to AIRE SUR ADOUR. The full walk is (28 km) but guests can opt for a shorter walk (8 km or 17 km) if they prefer. The shorter walk takes 2-4 hours to walk, the longer walk 5-7 hours. The walk is fairly flat: Nogaro is at 100m above sea level and Aire is at 80m above sea level. The path passes by several ancient farmhouses, along the vineyards towards Lanne-Soubiran and onwards towards Barcellone-du-Gers, a small town adjacent to Aire. From Barcellone the scenery changes, The vineyards give way to trees: oaks, pines and chestnuts until one finally arrives in the beautiful town of Aire-sur-Adour, on the mighty Adour river. From Aire, guests take the bus back to Nogaro.

Day 5: Leave after brunch.
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change

Getting Here

Location icon Esprit Meraki, Esprit Meraki, 32400 Nogaro, France

Directions

The easiest way to get here is to fly to Toulouse airport, take the train to Auch, and visit the glorious cathedral with its exceptional hand-carved choir - the Camino de Santiago goes through Auch and many walkers stop at this famous cathedral. You can check your luggage into temporary storage at the station. When you have had a scrumptious lunch at one of the sidewalk bistros on the square in front of the cathedral, you take the bus to Nogaro, where you'll be picked up and transferred to the retreat. The bus station is right next to the train station. The trip from Toulouse vua Auch to Nogaro - takes about 3-4 hours and costs about 20-30 euros (train plus bus.) Or you could rent a car or take a taxi.

Accommodation

In the sun-blessed south of France, 3km from a lively village, hidden in the heart of an ancient forest, you'll find lush meadows surrounding a 200+-year old authentic and sympathetically restored French farmhouse. The farmhouse is the much-appreciated, much-loved home of three Friesian mares, a Borzoi (Russian greyhound) and three intimidating cats - they intimidate the dog, if no one else. Further afield, you'll find vineyards, sunflower fields, more woods, and more sunflower fields, medieval villages, bottomless lakes, orchards, and of course, the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. And maybe two or three time-traveling musketeers. This easily accessible retreat venue is within less than 2 hours' drive from 5 international airports, in the foothills of the Pyrenées mountains, 90-120 minutes north of the Spanish border and 90-120 min east of the Atlantic Ocean. The downstairs bedrooms, the Sunset bedroom and the Sunrise bedroom, each has two comfortable beds, direct access outide and views of the garden, woods, and surrounding meadows. Fresh towels and linens, an iron and ironing board (used only very rarely!) and a hairdryer are provided. There is free, off-road, safe and shade parking and several seating spots around the house.

Accommodation
Single Bedroom
Accommodation
Double Bedroom for 2 people travelling together

Venue & Amenities

Venue & Amenities
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent
This authentic Landaise farmhouse, some 200 years old and lovingly restored, with its sourrounding 5 acres of meadows, has two double guest bedrooms on the ground floor with glorious views of the surrounding woods, meadows, vineyards and sunflower fields.

Meals

Menu
Menu

Menu Types

Our food is simple but delicious and we aim to give your digestive tract as much of a rest as the rest of you while feeding your body as well and as generously as your mind.

What's Included

  • 4 nights accommodation in an authentic half-timbered landaise farmhouse
  • Wholesome brunches, delicious dinners (except dinner on day 4) with the option at brunch to make sandwiches to have during the walk
  • Pick-up and drop-off in Nogaro at the start and end of the retreat
  • Transport to and from the starting and end points of the Camino on each walking day
  • Free high-speed Wifi connection

What's Not Included

  • Transport costs to local airports (flights) –
  • Transport from local airports to the retreat
  • Personal Health Insurance and/or Travel Insurance (we highly recommend insurance cover in case you need to cancel)
  • A massage at the end of the walk (subject to availability)
  • Extra day/night bed-and-breakfast (starts at €89pp) at the start of the retreat
  • Dinner on days 4 ~ we have this meal at restaurants nearby to support local small business owners (15-30 euro, depending on your choices)
  • Alcoholic beverages

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