introduction

“The real home of man is not his house but the road. Life itself is a travel that has to be done by foot“

Bruce Chatwin

The only way to get in-depth knowledge of the reality of a country and its territory requires a great deal of time and patience. There is nothing better for this purpose than using the oldest means of transport – ourselves, our feet.

Moving slowly, we can capture multiple details that otherwise would go unnoticed. At the same time, we can recognise our own physical and mental strength – far greater than we might think – and we also embark on a second journey, the inner journey.

ANDANTES was created to give itself to the cause of these great, slow journeys on foot. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela was chosen to be its calling card, because it is among the best known and valued long pedestrian routes in the world.

For more than a thousand years, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela has been focused on a sacred goal, and that is the reason for its dramatic success. This makes it different from other hiking routes that may offer greater natural or landscape richness.

The Carmino de Santiago has also been able to adapt to modern times. Beyond its religious origin, it has become more open to all of humanity as a favourable route for reflection, personal growth and encounters with others.

In ANDANTES, we put our best foot forward, body and soul, to ensure you enjoy everything these routes can offer you, based on our 35 years of experience walking these paths.

We use another universal image to do that – Don Quixote, the quintessential knight errant, and Sancho Panza, his wise squire. They are like two sides of the same coin and comprise both the idealism that lets the imagination wander and the realism that makes sure its feet are always firmly on the ground.