Centuries ago, pilgrims from the UK and Ireland wanting to reach Santiago de Compostela would make part of their journey by sea.
In 2023, Simon Jenkins, Ned Spencer and Peter Hore took the initiative to organize a unique journey to reenact such pilgrimages. Consequently, on June 8, 2024, a group of 36 intrepid pilgrims embarked in Cornwall to sail from the port of Fowey to A Coruña in Spain for 8 days and to walk the Camino Inglés to Santiago de Compostela. A journey at the crossroads of faith, history, sustainability and adventure.
In 2025 we will make this journey twice!
On May 14 and September 20, 2025, we will set sail from Fowey to sail to A Coruña, from where people can again, walk the Camino Ingles to Santiago de Compostela.
We board the ship in Fowey which is at the end of The Saints Way, an ancient pathway from Padstow on the north coast of Cornwall to Fowey on the south coast.
When all pilgrims are on board and have installed themselves, the crew gives a safety briefing, after which we sail down the beautiful Fowey Estuary to the open sea.
Once at sea, we raise our sails and let the ship find her rhythm. Both trips will be on sail training ships where everyone is involved in sailing as much as possible, together we sail to our destination. No sailing experience? No problem! We teach you everything you need to know along the way, from navigating to steering the ship and trimming the sails so you disembark as an old sea dog.
“Centuries ago pilgrims from the UK and Ireland wanting to reach Santiago de Compostela would make part of their journey by sea. ”
Crossing the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay is a challenge, which is exactly what tall ships are built for! The Bay of Biscay is stunningly beautiful. The deep ocean meets the European continental shelf and the long Atlantic waves hit the shallow waters, which can cause quite a stir. The sailing can be quite spectacular, but the experienced crew will have no trouble navigating the high seas. Riding the waves on a tall ship gives you a deep understanding of the beauty and magnitude of the ocean.
These vayages will be made on the “Twister”, a two-masted schooner with a lenght of 35 meters and Morgenster a two masted Clipper brik of 49 meter. On board, there is accommodation for passengers in 2- 3- and 4- berth cabins. Meals are prepared by a professional chef in the fully equipped galley.
Sailing is virtually emission-free. By organising this trip, we are offering an alternative to air travel and are making a first step towards truly sustainable passenger transport.
We sail into the night and all aboard are assigned watches. In this manner, we can continue sailing and everybody on board has enough time to rest, eat and sleep besides sailing. It is, however, not mandatory to stand all of your watches. Naturally, there is also plenty of time to relax, read a book and have stimulating conversations with your fellow travellers. The nights at sea are magical, though. Because of a complete lack of light pollution, you are not just stargazing; you can see the whole Milky Way laid out before you.
Arriving at A Coruna after a sea voyage is an unparalleled experience; try walking straight on those newly acquired sea legs!
