Starting early in the morning, you will leave Santander towards the village of Potes. You will have to cross the impressive gorge of the Hermida (a set of narrow gorges along the river Deva) on your way. Once in Potes, you will have the opportunity to do a short walking Pilgrimage to the Monastery of Santo Toribio (3 km from the village- about 45 min. of walking).
The Monastery of Santo Toribio is a holy place for Christianity as it keeps a piece of the cross in which Jesus Christ died. It is also famous for its Jubilee Year. When its door of forgiveness opens, a new Jubilee Year starts. It is closed now and it will be reopened in 2023
The importance of this Monastery was already known in the Middle Ages when the pilgrimage to the Monastery to see the Lignum Crucis was a must-visit for the Pilgrims who went to Santiago de Compostela. In addition, this place was in itself a place of pilgrimage, with its own identity due to the curative and miraculous powers attributed to the remains of the Saint of Astorga and to the Relic itself.
You will take the shortest possible route, in fact, it is the last part of the Lebaniego Way prior to arriving at the Monestry. At 12.00pm you will attend the mass of the pilgrim. After the mass, you will go back to Potes for lunch. You will enjoy a local dish called “Cocido Lebaniego” (a stew of chickpeas and meat). However, should you prefer another menu, please let us know at the time of booking.
After lunch, you will have some free time to visit Potes and do some shopping. During the afternoon, you will visit San Sebastian de Garabandal, a small village in the mountains where there were appearances of Virgin Mary from 1961 to 1965. You will have the opportunity here to walk up to the "Sanctuary of Los Pinos", the main place where the Virgin Mary appeared.
Lunch
Additional food and drinks
