LIVE from the Camino Advice on Norte now - Ribadeo to Santiago

[scroz]

Hi, am in need of some advice. Am currently doing the Norte, solo, having started from Oviedo. It's pretty empty, which is not in itself a problem, but I am beginning to worry about some of the safety aspects, particularly from Ribadeo into Galicia. One of the hostels I have reserved at (o Xistral) has already said that they are no longer doing meals because of Covid so you have to bring your own and from what I understand for a couple of days around that area there are not many cafes, shops, etc. Also, to put it in a bit of context, I had a very unpleasant incident happen a few days ago (police called, report filed - I may write about it in a separate post but dont want to go into details here), and so I am a bit concerned that this area may be pretty deserted and may not be such a wise idea at the moment. I am considering skipping a couple of stages if I can find some form of transport eg to Villalba. Or I could just stop at Ribadeo and leave the rest for another year. Any advice from those who have been through this part before much appreciated! I have bookings (either in hostels or hotels) but most are cancellable with a bit of notice.

Apart from the bad stuff, have been loving the Camino so far!

 

[Isca-camigo]

Sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. If I had to make a suggestion then it would be get to Mondenedo then make a choice about skipping a section or two. It does ( or did) have some infrastructure and towns between it and Ribadeo, you could always check in at the tourist info in Ribadeo and ask about buses for the sections ahead and get a timetable as well. You can can wander into Abadin before O Xistral to see if anything is open. There is a comedor ( dining room ) in a little secretive bar in Gontan but as most people don't know it's there they don't ask about it.
Mondenedo is a little town with much Camino history and seemed very friendly to pilgrims when I was there, again most people go through it without giving it much attention, but it is worth a visit.
Buen Camino
Ps if you feel edgy about lonely or quite stretches, which I sympathize with, then from Baamonde to Sabrado is the one to consider an alternative mode of getting there.

 

[Magwood]

I’m sorry I can’t offer any advice about the route from Ribadeo as I diverted onto the Ruta do Mar at this point. But I would advise you to trust your instincts about whether you want to continue. If you are feeling uncomfortable, perhaps you could take transport to another busier section of a different camino, although I have no idea how busy any camino is at present. Just trust your gut feelings - they are usually reliable.
Buen camino

 

[scroz]

An update - entering into Galicia in the Norte and suddenly things have got quite busy- plenty of people around (at some points I would almost say crowded, so I can only imagine what it is like in a normal year!). I guess also there are fewer alternative routes here compared to the Asturian part, so everyone is on the same path.

Not all albergues (nor bars/cafes on the route) are open but the ones that are seem to be quite busy.

 

[Mudcrone]

Maybe keep an eye out for other pilgrims while in Ribadeo, and ask if you can walk with them for a while.

 

[Thornley]

Hi, am in need of some advice. Am currently doing the Norte, solo, having started from Oviedo. It's pretty empty, which is not in itself a problem, but I am beginning to worry about some of the safety aspects, particularly from Ribadeo into Galicia. One of the hostels I have reserved at (o Xistral) has already said that they are no longer doing meals because of Covid so you have to bring your own and from what I understand for a couple of days around that area there are not many cafes, shops, etc. Also, to put it in a bit of context, I had a very unpleasant incident happen a few days ago (police called, report filed - I may write about it in a separate post but dont want to go into details here), and so I am a bit concerned that this area may be pretty deserted and may not be such a wise idea at the moment. I am considering skipping a couple of stages if I can find some form of transport eg to Villalba. Or I could just stop at Ribadeo and leave the rest for another year. Any advice from those who have been through this part before much appreciated! I have bookings (either in hostels or hotels) but most are cancellable with a bit of notice.

Apart from the bad stuff, have been loving the Camino so far!

I think the area you are worried about is from Baamonde to Sobrado , its around 40km .
Miraz was always the epicentre of this section but if this is closed do me a favour Scroz
Get into the spare willy [ wallet] and when you get to Miraz or even a bit further on ring
Hotel Rural Bi Terra , Reguela and be treated like a king/queen .
If you cant affords an extra few euros share a room and have less beer in SDC
They will collect and drop you off .
It was a very popular stop for many when we did the Norte.
If Miraz is open its fun , we loved it , but you get there too early thus thus reason why we stayed in the hotel on the other occasions.