Camino Madrid - total solitude?

[Sofia]

Hi all! I'm thinking of walking the camino Madrid in May and I have read that it is a very quiet route and I'm wondering how quiet? I have walked the camino frances before and looking for another route that is not as crowded, and the Madrid route is also a suitable length for the time I have. Though I would also like to meet some other pilgrims on the route to share parts of the journey.. would I be likely to meet other pilgrims on a daily basis or would I end up utterly alone for days...?? otherwise would it be better to do a part of the via de la plata? would I meet other pilgrims regularly on that route?

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Sofia,
Welcome to the forum. I walked the Camino de Madrid in May 2012. I met two pilgrims in Manzanares and we walked together till Simancas, where I wanted to turn off to visit Valladolid for a day. From there on, I met no other pilgrim. There seem to be more forum members planning the Madrid, and a number who have walked it recently, but if you search through the Camino de Madrid posts I think you will see that most of them, even the ones who walked more recently than I, had a similar experience with solitude.

It is an extremely well marked camino, great pilgrim infrastructure, interesting places to visit. If you can speak Spanish, you will be fine and will easily find company in the cafes and bars. People in these towns love to speak with pilgrims, because we are such a rarity on the Camino de Madrid.

I've also walked the Vdlp in May and you will certainly find more pilgrims there. It is a glorious time to walk, when I started in early May, I always had company at night, and sometimes during the day would walk with others if the mood was right, but I do love walking alone!

No doubt that if you want to be assured of more company, the Vdlp is going to be a safer bet. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[t2andreo]

Laurie:

Thanks for the update. I leave Monday to Madrid, and start walking towards Santiago on 7 April. Hopefully, this will be a quiet and peaceful Camino.

 

[Sofia]

Hi Laurie,

Thanks for the reply. I do find the Madrid route very interesting, though as much as I like walking alone, I do like to be around people in the evenings for dinner and drinks to lighten the mood! as for my spanish, I'd barely survive beyond ordering a coffee and a beer... so it sounds like via de la plata would be a better option! I'd have enough time do walk about half of it, is there a part which you would recommend?

 

[peregrina2000]

This is the eternal conundrum -- do you walk the first half, and then hope to be back to walk into Santiago on your return? Or do you start at the halfway point and walk into Santiago? I've added a couple of not to be missed cities to evanlow's response to your separate question, too.

May is a beautiful time to walk from Sevilla, not likely to be too hot yet, though you may have some hot days. But the wildflowers and fields will be in full bloom. I would look at a couple of blogs of people who have walked from Sevilla. ONe of the blogs in my signature below, and @Magwood has a wonderful blog from her Vdlp. She started in Malaga on the Mozarabe and then joined the Vdlp a bit further up, in Merida, I believe.

If having companionship is important to you, I think that the best thing is to start in a "typical starting place," and that would be one of the major cities. Others will be starting out like you and you are likely to fall in with them.

I'll follow up with your responses to your Vdlp thread, it's a great choice to have! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[jpflavin1]

Hi Laurie,

Thanks for the reply. I do find the Madrid route very interesting, though as much as I like walking alone, I do like to be around people in the evenings for dinner and drinks to lighten the mood! as for my spanish, I'd barely survive beyond ordering a coffee and a beer... so it sounds like via de la plata would be a better option! I'd have enough time do walk about half of it, is there a part which you would recommend?

Hi Laurie,

Thanks for the reply. I do find the Madrid route very interesting, though as much as I like walking alone, I do like to be around people in the evenings for dinner and drinks to lighten the mood! as for my spanish, I'd barely survive beyond ordering a coffee and a beer... so it sounds like via de la plata would be a better option! I'd have enough time do walk about half of it, is there a part which you would recommend?

Sofia

Why not consider the Primitivo? Roughly the same length as Madrid but more populated. Currently on the Madrid.

Joe

 

[J F Gregory]

Hi all! I'm thinking of walking the camino Madrid in May and I have read that it is a very quiet route and I'm wondering how quiet? I have walked the camino frances before and looking for another route that is not as crowded, and the Madrid route is also a suitable length for the time I have. Though I would also like to meet some other pilgrims on the route to share parts of the journey.. would I be likely to meet other pilgrims on a daily basis or would I end up utterly alone for days...?? otherwise would it be better to do a part of the via de la plata? would I meet other pilgrims regularly on that route?

The other day a merchant on the Camino Frances said during the summer the Camino turns from a pilgrimage to a procession. There are not many right now. Though during Holy Week many Spaniards walked. It was great to see families walking together with infants to teenagers.

 

[KinkyOne]

Sofia

Why not consider the Primitivo? Roughly the same length as Madrid but more populated. Currently on the Madrid.

Joe

How is it going, Joe? Colmenar was it?

Ultreia!

 

[walkmag]

Hi all! I'm thinking of walking the camino Madrid in May and I have read that it is a very quiet route and I'm wondering how quiet? I have walked the camino frances before and looking for another route that is not as crowded, and the Madrid route is also a suitable length for the time I have. Though I would also like to meet some other pilgrims on the route to share parts of the journey.. would I be likely to meet other pilgrims on a daily basis or would I end up utterly alone for days...?? otherwise would it be better to do a part of the via de la plata? would I meet other pilgrims regularly on that route?

Camino Portuguese might be nice for you . You could start from Porto.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I say stick with your original idea and do the Madrid! I always met at least one or two other people when I needed to, but never too many. It is the perfect walk in spring, a great treat for introverts especially.

 

[jpflavin1]

Sofia:

If you want interaction with other Pilgrims, this is probably not the Camino for you. Unless you speak Spanish. Then you can interact with the locals.

I am only two days into this route but find it unlikely many others will be walking it. In the current albergue Mataelpino. There were only two other Peregrino's last month both Spanish.

So far it is very beautiful and I would not want to discourage you from walking but if you want some company this might not be the best Camino.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Anniesantiago]

I loved the Madrid route in 2014.
But we saw only one maybe 3 other pilgrims and only for 1 night.
I'm going again in 13 days and am looking forward to the solitude.
It is a stunning route in Spring!

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Well the Madrid won't be solitary in June cause I will be there , he he!

Anyway I would go for the Vía de la Plata if you want to have a better chance at having company. I was there in 2012 and 2013 and both times there was a little group of pilgrims right from the first "gathering" in Guillena albergue and for the rest of the journey. Like 3-5 people. But we all went at different rhythms so the group dispersed and transformed almost every other day. And this was in late June-July when the heat scares most people off. If you go in spring there should be slightly more pilgrims.

Have fun!

/BP

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Hi Laurie,

Thanks for the reply. I do find the Madrid route very interesting, though as much as I like walking alone, I do like to be around people in the evenings for dinner and drinks to lighten the mood! as for my spanish, I'd barely survive beyond ordering a coffee and a beer... so it sounds like via de la plata would be a better option! I'd have enough time do walk about half of it, is there a part which you would recommend?

So, May has come and gone... Did you choose the Plata or the Madrid route?

/BP

 

[Sofia]

So, May has come and gone... Did you choose the Plata or the Madrid route?

/BP

Just finished via de la plata, on my way to finisterre!

Cheers,

Sofia