Burgos to Santiago: Suggestions for lingering, skipping

[design4life]

Hi All,
I walked in September from SJPP to Burgos with a friend and would like to return solo in May to walk from Burgos to Santiago.
On our first walk, we discovered that we enjoyed spending two nights in the cities -- Pamplona, Logroño and Burgos -- to sightsee, window shop, rest our feet, and enjoy the tapas and wine (especially at the fiesta in Logroño.) We had fixed return flights, so we compensated by taking bus or taxi and skipping stretches that we heard were either somewhat industrial or parallel to highways. This worked out so well! Although we didn't follow the Brierly stages exactly, we were on the Camino for 15 days, of which we walked 12 and rested for three. So I know my pace.
I would like suggestions for the stretch between Burgos and Santiago. Again, I have limited time -- exactly three weeks. Where would you recommend taking a rest day, and what would you consider skipping if time demanded it?
Thank you!

 

[Sheesh]

I think Leon would be a good place to have two nights, especially if you walk the entire route from Burgos.
If pressed for time, I would bus out of Leon to Hospital de Orbigo and begin my day's walk to Astorga.

 

[design4life]

Thanks, yes, Leon definitely looks like a stopping place, and I appreciate the suggestion to take the bus out.
(We were happy to ride part way in and out of Pamplona and Burgos. Entering and leaving Logroño by foot was fine.)

 

[waveprof]

Entering and leaving Logroño by foot was fine.)

Logrono has the nicest exit of any city (large or small) on the camino IMO And that is saying something because I wasn't overly enthralled by Logrono itself (maybe just bitter to have left Euskal Herria?). They truly have done a remarkable job. The way into Logrono is pretty nicely laid out too.

 

[Al the optimist]

Skipping! Isn't walking difficult enough? As for lingering, can I suggest bars?

 

[design4life]

waveprof -- I agree about the way out of Logroño, with that lovely urban park that led gently into the countryside. I recall a practically perfect morning after two nights of eating extraordinary tapas and drinking fabulous rioja at the San Mateo fiesta. I would recommend that anyone walking in September spend some in Calle Laurel during this harvest festival.
Al, if you'd seen my blisters you'd have been correct about walking AND skipping. Lingering at bars is, of course, an excellent way to heal one's feet, so your suggestions for favorites are much appreciated.

 

[naplesdon]

I am walking from Burgos with friends in August who have a similar time constants. Their goal is to get to Santiago in a little more than 3 weeks. I have suggested we walk as far as Moratinos and/or Sahagun and take the train to Leon. This means missing the Calzada Romana and the Elvis Bar, but in mu mind the landscape between Mansilla de las Mulas and Leon is worth skipping. The bus from Leon up the hill to la Virgen del Camino is highly recommended, then I'll walk the alternate route via Villar de Mazarife on the way to Hospital de Orbigo; but if you took a bus there instead, these two short cuts you have probably cut 4 to 5 days out of the proscribed stages.
FYI, I am only walking as far as Astorga with my friends and then taking the train to A Coruna/Ferrol to walk the Camino Ingles to Santiago. I will be in Santiago several days before them. Why, because I have walked the CF twice so I am willing to miss the Cruz de Ferro, etc., etc.

 

[Arn]

Here's my schedule for Burgos to Santiago then on to Muxia:

Day Distance Loc
1 Burgos Municipal Alb Burgos
2 Burgos
3 12.6 Rabe de las Calzades Alb RdlC Reserve a room

4 18.5 Hontanas Alb Santa Brigida Reserve a room

5 18.5 Puente Fitero Hostal San Nicholas Res a room

6 Bus/Train Terradillos Templar Res a room

7 3.5 Moratinos Peaceable Kingdom Reserve a room

8 Moratinos

9 Bus/Train Sarria Monest de la Magadelena Res a room

10 22 PortoMarin Hostal Mirador

11 17.4 Airexe Hostal Airexe Res a room

12 15 Remonde A Bolboreta Res a room

13 20 ibadixo da Baixo Walkers Hostal Res a room

14 21 o Pino Casa Rural ASTRAR Res a room

15 21 SdC Hosp San Martín Pinario Res a room

16 SdC “ “

17 Bus to Negreira Alecrin Res a room

18 21.5 Santa Marina Casa Pepa Res a room

19 12 Olveiroa Pension As Pias Res a room

20 10.7 Dumbria Pilgrim Hostal

21 21.2 Muxia

Hope that helps.

Buen Camino,

Arn

 

[Rebekah Scott]

If you want to be a pilgrim on the pilgrimage, start in one place and just walk the trail that unfolds before you. Take the good with the bad. When you run out of time, go home. When time allows, return to that stopping place and keep walking from there.
The Camino is a pilgrimage. If you are skipping around for "highlights" and tapas and views, go for it -- it can be a great sightseeing tour. But don't expect it to be much of a pilgrimage.

 

[naplesdon]

If you want to be a pilgrim on the pilgrimage, start in one place and just walk the trail that unfolds before you. Take the good with the bad. When you run out of time, go home. When time allows, return to that stopping place and keep walking from there.
The Camino is a pilgrimage. If you are skipping around for "highlights" and tapas and views, go for it -- it can be a great sightseeing tour. But don't expect it to be much of a pilgrimage.

Hey Reb, you are on a roll today. I couldn't agree with you more with the exception of walking from Mansilla de las Mulas and that dreadful hike up the hill out of Leon which reminds me of walking the upper east side of NYC.

 

[Jo Jo]

If you need to skip bits for time reasons, I would recommend taking a bus or taxi into and out of the big cities (Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Ponferrada. Logrono is actually a nice walk and Astorga is not all that big). I ended up having to do this because the concrete of the urban walking was destroying my feet. Especially the long road walk into Ponferrada (after Molinaseca). We would just catch the bus from the last town outside the big city to the city center (the error we made was not realizing Ponferrada was a big city), and then often the municipal bus or a taxi back out to the city limits.

I also recommend skipping a very dangerous section of walking right next to a busy road with truck roaring past just mere feet away. The first section has a concrete barrier from Villafranca del Bierzo to Trabadelo (hot and unpleasant, but at least safe), but then the barrier ends just after Trabadelo all the way to Los Herrerias (where the Camino turns off on a much quieter road). If you are not going to walk the high route between Villafranca del Bierzo (which was actually our favorite part of the Camino, but very few people apparently walk it), I would skip the whole section from Ponferrada to Los Herrerias. Doing that you would miss a nice part walking though grape vines in there before Villafrance del Bierzo, and a great bakery with this amazing walnut and raisin bread, but, once you get a taxi out of Ponferrada, it is such a short bit before you hit that section of road walking that you might was well just get the taxi or bus to take you all the way to Los Hererias.

Buen Camino