Do you have any recommendations for a mini Camino experience (3 days)?

[Newbie2]

We only have three days to walk, but we want to make the best of it! We are a small group of sturdy seniors. We would much prefer to spend our three quiet contemplative days hiking on paths through beautiful countryside over walking on the paved roads. However, we also need to avoid major elevation gains. We are not seeking Compostellas. A stretch of about 45-60 kilometers, with two overnight stops at would be ideal. We plan to carry day packs and book rooms at reasonably priced family hotels or B&B's and arrange for daily transfer of our luggage. Can anyone recommend a starting and ending place for us on the Vdlp that would meet our needs?

 

[LesBrass]

Hello Newbie - I can't help you with the Via de la Plata as I've yet to walk it but I've seen your question sat here all lonely so I thought I'd say hello.

Also, can you give a little more information... why the Via de la Plata? Where will you be starting from/travelling from? how do you plan to get to a fro the start point... just thinking that maybe this might help folks come up with some good ideas for you?

happy planning!

 

[Newbie2]

Hello, and thank you for your kind reply! I know a mini-Camino is a contradiction in terms (kind of like an iron butterfly!) I hope we are not offending by asking for help with this. Blogs etc. that I've looked at suggest that the leg from Sarria to Santiago de Compostella on the Camino Frances isn't very scenic compared with some of the other routes. Our idea is to travel by public transportation to Santiago de Compostella from Madrid, and take a local bus from there to our starting point. We would like to walk the last three days on an alternate route - the Vdlp or would another be better? and end up back in Santiago, if possible. If a three day span a little further out would be a better walking choice we could do that instead, and take a bus for the rest of the way in to Santiago de Compstella. All suggestions are welcome!

 

[LesBrass]

Hi Newbie... I can't imagine anyone would be offended by your request - they're a very jolly bunch here

It maybe that folks dont know what to suggest - I've walked the Camino Frances only once but there are folks here with loads more knowledge than me... I'm sure someone will be along soon with some good advice.

One thought I had was the four days from Santiago to Muxia and Fisterra?

Maybe admin could move your request to the general area and it would maybe attract more attention?

 

[amancio]

3 days, if you are a keen strong walker, try from

Lugo (primitivo)
Arcade (Portugues)
Betanzos (Inglés)

or even try Santiago-Fisterra!

 

[Tia Valeria]

Have a look at the Gronze site. It gives all the Caminos with distances and elevations. You could consider part of the Inglés - maybe starting in Meson do Vento. It also has the short arm from Coruna. The other Caminos are under the link at the top of the Inglés page.

If you decide on the Inglés then you can download Johnnie W's guide - it covers both Coruna and Ferrol to Santiago with good directions and comments on cafés, views and terrain too.

 

[Mark Francis Auchincloss]

Yes you could start in Lalin the home of cocido, boiled pork which is a reasonably sized town so is easy to get to by pubic transport from Santiago, The stages would be to Silleda, Ponte Ulla and Santiago. The camino is beautiful including once you start to enter Santiago,it's not flat but I'm sure you will love it. There are plenty of accommodation options available on all of these places.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Pamplona to Estella? That's very scenic. One more day and Estella to Los Arcos is very pretty too.
I thought this part of the countryside was much more stunning than Santiago to Fisterra - and more interesting villages.

Or could I twist your arm to add a couple of days and do the Camino del Salvador? I know you said not too much elevation gain, but this is a spectacular route and you could take it slowly - I walked it with an eight year old and we just took our time. This would have the advantage of both Leon and Oviedo being easy to access by various transport options.

On the other hand, how about three perfectly flat days on the Meseta? No reason why not!

 

[RENSHAW]

Pamplona to Estella? That's very scenic.

This would be my choice - the bus from Madrid to Pamplona - 4.5 hours , a bus from Madrid to Santiago will take almost 9 hours at best. You may even consider Pamplona as a start/finish city and forget Santiago and the many hours wasted in a bus.

 

[Christobal72]

We only have three days to walk, but we want to make the best of it! We are a small group of sturdy seniors. We would much prefer to spend our three quiet contemplative days hiking on paths through beautiful countryside over walking on the paved roads. However, we also need to avoid major elevation gains. We are not seeking Compostellas. A stretch of about 45-60 kilometers, with two overnight stops at would be ideal. We plan to carry day packs and book rooms at reasonably priced family hotels or B&B's and arrange for daily transfer of our luggage. Can anyone recommend a starting and ending place for us on the Vdlp that would meet our needs?

Hello Newbie!

You could chose to walk from Cee-Finisterre-Lires-Muxia! Take the bus from Santiago to Finisterre and jump off in Cee. Not too tuff elevation and all along the coastline. You'll find B&B in both Finisterre and Lires. You'll get no campostella but both a Fisteriana and Muxiana if you want.
Buen Camino

 

[nellpilgrim]

SDC to Finisterre/or Muxia is a nice 3 day 'warm up' for you especially if you're contemplating making a longer pilgrimage later on and it's gorgeous scenery. Also nice opportunity meet some old hands who have walked from 'backaways' or beyond as they may well be in a mellow and expansive mood with the the end of their road in site (they're the scruffy looking ones with stained packs and faded gear)

 

[tyrrek]

I like Mydestinationgalicia's schedule. Seems to fit the bill very well. Ponte de Ulla looked like a great little place to stay overnight, but I just passed through.

 

[oursonpolaire]

If you're going to be on the Francese, Kiwi-family's Pamplona to Estella suggestion is excellent-- scenic and historic and delightful, with a good infrastructure. Another option for you might be Lugo to Melide on the Primitivo, then to Arzua on the Francese. This is a bucolic walk, and not crowded.

 

[knietz]

We only have three days to walk, but we want to make the best of it! We are a small group of sturdy seniors. We would much prefer to spend our three quiet contemplative days hiking on paths through beautiful countryside over walking on the paved roads. However, we also need to avoid major elevation gains. We are not seeking Compostellas. A stretch of about 45-60 kilometers, with two overnight stops at would be ideal. We plan to carry day packs and book rooms at reasonably priced family hotels or B&B's and arrange for daily transfer of our luggage. Can anyone recommend a starting and ending place for us on the Vdlp that would meet our needs?

Consider Finisterre to Santiago. Three days in Galicia on a less-crowded route. And walking it must be infinitely preferable to the nausea-inducing bus ride I endured between these towns last year.

Alternatively, it takes three days to get from Roncevalles to Pamplona. No mountains from memory, just manageable hills and lovely Basque countryside.

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

A bit outside the box, as an alternative you could consider walking one of Spain's "Vias Verdes" rails-to-trails routes. We've walked this one between Olot and Anglès in Catalunya twice. Gorgeous and easy on the knees (no steep grades).

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/travel/in-spain-hiking-along-the-volcanoes-of-catalonia.html