A few Invierno questions

[MichaelC]

I've started to look into alternate approaches into Santiago after reading so many postings about the crowds and commercialization of the Camino after Sarria. I just finished browsing the great guide that Laurie & all put together, and the Invierno sounds very tempting.

I do have a couple questions on the route, though:

Costs - These seem to be higher than the Francés, with more pensións and fewer albergues. Does budgeting 35€ to 40€ per day sound about right?

Other peregrinos - Has anyone noticed an increase in peregrinos now that the Invierno is an officially recognized Camino? I love the idea of a quieter camino, and experiencing a deeper connection to Galicia itself, but don't like the idea of being the only one on the road.

Planning ahead - It sounds like it's a good idea to make reservations on this route. Is planning one day ahead fine, or would you recommend more advanced planning?

I won't be walking until the fall, and won't actually make any firm decisions until I approach Ponferrada; right now I'm just researching options so that I'll be able to make a good choice when the time comes.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Michael, you're probably hoping to hear from people other than me, since you already know what I think! But I can't resist a thread on the Invierno.

Costs -- definitely higher than staying in albergues on the Francés, but less than on a camino like the Norte with all its tourist seaside villages. You can control the food costs easily by buying in grocery stores, but in terms of lodging, I think 20-25 is usually doable.

Other pilgrims -- I think you need to wait a bit to see, but @pilgr reported that he didn't see others (he just finished the Invierno a day or two ago). I keep thinking that this year will be different, though.

Planning ahead -- Unless you are going to be there when there is something going on, this is such an untouristed part of Spain that I don't think reservations are necessary. Asún likes a heads up since the albergue is her home, but other than that, I don't think you need to worry about it. If you like to know where you are going when you arrive rather than walk around and look for a place, of course you can call ahead and reserve.

I'm hoping we will be hearing from lots of forum members who have taken the plunge and walked the Invierno, but I've been hoping that for years! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[gracethepilgrim]

Next on my list Laurie - maybe with the Madrid next year.

 

[AJ]

Costs - These seem to be higher than the Francés, with more pensións and fewer albergues. Does budgeting 35€ to 40€ per day sound about right?

Other peregrinos - Has anyone noticed an increase in peregrinos now that the Invierno is an officially recognized Camino? I love the idea of a quieter camino, and experiencing a deeper connection to Galicia itself, but don't like the idea of being the only one on the road.

Planning ahead - It sounds like it's a good idea to make reservations on this route. Is planning one day ahead fine, or would you recommend more advanced planning?

I walked the Invierno last year.

Costs: yes higher than the Frances. Budget would depend on what/where you eat and drink. It isn't all expensive. I usually keep a record of costs but didn't on this one. I would budget 40-45 (which includes beer, wine and menu del dia) and expect to have some left over.

Other peregrinos: Apart from a group of 5 Spaniards who were only doing part of the route, I saw few. There were surprisingly few on the last days into SdC which is on the Sanabres

Didn't reserve in advance and didn't need to.

 

[KinkyOne]

I've started to look into alternate approaches into Santiago after reading so many postings about the crowds and commercialization of the Camino after Sarria. I just finished browsing the great guide that Laurie & all put together, and the Invierno sounds very tempting.

I do have a couple questions on the route, though:

Costs - These seem to be higher than the Francés, with more pensións and fewer albergues. Does budgeting 35€ to 40€ per day sound about right?

Other peregrinos - Has anyone noticed an increase in peregrinos now that the Invierno is an officially recognized Camino? I love the idea of a quieter camino, and experiencing a deeper connection to Galicia itself, but don't like the idea of being the only one on the road.

Planning ahead - It sounds like it's a good idea to make reservations on this route. Is planning one day ahead fine, or would you recommend more advanced planning?

I won't be walking until the fall, and won't actually make any firm decisions until I approach Ponferrada; right now I'm just researching options so that I'll be able to make a good choice when the time comes.

Nothing really to add to Laurie's and AJ's posts. I walked it in 2014 and had the way all to myself but according to official stats the numbers are rising steadily every year. In the summer it would be more likely to meet someone than in the fall I guess but anyway you'll hit the Sanabres after A Laxe and it won't be so solitary.

Happy planning

 

[MikeJS]

I am on the Sureste atm and so far it's only me! At the end of the Sureste I plan to walk the last bit of the Via de la Plata then turn left on the Francis to finally go on the Invierno. So if you look at my live post on the Sureste section you should get some extra info.

 

[jl]

I walked the Invierno late last year and didn't see another pilgrim till I joined the Sanabres on the last evening. I have done a cut and past on a previous post of the distances and costs I had, but will repeat it here. I chose to stay in hostals / pensions / hotels as I really didn't want to have to keep repacking my sleeping bag each day. I decided that this accommodation was so reasonable, compared to other places that I could afford to do so - and I must say I enjoyed the luxury of sheets and towels each night (not to mention a bath, as opposed to a shower, to soak in every few days)

You will find my blog here, http://offwanderingagain.blogspot.com.au/

and below are the places I stayed in, along with the cost. Cheers, Janet

Day 1. Thursday 20th Oct. Ponferrada to Borrenes, 22. Kms. Centro de Turismo Rural Cornatel. €40
Day 2. 21st Oct. to Puenta de Domingo Flórez de Valdeorras, 17.3 Kms. Hostal Restaurante La Torre. €34
Day 3. 22nd Oct. to O Barco de Valdeorras. 22.1 Kms. Pensión do Lar €25
Day 4. 23rd Oct. to A Rûa de Valdeorras. 14 kms. Hostal Niza €18. (own shower & basin, shared toilet)
Day 5. 24th Oct. to Quiroga. 29.5 Kms. Hostal Quiper €17
Day 6. 25th Oct. to Pobra do Brollón. 26.03 Kms. Hostal As Viñas, Dinner, bed & Breakfast €34
Day 7. 26th Oct. to Monforte de Lemos. 16.7 Kms. Hotel Puenta Romano room + brekky €20
Day 8. 27th Oct. to Chantada. 32.7 Kms. Hotel Mogay. €33.
Day 9. 28th Oct. to Rodeiro. 24.4 Kms. Hospedaxe O Guerra dinner bed and breakfast €32
Day 10. 29th Oct. to Lalin. 19Kms. Hotel Palacio. Dinner, bed and breakfast €35
Day 11. 30th Oct. to Ponte Ulla. 38.6kms. Bar Rios. Dinner, bed & breakfast €27
Day 12. 31st Oct. to Santiago de Compostela. San Martin Pinario €92 (€23 per night - pilgrim room) bed & breakfast for 4 nights

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I've started to look into alternate approaches into Santiago after reading so many postings about the crowds and commercialization of the Camino after Sarria. I just finished browsing the great guide that Laurie & all put together, and the Invierno sounds very tempting.

I do have a couple questions on the route, though:

Costs - These seem to be higher than the Francés, with more pensións and fewer albergues. Does budgeting 35€ to 40€ per day sound about right?

Other peregrinos - Has anyone noticed an increase in peregrinos now that the Invierno is an officially recognized Camino? I love the idea of a quieter camino, and experiencing a deeper connection to Galicia itself, but don't like the idea of being the only one on the road.

Planning ahead - It sounds like it's a good idea to make reservations on this route. Is planning one day ahead fine, or would you recommend more advanced planning?

I won't be walking until the fall, and won't actually make any firm decisions until I approach Ponferrada; right now I'm just researching options so that I'll be able to make a good choice when the time comes.

Hi,

Other peregrinos: I walked the Invierno in July 2015 and saw no other pilgrim... I wonder if there are even fewer chances to bump into other people when fall comes? When there's a general decline of peregrinos in Spain (compared to July/August, I mean)?

 

[MichaelC]

Thanks for all the input!

It might be nice to finish the Camino with a period of solo walking. I'll have to ponder this. I'm social enough, but in large crowds I tend to withdraw. A communal dinner with ten people sounds like heaven. A communal dinner with 120 sounds like the other place.

For me, the strongest appeal so far is that 1) it sounds like a pilgrim would have a more intense, direct connection with Galician culture, 2) I'd have to rely on my Spanish, and 3) the amount of love some people on the forum have for this trail. The last is always a good sign, right, that something is special and unique in the world?

edit: oh, jl, your blog is beautiful! I'll be there in late October too, and I wasn't sure about the weather - but now I am sold.

 

[gittiharre]

I walked the Invierno late last year and didn't see another pilgrim till I joined the Sanabres on the last evening. I have done a cut and past on a previous post of the distances and costs I had, but will repeat it here. I chose to stay in hostals / pensions / hotels as I really didn't want to have to keep repacking my sleeping bag each day. I decided that this accommodation was so reasonable, compared to other places that I could afford to do so - and I must say I enjoyed the luxury of sheets and towels each night (not to mention a bath, as opposed to a shower, to soak in every few days)

You will find my blog here, http://offwanderingagain.blogspot.com.au/

and below are the places I stayed in, along with the cost. Cheers, Janet

Day 1. Thursday 20th Oct. Ponferrada to Borrenes, 22. Kms. Centro de Turismo Rural Cornatel. €40
Day 2. 21st Oct. to Puenta de Domingo Flórez de Valdeorras, 17.3 Kms. Hostal Restaurante La Torre. €34
Day 3. 22nd Oct. to O Barco de Valdeorras. 22.1 Kms. Pensión do Lar €25
Day 4. 23rd Oct. to A Rûa de Valdeorras. 14 kms. Hostal Niza €18. (own shower & basin, shared toilet)
Day 5. 24th Oct. to Quiroga. 29.5 Kms. Hostal Quiper €17
Day 6. 25th Oct. to Pobra do Brollón. 26.03 Kms. Hostal As Viñas, Dinner, bed & Breakfast €34
Day 7. 26th Oct. to Monforte de Lemos. 16.7 Kms. Hotel Puenta Romano room + brekky €20
Day 8. 27th Oct. to Chantada. 32.7 Kms. Hotel Mogay. €33.
Day 9. 28th Oct. to Rodeiro. 24.4 Kms. Hospedaxe O Guerra dinner bed and breakfast €32
Day 10. 29th Oct. to Lalin. 19Kms. Hotel Palacio. Dinner, bed and breakfast €35
Day 11. 30th Oct. to Ponte Ulla. 38.6kms. Bar Rios. Dinner, bed & breakfast €27
Day 12. 31st Oct. to Santiago de Compostela. San Martin Pinario €92 (€23 per night - pilgrim room) bed & breakfast for 4 nights

Hi JL. Great blog. I just have couple of questions. There are a few 30 plus km stages. Is it possible to shorten these or is there no accommodation in between?
Thank you very much Gitti

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi JL. Great blog. I just have couple of questions. There are a few 30 plus km stages. Is it possible to shorten these or is there no accommodation in between?
Thank you very much Gitti

Hi, Gitti, thanks for that post because it gives me another chance to promote the Invierno guide in the Resources section. There are multiple suggestions in it for how to shorten the stages. And I can tell you that this guide was a labor of love and a big group effort from forum members. Have a look and let us know if you have questions. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[KinkyOne]

I walked the Invierno late last year and didn't see another pilgrim till I joined the Sanabres on the last evening. I have done a cut and past on a previous post of the distances and costs I had, but will repeat it here. I chose to stay in hostals / pensions / hotels as I really didn't want to have to keep repacking my sleeping bag each day. I decided that this accommodation was so reasonable, compared to other places that I could afford to do so - and I must say I enjoyed the luxury of sheets and towels each night (not to mention a bath, as opposed to a shower, to soak in every few days)

You will find my blog here, http://offwanderingagain.blogspot.com.au/

and below are the places I stayed in, along with the cost. Cheers, Janet

Day 1. Thursday 20th Oct. Ponferrada to Borrenes, 22. Kms. Centro de Turismo Rural Cornatel. €40
Day 2. 21st Oct. to Puenta de Domingo Flórez de Valdeorras, 17.3 Kms. Hostal Restaurante La Torre. €34
Day 3. 22nd Oct. to O Barco de Valdeorras. 22.1 Kms. Pensión do Lar €25
Day 4. 23rd Oct. to A Rûa de Valdeorras. 14 kms. Hostal Niza €18. (own shower & basin, shared toilet)
Day 5. 24th Oct. to Quiroga. 29.5 Kms. Hostal Quiper €17
Day 6. 25th Oct. to Pobra do Brollón. 26.03 Kms. Hostal As Viñas, Dinner, bed & Breakfast €34
Day 7. 26th Oct. to Monforte de Lemos. 16.7 Kms. Hotel Puenta Romano room + brekky €20
Day 8. 27th Oct. to Chantada. 32.7 Kms. Hotel Mogay. €33.
Day 9. 28th Oct. to Rodeiro. 24.4 Kms. Hospedaxe O Guerra dinner bed and breakfast €32
Day 10. 29th Oct. to Lalin. 19Kms. Hotel Palacio. Dinner, bed and breakfast €35
Day 11. 30th Oct. to Ponte Ulla. 38.6kms. Bar Rios. Dinner, bed & breakfast €27
Day 12. 31st Oct. to Santiago de Compostela. San Martin Pinario €92 (€23 per night - pilgrim room) bed & breakfast for 4 nights

Hola, Janet,

How come you paid 34€ in Hostal La Torre in Puente de Domingo Florez? In 2014 I managed to get pilgrim discount and subsequently paid 20€ for room with shared bathroom but with wash basin.

Nice blog BTW

Have a nice day!

 

[jl]

How come you paid 34€ in Hostal La Torre in Puente de Domingo Florez? In 2014 I managed to get pilgrim discount and subsequently paid 20€ for room with shared bathroom but with wash basin.

Hola, I had one of those head sets at this place. I wanted a room to myself with my own bathroom and because Las Medulas didn't seem to have anything open or available (I had the booking.com head set!!!), I booked a room. When I arrived, the owner (via his lovely young daughter at the bar) told me to cancel the more expensive online booking I had made and gave me the room at a pilgrim rate. I wanted a room to myself with no security issues with charging camera etc - plus my own bathroom. I must say that it was worth every penny. I was able to wallow in a beautiful hot bath and relax all the muscles that were tender after the long steady descent into the town. Sometimes you just have to do something like that! The owners at that place were so friendly and helpful.

Great blog. I just have couple of questions. There are a few 30 plus km stages. Is it possible to shorten these or is there no accommodation in between?
Thank you very much Gitti

Hi Gitti, I followed, more or less, Laurie's guide. Sometimes I broke stages up, others I went further. It is quite explicit as to where accommodation is, and where it isn't. I even went to the extent of staying in the recommended places when there was a choice - and would recommend them myself. I also made the last couple of days a bit longer so that I could have an extra day in Santiago. Mind you that last day from Ponte Ulla is a killer! Especially after the long day that I had before. The walk into Santiago felt as if it would never end, and I think that was because I had such a big day the day before, though there is quite a bit of up and down from Ponte Ulla as well, which doesn't help.
Cheers, Janet

 

[MichaelC]

I don't know if this will help anyone walking this summer, but I made a one-page reference sheet of places to stay on the Invierno. Putting this together has helped me get a sense of the distances involved, and the options, so I figured I'd pass it on. This is all pulled from the Laurie's guide, with a few add-ons that I saw on Gronze. And I didn't even try to be complete - I focused on places open in the fall, and looked at prices for a single person, and only copied down a few that were over 35 euro.

I also noticed that the recommended 15-day walk is only 14 days!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hi JL. Great blog. I just have couple of questions. There are a few 30 plus km stages. Is it possible to shorten these or is there no accommodation in between?
Thank you very much Gitti

I had my plan mapped out for 15 days (some would do it in 9) and distances of approximately 23km at the most. It may have involved spending two nights in the same place, walking in the am, returning by train in the afternoon, and taking the train again the next morning to where I would have stopped walking the day before.

 

[gittiharre]

Hola, I had one of those head sets at this place. I wanted a room to myself with my own bathroom and because Las Medulas didn't seem to have anything open or available (I had the booking.com head set!!!), I booked a room. When I arrived, the owner (via his lovely young daughter at the bar) told me to cancel the more expensive online booking I had made and gave me the room at a pilgrim rate. I wanted a room to myself with no security issues with charging camera etc - plus my own bathroom. I must say that it was worth every penny. I was able to wallow in a beautiful hot bath and relax all the muscles that were tender after the long steady descent into the town. Sometimes you just have to do something like that! The owners at that place were so friendly and helpful.


Hi Gitti, I followed, more or less, Laurie's guide. Sometimes I broke stages up, others I went further. It is quite explicit as to where accommodation is, and where it isn't. I even went to the extent of staying in the recommended places when there was a choice - and would recommend them myself. I also made the last couple of days a bit longer so that I could have an extra day in Santiago. Mind you that last day from Ponte Ulla is a killer! Especially after the long day that I had before. The walk into Santiago felt as if it would never end, and I think that was because I had such a big day the day before, though there is quite a bit of up and down from Ponte Ulla as well, which doesn't help.
Cheers, Janet

Thank you very much Janet.
Lots to look forward to.

 

[peregrina2000]

I don't know if this will help anyone walking this summer, but I made a one-page reference sheet of places to stay on the Invierno. Putting this together has helped me get a sense of the distances involved, and the options, so I figured I'd pass it on. This is all pulled from the Laurie's guide, with a few add-ons that I saw on Gronze. And I didn't even try to be complete - I focused on places open in the fall, and looked at prices for a single person, and only copied down a few that were over 35 euro.

I also noticed that the recommended 15-day walk is only 14 days!

Thanks, MichaelC, this goes in the folder of "invierno revisions, 2018." Hope you'll send me lots more.


But wait -- I just checked and saw that the short stages recommendation was 15 stages, so I must be missing something.

 

[MichaelC]

But wait -- I just checked and saw that the short stages recommendation was 15 stages, so I must be missing something.

I had to re-read it so many times before I finally noticed: there is no Day 13! Day 12 is Lalín to Silleda, and Day 14 is Silleda to Ponte Ulla.

Hope you'll send me lots more.

I'm continually tweaking my spreadsheets; I'll make sure and post my final Invierno one. They're fun to plan with. From what I've read, I want to aim for short days, or even rest days if I'm in the mood, in Las Médulas and Montforte de Lemos. These seem like the most interesting towns, yeah?

And I'm also trying to explore options that will include Dornelas, and the Albergue Casa Leiras 1886. I took a look at their Facebook page, and have seen a few good reviews online, and I just have a good feeling about the place. It looks like a nice, peaceful stop.

 

[peregrina2000]

Looks like you would make a great proofreader, Thanks for pointing that out. Maybe like hotels in the US that don't have a 13th floor, our supersticions got the best of us.

Monforte de Lemos is definitely the place with the most to do in terms of sights. I also like Barco de Valdeorras a lot, but it's a town not a city. If the weather is nice, down by the river park is a very wonderful place to be to watch the whole town enjoying life. As Médulas is, IMO well worth a good visit. Walking up to the miradores gives you a great view, and right next to one of them is a little ticket booth where you can pay a couple of euros and actually go inside and walk through the water channels. The little museum, which you pass right as you go into town, is also very interesting.

Chinasky, an Italian pilgrim who walked the Invierno in February, made a point of staying in Casa Leiras in Dornelas, since the owners are Italians. According to some neighborhood women I walked with for a while as they did their morning exercise, the couple did a tremendous amount of work in an excellent renovation. It is a well-loved albergue.

 

[amancio]

I don't know if this will help anyone walking this summer, but I made a one-page reference sheet of places to stay on the Invierno. Putting this together has helped me get a sense of the distances involved, and the options, so I figured I'd pass it on.

Winter is here... it is the most likely option for a group of friends from Granada at the beginning of June (after having a beer or two with Laurie in my hometown, Granada), we have done the Lebaniego-Vadiniense and Salvador, and this looks pretty much like our cup of tea. That spreadsheet is great value, gracias MichaelC! I have to review more things, moving a group of 8 or 10 is not easy (advanced booking is a MUST), and I am also considering starting in La Robla on the Olvidado to Ponferrada and then join the Invierno, but if in the Invierno accommodation is not that easy, I believe the Olvidado is even worse!

Also the 3 day around Valle del Silencio sounds very, very tempting... Leon is the most amazing place in Spain!