Advice welcome: easy and short camino to take my mum for her 70th bday :)

[Princess Kaguya]

Dear pilgrim family,

This year will be my mum's 70th birthday and we are tentatively planning a short camino together in September. She is reasonably fit and I have done the Frances and the Primitivo before. I expect we'll be able to walk 10-15 km/day, no more.

Here are the criteria I am looking for:

• Difficulty: easy (mostly flat, some hills and the occasional mountain ok)
• Services: plenty en route (think Frances style or close
• Distance: 10-15 km/day
• Number of walking days at our disposal: 7 (+2 days for travel)
• Bonus: rucksack transportation option available on the route
• Arrival point: Santiago

Based on my research so far, I have narrowed it down to either the Ingles or the Portugues (coastal). If we pick the Portugues, we may need to start closer to Santiago because I can see that the average number of walking days is 13 (and we only have 7). Not sure how the Ingles and Portugues compare in terms of difficulty.

Any advice on which option to choose? Are there others that I am not considering?

Thank you in advance for your time!

 

[SabsP]

Portugues from Valença ( Portugal ) or Tui ( Spain ) would fit your criteria.

Is receiving a Compostela important for both of you?

Tui - Redondela | Camino Portugués Central | Gronze.com

Etapa algo larga; puede acortarse pernoctando en O Porriño o en las pequeñas aldeas de Veigadaña o Rúa (Mos). La jornada transcurre en un entorno urbanizado y con excesivo asfalto; afortunadamente, en 2013 se acondicionó un itinerario alternativo por el espacio natural de As Gándaras y río Louro...

www.gronze.com

 

[wjohnk]

Portuguese Coastal could fit your requirements. Five days at 15km a day is 105km - just enough for a Compostela. This means starting at Vigo. Less than 100km equals no Compostela. If a Compostela is not essential start at Pontevedra.

 

[ginniek]

Portuguese Coastal could fit your requirements. Five days at 15km a day is 105km - just enough for a Compostela. This means starting at Vigo. Less than 100km equals no Compostela. If a Compostela is not essential start at Pontevedra.

Sorry to be pendantic, but doesn't 5 X 15 = 75?

 

[ginniek]

For my 70th birthday I did the Sarria to Santiago section in 2017, which has longer daily distances than you specified (and I wish I had done shorter stretches). Maybe start from Palas de Rei instead of Sarria?

 

[Alex M]

I would suggest one of the Portuguese walks. I did the central one in two stages: Porto to Tui; Tui to Santiago. I think it is easy to ascertain, but I had the impression that the coastal walk involved far longer distances (?check Brierley). That as I recall was why I didn't try it, being also in my dotage. The first stage (all within Portugal) is really lovely and not a lot of people - fabulous nature and a very quiet experience apart from the constantly barking dogs. The second stage (Tui to Santiago) was a bit like the Boston marathon, not so much my cup of tea. If you insist on ending in S, I would suggest working back time-wise from Santiago back down the Portuguese central route, and if you can spend an extra night in Pontevedra. It's a lovely, fascinating city, and your mother will enjoy it and the rest. There's a very professional firm who will take care of mochila transport anywhere between Porto and Santiago: Tuitrans. The Brierley P map book will give you everything you need for planning.

 

[Former member 49149]

All the best, your Royal Highness. You have done some research. I walked the Ingles last summer. There are a couple of steep bits, alright. the infrastructure is excellent. You just need to say the word and you will get lots of helpful tips, or just go to the sub forum for the Ingles. As a 70++ and a half, I loved it. After I forgot about the hills. We took 6 days, so you should manage - easily - in 7. But mind you, with all the extra bits of walking we clocked up 119km. if you tried from A Coruña That is shorter, though I don‘t know about the infrastructure before it joins the Ferrol route. Whatever, wherever, you are so lucky to be planning your camino with your mother. Be sure to take your lightest tiara...

 

[NiniSum]

I walked the Camino Inglés last year in 6 days, and you can easily break it up to use your 7 days available. However there will still be days that may be just above 20km to keep within 7 days.

Ferrol - Neda (15.5km)
Neda - Pontedeume (16km)
Pontedeume - Miño (10km) and Miño - Betanzos (10km)
Betanzos - Presedo (11 km)
Presedo - Hospital de Bruma (14km + 1.9km to Meson do Vento for various accommodations) Also there is nothing between Presedo and Bruma except a bit of a steady climb. Very beautiful though! You could also go 8 km further to Casa Dona Maria, a wonderful place to stay and great food. That would shorten the next day. Because this stretch has no options for stopping it makes it harder to break it up. You can get a cab from Bruma to Casa Dona Maria to decrease the walking distance.
H. de Bruma - Sigüeiro (25.6km).
Sigüeiro - Santiago (16.4km)

Correos can do luggage transfer, and this can be arranged online prior to leaving but you will need to have accommodations pre-booked.

The route is not flat, and the climb out of Pontedeume is challenging but do-able. We took walking poles and I would recommend them for this route. The signage is very good, and depending on the time of year there are quite a few less people than you would encounter on C. Francés. We saw less than10 people during the 6 days.

The other suggestion of Sarria, or possibly Lugo on the Primitivo, as a start point would be good. Enough kilometres to gain a Compostela and flatter terrain than the Inglés. We used the Brierley and I downloaded Johnnie Walker's guide from the CSJ site

Enjoy your planning!

 

[Princess Kaguya]

Thank you to all for all your kind and helpful replies! There is still a bit of time and this will allow me to do extra research. I am reassured to see that I am on the right track considering the Portugues and Ingles. I also thought about doing the last ~100 Km of the Frances, but then I think it would be more meaningful to me to do something completely new together.

Does the Bierly book include both the coastal and the inland Portugues? I can't see this info looking at the back cover of the book. Also, Amazon tells me it was published in 2005. Does anyone know if there is a more recent edition?

Thanks again!

 

[Via2010]

I think Tui - Santiago is one option, Muxía via Fisterra to Santiago the other (if you want to recieve a Compostela).

I walked both caminos with my parents, when they were in their early 70s, and they had no problems with stages up to 20/22 km, though they did not use backpack-transport. So it should be feasible.

Possible stages Tui - Santiago (120 km):
1. Tui - O Porrino (18 km, but reasonably flat)
2. O Porrino - Redondela (16 km, a bit more hilly)
3. Redondela - Pontevedra (19 km, but no reasonable stop inbetween)
4. Pontevedra - Briallos (17 km)
5. Briallos - Valga (15 km)
6. Valga - O Faramello/Teo (19 km, but very flat again)
7. O Faramello/Teo - Santiago (14 km)

Here is a planning-tool: Planning Camino Portugues

or possible stages Muxía-Santiago (120 km):
1. Muxía - Lires (15 km)
2. Lires - Fisterra (15 km)
3. Fisterra - Cee (16 km)
4. Cee - O Logoso (14 km)
5. O Logoso - Lago (11 km)
6. Lago - A Pena (18 km)
7. A Pena - Castelo (19 km)
8. Castelo - Santiago (11 km)

With one more day you could do
6. Lago - Vilaserío (14 km)
7. Vilaserío - Negreira (11 km)
8. Negreira - Castelo (11 km)
9. Castelo - Santiago (11 km)

If the Compostela is not important for your mum, you may do it the other way round or start from Fisterra (2 days less, but Fisterra-Muxía is really nice).

Here is a planning-tool for Santiago-Fisterra

If you prebook your accomodation, you do not have to hurry and with some breaks stages up to 20 km should be no Problem, especially if you use backpack-transport (which is available on both routes).

BC
Alexandra

 

[lt56ny]

If the Compostela is not important than I think walking the Coastal route out of Porto would be really lovely. Especially if you take the Metro and skip walking through the city. Porto is beautiful but I do not (I have only heard) think the walk to the coast is that nice. It is easy walking with lots of places to stay and leaving in September you should have really nice weather. I have never walked this way but I know accommodations can be more expensive if you choose not to stay in albergues. Being seaside destinations I would imagine that weekends would still be crowded. I also love Portugal.

 

[trecile]

Especially if you take the Metro and skip walking through the city. Porto is beautiful but I do not (I have only heard) think the walk to the coast is that nice

I really enjoyed the walk along the river to the coast, starting at the Cathedral.

 

[lt56ny]

I really enjoyed the walk along the river to the coast, starting at the Cathedral.

I will be doing it within the next year or so. My schedule is VDLP and one more CP. This time when I get to Porto I will make a left until my feet get wet and then make another right and keep walking.

 

[NiniSum]

Thank you to all for all your kind and helpful replies! There is still a bit of time and this will allow me to do extra research. I am reassured to see that I am on the right track considering the Portugues and Ingles. I also thought about doing the last ~100 Km of the Frances, but then I think it would be more meaningful to me to do something completely new together.

Does the Bierly book include both the coastal and the inland Portugues? I can't see this info looking at the back cover of the book. Also, Amazon tells me it was published in 2005. Does anyone know if there is a more recent edition?

Thanks again!

The 11th edition of the Camino Portuguese guidebook by John Brierley was published just this year 2020. Make sure to order a newer edition as there are changes, new albergues etc. Check here: https://caminoguides.com/collection...tugues-lisbon-porto-santiago-by-john-brierley
or on this Forum site - 2020 Camino Guides (see above). Amazon may have the new one - just be sure to check editions/dates published.

 

[NiniSum]

If you do decide on the C. Portuguese, check out the Quinta Estrada Romana albergue. albergue-quinta-estrada-romana

This albergue was a renovation project undertaken by a Canadian couple, one of whom is from my province. They bought a rundown property around 2012/2013 and created an amazing place for pilgrims. I have not been but the feedback has been very good.