Alternative Routes

[rupertb]

Good evening

As an aspring pilgim (no committed schedule, no plans yet - only a yearning

I was wondering about alternative routes, perhaps paralleling the main caminos.

It seems that at some times of the year (although maybe not quite the nicest times to be walking...?) places can get quite busy - one poster referred to the "camino rush" and I have to admit that sounds stressful.

So I was wondering about the practicality of a parallel route, to a degree "making my own camino", particularly along the later, busier stretches of the Camino Frances (although at that point many of the other paths have "funnelled" into it)

Of course, there is a trade-off between tranquillity and companionship.
And I am not sure where I strike the balance.

Are there other refugios or albergues aside from on the main paths? Or other places that will accomodate peregrinos. Or are there alternate paths with hostels - analagous to French Gites d'etapes (not camino specific, just for any walkers)? Alternatively, is it best to plan on a tent ?

Any suggestions or references? (Maybe I just need to research long distance pasths in Spain and buy a good map?)

 

[Peter Robins]

for info on the supported routes, i.e. maintained by a Jacobean org and/or local governments, see my website http://www.peterrobins.co.uk/camino/
Of course, you don't have to follow an official route and can make your own along minor roads and field tracks if you wish, but as maps of Spain aren't too hot this is not easy. There is little traffic on most of the minor roads, but a lot of the EU finance Spain has received in recent years has gone into covering them with tarmac.

For a starter on long-distance paths in Spain, see http://www.fedme.es/FEDME/Senderos/principal.asp though this has not been updated for quite some time. Few of them are much use for getting to Santiago, and there are no walkers' hostels outside the popular mountain areas. Small hotels and guesthouses are however not expensive in rural Spain.

 

[Deleted member 397]

I strongly recommend the via de la plata. I walked this route in may-beautiful time to go.The most i encountered was 14 pilgrims in one refugio early on-thereafter often no one else. varied scenerey too.give it some thought before it too becomes overcrowded-and it is very well waymarked.
kevin

 

[William Marques]

Alternate routes are what a lot of cyclists take a lot of the time. This gives you the opportunity of seeing things off the main route though obviously you will miss some things on it.

Are there other refugios or albergues aside from on the main paths? Or other places that will accomodate peregrinos. Or are there alternate paths with hostels - analagous to French Gites d'etapes (not camino specific, just for any walkers)?

The Casa Rurales http://rinconesdelmundo.com/casasrurales/ are similar to B+B / Chambre d' Hotes.

Buen Camino
William