Best 7 day walk on the Frances?

[FRM]

So I’ve never been able to convince a family member to come with me to Spain and walk. No amount of my fabulous photos, descriptions of a typical day, or raves about the food have worked. Until now! My son and his wife have agreed to walk with me for 7ish days in March. So now I’m trying to come up “perfect” 7 days on the Frances. My favorite sections are the Meseta and Galicia. Realizing the Meseta is an acquired taste I’m considering starting in Astorga and walking to Sarria or a day or two beyond. Advantages of this section are:
1. Easy connections to Astorga and Sarria.
2. Lots to do in Astorga.
3. Molinaseca and Vilafranca are nice Camino towns.
4. O’Cebreiro and Galicia

Disadvantages:
1. Two of the biggest climbs on the Frances.

Just wondering if I’m overlooking another section that may work, or forgetting something that may impact their trip. Comments and suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Frm

 

[David Tallan]

So I’ve never been able to convince a family member to come with me to Spain and walk. No amount of my fabulous photos, descriptions of a typical day, or raves about the food have worked. Until now! My son and his wife have agreed to walk with me for 7ish days in March. So now I’m trying to come up “perfect” 7 days on the Frances. My favorite sections are the Meseta and Galicia. Realizing the Meseta is an acquired taste I’m considering starting in Astorga and walking to Sarria or a day or two beyond. Advantages of this section are:
1. Easy connections to Astorga and Sarria.
2. Lots to do in Astorga.
3. Molinaseca and Vilafranca are nice Camino towns.
4. O’Cebreiro and Galicia

Disadvantages:
1. Two of the biggest climbs on the Frances.

Just wondering if I’m overlooking another section that may work, or forgetting something that may impact their trip. Comments and suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Frm

Do they like horses?

 

[MickMac]

So I’ve never been able to convince a family member to come with me to Spain and walk. No amount of my fabulous photos, descriptions of a typical day, or raves about the food have worked. Until now! My son and his wife have agreed to walk with me for 7ish days in March. So now I’m trying to come up “perfect” 7 days on the Frances. My favorite sections are the Meseta and Galicia. Realizing the Meseta is an acquired taste I’m considering starting in Astorga and walking to Sarria or a day or two beyond. Advantages of this section are:
1. Easy connections to Astorga and Sarria.
2. Lots to do in Astorga.
3. Molinaseca and Vilafranca are nice Camino towns.
4. O’Cebreiro and Galicia

Disadvantages:
1. Two of the biggest climbs on the Frances.

Just wondering if I’m overlooking another section that may work, or forgetting something that may impact their trip. Comments and suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Frm

Great choice Astorga start go for it.

 

[JustJack]

Great question, and one that I'm also pondering for similar reasons. I want to introduce the camino to my wife and daughter, and 7 days along the CF seems like a great idea. I like your idea of starting in Astorga.

 

[Tincatinker]

Austria is best for horse-meat. Galicians tend to eat beef. Though I guess @David Tallan is referring to the possibility of riding up the hill to Cebreiro.

I’d plump for Burgos to Leon. Yes it’s the Meseta but, yes it’s the Meseta

 

[Tincatinker]

Otherwise, the Ingles or Muxia, Fisterra, Santiago. Nothing like the Frances but, that’s the attraction…

 

[Peadarmac]

So I’ve never been able to convince a family member to come with me to Spain and walk. No amount of my fabulous photos, descriptions of a typical day, or raves about the food have worked. Until now! My son and his wife have agreed to walk with me for 7ish days in March. So now I’m trying to come up “perfect” 7 days on the Frances. My favorite sections are the Meseta and Galicia. Realizing the Meseta is an acquired taste I’m considering starting in Astorga and walking to Sarria or a day or two beyond. Advantages of this section are:
1. Easy connections to Astorga and Sarria.
2. Lots to do in Astorga.
3. Molinaseca and Vilafranca are nice Camino towns.
4. O’Cebreiro and Galicia

Disadvantages:
1. Two of the biggest climbs on the Frances.

Just wondering if I’m overlooking another section that may work, or forgetting something that may impact their trip. Comments and suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Frm

Great choice. I tend to favour Astorga-Rabanal-Molinaseca-Cacabelos-Vega de Valcarce-Fonfria-Samos-Sarria. .....and if time allows I heartily recommend the walk from Finistere to Muxia. At 31kms it can be walked in 1 day but preferably in 2 with a stop in Lires. Bus to Finisterre from SDC then bus back from Muxia. The sea crashing against the rocks at the Faro de Muxia followed by watching the sun set leaning against the wall of the Church, Santuario da Virxe da Barca is an experience to cherish. Apologies for turning your search for the perfect 7 into a perfect 9 !!!

Either way your travelling companions will be in good hands.

​

 

[henrythedog]

So I’ve never been able to convince a family member to come with me to Spain and walk. No amount of my fabulous photos, descriptions of a typical day, or raves about the food have worked. Until now! My son and his wife have agreed to walk with me for 7ish days in March. So now I’m trying to come up “perfect” 7 days on the Frances. My favorite sections are the Meseta and Galicia. Realizing the Meseta is an acquired taste I’m considering starting in Astorga and walking to Sarria or a day or two beyond. Advantages of this section are:
1. Easy connections to Astorga and Sarria.
2. Lots to do in Astorga.
3. Molinaseca and Vilafranca are nice Camino towns.
4. O’Cebreiro and Galicia

Disadvantages:
1. Two of the biggest climbs on the Frances.

Just wondering if I’m overlooking another section that may work, or forgetting something that may impact their trip. Comments and suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Frm

Short trips are largely governed by ease of access to one end (ideally both) of your walk. So: Pamplona; Logroño; Burgos; Leon; Sarria; Santiago.

 

[MickMac]

Great choice. I tend to favour Astorga-Rabanal-Molinaseca-Cacabelos-Vega de Valcarce-Fonfria-Samos-Sarria. .....and if time allows I heartily recommend the walk from Finistere to Muxia. At 31kms it can be walked in 1 day but preferably in 2 with a stop in Lires. Bus to Finisterre from SDC then bus back from Muxia. The sea crashing against the rocks at the Faro de Muxia followed by watching the sun set leaning against the wall of the Church, Santuario da Virxe da Barca is an experience to cherish. Apologies for turning your search for the perfect 7 into a perfect 9 !!!

Either way your travelling companions will be in good hands.

​

Doing the Muxia 24th Aug worried about Finisterre to Muxia might be too long.

 

[Former member 92300]

Personally - I would do SJPDP to wherever myself. Possibly breaking up the first day with a stop in Orisson/Borda. But Starting in Astorga is good too and stay in O Cebreiro instead of passing through.

 

[FLEUR]

Doing the Muxia 24th Aug worried about Finisterre to Muxia might be too long.

Doing the Muxia 24th Aug worried about Finisterre to Muxia might be too long.

Stop for a night at Lires and enjoy the walk from Finistère to Muxia

 

[JerryStroebele]

Must it be in March? I walked the Meseta in April and loved it. But there were some icy mornings and some cold nights in albergues. I suspect March would be moreso. We walked the Mozarabe from Almeria in March and the weather was perfecto. The albergue infrastructure and waymarking were great. Very friendly Andalus people. But in two weeks we only met 11 other pilgrims. Buen Camino

 

[OzAnnie]

Doing the Muxia 24th Aug worried about Finisterre to Muxia might be too long.

Stop for a night at Lires and enjoy the walk from Finistère to Muxia

I agree with stopping at Lires too Michael.
You’ll be able to have a paddle at Lires too if you skip down to the water. Very close.

Buen camino.

 

[FRM]

Thanks everyone for your input. I’m still leaning towards Astorga to Sarria. Seems a nice introduction, and by stopping in Sarria we miss some of the craziness that is the last 100 km. Astorga is easy to get to via Leon. We will miss the Meseta, which is my favorite, but there is always “next time”
Best,
Frm

 

[Dick & Kitty]

Thanks everyone for your input. I’m still leaning towards Astorga to Sarria. Seems a nice introduction, and by stopping in Sarria we miss some of the craziness that is the last 100 km. Astorga is easy to get to via Leon. We will miss the Meseta, which is my favorite, but there is always “next time”
Best,
Frm

Of course, you should do what you think best. But I would do the last part--Sarria to Santiago. If they really don't walk any more than that, they will have experienced the incomparable beauty of Galicia and the opportunity to walk into Santiago with pilgrims they have met along the way. But perhaps it will whet their appetite to return and walk the entire Camino Frances. That's what happened to us.

Buen Camino!
Kitty