Best route best route advice with 12-year-old

[Dc8-63]

Hello from Australia. We have four weeks in September-October 2016, say just over three weeks walking with travel to and from, and need best advice on best qualifying Camino de Santiago route for a reasonably fit mid-aged couple with a 12-year-old. Happy to book private accommodation in advance. Would like to avoid main roads and crowds as much as possible. I have looked at Camino Portuguese and Spanish coastal route, but am largely in the dark. All advice most welcome.
Thank you!

 

[Castilian]

Would like to avoid main roads and crowds as much as possible.

The Camino de Madrid meets those requirements but it ends in Sahagún where it joins the Camino Francés what means (many) more pilgrims...

3 weeks isn't enough time to make all the Camino del Norte (the coastal one in Spain that I think you are talking about) but you could make part of it... Ask about asphalt on that route.

An option you might research is to walk from Ávila to Santiago de Compostela. From Ávila to Zamora on the Camino de Levante (few pilgrims on that one) from Zamora to Granja de Moreruela on the Vía de la Plata and from Granja de Moreruela to Santiago de Compostela on the Camino Sanabrés. Ávila is easy to reach from Madrid either bus train or bus. Depending on your walking pace and the exact number of days you have available you could start closer to Santiago de Compostela than Ávila (e.g.: at Arévalo or Medina del Campo or even Zamora... all of them easy to reach from Madrid).

I hope you get more answers on this thread but if you don't get them, I would suggest to open a new one asking about the Camino del Norte on your travel dates (asphalt on the route, crowds...). And open another one asking the same about the Camino Sanabrés. You can read reports about the Camino de Levante on the Camino de Levante area of the forum so take a look at them to get an idea of how's the route between Ávila and Zamora (that it's just a part of the full Levante route).

P.S.: I can't provide you any info about the Portuguese route(s).

 

[Dc8-63]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful advice. I will investigate those suggestions.
For some reason right now, and I am not claiming anything mystical, I feel drawn to the Camino Primitivo which - it seems - we can do in three weeks from Oviedo with some common sense thrown in. I realise there are some challenging aspects.
Thanks again.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful advice. I will investigate those suggestions.
For some reason right now, and I am not claiming anything mystical, I feel drawn to the Camino Primitivo which - it seems - we can do in three weeks from Oviedo with some common sense thrown in. I realise there are some challenging aspects.
Thanks again.

It is a beautiful route, walking over the clouds, visiting Roman ruins and complete Roman walls. If you want to stay away from comercialisation, peace and quiet without isolation, you will be happy. There are ways to make shorter days as well, although very short(7-10km a day) but it's possible.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Primitivo is one of the favourite routes my kids have done. There were four of them aged 8-13 when we did that route. It is totally doable if you are accustomed to walking.

 

[Beeman]

I did the primitivo last september and was very pleased! I am 74 and in reasonable shape and had no trouble. The talk about it being very difficult,is mostly hot air. I think a 12 year old will find it very interesting and not get bored. I would heartily recommend taking the camino verde to sobrado on the norte and then going directly to lavacola and santiago,completely avoiding the frances. I went this way to avoid the hoardes of people on the frances(my personal decision). It was well marked and easy to follow,in spite of what is said about it. I left oviedo on august 31,found the weather,SEATTLE-LIKE,it never got warmer than 65 f. It only rained 1 day,but was cool at night,being about 40-45 degrees at night. Take a sleeping bag!! I took a silk liner and found myself cold in the night. Only one alberque had blankets,and they were rentable. Saw only a few people with bed bugs,and did not seem to be a problem. Scenery was wonderful! I went the hospitalis route and found it a disappointment. If I do it again I would go the other way. The oohs and aahs on the h. must be from people who live in Kansas,as I found it nothing special. I hope that I have filled in some of the blanks. By the way,if you have time,walk on to Muxia,and see the ocean. This is a wonderful,easy 90 more kilos. More importantly,BUEN CAMINO!