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LIVE from the Camino Cameron's Verde - October 2024 condition report

ChairmanO

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Primitivo - October 2024
Here's a report on current conditions for Part 1 of the Camino Verde, Lugo - Friol. I walked through the Bóveda Variant. The first thing I'll say is that I highly recommend having a reliable GPS app or standalone with the gpx files loaded offline (I've been using OsmAnd on Android, which gives a quick reliable GPS fix). The green arrows can be quite sparse on the Bóveda path.

Out of Lugo, from the start point forking from the Primitivo, the paths are in very good condition. The main hazard is the boardwalks. While they have been repaired and are in quite good shape, there's the odd board breakage that's easy enough to spot, nothing that requires a jump.

The chicken wire generally offers sufficient grip, but given the very wet conditions over the last few days, I had a close call with a slip, saved by the handrail! But this first section along the river is splendid.

Back on the road at A Mera through a few hamlets. For those uncomfortable with dogs, this can be a hairy section. It seems the most aggressive huge dogs on all the Primitivo are shut up behind the fences, particularly at O Veral and As Covas. Major note is that I was mobbed by three dogs here, unleashed and unfenced, barking behind me until they "chased me out of town". No sweat for me, they were all bark and no bite and did not touch me. Best thing is just to keep your steady pace, but may be unnerving for some. A gentleman did ask me in Spanish, if I was alright, a couple hundred metres on. All other free dogs I encountered were mostly mildly curious, or just kept sunning themselves.

I did miss the Bóveda fork at Matelo for a few hundred metres, the arrow can be hard to see from the walkers perspective. The Cota fork is more clearly marked.

It's all road walking to Bóveda, very little traffic. Unfortunately I didn't do enough homework - the info centre there is closed on Sundays... It's then lots more road walking until you change to a dirt track at Monte Pedroso. There are some misleading yellow arrows on the ground where you change onto the dirt track, best to follow your GPS through this field (in good condition, but check your map to be sure you're on the right track) until you hit the dirt track (good condition) again at Seixalbo. You change again to road walking soon enough, through to Guldriz de Abaixo.

Ick, from here, prepare to unearth your memories of muddy farm lanes from the Primitivo. This stretch until Londoso is worse then any other farm lane on the Primitivo. Long bogs of mud ready to suck your shoes off, and limited opportunities to manoeuvre. I made it through relatively unscathed, but prepare for mud here.

After that, it's thankfully well outlined forest track in very good condition through to Friol.

Had I known Bóveda was closed, I would have taken the the 2km saving on the Cota route, with the better services on that route.

The Bóveda route is still pretty, but there's a lot of road walking and no services at all along the way (water, vending machines or food, even little shelter). But I enjoyed my first Camino Verde day!

Perhaps others can input here - if Bóveda is closed, or you don't care to see it, I would suggest taking the Cota route instead - to potentially avoid lots of road walking and muddy bogs.

If anyone has any info - would love to hear it: I couldn't find a lot of info on the variants and am having the same decision between Marco das Pías and Foxo do Cabrito forks tomorrow. Any comments appreciated!
 
Holoholo automatically captures your footpaths, places, photos, and journals.
Wow, I didn't even know that there were any variants! I just followed the green arrows and the directions from @Telelama that I pointed you to earlier, I didn't have any GPS tracks downloaded. I went wrong a couple of times but after not seeing anything for a few hundred meters backtracked and found the arrows. Easy to miss amongst the foliage, or on the path/ tarmac itself.
I know that the Verde is on mapy.cz, because I downloaded it upon my return to Germany and checked just out of interest. If you have it you could compare the two.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Here's a report on current conditions for Part 1 of the Camino Verde, Lugo - Friol. I walked through the Bóveda Variant. The first thing I'll say is that I highly recommend having a reliable GPS app or standalone with the gpx files loaded offline (I've been using OsmAnd on Android, which gives a quick reliable GPS fix). The green arrows can be quite sparse on the Bóveda path.

Out of Lugo, from the start point forking from the Primitivo, the paths are in very good condition. The main hazard is the boardwalks. While they have been repaired and are in quite good shape, there's the odd board breakage that's easy enough to spot, nothing that requires a jump.

The chicken wire generally offers sufficient grip, but given the very wet conditions over the last few days, I had a close call with a slip, saved by the handrail! But this first section along the river is splendid.

Back on the road at A Mera through a few hamlets. For those uncomfortable with dogs, this can be a hairy section. It seems the most aggressive huge dogs on all the Primitivo are shut up behind the fences, particularly at O Veral and As Covas. Major note is that I was mobbed by three dogs here, unleashed and unfenced, barking behind me until they "chased me out of town". No sweat for me, they were all bark and no bite and did not touch me. Best thing is just to keep your steady pace, but may be unnerving for some. A gentleman did ask me in Spanish, if I was alright, a couple hundred metres on. All other free dogs I encountered were mostly mildly curious, or just kept sunning themselves.

I did miss the Bóveda fork at Matelo for a few hundred metres, the arrow can be hard to see from the walkers perspective. The Cota fork is more clearly marked.

It's all road walking to Bóveda, very little traffic. Unfortunately I didn't do enough homework - the info centre there is closed on Sundays... It's then lots more road walking until you change to a dirt track at Monte Pedroso. There are some misleading yellow arrows on the ground where you change onto the dirt track, best to follow your GPS through this field (in good condition, but check your map to be sure you're on the right track) until you hit the dirt track (good condition) again at Seixalbo. You change again to road walking soon enough, through to Guldriz de Abaixo.

Ick, from here, prepare to unearth your memories of muddy farm lanes from the Primitivo. This stretch until Londoso is worse then any other farm lane on the Primitivo. Long bogs of mud ready to suck your shoes off, and limited opportunities to manoeuvre. I made it through relatively unscathed, but prepare for mud here.

After that, it's thankfully well outlined forest track in very good condition through to Friol.

Had I known Bóveda was closed, I would have taken the the 2km saving on the Cota route, with the better services on that route.

The Bóveda route is still pretty, but there's a lot of road walking and no services at all along the way (water, vending machines or food, even little shelter). But I enjoyed my first Camino Verde day!

Perhaps others can input here - if Bóveda is closed, or you don't care to see it, I would suggest taking the Cota route instead - to potentially avoid lots of road walking and muddy bogs.

If anyone has any info - would love to hear it: I couldn't find a lot of info on the variants and am having the same decision between Marco das Pías and Foxo do Cabrito forks tomorrow. Any comments appreciated!
Kind of you to post so much useful information and kudos to you for handling the dog situation. Admirable. Chuck
 
Part 2: Friol - Sobrado, via Marco das Pías. Monday 28 October

I stayed overnight at Casa Benigno, very easy to contact them via WhatsApp to secure a room the day before. Still 30€ for a private room with double bed. Dinner at Casa Do Grande was great and had a good chat about the Camino with the staff and regulars!

Spectacular sunny weather today. The immediate walk out of Friol following the river is fantastic. It's then gravel and dirt track in excellent condition for some time to present a very pleasant morning. The green arrows are well marked along this part, so I'd say a GPS is less necessary than Day 1 Bóveda.

A return to muddy farm lanes around Ordoñez, generally in good condition. I think it was walking around one of these hamlets, I had a minor dog run-in for the day. Less aggressive than the pack on Day 1. Two medium sized dogs ran up behind me, barked for a bit and quickly lost interest.

It's also around one of the these farms lanes, around Xiá that I encountered a minor lake in the track. Ankle deep water, bounded by barbed wire and thorny bushes. No clean way through, so I changed into my hiking sandles to ford this section, about 40 metres long.

The farm lanes and forest track from there are in thankfully better condition, nothing worse than that track lake for the rest of the day.

I did miss a turn around Candaíde, but used my GPS to find a alternative way to get back on track.

The ostensible "fork" for the day is at Foxo do Cabrito, but all the green arrows will point you towards the standard Marco das Pías route. There is no apparent way to take the Foxo do Cabrito gpx route. I'd say don't worry about it - the map for that route looks like lots of road walking.

This final Camino Verde sector takes you through some horse trails, I was lucky enough to spot some caballos out and about. This stone track is in excellent condition and it's very pleasant.

The green arrows will point you towards the final bend after the cattle grid. This last couple of hundred metres is in poor condition. The track is overgrown and sodden, presenting many potholes of water hidden by grass to threaten your ankles. Either just head straight to rejoin the Norte on the more intact track, or go slow and steady with a stick/pole to be sure you're not stepping into a hole.

The Xunta markers and yellow arrows will greet you straight away to mark rejoining the Camino del Norte! It's straightforward from there.

I loved my Camino Verde experience. I did not see another pilgrim soul those two days, but the trail is engaging and makes you feel really "back country". It certainly feels like you're continuing on an authentic Primitivo way. Friol is a great stop, but I know the lack of cheaper albergue options will deter some folks. I'm here in Sobrado now, holes up at the Monastery Albergue, which is a wonderful stop.

To reiterate Day 1, unless Bóveda is actually open and you care to visit it, just take the main, well-marked Cota route. I think @Peterexpatkiwi has great videos on both parts.

Thanks to @xmsg, @notion900 and others for their hard work on maintaining the route!

You can read about the rest of my Primitivo here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camerons-primitivo.89383/#post-1302022
 

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