Camino Portuges or Ingles?

[Dennis M]

Good day to All..

I'm planning my Camino journey in May 2015 and wanted to get an idea on which is recommended camino route. I was really planning Camino Ingles however can change plan.

What am I looking for?
1) I only have limited days to walk so 6 days would be a max and wanted to earn a certificate.
2) Walking on a budget so cheaper route is desired.
3) Have hostels along the way and of course if I can't (or my companion) can go further an option to call it a day and rest at a hostel.
4) Desired max distance to walk in a day, i would say 20 kms.
5) A more scenic/countryside route?

Thanks!

Dennis

 

[Albertinho]

Good day to All..

I'm planning my Camino journey in May 2015 and wanted to get an idea on which is recommended camino route. I was really planning Camino Ingles however can change plan.

What am I looking for?
1) I only have limited days to walk so 6 days would be a max and wanted to earn a certificate.
2) Walking on a budget so cheaper route is desired.
3) Have hostels along the way and of course if I can't (or my companion) can go further an option to call it a day and rest at a hostel.
4) Desired max distance to walk in a day, i would say 20 kms.
5) A more scenic/countryside route?

Thanks!

Dennis

6 days is short..mind you have to travel either in Spain or in Portugal arrive to the start and this costs time in those countries.

You could go to Ferrol to walk the camiño Ingles 120 kms but you have to go by bus from Santiago where you land ? Ferrol is 120 kms so enough for a Compostela certificate.
When you start in a Coruña it is86 kms and that is not enough for the Compostela.
Other option is Valença do Minho in Portugal or Tui in Spain oposite the river Miño which is a bit more than 100 kms and enough for a Compostela but also here you have to travel to these places which costs time

On both routes are albergues who cover the route every day to cove the 20 kms walks you wish exept for the last day on the Portugese route from Padrón to Santiago. 24 kms.
There is an albergue in Teo a Casalonga about 10 kms from Santiago but than you have to study how to divide the route in six days .on the Portuges are many hostals
The albergues on the Ingles cost you € 6 per day. The privat albergues on the Portugese are priced like hostals (between 18 and 30€ a day) on the Inglish we slept in hostals in Ordes,o Vento Novo and Sigueiro. In Santiago we booked a room via the smartphone app Airbnb which was great.

On the caminho Portuges and the camiño Ingles forum you can read a lot of information aniut your questions so take some time to study the questions and answers of many who went before you

Bom caminho. Buen camiño

Both scenic are beautiful. The bouring path on the Portuges is Tuio Porriño ,walking on an endless industrial area but now there is a detour along a river which we dis not walk last year.

The Ingles is very nice scenery wise.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Both routes are beautiful - but why rush it all in six days?!?
OK so that may be your limit at the moment, and Albertinho [hi!] has given you excellent advice.
Diaries of both routes are downloadable on my web site, including photo-albums.
Whatever you finally decide, I hope you enjoy your limited time .... and then come back one day to take it easier, enjoy the 'camino family', and relax in the sun with a cold white wine.
Blessings from England.

http://snicholl5.wix.com/home-site#!santiago/c165l

 

[Albertinho]

Hi Stephen. Recovered from "no " blisters ?

 

[Dutch]

6 days is not alot. Maybe the santiago/finisterre/muxia is an idea?

It is really REALLY beautiful.

I havent walked the ingles, but compared to the frances and portugees, this days were on of the most beautiful camino days i have walked. Its an opinion of course, but just having this opinion says alot

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Hi Stephen. Recovered from "no " blisters ?

It was wonderful having no blisters from which to recover!
I've bought Brierlies guide to the Finisterre/Muxia route, in hope for next June!



Does this camino NEVER finish?
Happy days .....

 

[Dennis M]

Hello.. Thanks for the all advice.. my bad.. apologize for the confusion.. the 6 days are really dedicated ONLY for the walk and nothing more.. I actually have planned ~11 days that includes a trip to Lisbon/Fatima.

Albertinho, i was following your camino and it does help me a lot in preparation to my journey. Thanks for sharing your blog and your response to every email I sent you personally J

My original plan is to do the Ingles. I guess ingles is a cheaper option for me.

Buen Camino!

 

[Urban Trekker]

I walked the English Camino May of last year. Beautiful walk. However there is 1 30k day on the second to last day and a almost 30k on the last day. Johnny Walker puts out a great guide book for free on the site. The only problem I had was Johnny has a weird idea of gently rolling hills. V

 

[Tulle]

I walked Camino Ingles this May and can really recommend it. One doesn't have to walk 30 km on one day.. And I agree with Johnny Walker, I think it was mostly gently rolling hills)

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Well, maybe you don't need crampons and climbing gear, but some of those long, long climbs left me a "gently rolling peregrino"!
I completed both legs of the Camino Ingles five weeks ago. My diary and photo-album can be downloaded from:
http://snicholl5.wix.com/home-site#!santiago/c165l
I walked Porto to SdC in April 2011 and loved every minute - though there was one "gently rolling hill" which almost had me on my knees! Again - that was Pilgrimage I and it's on the web site.
Buen camino!
And enjoy the gently rolling hills .....

 

[jprogers]

Hi There will be alot more people on the Portuguese walk- if you want to throw that consideration into the "decision" mix. We walked the Ingles June 2011 and met very few pilgrims but there are more alburgue options I think now. There are some lovely small towns on the Ingles that you go through and you can enjoy the stops. Portuguese is also lovely . Terrain for both is quite OK. So the biggest difference in my mind was the numbers on the caminos. Regards Jill

 

[Dennis M]

To all.. Thank you very much for your thoughts/suggestions/comments.. MUCH appreciated!!!

Urban Trekker - Thanks for sharing great fotos

Stephen.. I'll definitely look into your shared link.