camino portugues o frances?!...

[ritopaxi]

hello

i will be leaving with my boyfriend next monday for the camino de santiago! we're really excited for this! we've done a few treks together in the himalayas and a couple of buddhist pilgrimages, but the camino has such a unique aura to it that we can't wait to get walking!

we're going to take a bus to the starting point and then walk to santiago and onwards to fisterra. but we're having a hard time choosing whether to do the french way from astorga or to do the portuguese way from porto... so your suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

we're on a tight budget and we don't mind carrying a light tent so that we save up on accommodation. we're also considering bringing a camping stove (a tiny one!) so that we can cook some stuff. or are there always cheap places to eat along the way?

looking forward to hearing your comments!

hope you're all having a great summer

 

[cecelia]

Hello 'ritopaxi',
Unfortunately your question can't be answered by anybody but you. It's like asking someone whether you will like mangos or peaches. There are lots of pictures on the web from both routes. Maybe you could check them out and see which catches your interest. (http://www.santiago-compostela.net/ is one site that has pictures for both routes).
Of the 42.359 pilgrims arriving in Santiago in July, 69.27% travelled on the Camino Frances and 12.55% arrived via the Portugues route (see Statistics on this website http://peregrinossantiago.es)
Food purchased in the stores (super markets and small tiendas) is relatively inexpensive. Many albergues have basic cooking facilities. The 'Menu del dia' (daily special) usually runs between 8 -10 Euros for 3 courses. Bocadillos (large buns with cheese/ham or sometimes eggs) can be found for 2-3 Euros. Bars almost always have slices of tortilla(baked eggs and potatoes or sometimes also with fish) for a couple of Euros. This year's prices may be somewhat more because of the captive audience in this Holy Year.
1481 people arrived at the Pilgrims' Office in Santiago today.
Buen camino
Cecelia

 

[mmonomm]

hi,
i had the same question some months ago, prior to departing for my first camino. i have chosen the protuguese route from porto on the coast!!!!! it did worth it!!! i would recommend it to everyone!!!!! you see the ocean, also some hills, forests.... an amazing site

 

[periperi]

I think this is too late for ritopaxi, but:
Your camino is your own, but the things I considered when making my own decision around 6 months ago were
-firstly, I was led to the camino, and to the Portuguese route in particular, by a few important people (Alicia who first told me about it, and then joined me at the start of my journey, and Stuart who recommended the Pt for my camino). The camino is about your journey with James (even if you aren't Christian- and I'm not) and your connection with other pilgrims; listen to what they say!
-it's holy year, and the Pt route has far fewer people
-this route feels more connected with the 'living James'; he may well have ministered on the other routes, but on the Pt you go through where he converted Queen Lupa, and follow the path his own body took to Santiago. (Others might quibble with my evidence- I don't claim to have fully researched it!)
-I'd been told by experienced pilgrims that the Pt route was more beautiful for trees and forests, and I appreciated the final approach into Santiago; being able to see it across a valley
-I'm not aware of camping sites on the Pt route, but the Pt albergues tend to charge 3euros, the Gallician ones 5euros. A number of the Pt albergues are new, and are very well equipped with good kitchens. You'd be carrying less kit, and that matters!

that said, I'm returning to the Pt route next month with a view to doing the older route(s) (perhaps in reverse) in future; whether this is because the Pt doesn't give you the full experience, or because of an incompleteness in myself, I don't know!