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Camino Verde 2022

Time of past OR future Camino
2019
I am currently on the Camino Primitivo and will be in Lugo on Tuesday. The Camino Verde sounds great but I am put off by reports of snarling/biting dogs since I will be walking alone. Just wondering if anyone has walked the CV this year and if so what was the dog situation?

TIA for taking the time to reply.
 
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I am currently on the Camino Primitivo and will be in Lugo on Tuesday. The Camino Verde sounds great but I am put off by reports of snarling/biting dogs since I will be walking alone. Just wondering if anyone has walked the CV this year and if so what was the dog situation?

TIA for taking the time to reply.
I've not walked the Verde since 2017. I have no recollection of any threatening dogs from that time or previously. The significant challenges are way-finding and accommodation. The Hostal in Friol being the only reasonable staging point without wandering well off-track.

Was wondering where you are seeing these reports because I can find nothing on the forum.
 
I've not walked the Verde since 2017. I have no recollection of any threatening dogs from that time or previously. The significant challenges are way-finding and accommodation. The Hostal in Friol being the only reasonable staging point without wandering well off-track.

Was wondering where you are seeing these reports because I can find nothing on the forum.
When I googled Camino Verde in Spain, one of the numerous threads that showed up (some were not on the forum) talked about the issue with dogs. In a post from last year @peregrina2000 referred to the dog issue as well. Those posts left me wondering if dogs who are not accustomed to random passers-by might be a problem. I have been in touch with the pension/hostal in Friol so I know accommodation is available. Still working on GPS tracks as I hear mixed reviews about the state of the way marking/green arrows.
 
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Check out the app Mapy.cz. Put Lugo Spain in the search bar. Magnify the view and you will see a thin green line on the map labeled Camino primitivo (alternativo norte), the Camino Verde! It meets the Norte several kms before Sobrado. I have not walked it so I don't know about the dog situation. In general this is an excellent app. Has a very clear map. I used it extensively on the Norte for coastal variants and other alternativo routes. It has gps, or a I call it, a blue dot with a directional arrow (your position).

* thanks to @trecile for suggesting this app in another, earlier thread
 
Check out the app Mapy.cz. Put Lugo Spain in the search bar. Magnify the view and you will see a thin green line on the map labeled Camino primitivo (alternativo norte), the Camino Verde! It meets the Norte several kms before Sobrado. I have not walked it so I don't know about the dog situation. In general this is an excellent app. Has a very clear map. I used it extensively on the Norte for coastal variants and other alternativo routes. It has gps, or a I call it, a blue dot with a directional arrow (your position).

* thanks to @trecile for suggesting this app in another, earlier thread
Thanks so much Walking Lester.
 
In a post from last year @peregrina2000 referred to the dog issue as well.
The only dog encounter I remember was a shepard dog with a flock and its shephard. Nothing threatening that I can remember. Though I would agree that this route goes through pretty parts of Galicia, I didn’t find it to be very different from the scenery or ambiente on the “regular” primitivo. But I admit that on my first day, I was not on the Verde from Lugo to Santa Eulalia because I missed the turnoff. So I can’t report on either the first half of the first day on the Verde on the Santa Eulalia variant, or on the non-Santa Eulalia variant, both of which end in Friol. And then for the last stretch of the Santa Eulalia variant, which was where I met the shephard and his dog, I was steered to walk on the side of the untraveled road rather than take the more direct downhill path. According to the shephard, it was filled with “maleza” and not good for walking. So who knows what I missed.

Friol is a small town, and the pensión there seems to stay afload with a small stream of workers who board there during the week as well as a few pilgrims.

The second day starts off through some nice wooded areas, but it does join up with the regular norte about 8 km (?) outside Sobrado, and most of that is alongside a road on pavement.

I would not say dogs are a big issue at all on this route. And for me, the highlight of Santa Eulalia (a Roman crypt/temple/spa - ??? - no one knows) is well worth it, whether you go on the Verde or stay on the Primitivo.

p.s. As between the pensión in Friol or the lovely albergue in Ferreira, I think Ferreira is a much nicer option, so what I will do on my next Primitivo, ;), is what I did on my first Primitivo. Walk from Lugo to Ferreira with a detour to Santa Eulalia.
 
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The only dog encounter I remember was a shepard dog with a flock and its shephard. Nothing threatening that I can remember. Though I would agree that this route goes through pretty parts of Galicia, I didn’t find it to be very different from the scenery or ambiente on the “regular” primitivo. But I admit that on my first day, I was not on the Verde from Lugo to Santa Eulalia because I missed the turnoff. So I can’t report on either the first half of the first day on the Verde on the Santa Eulalia variant, or on the non-Santa Eulalia variant, both of which end in Friol. And then for the last stretch of the Santa Eulalia variant, which was where I met the shephard and his dog, I was steered to walk on the side of the untraveled road rather than take the more direct downhill path. According to the shephard, it was filled with “maleza” and not good for walking. So who knows what I missed.

Friol is a small town, and the pensión there seems to stay afload with a small stream of workers who board there during the week as well as a few pilgrims.

The second day starts off through some nice wooded areas, but it does join up with the regular norte about 8 km (?) outside Sobrado, and most of that is alongside a road on pavement.

I would not say dogs are a big issue at all on this route. And for me, the highlight of Santa Eulalia (a Roman crypt/temple/spa - ??? - no one knows) is well worth it, whether you go on the Verde or stay on the Primitivo.

p.s. As between the pensión in Friol or the lovely albergue in Ferreira, I think Ferreira is a much nicer option, so what I will do on my next Primitivo, ;), is what I did on my first Primitivo. Walk from Lugo to Ferreira with a detour to Santa Eulalia.
Thank you for your very thorough reply. At this point I think I will continue on with the "official " Primitivo.
 
what was the dog situation?

I would not say dogs are a big issue at all on this route.

I can't say the dog situation on this Camino as I have not walked it. Generally speaking I know there are some reports here and there about mean dogs on every camino.
I have encountered lots of dogs along the caminos I have walked. Use common sense if there is a threatening dog. Do not look or provoke. Keep the same steady pace, keep an eye on the dog and have your hiking stick at the ready. I can tell you the overwhelming number of barking dogs are just that, barking.
Last year on the VDLP, where you walk through numerous gates onto someone"s land. About 25 yards ahead a saw about 25 sheep standing in front of the gate and a huge dog with the sheep. On the VDLP I encountered some of the largest dogs I have ever seen. I do not mean big I mean hugeeee. A few looked at me a little leary, most couldn't care less or wanted to be petted. This time I walked a little closer to the gate and waited. Not because the dog was threatening me. He was just checking me out. It was because I wanted the sheep to clear the gate so I didn't get stepped on. After I opened the gate I was walking by the barn with of course lots of pigs everywhere and without a doubt the biggest dog in terms of height and length I had ever seen came running over to me. At first I thought, this is it, the party is over! He stopped short right in front of me and crouched down with his head sitting in the mud, and then he started to wag his tail and run around me. Then he jumped on me licking my face and of course making me filthy. His front paws were on my shoulders and he was face to face with me. I am 6'2" (1.89) and his tongue could have cleaned a patio sliding door with one lick. He then ran around barking and leaning up against me wanting to be petted. The farmer came out of the barn. He seemed angry and yelled to the dog to get in the barn. He went with his tail between his legs. The farmer said nothing to the me and turned and went inside. I think the farmer was mad at the dog, not because I had mud on my clothes from the dog but because the dog was too friendly and probably turning into the world's worst guard dog. The only thing that was scary was I realized the dog was still very young. Maybe still a puppy and was still growing!!!!
 
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Thank you for your very thorough reply. At this point I think I will continue on with the "official " Primitivo.
I don’t mean to discourage people from this route because I know there are some very strong supporters of it. For me, the real highlight is Santa Eulalia (have I said that enough? :p )

Even if you are not a fan of all things ancient, a detour to this place is pretty amazing. 4th century Roman, original wall paintings and a mystery about its function.

It is a straight detour, well marked, of 2-3 km off the “main Primitivo.” To return from Santa Eulalia to the Primitivo, you don’t need to backtrack. One of the two albergues in Ferreira, A Nave, has instructions on its website. For those who take the detour, I would recommend reserving ahead in either Ponte Ferreira (beautiful old stone building, vegetarian communal dinner) or A Nave (modern albergue in what used to be a warehouse). Then there’s no problem with rushing for a bed.
 
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Hello PINKWADINGBIRD,

The camino Verde can be highly recommended as beautiful alternative of the Primitivo end.
A path with plenty of nature that leads you after 26km to Friol (casa Beningo).
The next day after another 26km, you reach Sobrado dos Monches on the camino del Norte.
I took that way in june 2015 walking alone, and it was an unforgettable experience.
Not so simple to find the right way, for me no problem with the walking-GPS.
The sheepdogs are not accustomed at people passing and defend their territory.
No problem when you continue easily your way and stay away from the farm.
When they became too threatening I shouted and a few moments later the farmer appeared.
But I had just bad luck about 4km before Friol in the middle of a forest.
There was a man walking with 3 big dogs, a Spanish mastiff (photo), a dobbermann and a rottweiler.
When they saw me, all three of them came to me in a hurry and loud barking.
All I could do was not move and the owner shouted that nothing would happen.
However the mastiff, a beast of 70kg has bitten me in the hip as friendly salutation.
The boss sead that my "baston" (walking-stick) had frightened them, so it was my fault.
Such situations can occur everywhere and are the responsability of the dogowner.
Not at all specific for the camino Verde, can also happen nearby your home.
Meeting a macho in company of his maleducated monsters...
 

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My experience is that loose dogs are not a problem. They will rush up to their property boundary and stop there, barking furiously, or they will run back and to along the fence. If they were a danger to anyone, they would have been chained up for the sake of local children (and adults). Chained up dogs are not a problem because they're chained up. But carry a big stick!
 
The boss sead that my "baston" (walking-stick) had frightened them, so it was my fault.

In our normal daily walks or while on the Camino, my dog is the friendliest dog who likes cuddles. Once she has established eye contact with another human who she finds friendly, then she will come up to the human and bows down before turning onto her back asking for belly rub. Or she will approach the human with a stick asking them to come and play.

She was fine walking alongside pilgrims who use sticks to walk, however if she comes face to face/head on with someone waving the sticks in the air, then she sees that as a threat. Also same at home with the lollipop man who controls traffic around schools - I think because his uniform is very colourful, plus brightly coloured high vis jacket, plus the big lollipop stick. So she would bark and keeps a distance from this man as a defensive stance. I found that she would also bark defensively when facing people wearing face masks (because she can’t see their face). So once we were about to cross a stone bridge, and there was an old man at the end of the bridge, wearing face mask, selling walking sticks! My dog kept barking and refused to walk/move. I came close to carrying her (25kg dog) but the man took 2 steps back and she immediately stopped.

Unfortunately for most people, the immediate reaction to seeing a barking dog is that it’s an aggressive dog, and they would start waving their sticks, so here we have a dog and a human both acting defensively as they perceive the other as threats. Usually with a lot of persuasion and pulling on her lead, I could make my dog continue walking past the perceived threat and as soon as the stick waving human is out of sight, my dog will be calm again.

I don’t blame people for dressing the way they do or carrying sticks etc. Perhaps the Spanish dog owner also didn’t mean to blame you for how his dogs behaved, but merely offering an explanation for why his mostly calm dogs suddenly barking to a stranger.

For this reason, I find it much more peaceful Camino if we set off super early and have a much quieter walk. We would meet pilgrims when we stop at cafes, my dog would be resting under the table, and anyone who approaches us to pet my dog does so on their own accord!

My experience is that loose dogs are not a problem. They will rush up to their property boundary and stop there, barking furiously,

Saw plenty of dogs behind property boundary/fence, either chained or unchained. But there were also 2-3 occasions where we came across unchained aggressive dogs not confined to their owner’s property. My dog knows that it’s best to ignore all the local dogs, if a loose dog comes to sniff my dog, I have to pay close attention to see if that’s all they’re gonna do or if they’re showing any signs of being aggressive (growling, snarling, etc) and would then separate them - usually these dogs are quite scared of humans because how they’ve been trained, but yea I don’t enjoy meeting these loose dogs!
 
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I’m sorry if this post is too late to be of use, but it might help others reading this thread who are considering walking this alternative route. I took the Camino Verde in 2017. I have just checked out my blog posts and can see that I did encounter a number of dogs on this route, almost all without issue. Just one was persistently defensive, but as a person very used to dogs I wasn’t too fazed and passed without incident. It’s probably wise to have a couple of stones in your pocket to lob towards (not aim at) any threatening dog - they will normally skulk away in this situation. I wouldn’t let it put you off unless you have a particular fear of dogs, in which case they may well pick up on this and react differently.

I would recommend downloading a track as there may be places that are not well signed. It was pretty good when I walked.

If you want to check out my blog see here, days 29/30.
Buen camino
 
Magwood’s blog and pictures show some of the reasons why people rave about the Verde. I didn’t find my way to that riverside path, and that is surely one of the highlights. The Dutch woman I met in Friol had been able to find that route, and she showed me some of her pictures — the concerning ones were of shaky wooden planks at water’s edge with rotting wood, which I am assuming Magwood didn’t see in 2017. She said it was dicey but not too dangerous.

Magwood, there are two possible Lugo-Friol routes, one is here and one is here. They are quite a bit different, I think. And only the first one goes through Sant Eulalia. I’m assuming you took the one that is described as going through cotá.

Maybe I will have to give the Camiño Verde another try. ;)
 
Quite right what peregrina2000 writes, you need a walking-GPS to find your way on the camino Verde.
But the blog of Magwood is fabuleous and a pleasure to read with 4 caminos in one, magnificent.
Checking days 29/30 gives one a very good idea of what you can expect on the Verde, very worthwile.
I saw the whole video (50min) and that is extremely well done with a lot of variation.
Pieces of motion alternated with pictures; landscapes, people, flowers, caddle, ... very recommendable.
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Magwood, there are two possible Lugo-Friol routes, one is here and one is here.They are quite a bit different, I think. And only the first one goes through Sant Eulalia. I’m assuming you took the one that is described as going through cotá.
Neither of those routes match mine precisely - it seems to be somewhere in the middle. I attach an image of all three routes, mine being the middle one.
E04CA153-54E2-416C-B801-30B1B8C757BE.jpeg

We didn’t go via Sta Eulalia because it was closed on the day we walked (a Monday I think).
 
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For a variety of reasons I stuck with the Primitivo. Am enjoying a lovely stay with Ria and Ton (sp.?).
I’ve often thought that there might be a good connector from Ponte Ferreira to the Norte, so that pilgrims could enjoy (1) Lugo - Santa Eulalia - Ponte Ferreira and then (2) Ponte Ferreira - Sobrado dos Monxes, thus avoiding the merge with the Francés in Melide but also getting to see and stay in Sobrado dos Monxes and having another day or so off the Francés. Googlemaps shows some very minor roads that will do the trick. That would also have the beauty of avoiding the long slog alongside the busier road that takes you into Sobrado on the Norte (and which the Friol route also shares). But I bet there are off-road paths as well.
 
I’ve often thought that there might be a good connector from Ponte Ferreira to the Norte, so that pilgrims could enjoy (1) Lugo - Santa Eulalia - Ponte Ferreira and then (2) Ponte Ferreira - Sobrado dos Monxes, thus avoiding the merge with the Francés in Melide but also getting to see and stay in Sobrado dos Monxes and having another day or so off the Francés. Googlemaps shows some very minor roads that will do the trick. That would also have the beauty of avoiding the long slog alongside the busier road that takes you into Sobrado on the Norte (and which the Friol route also shares). But I bet there are off-road paths as well.
I think here, Ria/Ton (@Thomas1962 )have given the route details:

They have provided GPX track too.
 
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I think here, Ria/Ton (@Thomas1962 )have given the route details:

They have provided GPX track too.
Your post jolted my memory — I had a conversation with @Thomas1962 about this same topic! We discussed it about a year ago on this thread. Unfortunately, the B&B Twin Pines has closed, and I don’t know if there are other options. But in any event, I think that pilgrims on the Primitivo, who have already walked the Francés, might want to consider going from Ferreira to Sobrado dos Monxes, which is a destination in itself!
 
Your post jolted my memory — I had a conversation with @Thomas1962 about this same topic! We discussed it about a year ago on this thread. Unfortunately, the B&B Twin Pines has closed, and I don’t know if there are other options. But in any event, I think that pilgrims on the Primitivo, who have already walked the Francés, might want to consider going from Ferreira to Sobrado dos Monxes, which is a destination in itself!
See my notes about the Verde route under the Discussion tab of the Verde Resources. The beginning of this trail should be attempted only after reading the caution.

 
See my notes about the Verde route under the Discussion tab of the Verde Resources. The beginning of this trail should be attempted only after reading the caution.

Thanks for the update! Does anyone know/has anyone walked the route set up by Albergue Ponte Ferreira for Ferreira to Sobrado?

At the moment I’m planning: Lugo-Ferreira, Ferreira-Sobrado, Sobrado-Salceda/A Brea
 
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Lavanyalea, did you end up following this route?
Thanks for the update! Does anyone know/has anyone walked the route set up by Albergue Ponte Ferreira for Ferreira to Sobrado?

At the moment I’m planning: Lugo-Ferreira, Ferreira-Sobrado, Sobrado-Salceda/A Brea
Heading out on the Primitivo in three weeks, options are always good
 

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