Christmas suggestions for Camino

[Abigail Kelly]

Hi guy's YES I have got the bug. I am planning to walk on the Camino around the 23rd of December for a week. I know it is short but it is all the time I will have. Any suggestions on where to go? I know Aer Lingus don't fly into Santiago for a few months leading up to December which is strange. I just got back from doing Finisterre and part of Ingles. I really enjoyed it apart from the old blisters. I could not log onto this site when I was walking as I had forgotten my password for both this site and my hotmail account to get a new one I will get ahead of this next time. Thank you for all of your help

Abigail

 

[Bradypus]

The good news is that although many private albergues will be closed the Xunta albergues stay open all year and demand will probably be very low! I walked the Ingles from Ferrol over 5 days in early January a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. It helped that the weather was very kind - not something that can be taken for granted I'm afraid I would gladly walk that way again.

 

[Abigail Kelly]

The good news is that although many private albergues will be closed the Xunta albergues stay open all year and demand will probably be very low! I walked the Ingles from Ferrol over 5 days in early January a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. It helped that the weather was very kind - not something that can be taken for granted I'm afraid I would gladly walk that way again.

The good news is that although many private albergues will be closed the Xunta albergues stay open all year and demand will probably be very low! I walked the Ingles from Ferrol over 5 days in early January a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. It helped that the weather was very kind - not something that can be taken for granted I'm afraid I would gladly walk that way again.

Hi Brady, I was thinking of a different route and not the Ingles... I got started in A Coruna but found it a very hard city walking so at 930 pm I gave up and booked into cheap accomadation

 

[Bradypus]

Hi Brady, I was thinking of a different route and not the Ingles... I got started in A Coruna but found it a very hard city walking so at 930 pm I gave up and booked into cheap accomadation

Friends who have done both tell me that starting in Ferrol is much easier But if you want to try another route then the last 100km of the Primitivo might be worthwhile. Mainly because it starts in Lugo which is well worth visiting in its own right. The Roman city walls are spectacular to walk around and the tapas are good too!

 

[Abigail Kelly]

Friends who have done both tell me that starting in Ferrol is much easier But if you want to try another route then the last 100km of the Primitivo might be worthwhile. Mainly because it starts in Lugo which is well worth visiting in its own right. The Roman city walls are spectacular to walk around and the tapas are good too!

Thank you for the suggestion. Yea I was not keen on A Coruna for sure.. and I thought it was hard finding the route starting from Santiago to Finisterre... then I got to A Coruna lol

 

[natefaith]

Hi Abigail, if finishing in Santiago is not super important, then you could also consider starting the Camino Portugues in Porto and walk until your time runs out. Porto's weather will be a bit warmer and sunnier than in Galicia at that time (usually) and since it's larger city than Santiago you might find more flights to and from it. The airport code is OPO if that helps.
Take care and Buen Camino!

 

[Abigail Kelly]

Hi Abigail, if finishing in Santiago is not super important, then you could also consider starting the Camino Portugues in Porto and walk until your time runs out. Porto's weather will be a bit warmer and sunnier than in Galicia at that time (usually) and since it's larger city than Santiago you might find more flights to and from it. The airport code is OPO if that helps.
Take care and Buen Camino!

Thank you

 

[nycwalking]

Folks have been talking about the Invierno. Give it a thought.

 

[OzAnnie]

Hi Abigail, if finishing in Santiago is not super important, then you could also consider starting the Camino Portugues in Porto and walk until your time runs out. Porto's weather will be a bit warmer and sunnier than in Galicia at that time (usually) and since it's larger city than Santiago you might find more flights to and from it. The airport code is OPO if that helps.
Take care and Buen Camino!

Abigail
If you only have a week and want to finish in Santiago , then @natefaith suggestion of Portuguese is perfect / but start further along at Tui on the border of Portugal and Spain .
I think it would be perfect to spend Christmas on the way to Santiago de Compostela.
Buen camino.
Annie

 

[hel&scott]

Brrrrrrrrrr. Cold and wet which ever way you go. Pack your thermals and a good rain coat.

We did the route from Ferrol and Portuguese in winter, both are well marked and there are good guides available on this site so perfectly do able, any you won't have to scramble for a bed.

 

[Abigail Kelly]

Folks have been talking about the Invierno. Give it a thought.

I have been looking at that ... Think I would have to take a flight and then a train or bus chea

Brrrrrrrrrr. Cold and wet which ever way you go. Pack your thermals and a good rain coat.

We did the route from Ferrol and Portuguese in winter, both are well marked and there are good guides available on this site so perfectly do able, any you won't have to scramble for a bed.

I am trying to figure out a loop that I can do that won't take me into Santiago. Then there is the issue of flights from places to get me back home. Ah wind and rain bring it on lol. I have been reading about Invierno.. sounds interesting and possible more isolated regarding people. In saying that I did not meet a lot of people on the Santiago/Fisterra/Muxia route in August

 

[jl]

I walked the Camino Frances over the Christmas period in 2013 / 14. I loved the whole journey from St Jean to Santiago. Accommodation is not difficult on the Frances - though many are closed there are enough albergues open within a comfortable days walk. Crossing the Pyrenees from St Jean on the Valcarlos route was wonderful, though of course you would have to take the advice of the locals as to whether it was safe to take the route (the Napoleon route at that time would be closed). The meseta has a different dress on in the winter too, which I enjoyed. I found the one advantage of walking in the winter is that thee ground is frozen, and so the mud in particular was much easier to deal with - walking across the top of it, rather than sinking into it!

A real treat at that time of the year is the wonderful Nativity scenes that were in every bar I entered. Such care is taken in setting them up and they are a delight to see.