Detour from Frances to VdlP?

[LaurenE]

Hi All,
It's lovely to be poking around this forum again! Has anyone walked the Frances, detoured south from Astorga and hooked up with the VdlP route through Ourense to Santiago de Compostela? I walked the Frances from SJPdP in 2007, and am finally thinking its time to scratch the itch and take a second trip, tentatively spring 2017 (10-year anniversary!). I loves the camaraderie of the French route and I'm into the idea of revisiting that route to stay in different places and explore the scenery a bit more, etc (I'm not so much in a hurry as I was 10 years ago, haha) but I'd like to see some different areas as well, and am thinking it might be nice to avoid the crowds of the last weeks on the Frances.
Anyway, I'd love to hear from anyone who's done that or part of that route how doable it might be, what the scenery is like on that part of the VdlP, if it would be weird to walk "backwards" from Astorga, and if there are hostels along that part. Good idea? How much time would it add? Or would it be better to just pick a different route and have continuity? I'll be walking most likely in April and or May--I don't want to be walking alone, but not much for the crowds either.
Thanks!

 

[LaurenE]

I meant to say Astorga, not Astoria... silly autocorrect.

 

[Staggerlee]

Hi Lauren,

It's a fairly unspectacular 100km down the VdlP "against the arrows" to the Sanabres turn off at Granja de Moreluela. There is accommodation along the way.
It might be nicer to bus from Astorga to Zamora then head north from there along the VdlP/Sanabres.

Cheers

Andy

 

[Castilian]

You could continue on the Francés till Ponferrada. Once in Ponferrada, take the Camino de invierno till A Laxe and from A Laxe to Santiago de Compostela on the Camino Sanabrés. No backtracking that way.

I you decide to walk backwards the Vía de la Plata from Astorga till a joining point with the Camino Sanabrés, you wouldn't need to way all the way till Granja de Moreruela. Once you are in Benavente, you could walk to Santa Marta de Tera (stage considered to be part of the Camino del Sureste by some people, a liaison between the Sureste and the Sanabrés by other people...) and onwards to Santiago de Compostela on the Sanabrés.

 

[LaurenE]

Thank you for the great information. I have some map-gazing to do...which is what I want to be doing much more than the work I'm supposed to be doing!

 

[Marc S.]

Just to give you two more options, without back tracking.
You can walk the Frances to Leon, then walk the Salvador to Oviedo, and from there walk the Primitivo to Santiago.
Or walk from Oviedo to Aviles, and then continue on the Norte to Santiago.
Happy planning (and map gazing) !