Detours

[Chignecto]

I am planning to walk the Camino Frances in starting in May from SJPD. I am planning some extra time and want to take some detours off the Camino. I have the John Brierley's guidebook but would like to hear what detours other forum members would recommend.

 

[alipilgrim]

The detour to Eunate. I did not stay at the albergue there though I have read posts from pilgrims who have and they've thought it was one of the highlights of their trip. Also, I highly recommend taking 2+ days to go to Silos to hear the monks sing and enjoy the church services and the village itself. Transport can be tricky so it is worth investigating ahead of time.

 

[sillydoll]

I have a post on my blog about detours from the Camino Frances

http://amawalker.blogspot.com/2009/01/d ... ances.html

 

[Portia1]

I enjoyed Eunate and Samos.

 

[renegadepilgrim]

I didn't get to Eunate, but I did get to Samos. Loved it there. If I had known about Silos, I would have tried to go, but it's a real trick to get there, and best done with a small group so you can negotiate a price with a taxi if you don't want to spend the night out there, which if you do, then it needs to be pre-arranged. That was my understanding from some ladies from SA I met who went there.

 

[justine03]

Hey Chignecto,

The best detour I took, and the best day of walking for me on the camino Frances this past October, was the detour out of Villafranca through Dragonte and two more mountains after that and meets back up with the other route just before La Faba. The scenery is incredible, you probably wont see another pilgrim the whole day, there is only one cafe along the way at Celia's house (check it out she will give you her signature as a sello - also the best sello I got!... the Brierly guide shows where that cafe is)...it will be a very peaceful and serene walk indeed.

Be careful though, as Brierly warns, the trail is not well marked and there are sections descending the third mountain that are very difficult to walk. Do not walk alone and leave early. Also make sure you bring your food for the day because there is nowhere to buy any. Try not to leave in the dark, because the adventure starts as you are leaving Villafranca and the yellow arrow essentially disappears for the day. But as long as you have your Brierly guide you should find your way through the mountains... it got me through anyway! And enjoy!!!!!

 

[Portia1]

I forgot about Dragonate being a detour. It was a wonderful but VERY tiring day. You do have to be vigilant about the path--for starting (scope it out the evening before if you stay in Villafranca) and then coming down. You might not want to go to LaFaba on the same day. The climb down and up to LaFaba will take any remaining starch right out of you!

 

[Tulle]

We are four Norwegians who went from Pamplona to Castrojeriz in September. We had two detours, one of them was Eunate. I too recommend it, it was a wonderful church and the place had a special atmosphere. We didn't stay in the albergue though, but it looked nice.
The other detour was to Covarrubias and Silos. Covarrubias is of special interest to us Norwegians, because a Norwegian princess, Kristina, is buried there. She was married to the Spanish prince, Felipe. This was in the 13th century. Covarrubias is now a twin city with the Norvegian town Tønsberg where princess Kristina was born. But the little town is also of general interest, because it is a very well preserved old town.
We had booked a hotel room in Silos, but in Burgos we found out that to combine these two places was difficult because of the transport. Not many buses in the countryside! But through the tourist office in Burgos we found a small travel agency which arranges day trips and half day trips. So we took a half day trip with Carmen, and she was a splendid guide! The only problem was that she spoke only Spanish and we only English.. But strangely enough, we understood most of what she said! In Covarrubias we got to see the church and its museum with Kristina's sarcophagos, in Silos we saw part of the monastery and heard the monks sing. We were even taken to la Yecla, a spectacular canyon near Silos. On our way back to Burgos she showed us the parador in Lerma. We paid 40 Euros each, expensive perhaps, but it was worth it and I don't think we would have experienced all this on our own. This agency is called Viajes Burgos, c/Miranda 1, just opposite the bus station and Carmen is hereby recommended!
Tulle

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I recommend San MIllan de Cogolla, a monastic complex a few miles south of the Camino out of Najera. You can walk there, or take a bus; there are pensions as well as a good-value 4-star hotel that is sited right in the old monastery, equal to any parador I have seen. (you will need to overnight if you are walking.)

Up on a steep mountainside is Suso, the cave-turned-monastery church where old San MIllan, a Mozarabic hermit, holed-up to seek holiness, but ended up founding a thousand-year dynasty of education and religion with ties to Silos (across the mountain to the east). Down in the valley is Yuso, the more recent and quite grand monastery complex where Santo Domingo de Silos learned his chops. In the manuscript libraries here are the first documents written in Spanish, as well as Basque -- scribbled notes written in the margins of Latin books by anonymous monks. There is a tour through the more glorious parts of both places: the medieval library is a knockout, and the cave up on the hill is wonderfully creepy.

The following day you re-join the camino following a beautiful and isolated path (many roe deer) that is nicely marked all the way to outside Santo D. de la Calzada.

 

[grayland]

Thanks for that highlight, Rebekah. A really visual discription.
I had not known of this wonderful place and will make an effort to take a detour....next time.

 

[Chignecto]

Thanks for all these great detour suggestions!! These detours will greatly enhance my Camino experience. Please, keep the ideas coming.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hi Chignecto
I took a wonderful detour from Burgus to Santa Domingo de Silos. The bus leaves from Burgos bus station in the evening 5.30 p.m. I think and the bus from Silos leaves 8.00 am. So you need to stay two nights. I actually remained three nights. If you are male you can stay in the monastery . if female there are lots of places to stay. |I stayed in 'Cruces ' It is just across the road from the monastery. I attended Mass and also Vespers and Compline there. The tour of the monastery is also well worth while. I enjoyed it so much I went on it twice. I was afraid to roam the mountain as I was on my own but I followed the river for quite a bit and sat on a huge fallen tree trunk and an eagle appeared in the sky and was followed soon by another and their four young. I will never forget watching the noble birds teaching their young how to fly.
I'm starting in Pamplona on May 4th so we may meet on the way.
Buen Camino
Lydia

 

[nellpilgrim]

Hi,
In real terms Eunate is so little additional distance to detour you'll hardly feel it...well not much :? Suso Yuso (San Millan) and Cana require a bit more effort but are equally rewarding. For the later 3 sites I wonder if you could hire a bike at either in either Santo Domingo de la Calzada or Najera (Tximeleta a forum member from Najera might be able to give you a steer on that?) as it would be an easy days cycle. That would mean you'd get there under your own steam (if that's important to you), give your feet a day off and be pack free for a day...... I think I've suggested it before but don't know if anyone actually has tried it out yet?
The Brierley and Miam Miam Dodo guides are good for providing alternative (often road avoiding) routes which can be a real bonus in terms of beauty and solitude.
Nell

 

[reih1515]

In Galicia: The detour to Vilar de Donas.

Between Ligonde and Palas de Rei two miles to the North (google maps).

"The church in the village of Vilar de Donas is an interesting, Romanesque 12th Century building which was modified to accommodate the tombs of the prestigious members of the Order of Santiago. On one of the tombs are sculptures of lions. There are also early 15th Century frescoes of the Anunciation and shields of the order of Santiago, as well as an ornate canopy."

Beautiful, very interesting, we were there in 2005 and 2008.

Greetings, and a "goede camino"

Rein

 

[labas78]

Re: Detours - Cascada de la Fervencia

Hola

Thanks to all who contributed with information on these really interesting detours. My wife and I are planning to do the Camino Frances starting towards the last week of May, and we're looking ahead to do a couple of detours from the selection mentioned so far.

Meanwhile, has anyone information or perhaps done the detour to :arrow: La Cascada (Falls) de la Fervencia, about 5km NW of Rabanal del Camino? I came to know about this from Coelho's book The Pilgrimage. From the author's description it's quite a scenery not to be missed.

Buen Camino a todos
Etienne

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Etienne: I think I know the place you mean, although I don´t know it by that name. The hospitaleros at Refugio Gaucelmo in Rabanal keep a notebook for their own use, with several area hikes outlined in there -- that is how I knew where and how to go. I am sure they´d share if you asked nicely!
The area is full of great trails and walks, it was part of an elaborate Roman engineering scheme that mined nearby and channeled water off the mountains and down the valleys toward the gold mines of Las Medullas. Tons of scenery, deer, some snakes, and even wild boar! The cascada, however, was all dried-up when I was there, but the walk was pretty.

Reb.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

A photo of the Cascada:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23117339@N02/3483733600/

 

[labas78]

Re: Cascada de la Fervencia and more

Thanks Rebekah for the interesting info, in particular also the part on the Roman history of the area. That added another detour to my list: Las Medulas (to which I'll probably catch some transport once I reach Ponferrada).

Thanks also to Falcon, for the nice picture.

Meanwhile, does anyone has any info/e-map/weblink on the detour route of Dragonte which starts from Villafranca del Bierzo and rejoins Camino Frances at Herrerias? From the few info I have come across, seems likely not to be a piece of cake at all, but not impossible though. Has anyone walked it lately and could share his experience? Has the route been way-marked? etc

Ultreia
Etienne