Escaping the crowds: alternatives to the Camino Francés

[Luka]

Sorry, didn't know where else to post this...

Until now I have only walked very quiet parts of the Camino in France. This week I walked the first two days from Le Puy and was a bit swept off my feet by all the fellow pilgrims I met. Conversations over dinner were great, but I missed being alone during the day.

I do want to experience the Francés. But am looking for an alternative for the final part. Thinking about the Invierno or Salvador and then Primitivo. Which one would you suggest? Does it make sense? Any other alternatives?

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Luka,

I have walked both the Camino de Invierno and the Salvador/Primitivo combination. There is a huge difference in terms of infrastructure and people. On the Camino de Invierno, I stayed mainly in private places and one albergue. There are a couple of others, like the youth hostal in Quiroga, but I didn't stay there. If you look through the camino de Invierno section, you'll see my comments and those of others who have walked. I never met another pilgrim.

On the Salvador/Primitivo, which I've walked twice, the solitary part is limited to the Salvador (the first four days, Leon to Oviedo). Though the numbers on the Salvador have increased tremendously since I first walked it a few years ago, I still didn't see anyone else this past June. But as soon as I got to Oviedo, everything changed. The Primitivo has a very manageable number of pilgrims. I have walked it in early Oct. and mid June, and both times I'd say I got to know everyone else who was walking in my "bubble". There were people I hung around with more than others, of course, but anytime I stopped for a snack or a coffee if any pilgrims came by, there were people I already knew. Though I had my primitivo circle of friends, I frequently walked alone and just met up with people at stops and at the end of the day. You can usually be pretty much all alone on the primitivo if you want to be. On the Invierno you have no choice, you are all alone. So it just depends on your preference.

Both are beautiful. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Don't be put off the Le Puy route by the first two days. Lots of French people walk the first day or two of that route, but the numbers soon drop off again. I was never alone on the Le Puy route, not like on the Cluny route- but once I had passed Montbonnet, I never felt it was 'crowded'.
Margaret

 

[Luka]

Wow, thanks both for you replies!

@peregrina2000, I read some of the threads about the Invierno and it sounds tempting! Was it you that made the free downloadable English guide? I am so happy with all the information provided! Still don't know which way to choose. Salvador and Primitivo seems very beautiful too. The thing is also that it is not that I don't want to have anyone around. I know sharing makes a pilgrimage much more meaningful. So the difference between the crowds on the Francés and being on my own on the Invierno is huge. My Spanish is pretty good though and I have walked alone a lot already in France. And I saw that the last two days the route coincides with the Via de la Plata, so then at least I should be able to meet fellow pilgrims.

@KiwiNomad, I know you are right about the GR 65 from Le Puy. I only did the first two stages and stayed in the most logical places (St Privat and Saugues). I noticed that after Saugues the plans of everyone started to divert already. So I am sure I still want to walk that route next year! Next to that, I think it should be easy to avoid the crowds when you choose less logical places to stay. It is just that this was only the GR 65 at the end of the season. Nothing compared to the last stages of the Camino Francés I guess!

One more question. I saw that the Primitivo ends at the Camino Francés. How many days/kilometres will I have to walk on the Francés if I choose that option?

 

[himely]

Hi, agree with your sentiments, just want a quiet walk etc. quick question, am starting 8 oct, those first two days from SJPP, how steep are the roads through the mountains, is exposure a problem i.e. I don't have a head for heights, or is it just road/paths with steep inclines? thanks.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Luka,

Based on what you say, I don't think the Invierno is what you're looking for, because you really have to be prepared to be alone all the time. I was able to reduce the isolation because I speak good Spanish and found that the people in all of these places were friendly and chatty, and by taking a 2 day break at ribeirasacra.com with a forum member who has a gorgeous casa rural (B&B) about a km off the Invierno on a hill overlooking the Minho River. Yes, I wrote the online guide, but I have gotten lots of help from those few others who have also walked the Invierno.

The Salvador's traffic has increased a lot, but again it's very likely that you won't run into anyone. The hospitalera in Pajares told me that the numbers had doubled or tripled in the last year, but since they were starting from fewer than 100, this increase doesn't mean you're guaranteed to have any company at all. As I said, I was completely alone, but it is so beautiful and is a nice prelude to the Primitivo. It's 120 kms, with a day with some hefty elevation gain, but it's easy to break the walk into 5 or even 6 days if you want. Ender has written a great guide as well, which is also translated into English http://caminodelsalvador.net/?cat=13 (Ender is the person most responsible for making the Salvador accessible to pilgrims -- he has put lots of markings on the remote mountain day to ensure you are never far from an arrow or conch shell).

The Primitivo may be just what you're looking for. It has pilgrim traffic and lots of wonderful albergues. If you look through the threads, you can see stories of many positive experiences, and there are suggestions on how to break it into shorter stages than the usual ones (see particularly Tio Tel and Tia Valeria's postings, they have been on this route several times and give great information). The only caveat I would give here is that from what I've heard, the Primitivo in August becomes clogged and overrun. I know several Spaniards who started out in August and left. The infrastructure can handle a stream of maybe 30 a day, but one day last August there were well over 100 people in Cadavo, for instance. I went in mid-late June and had absolutely no trouble. The only day we had a crowding problem was in Berducedo, where the municipal albergue has 10 beds. But there is a private place that's very nice and easily absorbed the overflow.

One last question -- what time of year are you planning to walk? Winter on any of these could be somewhat problematic. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Luka]

Thanks again, Laurie! I still have a lot of time to consider what I will do. I asked my employer if they can miss me for three months next year (July, August and September). I have no answer yet, but I will only have a chance if I include the summer months. My plan is to start in Montbrison (5 days before Le Puy) the beginning of July, so I expect to be in the last stages of the Francés somewhere around the beginning of September.

 

[sillydoll]

You could end your Primitivo at Lugo and take the bus up to el Ferrol and walk to Santiago from there. Chances are you might meet only a handful of pilgrims on the Camino Ingles.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, again, Luka,

I realize I didn't answer one of your questions about the Primitivo. The Primitivo joins the Frances in Melide. We found that we avoided a lot of the crowds by spending our last night on the Primitivo in Ponte Ferreira. We then walked through Melide, enjoyed the Sunday market and had a nice pulpo lunch, and then walked on 8 more kms to Boente. There's a wonderful new albergue there, but it's a small town so there were really no crowds the next morning when we left. But soon we were in the mass of humanity as we got closer and closer to Arzua. We spent the last night there and walked into Santiago the next morning. I'd say it was really only the last two days where we felt the crowds. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Luka]

Sounds great, Laurie! I will do some more research, but for now I think I would choose the Salvador/Primitivo option.