Espiritual Variante/ Camino Portuguese

[Susan Peacock]

I am surveying pilgrims who have taken the boat on the Espiritual Variante to see if they were able to get a Compostela in Santiago. I am an experienced Pilgrim, so I do not need to know the rules, only the experiences of pilgrims that HAVE walked this route and taken the boat. Please share any other information on the variante and/or the boat ride to Padron.

 

[Boog237]

I walked from Porto - Santiago using the Variante Espiritual and received my compostela without any difficulty late May this year. Loved this route, and thourougly enjoyed the boat ride from Vilanueva de Arousa to Padron. Check out the "HOPE HOUSE" donativo for lodging near Vilanueva de Arousa. Great folks.

https://www.disciplenations.org/searching-way-dna-partners-spain-open-hospitality-home-pilgrims/

 

[Susan Peacock]

I walked from Porto - Santiago using the Variante Espiritual and received my compostela without any difficulty late May this year. Loved this route, and thourougly enjoyed the boat ride from Vilanueva de Arousa to Padron. Check out the "HOPE HOUSE" donativo for lodging near Vilanueva de Arousa. Great folks.

https://www.disciplenations.org/searching-way-dna-partners-spain-open-hospitality-home-pilgrims/

Thank you! We are really looking forward to this Camino. Any suggestions on catching the boat?

 

[Gail Dickson]

Thank you! We are really looking forward to this Camino. Any suggestions on catching the boat?

I also walked the Variante in May and received my certificate. Boat tickets are booked at the albergue the night before. Leaves with the tide I think. For us it was 6.30am and freezing. But worth it.

 

[Boog237]

It runs from Vilanueva de Arousa . . . but the time varies with the tides. This is the website of the boat I took to Padron

https://www.labarcadelperegrino.com

It was a lovely ride passing many crosses along the banks of the river commerorating the route Saint James took towards Santiago.

 

[Jo Jo]

I believe there is an official ruling on this from the Cathedral. Maybe contact Johnny Walker with a PM to know for certain, but I've never heard anyone being turned down for taking the boat. See this thread also: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/variante-espiritual.41169/

 

[MarcelWals]

Hi,

I walked the Portuguese one last April, took the boat and got my compostela without any problem. At the albergue you can book a ticket and they will tell you straight away the time the boat will leave (the next day). My advice: just do it!

 

[ELHS220]

I am just finishing a two week volunteer stint at the Pilgrim Office and there was an issue with that a few days ago. If I understood the exchange correctly, someone was denied a Compostela because the Spiritual Variant is not considered part of the official Camino. When that distance was substacted from the total, it was less than 100 kms. So make sure you have 100 NOT counting the Spiritual.

 

[Susan Peacock]

Never had a problem walking from Porto and doing the variant. My guess is not that it is not an official route, as I believe you can walk 100km from anywhere to Santiago and get a compostela, its that the portion that is the boat ride cannot count in your 100km. So you just to be sure you have 100km walking.

 

[David Tallan]

I am just finishing a two week volunteer stint at the Pilgrim Office and there was an issue with that a few days ago. If I understood the exchange correctly, someone was denied a Compostela because the Spiritual Variant is not considered part of the official Camino. When that distance was subtracted from the total, it was less than 100 kms. So make sure you have 100 NOT counting the Spiritual.

This is interesting. There are a lot of different accounts of the requirements around this variant and what is permitted. My own interpretation of a strict reading of the rules was that if you took the spiritual variant and boat ride you put your Compostela at risk, because you wouldn't have walked all of the last 100 km. (As we all know, it is not enough to walk 100 km; they have to be the last 100 km. If you walk from Roncesvalles to Portomarin, ride a bike to Palas de Reis, then walk the rest of the way to Santiago, you will have walked well over 100 km but not the last 100 km, nor will you have biked the last 200 km, so no Compostela for you.)

@JohnnieWalker corrected me saying there was an official ruling and exception from the cathedral authorities that, in this case, the boat ride was permitted precisely because the Spiritual Variant is an official Camino route. When I asked him where this was documented, he pointed out that it was shown as an official Camino route on the cathedral issued credencial. With that as evidence, it is hard for them to say that it is not part of the official Camino!

In another post, I read @Theatregal quoting him which may help sort out the confusion. She quotes him as saying: "The discussion has helped clarify one central point regarding this Variant and the Compostela - previously the Pilgrims Office required pilgrims to walk 100 kms continuously to Santiago. They have now clarified that this variant is an exception and that pilgrims who use a boat for some of it will still qualify if they started in Vigo or Porinno and therefore overall will have walked more than 100 kms to Santiago"

So, it seems that the Spiritual Variant as a whole is official Camino and counts, but the boat ride is a weird bit. It is Camino enough to not disqualify you from a Compostela for having used motorized transit. But it doesn't count towards the walking distance.

If that is the case, much of the Spiritual will count towards your 100 km - just not the boat ride bit.

Of course, there is always the risk that the volunteer you are faced with at the desk will have a different understanding or interpretation of the rules, so make your decisions based on what is most important to you.

 

[LesBrass]

This is interesting. There are a lot of different accounts of the requirements around this variant and what is permitted. My own interpretation of a strict reading of the rules was that if you took the spiritual variant and boat ride you put your Compostela at risk, because you wouldn't have walked all of the last 100 km. (As we all know, it is not enough to walk 100 km; they have to be the last 100 km. If you walk from Roncesvalles to Portomarin, ride a bike to Palas de Reis, then walk the rest of the way to Santiago, you will have walked well over 100 km but not the last 100 km, nor will you have biked the last 200 km, so no Compostela for you.)

@JohnnieWalker corrected me saying there was an official ruling and exception from the cathedral authorities that, in this case, the boat ride was permitted precisely because the Spiritual Variant is an official Camino route. When I asked him where this was documented, he pointed out that it was shown as an official Camino route on the cathedral issued credencial. With that as evidence, it is hard for them to say that it is not part of the official Camino!

In another post, I read @Theatregal quoting him which may help sort out the confusion. She quotes him as saying: "The discussion has helped clarify one central point regarding this Variant and the Compostela - previously the Pilgrims Office required pilgrims to walk 100 kms continuously to Santiago. They have now clarified that this variant is an exception and that pilgrims who use a boat for some of it will still qualify if they started in Vigo or Porinno and therefore overall will have walked more than 100 kms to Santiago"

So, it seems that the Spiritual Variant as a whole is official Camino and counts, but the boat ride is a weird bit. It is Camino enough to not disqualify you from a Compostela for having used motorized transit. But it doesn't count towards the walking distance.

If that is the case, much of the Spiritual will count towards your 100 km - just not the boat ride bit.

Of course, there is always the risk that the volunteer you are faced with at the desk will have a different understanding or interpretation of the rules, so make your decisions based on what is most important to you.

I hope this is correct. I'm walking with a group next year and for a few, the Compostela is going to be a very important part of their walk. We've chosen the varient because of it's history with St James and also to have the chance to stay in the Monastery overnight... it felt like the perfect camino. I'll make sure I keep an eye on other posts with this question... but thank you for the explanation!

 

[Susan Peacock]

I hope this is correct. I'm walking with a group next year and for a few, the Compostela is going to be a very important part of their walk. We've chosen the varient because of it's history with St James and also to have the chance to stay in the Monastery overnight... it felt like the perfect camino. I'll make sure I keep an eye on other posts with this question... but thank you for the explanation!

No problem on two Camino with spiritual variant. We did walk from Porto so no risk of not having walked 100km. Also, if you are walking with a group, you might want to consider the group option to get your compostelas instead of waiting in line for an hour or two.

 

[LesBrass]

No problem on two Camino with spiritual variant. We did walk from Porto so no risk of not having walked 100km. Also, if you are walking with a group, you might want to consider the group option to get your compostelas instead of waiting in line for an hour or two.

Thank you... I hope it's ok from Tui too? I did consider the group option... but I do always think there's something wonderful about stepping up to the desk and giving your name and passport. Maybe I'll see how long the queue is

 

[TatiLie]

I've just arrived home from the Camino, Baiona to Santiago. Not a problem with the Compostela. Book the boat because there are not many places (ten or twelve) and if you're in a large group you might be left to the later trips (there's one at 7, 9 and 11 with the ones I did). Their phone number is +34 607911523 (I got their stamp on my passport, not only cute but useful!)
They also stop near the bateas (the mussels farms) and explained the process which was very educational. Remember to bring a jacket.