General enquiry about the final 100km of the Camino

[Teresa Pilgrim]

Hi all, In October I hope to travel the final part of the Camino with a friend. Due to time/work constraints we are not sure how long we can commit, but we definitely would like to travel the final 100kms to receive our certificate. Our reasons for walking the Camino are both spiritual and cultural. Any advise on the length of time it has taken others plus any tips would be gratefully received. Thank you in advance. Teresa

 

[t2andreo]

For this purpose, and given this is may be a first time for some in your group, two starting places are most popular.

On the Camino Portuguese, starting just over the river and in Spain, is Tui. I believe the official distance from the Cathedral here is 109 km, someone correct me if I am wrong.

On the Camino Frances, the proverbial spine of the Camino routes and most popular route, the usual starting point for folks seeking to walk the basic 100 km requirement is Sarria. I recall that the official distance from Sarria to Santiago is 118 km. Again, someone correct me if I misstated this.

Both starting places are accessible by bus or train from larger Spanish cities. Check www.renfe.es and www.alsa.es for rail and bus schedules. If this fails, go to www.rome2rio.com. Enter your starting place and destination, and multiple choices will be shown.

Each route, from Sarria or Tui takes about five decent walking days...do the math.

There is a third route that is gaining in popularity. The Camino Ingles starts at Ferrol and ends in Santiago. I believe the official distance is about 111 km. Someone correct me here if I am wrong. Currently, there are fewer services for pilgrims along this route, but it improves each year.

If you do elect to do this remember that you must have a pilgrim credencial (available here from the Casa Ivar store). You need the credencial to use albergues and to establish that you walked the route to qualify for a Compostela when you arrive at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago.

You MUST obtain two sellos or rubber stamps daily to prove you actually walked the distance. Most folks obtain one stamp from the place the spent the night, and a second stamp during the day at a bar / cafe, etc. It is actually very easy to do.

Rules are rules. Unfortunately at some times of the year, and among some demographics, there is a tendency to cut corners and even cheat. True, they are only cheating themselves.

The folks at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago are very scrupulous about this, especially for pilgrims who only walk the minimum distance to qualify for a Compostela. However, and typically, if a pilgrim walks from France, Lisbon, Seville, Madrid, or from a further point of origin, they will make exceptions for occasional lapses in the two-sello per day rule for the final 100 km.

We all hope that you have a safe and happy Camino, and we are here to answer your questions and provide whatever advice and assistance we can.

In using this Forum, please make liberal use of the search function, see above right corner of the screen for the Google-powered forum search engine.

Hope this helps.

 

[m00nman]

My first Camino was the Ingles back in 2012, a trip that has brought be back to Northern Spain three times since and I have two trips planned for 2019. One of the trips I am repeating also in October with my wife and cousin is the Ingles such are the great memories I had and want to relive and share again.

I have walked also from Ourense and part of the way from Vigo (that's another story) and will get back someday to complete what we started...really enjoyed this one too, Ourense to Santiago was a great walk but not rank above the other two.

To be perfectly honest you will love it wherever you end up. We managed our first Ingles in 4 days though there was a 40K final day walk from Bruma into Santiago and I would certainly not EVER repeat that, it was tough to say the least! Easily manageable over x5 days though!

Any queries please feel free to give me a shout,

Neil

Camino Ingles 2012

Neil and Craig embark on their first ever Camino to Santiago...What a Trip!

flic.kr

 

[David Tallan]

Hi all, In October I hope to travel the final part of the Camino with a friend. Due to time/work constraints we are not sure how long we can commit, but we definitely would like to travel the final 100kms to receive our certificate. Our reasons for walking the Camino are both spiritual and cultural. Any advise on the length of time it has taken others plus any tips would be gratefully received. Thank you in advance. Teresa

I would give yourself at least five walking days from the typical starting points for the final 100 km (Valenca/Tui on the Portugues or Sarria on the Frances. Six would let you take it a little easier for your first camino.

In terms of tips:

• Carry as little as possible
• Bring walking poles. Practice with them before you go.
• I like to plan a lot before I leave, but all decisions are made at the last moment rather than in advance, so the planning is really just research.
• For my Camino Frances in 2016, I did no training at all. I walked over 900 km successfully. I did a lot more training for my Camino Portugues in 2018, working my way up to 20km fully loaded hikes for three days in a row at home before I left. On my Camino Portugues, I still completed it successfully, but with a lot less pain.
• Try the pulpo a feira and pimientos de Padron in Galicia.

 

[Delphinoula]

Be mindful of the school holidays in Spain and be prepared that a lot of Spanish pilgrim are joining the last 100 km. It’s not unusual for a Spanish person to add their Camino in their vita/bio when they apply for a job, so I have been told.
If you go in the high season, you may want to stop at an Albergue before the large ones. So I was not in a pinch for a bed.
Buen Camino

 

[scruffy1]

I too favor the Camino Portuguse. Lovely scenery, fewer pilgrims, I love both Redondela and Pontevedra (especially the market there) and a big plus! The Iglesia de Santiago in the town of Padrón !!! The Pedron is a large and ancient stone that Galician history claims the boat carrying the body of Saint James was moored up to. The Pedron is sited directly under the church's alter and is illuminated by lights above it. The example outside is a copy.

 

[RJM]

For first time pilgrims I definitely recommend walking the Frances from Sarria. If you like it, maybe in the future walk the entire length and explore other routes.
Not sure when in October you plan on walking, but after the middle of the month pilgrim numbers diminish and you should have no problem finding albergue space. I do recommend making reservations in Santiago though.
If you are fit you will have no problem walking it in five days, averaging about 20 km a day. Pack light. If your pack weighs more than 7 kilos you have too much.

 

[carryoncouple]

If you walk the Camino Francés, you may want to stay in small villages, as possible, and avoid the end-of-stage places in the guidebook. It will be less crowded, particularly in the morning, on the path. Best wishes!

 

[Walking Lover]

Hi all, In October I hope to travel the final part of the Camino with a friend. Due to time/work constraints we are not sure how long we can commit, but we definitely would like to travel the final 100kms to receive our certificate. Our reasons for walking the Camino are both spiritual and cultural. Any advise on the length of time it has taken others plus any tips would be gratefully received. Thank you in advance. Teresa

62 miles, 5 days max.

 

[Mike Blackard]

Teresa, there is nothing magical about getting a certificate. Don't make it your reason / goal for walking on the camino. Mine is still rolled up in the shipping tube since my completion last October. For me, everyday on the camino was special. I was never bored, never lonely, always enjoyed all the new experiences and people. I started in St. Jean. 3 days later I met two pilgrims in an albergue, and we walked together for 3 days until reaching Puente La Reina. From there they took a bus up to Bilbao and flew home to Holland. We are meeting this coming September in Puente La Reina, where they will resume the walk. Similar things happened in Belorado, walking together to Burgos, and again on the camino past Terradillos and we walked together to Leon before they had to get on trains to go home to Valencia and San Sebastian. I'm meeting these people this September in Leon, where they will pick up where they left off. My daughter and son in law joined me in Sarria for the walk to Santiago de Compostela. I was really happy they could join me, but the camino from Sarria to Santiago is probably the least interesting. The trail is way wider and in 2nd week of October was very crowded. So here's my two cents: Start in St. Jean- first night. Day 2- Stop at Orrison for the night (a quick but steep day, great communal dinner). Day 3- up the rest of the way into Spain and down to Roncesvalles, Day 4 to Zubiri, Day 5 to Pamplona- fun town, lots of transportation options from here if you only have 5 days. If you have more time, keep walking. You can basically stop wherever you have to quit, and at worst take a taxi back or forward to next big city with transportation home options. This gives you a great first time experience on the camino, you will want to return and continue in the future. Lots of people do the camino a week or ten days at a time, picking up where they left off before.

 

[Delphinoula]

Disagree. For me the Compostela is still in tubing. But to me it meant to be part of the Camino, something in front of my eyes to tell me : You did girl. A pad on the shoulder.
Now on my second one the Compostela can wait until I did the whole road from North to South and from South to North. Will need a couple of years, but I see it as keeping my sanity.
There are more threads on that theme, with excellent advise.
Here me with it the day I arrived in Santiago:

 

[Mark McCarthy]

Sarria to Santiago is normally 5 or 6 days. If you spare three more days you start just before O Cebreiro and these two or three days at start of Galicia are lovely.

 

[Joyce Cassidy]

I read this forum frequently, but this is the first time I have responded.

Teresa, my first question to you is how many miles/kilometers do you think you can walk in a day with a pack on your back? Then extrapolate that into your daily walk taking into consideration where you can spend the night. Make sure you include time to get to know and visit the area including towns, churches, forts, people, food and culture.

Two ½ years ago I walked from Sarria - I did it the easy way, some would say the non-pilgrim way - contracted with a company to book lodging, and send my bags forward. Many reasons why - older female, doing it alone, never been to area, didn't speak the language, a hiker but not a backpacker, then meeting others for ongoing holiday. The company I selected was the only one that asked the mileage question. Would I use that company again - no; could I have walked further - yes. The 6 day walk gave me confidence to start planning my next Camino - longer, farther, and on my own with the help of this Forum!

 

[GingerHaddad]

Hi all, In October I hope to travel the final part of the Camino with a friend. Due to time/work constraints we are not sure how long we can commit, but we definitely would like to travel the final 100kms to receive our certificate. Our reasons for walking the Camino are both spiritual and cultural. Any advise on the length of time it has taken others plus any tips would be gratefully received. Thank you in advance. Teresa

Last September I walked the last 114k in 7 days. Longest day was 15, shortest was 9. I’m 65 and was physically ready for the walk, but not the hills the first few days (I’m from Tampa, no hills, at least that was my excuse ), my lungs were on fire going up out of Sarria. NOT the gentle incline the guidebooks mention, plus a lot of slipping and sliding on the downward trip. Take at least one pole. Don’t need boots - hiking shoes or trail runners are fine. Jam your heels back and lace fairly tight up to the instep, then looser. That way your toes won’t slide forward on the downhill. I wore Merrill Moab hiking shoes, Smartwool thin sock liners, had no blisters or aches/pains. It was magical for me - hope it is for you too! Buen Camino!

 

[longwalker60]

Hi all, In October I hope to travel the final part of the Camino with a friend. Due to time/work constraints we are not sure how long we can commit, but we definitely would like to travel the final 100kms to receive our certificate. Our reasons for walking the Camino are both spiritual and cultural. Any advise on the length of time it has taken others plus any tips would be gratefully received. Thank you in advance. Teresa

I know we all have our limitations( Physical, emotional), time constraints but when I reached Saria, I had mixed emotions. I was a little sad that the journey was ending. In addition, the last 100 was so much more commercial. Buses of school kids, even had a group of about 75 stay in the same alburgue. They were well behaved, good kids, had a great deal of energy, but a different vibe, that seemed less spiritual . In addition, I remember walking through the forest, seeing trash cans-which were full, every half mile. I think you miss so much when you only do the last 100. I felt blessed to have started much earlier.

 

[Silencio Por Favor]

I can only give an opinion on the Ingles. We walked late August last year and it had a good balance of meeting others and not being over crowded.
We plan to walk again at least 2 times from different directions God willing, probably no greater distance than 150km due to time limitation, for some reason doing the last 100km of the Frances is not on my list, part of me thinks it would be like joining a marathon for the last stretch. Odd analogy I guess?