My experience on the Camino Francés from Sarria…

[slmoser]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

 

[jenwearing]

I had a very similar experience 5 years ago reuniting with friends in the square. All the same fears and none of them materializing. I’m glad to hear you had a great time.

 

[buridan]

Same, but i registered the day before at the pilgrim office online. i was in and out in 5 min.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

When I compare my experiences end of April 2019 with 3rd week May 2023, then Melide - Santiago felt totally overcrowded in 2019 while it was OK this year. While total pilgrim numbers in the statistics are probably not so different, my personal experience was extremely different. And I suppose it depended just on luck, if I happened to be in between waves, or crossing peak pilgrim wave ... time of the day, day of the week, precise hour.
I would guess someone just walking 3 hours in front of me or behind me might have had a totally different experience again.

 

[Rev Elaine]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

Thank you so much for your post. We walk in September and the fb posts of many others have raised similar concerns. I trust that the Holy Spirit will guide me into the journey that I am to take. Buen Camino

 

[slmoser]

Thank you so much for your post. We walk in September and the fb posts of many others have raised similar concerns. I trust that the Holy Spirit will guide me into the journey that I am to take. Buen Camino

Trusting in the Holy Spirit you can NOT go wrong and is your very best guide…Godspeed & Buen Camino

 

[Annw]

Thank. you for posting. That was also very much my experience.

 

[jomens]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

How do you preregister for a Campostela?

 

[C2016]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

How do we preregister. We are 2 days away

 

[Crossroads Travel]

As my business is related to the Camino I have walked many times, on different paths, at different times of the year and starting in different locations. I have found that despite perhaps a school or large group passing, I always had many hours where I wondered how it happened that there was not a Pilgrim in sight! Guess the old adage that the Camino will provide is truer than true Tolerance and compassion may just be what some need to learn

 

[slmoser]

How do you preregister for a Campostela?

If you type in the search bar “link” you’ll find where it has been posted​

 

[slmoser]

How do you preregister for a Campostela?

Search “link” in here on the toolbar and you’ll see where it has been posted previously. Even if you don’t preregister, they have kiosks available with assistants to walk you through the 5 minute process

 

[david g]

Too often we hear horror stories about the crowds of pilgrims and it causes unneeded anxiety. Your walk will play out as it does, crowded, not crowded, noisy or quiet. Happy that you found it to be what worked for you.

 

[mgshanks]

This was my experience too, and I think now the Compostela is pre-filled it is all a lot faster than it used to be. Having said that, I think it's a bit of a shame the computer does all the work now and the signature isn't done by the people in the office but efficiency is definitely a positive of it!

 

[Bradypus]

Having said that, I think it's a bit of a shame the computer does all the work now and the signature isn't done by the people in the office but efficiency is definitely a positive of it!

I dislike the impersonal nature of the new system but hard to deny that it works. Big numbers arriving on many days so far this year but very few reports of people waiting more than a few minutes for their Compostela. A big change from the hours-long queues in fairly recent times.

 

[slmoser]

How do you preregister for a Campostela?

Found the link…

Acceso agencias

 

[slmoser]

How do we preregister. We are 2 days away

Here’s the link: Click the OK at the bottom right of the page and it will take you to the registration form.

Acceso agencias

 

[Silvermomma]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

You never know, right? I walked into Santiago yesterday mostly alone in the eucalyptus mid-day. Crowds?

 

[mattythedog]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

I completely agree. I finished CF a couple weeks ago. One person in line ahead of me to get the Compostela.

 

[trecile]

Found the link…

There is a new updated link with better translations. Read about it in post below.

What is also new: Group registration!!! You can now register a group of pilgrims to apply for their Compostelas by making use of a single request form, something that was not possible to do for the humble peregrin@ on the previous version of the registration webpage, it only looked as if you could.

But group registration works now. You can create a list and then add the personal details of the members of your group or just the personal details for yourself and for your partner when you walked as a couple for example. Neat.

Also, as you can see below, the links to the registration webpage for individual and group registration now unfurl into something meaningful and no longer into the mysterious and misleading "Acceso agencias" as it did before.

Registro individual | Oficina del Peregrino. Santiago de Compostela

oficinadelperegrino.com

Registro grupos | Oficina del Peregrino. Santiago de Compostela

oficinadelperegrino.com

 

[David Tallan]

This why I so dislike the scare mongering that people engage in with tales of hordes on the Camino Frances. They push people off what is a wonderful Camino route, often onto other routes which, while they may also be wonderful, aren't quite so suited to first-time pilgrims.

 

[iloveagoodadventure]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

Just curious, is there an online link for preregistration?

 

[trecile]

Just curious, is there an online link for preregistration?

It's in the post that I quoted above. But here it is again

Registro individual | Oficina del Peregrino. Santiago de Compostela

oficinadelperegrino.com

 

[MargaritaMel]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

I also have not experienced hordes of pilgrims on my trek from Sarria. Yes, there are sometimes groups - but normally our group has traveled alone.

 

[Peter-H]

This why I so dislike the scare mongering that people engage in with tales of hordes on the Camino Frances. They push people off what is a wonderful Camino route, often onto other routes which, while they may also be wonderful, aren't quite so suited to first-time pilgrims.

I second all of the positive comments made on this thread. We completed the Camino Francis on May 5th. The only accommodation issues were Pamplona on the Easter weekend, no real problem either side. In Melide we resorted to Booking .com, but again no problem. The experience arriving in Santiago was overwhelming, as I expected to would be. We had no delays getting our Compestela; the people operating the Pilgrim office were courteous and efficient. My sincere thanks to all concerned, and to those lucky Peregrinos still on the track; Buen Camino.

 

[Coddiwomple]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

Same experience! Absolutely perfect. Cool temperatures and not crowded.

 

[Jjbrigham]

I had posted previously about concerns regarding “marching from Sarria to Santiago shoulder to shoulder with hoards of pilgrims…”

Our Camino is over and my fears about all of that and hours waiting to get a Compostela etc. were completely unwarranted and was absolutely NOT my experience AT ALL.

While there of course were more pilgrims walking from Sarria to Santiago, we found several times that we walked with no pilgrims in sight for a good 30-60 minutes enjoying the scenery and sounds of the Camino. The final walk into Santiago was also one of our favorite experiences along the way, having serendipitously reunited with what became our Camino family, making the last Kms go quickly and we got way more than we had ever hoped for from our time together with them.

We arrived at the Pilgrims Office at 1pm, having preregistered, we were out of there with both a Compostela & Distance certificate in under 20 minutes.

I am very grateful to everyone on this Forum who contributed information to assist us on The Way.

Buen Camino everyone!

Thank you for this update I am currently on the Camino for the 3rd time and was also worried but finding it all works out. How do you pre register at the pilgrims office???

 

[trecile]

Thank you for this update I am currently on the Camino for the 3rd time and was also worried but finding it all works out. How do you pre register at the pilgrims office???

The link has been posted multiple times in this thread, but here it is... again

Registro individual | Oficina del Peregrino. Santiago de Compostela

oficinadelperegrino.com

 

[truenorthpilgrm]

I walked sarria to Santiago mid-May and DID experience the throngs. It was absolutely jarring and rarely did I get a moment to myself.

But of course my experience will be chalked up to scaremongering and dismissed.

 

[Telelama]

We walked the Primitivo to Lugo, then the Verde to the Norte, reaching the Frances at the airport last Thursday. We did this route specifically to avoid the crush from Melide. We had experienced very busy crowds on our two previous Frances.

We found it very busy going into Santiago, with large school groups and those with light day bags. These school groups, unlike what we experienced previously, were polite, quiet and made way for faster walkers. We stayed in Lavacolla, then got up early to walk into Santiago. There were quite a few people walking at 7:00, but not a swarm. Our wait at the Pilgrim's Office was only 20 minutes.

Some of our camino friends who stayed on the Primitivo and walked on the Frances from Melide were dismayed and frustrated with the "huge" crowds. Their definition of "huge" may not be yours considering how few people we saw on the Primitivo. We had may be 30 or 40 perigrinos in our wave on the Primitivo.

 

[Telelama]

This why I so dislike the scare mongering that people engage in with tales of hordes on the Camino Frances.

Is it scare mongering if there's actually hordes? I can tell you in our two Frances that from Sarria onwards most days were often not pleasant. I could write a pretty long essay here on what we experienced, including school boys chasing a cow and her young calf with sticks. It wasn't enough to yell at them, I had to chase them off to keep them from continuing to pursue those poor cows.

I would offer that is providing a realistic view of what a pilgrim may find on that section is not scare mongering. We should be offering what we know and let the Perigrinos choose their own routes based upon what they learn.

 

[DJames]

we just finished....walk in the morning and it is more crowded, leave alittle later less crowded.

crowded is relative. but there were alot more people walking this camino than Oct 2018.

but everyone was nice and friendly and there are so many places open to stop and have a snack to let the "crowd" pass that it was fine.

group of teens walking which is great but loud rap music no bueno. some bikers alittle aggressive.

and the beer was cold at the end of the day!

 

[David Tallan]

Is it scare mongering if there's actually hordes? I can tell you in our two Frances that from Sarria onwards most days were often not pleasant. I could write a pretty long essay here on what we experienced, including school boys chasing a cow and her young calf with sticks. It wasn't enough to yell at them, I had to chase them off to keep them from continuing to pursue those poor cows.

I would offer that is providing a realistic view of what a pilgrim may find on that section is not scare mongering. We should be offering what we know and let the Perigrinos choose their own routes based upon what they learn.

On the other hand, I walked the same section in August (which is peak season for this part of the Camino) and, while there were plenty of other pilgrims, I didn't find that their presence detracted from my Camino. If it had, there are strategies I could have adopted to see less of them.

Admittedly, that was only one of my two Frances. There weren't hordes in 1989.

I still maintain the "avoid the Frances at all costs, especially after Sarria" rhetoric isn't helpful to new pilgrims, as the post that started this thread demonstrates.

 

[Bradypus]

I still maintain the "avoid the Frances at all costs, especially after Sarria" rhetoric isn't helpful to new pilgrims, as the post that started this thread demonstrates.

I would not argue that anyone should "avoid the Frances at all costs". The ever-growing popularity of the final stages of the route suggests that walking the route remains an experience which huge numbers continue to enjoy each year. But I do not think it would be helpful to suppress the expressions of less positive experiences by pilgrims or to encourage anyone to practice self-censorship in their posts here. Perceptions of overcrowding are very subjective. I would rather people here on the forum felt free to describe their own experiences honestly and then trust prospective pilgrims to consider the balance of opinions for themselves and reach their own judgment.

 

[mike37p]

I have just finished the Sarria to Santiago walk.

Apart from a sense of successfully completing it I have few other positive views on the Camino or Spain.
Too many people (many quite aggressive walkers pushing past), bikes, loud shouting and music. Mostly unfriendly cafe and hotel owners and staff, although a few were nice. A lot of it was walking on or next to roads which I didn't enjoy. A few nice stretches in the country.

It's worth noting that numbers are increasing very quickly now (438,000 registered for a certificate in 2022 as against 350,000 in 2019 - pre covid). The numbers I saw at the Pilgrim's office seemed to be higher in 2023 at about 2000 on the day we arrived rather than the 2022 1200 average

We went with a travel company that organised the hotels and I was impressed by the organisation even when they lost our luggage it was found fairly quickly!

As for the arrival in Santiago I was overwhelmed by the crowds and simply wanted to get away from the vast numbers. I stayed an extra day in Santiago and the best bit was sitting in the quiet park! Too many people in the town.

Pleased I did it as an achievement but I guess if you go with an expectation and work to make it happen you don't see much else. I went with no expectations as I always do and found few positives.

 

[Pelegrin]

I have just finished the Sarria to Santiago walk.

Apart from a sense of successfully completing it I have few other positive views on the Camino or Spain.

You have only few positive views on Sarria- Santiago. Spain ( and Galicia) are much bigger and diverse.

 

[mike37p]

You have only few positive views on Sarria- Santiago. Spain ( and Galicia) are much bigger and diverse.

That may be so but I my comments were on the Camino from Sarria to Santiago which I thought was what this thread was about. I'm not sure what you are trying to say here.

I have travelled widely and been to many countries around the world and I'm very aware that where you go is only a part of whatever region you are in. My feeling with the Camino is that it's now a commercial tourist area but portrayed as a life changing experience by many.

 

[Bradypus]

My feeling with the Camino is that it's now a commercial tourist area but portrayed as a life changing experience by many.

I think it is both. Not always mutually exclusive though I have struggled at times to find the better parts too.

 

[mike37p]

I think it is both. Not always mutually exclusive though I have struggled at times to find the better parts too.

You're right. I think some expect it to be life changing and maybe it is for them. Personally I had no expectations and found it difficult to see many "better parts" or personable locals (in stark contrast to the amiable and hospitable people we have met in Greece over the years).

I also think many regard it as an active holiday which is increasing the numbers.

 

[Pelegrin]

In stark contrast to the amiable and hospitable people we have met in Greece over the years

Yes, probably people in rural Galicia are more suspicious than in Greece (where ? Peloponnesus?, Macedonia ?) but nevertheless I think that they carry quite well the Camino circumstances.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I suspect that we get out of our Caminos what we put in.

 

[mike37p]

Yes, probably people in rural Galicia are more suspicious than in Greece (where ? Peloponnesus?, Macedonia ?) but nevertheless I think that they carry quite well the Camino circumstances.

I have a house in Kos that I bought because of the open friendly people (and the wonderful climate) there and in mainland Greece.

Sadly I can't agree that the Camino shop/cafe owners and workers were in any way welcoming (apart from two places we visited) or "carry on quite well". But that's my opinion.

 

[Peter-H]

I have a house in Kos that I bought because of the open friendly people (and the wonderful climate) there and in mainland Greece.

Sadly I can't agree that the Camino shop/cafe owners and workers were in any way welcoming (apart from two places we visited) or "carry on quite well". But that's my opinion.

I take your point and I realise you were only referring to the Sarria to Santiago section of the Camino. I did the Camino Francis in April and it is likely the increased numbers may explain your experience to some extent. We avoided that by staging between the 'guidebook hubs' on that final section and we found everyone very welcoming.

It's worth noting, as we did, that the Spanish have a somewhat relaxed approach to things I guess (including 'customer relations') however that's a feature that I personally find endearing.

Your other point about the holiday atmosphere overtaking the spiritual aspects of the Camino are again apparent on that final section. We walked from SJPdP and found that the spiritual aspects of the trip, which were important to me, were not diminished by those undertaking more of an adventure.

Indeed the extent to which there was a variety of attitudes etc among various Pilgrims was a plus. We had Easter weekend around Pamplona and the contrast there between the Easter spirit and the holiday atmosphere made for a great few days (sadly however, the Fuente de Vino was dry!).

 

[Robo]

That may be so but I my comments were on the Camino from Sarria to Santiago which I thought was what this thread was about. I'm not sure what you are trying to say here.

I have travelled widely and been to many countries around the world and I'm very aware that where you go is only a part of whatever region you are in. My feeling with the Camino is that it's now a commercial tourist area but portrayed as a life changing experience by many.

Sorry to hear you did not have a great experience.
Sadly the Sarria to Santiago section is probably the worst example of what the Camino is about (for some people), given the Pilgrim numbers and commerciality of it all

Having said that, I have walked that section three times, though not recently and enjoyed it every time.

 

[mike37p]

Sorry to hear you did not have a great experience.
Sadly the Sarria to Santiago section is probably the worst example of what the Camino is about (for some people), given the Pilgrim numbers and commerciality of it all

Having said that, I have walked that section three times, though not recently and enjoyed it every time.

Thanks. I did enjoy the walking just not the numbers of walkers (I don't call them Pilgrims because many aren't!) and the noise and disruption they make.
For many it seems to be a race to get to wherever they are going next and as we chose to walk slower and try and enjoy the scenery we had, when the path was narrower, some walkers and bikes pushing us out of the way or being so close behind that it was unpleasant! When I say pushing I mean literally pushing through. I worked in London for a while and this gave me memories of that.

Next time I think I'll go somewhere where there's less people and I can enjoy the atmosphere.

I'm aware that most of the comments on this forum are very pro Camino and I'm swimming against the current but that was my experience. For many I'm sure it's a great experience.

 

[mike37p]

I walked sarria to Santiago mid-May and DID experience the throngs. It was absolutely jarring and rarely did I get a moment to myself.

But of course my experience will be chalked up to scaremongering and dismissed.

This is a site for Camino enthusiasts and as such many views that don't meet the agreed lines will be viewed negatively.

The general social media/YouTube is very powerful much as this forum generates it's own set of views and unwritten rules. That's human nature but what it does do is look negatively on non-mainstream views.

 

[Bradypus]

I'm aware that most of the comments on this forum are very pro Camino and I'm swimming against the current but that was my experience. For many I'm sure it's a great experience.

I think that many of us who love walking the Caminos still find the last 100+km after Sarria quite unpleasant at times in peak seasons. I walked the Frances in September and October 2016 and I was appalled at what Sarria had become in the 14 years since my previous visit. Instead of stopping for lunch in Sarria as planned I passed straight through without stopping and found a fairly quiet and isolated albergue for the night. For the only time in my 30+ years of walking numerous Caminos and other pilgrim routes in several countries I seriously considered abandoning my walk there and then and instead catching a bus straight to an airport for a flight home. By morning I was in a better frame of mind and carried on to finish in Santiago. Despite thinking at the time that I would never walk the Camino Frances again I did just that in January this year and found it a completely different experience - quiet, mostly solitary and very similar in feel to my first Camino which I enjoyed so much that the memory of it draws me back to Spain time and again three decades later.

This is a site for Camino enthusiasts and as such many views that don't meet the agreed lines will be viewed negatively.

That is true but there is also room on here for different and less popular opinions. As the continued existence of this thread demonstrates. You are free to post your views provided you keep within the forum rules. I think it is asking too much to expect that the majority change their minds and agree with them though. Or refrain from disagreeing with them!

 

[truenorthpilgrm]

I seriously considered abandoning my walk there and then and instead catching a bus straight to an airport for a flight home.

I’ve walked three Caminos and this year I seriously considered the same. Towards the end, I was not enjoying it. Every morning I woke up and thought about taking a taxi to Santiago. But, alas I was so close, so I continued. But looking back I really didn’t need to put myself though that experience of Sarria to Santiago.

Normally I walk in the fall, ending in Santiago mid November, but this year I did a spring Camino. Won’t do it again.

Though I loved the color palette of spring wild flowers and verdant rolling fields, there’s something really lovely walking late fall. The crowds thin out, I can usually find a bar with a cozy fire (and albergues), I don’t have to book ahead and I’m guaranteed a bed at Hospederia Semanario in Santiago.

 

[mike37p]

That is true but there is also room on here for different and less popular opinions. As the continued existence of this thread demonstrates. You are free to post your views provided you keep within the forum rules. I think it is asking too much to expect that the majority change their minds and agree with them though. Or refrain from disagreeing with them!

Peer pressure often drives majority views and I think that from time to time it is healthy to have different views to simply put things in perspective!

What is interesting is that there are a few posts now that show that there are differing thoughts.

 

[Dani7]

I arrived in Santiago on May 30th this year. I was mentally prepared for the change in atmosphere for the Sarria - Santiago section. It was not as bad as I thought it would be as I let the crowds pass me but it certainly was a different experience from the rest of the Frances. I’m sorry for the pilgrims on this thread who experienced human nature not at its best and had instead had a mostly unpleasant experience. How unfortunate for all of you. That sucks.

 

[Burton Axxe]

Like Dani7, I reached Sarria forewarned and mentally forearmed about the alleged shortcomings of the final 107k’s. However, save for a conga line departing Sarria at 8 AM (hint to newcomers- start later!), I did not find the increased numbers as overwhelming as I had thought (‘twas mid-April mind you).

The daypack throngs soon spread out and I did not see them in the evenings - it was mostly the same crew I had been rubbing elbows with since Burgos. I enjoyed the pilgrim-ready infrastructure, the special Galician ‘field scent’, the eucalyptus-fringed stone villages, and the shaded, glistening country lanes.

May may be a different story, I admit.

 

[Pelegrin]

I like Sarria- Santiago because there are. fewer eucalyptus than in other parts of Galicia.

 

[David Tallan]

Peer pressure often drives majority views and I think that from time to time it is healthy to have different views to simply put things in perspective!

What is interesting is that there are a few posts now that show that there are differing thoughts.

There are plenty of posts in these forums that say how terrible the Sarria to Santiago stretch is. Many don't talk about the strategies for avoiding crowds on this section and advise first time pilgrims to avoid it and walk less-frequented routes (that have less Infrastructure). To post negative views on Sarria to Santiago is certainly not going against the majority. The original post here was showing a different view to put things in perspective.

Now to say the Camino as a whole isn't worth doing and there are better places to spend your time is going against the majority. Not surprising because most people who feel that way don't find there is much here of value to them.