Just back from the Ingles

[henrythedog]

Returned home yesterday from the Camino Ingles. It was a very different experience to the Frances - setting aside the fact that it's much shorter.

I saw not one other pilgrim in the six days I was walking - not a single one. It's certainly not the most popular time of year, but I was surprised how quiet it was. I had a much better feeling of being 'immersed' in Galicia.

The way is well marked. Not quite as well as the CF, but more than adequate. I used the Johnnie Walker guide for the first time, together with the Brierley maps. The Brierley is now very out of date - but when the two diverge you can expect a lower density of painted arrows.

I could have walked the route comfortably in five days and - at a push - four. The stages are dictated by the availability of accommodation, which is much more limited than on the CF outside decent sized towns.

The Hotel Kensington at Naron is excellent and highly recommended.

A Coruna is a really nice town and worth a full day before setting off. Ferrol on the other hand is best described in February as 'closed'.

Fast bus from A Coruna to Ferrol every hour on the half hour, with an 'extra' first bus at 0700.

Many more local bars and cafes on this route than the CF - not specifically catering for pilgrims, just part of day to day life.

If I never see another eucalyptus forest, it'll be too soon.

Happy to try to answer specific questions.

David

 

[Pilgrim9]

Thank you for this report.

 

[pitztop]

Thanks for posting! I'm thinking of walking the Ingles later this year - perhaps in September. This report is very helpful.

 

[HeidiL]

Interesting post!

As we don't care about Compostelas, we're walking from A Coruña to Muxia in a couple of weeks - nice to know someone else's experience as recent as this.

Where did you stop on the way?

 

[Deleted member 43780]

I walked the Ingles few years ago. In May. Only a hand full of walkers were walking the Ingles then.

Enjoyed the hill after Bar / Cafe Julia. Was a charm!

How was the "new" route? I understand the new route now does not include Bar Julia and the hill after Julia.

Be nice to Ferrol! I grew up in Ferrol and Seville.

I always stay in Hotel Silva when in Ferrol. Not expensive. Clean.

Burma...((CORRECTION: Bruma. Darn spell checker got me. sorry)) is the restaurant still open there? Was new and only one in town when I walked.

Do you know the name of the town that has a small A'burg and a restaurant was down the highway from it? You went left out of the A'burg. Turned right at the intersection. Walked down the highway. The restaurant was wonderful. The owner is a artist. Many of his works were on display. Good food. We ate dinner there.
After breakfast there we picked up the Camino in back of the restaurant.

I may do the Ingles again. Loved it.

 

[henrythedog]

Where did you stop on the way?

Bear in mind the albergue options are limited on the Ingles. I went for pre-booking on booking.com.

All 'room only' prices, double room on single occupancy, en-suite

A Coruna - Hostal Roma - highly recommended Euro32
Naron - Hotel Kensington - excellent staff and great food - E28
Pontedueme - Pension Apilladiera - E45 inc. breakfast. Overpriced.
Betanzos - Hotel Villa de Betanzos (also listed as Hotel Palecete) - smart - E41
Meson do Vento - Hotel Canaima - E39 - better and cleaner than reviews indicate
Sigueiro - Albergue Camino Real Sigueiro - E30 - room in a large apartment.
Santiago - Hotel Altair - E59. Smart. Great staff

 

[henrythedog]

How was the "new" route? I understand the new route now does not include Bar Julia and the hill after Julia.

Rerouted route can be a bit boring. Now omitting the Bar Julia section one has 9-10Km with no facilities



Bruma... is the restaurant still open there? Was new and only one in town when I walked.

Yes - opposite the albergue? Opens from 1300hrs

Do you know the name of the town that has a small A'burg ...

Are you thinking of the Meson-Museo Xente no Camino at Presedo? Modern interpretations of medieval paintings? About 8k out of Pontedueme?

 

[henrythedog]

I should probably add that I speak reasonable Castillian Spanish (not the most useful in rural Galicia, but better than English). It would be grossly overstating the situation if I said one would struggle without some basic Spanish; but it was a great help.

 

[Deleted member 43780]

How was the "new" route? I understand the new route now does not include Bar Julia and the hill after Julia.

Rerouted route can be a bit boring. Now omitting the Bar Julia section one has 9-10Km with no facilities



Burma...(( CORRECTION: Bruma. Darn spell checker got me))
is the restaurant still open there? Was new and only one in town when I walked.

Yes - opposite the albergue? Opens from 1300hrs

Do you know the name of the town that has a small A'burg ...

Are you thinking of the Meson-Museo Xente no Camino at Presedo? Modern interpretations of medieval paintings? About 8k out of Pontedueme?

Hi, thanks for the info.
*** I wish the route was not changed. Now missing Bar Julia and the hill.

*** Yes, that is it! Meson-Museo Xente! Thanks.

*** Burma... the restaurant would open up early for breakfast. A few walkers ate breakfast there. For new walkers: ask the night before if she will open up for breakfast.

 

[Tia Valeria]

There was no restaurant in Bruma when we walked and the route still passed Casa Julia. Meson-Museo had just opened and we had lunch there.
Like @henrythedog we stayed at the Hotel Kensington, then Bar Norte Pontedeume (2011) but Hotel Iberia Cabanas (2015) . Albergue in Mino (2011) and Pension (2015). Betanzos Garelos in 2015 (Palacete was closed). O Meson Novo - Meson do Vento - 2 nights to break stage at Casa Julia. Ordes Hotel Novelgas. Sigueiro Hostal Miras (2011) and new Hostal Sigueiro (2015).
We are glad that we walked the old route, but the facilities are not much different to when we first walked before some of the newer places opened.

 

[Deleted member 43780]

The restaurant in Burma ((CORRECTION: Bruma. Darn spell checker))
was (is still??) located to your right out of the A'burg.
Walk about 400 Mts down the street. It was on your left. Had to cross street. Was almost at the end of town. German style looking entrance. Nice place.

A few male walkers decided they had to hit the Camino at 4 am from the A'burg. Making all sorts of noise in the lower kitchen area. The sleeping area is up top. With open windows to the kitchen area. Not only did these nice guys wake every one up with lights and noise, they left the outside door open. Nice guys.

I wonder how much money Bar Julia lost because of the new route. The little girl who helped out in there was something. Loved the home made pancakes.

 

[Wendy Lynn]

Very helpful! Looking at the Ingles/out to Finisterre & Muxia in September. Sounds like two weeks would be ample.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Please folks, the albergue and restaurant are at Bruma, not Burma. If that is caused by a spell checker then it is having a great time

 

[Deleted member 43780]

Please folks, the albergue and restaurant are at Bruma, not Burma. If that is caused by a spell checker then it is having a great time

Tia, thank you so very much. I just love spell checker. Got me this time and I didn't notice it. Thanks!

Has me saying things I never wanted to say.

Thanks.

 

[Lizanne801]

Planning the Camino Ingles in September - thank you for all this very helpful info!

 

[SoyGalego]

I've just completed the Ingles (started at Ferrol), Muxia and Finisterre route, beginning on the 21st Feb 18. I was on my own walking at this time of the year and stayed in the Municipal Albergue's. I completed the Ingles in 4 days and the rest in 4 as well. I had planned 5 days on the Ingles but due to a "snoring" Italian (honest I thought a bear was in the room!), he was the only companion in the Albergue's with me. I pushed on from Bruma to Santiago just to get away from him! It's been mentioned already and I can confirm the restaurant/bar at Bruma is still there and open. It closes on Mondays for a rest day by the way. There is a van which sell bits and bobs and also one for bread that makes stops. If you arrive on Monday and miss the van's then you'll need to bring food with you. The hospitalario will give you all the timings of the vans. The new route does miss out Bar Julia, which I'd read much about and was looking forward to seeing. When you join the main road on the "detour bit" there is another bar there as well though. In Feb it was the only and first bar I came across during the stage to get my Credential stamped.

If you're pushing on to Finisterra and Muxia, subject to where you want to stop or do, I'd recommend going to Muxia first. I've done both routes and enjoyed the route from Olveiroa to Muxia more than I did than going to Finisterra. However, I enjoyed the town of Cee more than Muxia, which you'll miss should you take the Muxia route. The hospitalario (Enrique, nice man) at Muxia told me that most pilgrims who come to Muxia do that before Finisterra.

Hope this helps and Buen Camino Peregrino

 

[Deleted member 29041]

As of late April, the restaurant in Bruma was indeed open.

We had a ball, as the food was pleasant and the management very friendly (the German "Gemütlich" is a much better description).

 

[SoyGalego]

The owner of the restaurant\bar at Bruma is a Galician women who spent, I believe 42 years in Switzerland, which is where here German influences come from. She's a very pleasant lady and to my knowledge can speak at least 4 languages.

 

[Deleted member 29041]

She's a very pleasant lady

With a sense of humor In fact, not just her, but the servers as well.

Ah, good memories

 

[SoyGalego]

Yeah, your right, they're all nice and I had a laugh with them about the "snoring" Italian I shared the Albergue with that day. In fact we almost conspired to delay his meal that evening so I had a fighting chance to get back to the Albergue and get to sleep first! We didn't in the end!!

It was my most memorable part of the route, the stay in Bruma.