Keen on social interaction - but I've done the Frances!

[bluemugredmug]

Hello fellow Pilgrims!

As I consider my third camino, I wonder which to pick... I have done the Frances ( beautiful, life changing, made life-long friends) and the Portugues ( ended up meeting someone early on the Camino and walking for a beautiful week with him for a week - a short one, I know, but it's all the time I had) to date.

Reading about the remaining Caminos, they seem a lot less frequented and great for self-reflection but I'm keen to meet people and relive some of the magic of my past Caminos.

Given I only did 2 weeks of the Frances and 1 week of the Portugues I have thought about starting earlier in the path and finishing where I originally started...but if I'm honest, I crave that feeling of finally reaching Santiago with people I've met along the way.

What do you recommend? I've heard the Norte is a bit lonely, and I don't like the idea of re-treading terrain so have shied away from the Primitivo ( which joins the Frances at Melide) to date. I will probably have about 3 weeks available to walk.

I have also looked at other pilgrimages around the world, and thought about doing the Shikoku Pilgrimage in the Japan.... open to any other suggestions

TL;DR: I want to meet people as I walk, but have done the Frances and the Portugues with no intention to re-walk routes I've already been on.

Thank you in advance for your time and concern!!

 

[jungleboy]

What do you recommend? I've heard the Norte is a bit lonely, and I don't like the idea of re-treading terrain so have shied away from the Primitivo ( which joins the Frances at Melide) to date.

There is an alternative ending on the Primitivo, taking the via verde for a couple of days out of Lugo and joining the end of the Norte, thus avoiding the Melide section. This could be a good option, given your parameters.

 

[Pelerina]

There is an alternative ending on the Primitivo, taking the via verde for a couple of days out of Lugo and joining the end of the Norte, thus avoiding the Melide section. This could be a good option, given your parameters.

Agree. Primitivo is an excellent choice. And can always decide at the time which way to go after Lugo.

PS The time of year you hope to walk will also affect how busy or not the path will be.

 

[dick bird]

I've heard the Norte is a bit lonely,

I've heard very different. If anything, the Norte is quite crowded, so if it is company you want, the Norte is the one.

 

[trecile]

I've heard very different. If anything, the Norte is quite crowded, so if it is company you want, the Norte is the one.

I'm on the Norte now, and have also walked it in July. It's definitely no where near as busy as the Francés (it's much less busy now than it was in July, but nothing like the Francés), but there are ample opportunities for social interaction. I haven't done it yet, but I think that the Primitivo also is good for the social aspect.

 

[TMcA]

If you are always restricted to 1 or 2 weeks of walking and arriving in Santiago, your options become very limited. As you've mentioned, giving up the "arrival in Santiago" requirement seems to me to make sense.

After doing most of the CF, my wife and I started the Chemin du Puy. Different from the CF bc so many speak French in the places where you lodge and eat your evening meal. If you have some ability to speak French, I recommend you consider it. It is, as most who walk it remark, a beautiful Camino with better food than the CF. You can walk from Le Puy-en-Velay to Conques in two weeks and see a variety of beautiful small towns and landscapes capped by Conques with its nearly mythical monastery and church.

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

The via Sanabres from Zamora could be an option too. It is about two weeks walking to Santiago and it is a very nice walk it is not very crowded but you will meet enough others for making contact. In fact I found that easier than on the crowded Frances, where you saw "new" people every day

 

[Grousedoctor]

Hello fellow Pilgrims!

As I consider my third camino, I wonder which to pick... I have done the Frances ( beautiful, life changing, made life-long friends) and the Portugues ( ended up meeting someone early on the Camino and walking for a beautiful week with him for a week - a short one, I know, but it's all the time I had) to date.

Reading about the remaining Caminos, they seem a lot less frequented and great for self-reflection but I'm keen to meet people and relive some of the magic of my past Caminos.

Given I only did 2 weeks of the Frances and 1 week of the Portugues I have thought about starting earlier in the path and finishing where I originally started...but if I'm honest, I crave that feeling of finally reaching Santiago with people I've met along the way.

What do you recommend? I've heard the Norte is a bit lonely, and I don't like the idea of re-treading terrain so have shied away from the Primitivo ( which joins the Frances at Melide) to date. I will probably have about 3 weeks available to walk.

I have also looked at other pilgrimages around the world, and thought about doing the Shikoku Pilgrimage in the Japan.... open to any other suggestions

TL;DR: I want to meet people as I walk, but have done the Frances and the Portugues with no intention to re-walk routes I've already been on.

Thank you in advance for your time and concern!!

You didn’t tell us how long a Camino you wanted to take. Two thoughts for walks come to mind although neither totally meet your requirements.

I completely understand the excitement of entering SdC after being on a Camino. I was as inspired the fifth time seeing the cathedral (almost) as I was the first. However, as you only spent two weeks on the Francés, there is still so much of that great route to explore and discover. Therefore, starting in SJPP and walking to where you began before would be one suggestion. I have found the provinces of Navarra and Rioja some of my favorite area to walk through. Plus, crossing the Pyrenees is quite special. Being back on the CF you would certainly meet your Camino social interest. No, you wouldn’t walk into Santiago this way.

My second suggestion would be to go back to Portugal but alter your route. If you only spent a week on the CP, did you begin in Tui? If so, start in Porto but this time walk the Coastal Route. After Pontevedra, take the Variante Espiritual. You’d only be retracing your steps for two days of this Camino (Redondela to Pontevedra; Padrón to Santiago). Although not as social as the CF, when we walked it last spring, there were plenty of fellow pilgrims on our route plus the Variante Espiritual was an exceptional section of the trek. This route would put you in SdC at the end of your Camino as you know. Buen Camino!

 

[Kitsambler]

If you have 3 weeks, you can make Le Puy to Cahors in France, which is the first half of that route. Both have good transport connections. About 15% of the walkers are not from France and will get along in English. Also many of the French will work with you in English, especially if you make the effort to learn a little French first.

 

[Larry E]

You could begin in SJPP, and walk the starting 10-15 days of the Frances you missed (which is REALLY nice). And then take a train or bus or taxi to the 100km point: Sarria would be the normal recommended spot but how about Lugo, instead? That is an great town, with amazing Roman walls, and a cathedral and old town within the walls. That would leave a couple days on the Primitivo and a classic, satisfying finish on the Frances.

 

[David Tallan]

If your requirements are:
- to finish in Santiago
- to never repeat a route
- to walk with plenty of other pilgrims
- to walk for three weeks or less

Then there is a very limited pool of options that meet these criteria, a pool fo options that will shrink with every Camino you do.

The Caminos that finish in Santiago are the:
- Camino Frances (ruled out because you've done it)
- Camino Portugues (ruled out because you've done it)
- Camino Ingles
- Camino Sanabres
- Camino Finisterre/Muxia
- Camino Invierno

There are the Norte and Primitivo, but if you want to end in Santiago they will involve some retreading of previous ground because they both feed into the Frances before they arrive at Santiago. If you are ready to accept that, they probably have the most fellow pilgrims of the routes that meet the first two criteria. Otherwise you are left with the last four of the six mentioned above. I can't say which is the most walked. I get the sense that the Ingles and the Camino Finisterre are walked more than the Sanabres and the Invierno.

 

[John Cook]

I've heard very different. If anything, the Norte is quite crowded, so if it is company you want, the Norte is the one.

When I walked the Norte last year in April and May I often had an albergue to myself and I seldom saw anyone along the way. It was even quieter than the VdlP this year, during the same months. Funnily enough, on this year's Camino there weren't even many English speaking pilgrims, there were quite a few French ones but my French isn't good enough for a proper conversation.
I guess it depends on the time of year you're going to walk and how many start around the same day as you.

 

[bluenat27]

I just finished the Norte and loved it- I walked about 2.5 weeks starting in Ribadesella and definitely got to know the people around me and formed a Camino family that all came into Santiago together. I often walked alone and some days didn’t run into many people while walking but was always able to meet up with people I knew at the albergues , so I thought the social aspect was great. And it’s only 2 days (or even just 1) of overlap with the Frances

 

[Former member 52467]

My husband and I started in Irun May 13 last year and walked over 42 days to Santiago, meeting very few English speaking pilgrims. We had some conversations with a Spanish couple (our Spanish isn’t great) and lots of fun ones with a gal from the Netherlands. I’m back on CF right now and it’s all about the people you meet. Also met very few pilgrims on the coastal route of the CP in 2018.