Ourense to Santiago

[Terry24]

My wife and I walked from Ourense to Santiago starting on 28 June and ending 2 July. The weather was not too hot and excellent for walking. The camino generally runs through beautiful countryside and small towns and was very quiet. We encountered only one fellow pilgrim on foot although several passed us on bikes. This may be because we tended to set off fairly late in the morning.
I had been concerned about footwear but approach shoes, activity sandals or trainers are fine.
If staying a night in Lalin I would suggest you take a taxi to and from the camino rather than walk the 3/4 kilometres along a busy road.
We stayed in B and Bs and pensions and would particularly recommend Casa Manosa in Cea and Casa Grande de Fuentemayor (for a rest day) in Sileda.
The pilgrim rooms in San Martin Pinario, Santiago are excellent value (and they were happy to look after a suitcase free of charge from the time we caught our train to Ourense until our return).
Buen Camino

 

[Sonnie]

My wife and I walked from Ourense to Santiago starting on 28 June and ending 2 July. The weather was not too hot and excellent for walking. The camino generally runs through beautiful countryside and small towns and was very quiet. We encountered only one fellow pilgrim on foot although several passed us on bikes. This may be because we tended to set off fairly late in the morning.
I had been concerned about footwear but approach shoes, activity sandals or trainers are fine.
If staying a night in Lalin I would suggest you take a taxi to and from the camino rather than walk the 3/4 kilometres along a busy road.
We stayed in B and Bs and pensions and would particularly recommend Casa Manosa in Cea and Casa Grande de Fuentemayor (for a rest day) in Sileda.
The pilgrim rooms in San Martin Pinario, Santiago are excellent value (and they were happy to look after a suitcase free of charge from the time we caught our train to Ourense until our return).
Buen Camino

Hi Terry, what is the terrain like on this route ? In other words, more or less what level of difficulty ? I note that you travelled by train to Ourense. Is that the only means of transport from Santiago to Ourense and back ? This route has been recommended to me as an alternative to the Primitivo from Lugo to Santiago and the French from Sarria to Santiago. Your opinion. Thank you.

 

[miguel_gp]

There is a bus service also between Santiago and Ourense. Schedule available at http://www.monbus.es/

 

[alansykes]

Hi Sonnie,

The terrain is not especially difficult, although there is a very sharp ascent between Ourense and Cea (http://runkeeper.com/user/1231186268/route/2787447) The train line from Santiago to Ourense is excellent but there are buses as well (www.monbus.es). It's a lovely walk and the monastery at Oseira is very special.

 

[mmm042]

The terrain is the typical mix of gravel, pavement and dirt. As Alan says, there's a big climb up to Cea and again on up to Oseira, but after that it's the more typical rolling terrain. It's a lovely route!

Melanie

 

[tyrrek]

I also walked this route this May and loved it. It seemed to have a good balance in terms of the number of pilgrims, the facilities and also the terrain. I'd definitely recommend it as a 'taster' or 'refresher' Camino.

 

[Sonnie]

Hi Sonnie,

The terrain is not especially difficult, although there is a very sharp ascent between Ourense and Cea (http://runkeeper.com/user/1231186268/route/2787447) The train line from Santiago to Ourense is excellent but there are buses as well (www.monbus.es). It's a lovely walk and the monastery at Oseira is very special.

Thank you so very much to all who responded to my questions. My son and I are in the planning stage and will most probably be on the road by May 2015.

 

[AnnaG]

My wife and I walked from Ourense to Santiago starting on 28 June and ending 2 July. The weather was not too hot and excellent for walking. The camino generally runs through beautiful countryside and small towns and was very quiet. We encountered only one fellow pilgrim on foot although several passed us on bikes. This may be because we tended to set off fairly late in the morning.
I had been concerned about footwear but approach shoes, activity sandals or trainers are fine.
If staying a night in Lalin I would suggest you take a taxi to and from the camino rather than walk the 3/4 kilometres along a busy road.
We stayed in B and Bs and pensions and would particularly recommend Casa Manosa in Cea and Casa Grande de Fuentemayor (for a rest day) in Sileda.
The pilgrim rooms in San Martin Pinario, Santiago are excellent value (and they were happy to look after a suitcase free of charge from the time we caught our train to Ourense until our return).
Buen Camino

Hi Terry!~ I'm considering this for my twin nieces in June of 2015 - about the same time you walked a year later and the same route for our 100K! They will just have turned 13. It sounds as if the route may be a bit unpopulated? I don't want them to be in isolation, but I'm avoiding the Frances route on purpose for certain! What do you think? Might there be enough people along the way to make it a tad social? Honestly, I'm not certain they care about this as much as I do (worrying they will want more social stimulation - I myself don't need it on a Camino!)

Thanks for any input...

Anna

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Anna,
I've walked this route several times in the May - June time frame and have always found other pilgrims along the way and in the albergues. I'll bet another one of the reasons Terry never saw others was because he was staying in Casas Rurales instead of albergues. There are plenty of alberges along those last 100 kms, too, and as others have said, the detor to Oseira is well worth it. Gorgeous setting, very nice place. The albergue itself is a little clammy cold, but there were blankets. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Stan]

Hi Terry!~ I'm considering this for my twin nieces in June of 2015 - about the same time you walked a year later and the same route for our 100K! They will just have turned 13. It sounds as if the route may be a bit unpopulated? I don't want them to be in isolation, but I'm avoiding the Frances route on purpose for certain! What do you think? Might there be enough people along the way to make it a tad social? Honestly, I'm not certain they care about this as much as I do (worrying they will want more social stimulation - I myself don't need it on a Camino!)

Thanks for any input...

Anna

Anna,
Our group of seven 60-year-olds leave Ourense on June 12, 2015 and will arrive in Santiago on the 18th. We are celebrating the 40th anniversary of our Junior-year Abroad program in Spain, the first two months of which were spent in Santiago. If you and your nieces can put up with our slow pace and stories about the (mostly) good, old days, you're more than welcome to join our happy crew.

 

[AnnaG]

Anna,
Our group of seven 60-year-olds leave Ourense on June 12, 2015 and will arrive in Santiago on the 18th. We are celebrating the 40th anniversary of our Junior-year Abroad program in Spain, the first two months of which were spent in Santiago. If you and your nieces can put up with our slow pace and stories about the (mostly) good, old days, you're more than welcome to join our happy crew.

Hi Stan. Gosh, this sounds perfect. I so wish we could join you. However, a family emergency arose, and the girls cannot walk this year. It is still my plan to bring them to Spain next year, and everything I've read about this route makes it sound like a perfect "first" for them. Sorry to miss you!

I wish you and your group all the best. Your anniversary celebration is a tremendous event - wow!! It's precisely the reason I look forward to getting my nieces to Europe and on a trail. Hopefully it will be the beginning of a lifetime of travel and adventure for them.

Bom Caminho!

Anna

 

[windswept]

Hi Anna
I walked the VdlP this year from Seville. I stayed in the aubergue at the monastery in Oseira, dark, dank, spooky and spiritual, well worth it for the experience. You can also attend vespers in the evening which is a priveledge. If you would like a taster go to my video and scroll along to the 13 minute mark that covers this part of the route. You can find it at

www.dartmoorwalker.blogspot.co.uk

Good luck.

 

[gracethepilgrim]

Both of my VdlP experiences I have missed staying at Oseira. In a couple of momths I will arrive in Portugal to walk the Camino Portugues Interior from Viseu (near Coimbra) up the centre of Portugal to Chaves. From here to Verin and joining up with the Sanabres to Santiago. This time I will stay at Oseira. What a wonderful experience others have written about. Looking forward to it!

 

[AML]

I intend to walk Ourense to Santiago this September. Had a look at Oseira monastery website, it looks beautiful place to so will make sure to go that way! I think there is guided tours at certain times. Unfortunately i dont think i wil be able to stay there overnight..my plan is Ourense - Cea - Castro Dozon - Silleda - Ponte Ulla - Santiago

http://www.mosteirodeoseira.org/horario/horario.html

 

[wayfarer]

Has anyone walked Ourense to Santiago in short stages say around 15km. It is one I would like to walk with my wife but she is not a regular walker.
Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[Luisa Carou]

You can find more information about the Camino Sanabres here: http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/sanabres/. Decrease the length of the stages to the needed 15k and you should be good. Not a lot of albergues but in my home country of the province of Ourense, you will find plenty of hostales on the way if you know how to look for them and ask for them on the road. Search in google for 'hostal + name of village' and you'll find some definitely. Meanwhile, let me work on a list that's worthy of your request: anything for my hometown ;-). Buen camino!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, wayfarer,
Aside from the albergues, I think Galicia's tourism site is about the most complete listing of lodging options in Galicia. Here in English: http://www.turgalicia.es/onde-aloxarse...?langId=en_US

If you have a map of the route from Ourense, you can then click on "municipality" over on the right hand side, and it will bring up all the municipalities in Galicia where there is some kind of private accommodation. I think you'll find a lot of casas rurales that are not too far from the Camino, and my bet is that many of the owners would be very happy to pick you up and drop you off. Hope this helps, buen camino, Laurie

 

[Luisa Carou]

~15K stages on Sanabres could be something like this:

Day 1 Orense - Sobreira (there are some rural houses in the area if you follow peregrina2000's advice to check turgalicia.es and check them for a drop-service. 15.2K But to be honest, if you ask around if there are rooms available, don't be surprised if they give you shelter somewhere!
Day 2 Sobreira - Monasterio de Oseira (albergue) 15.6K
Day 3 Oseira - Castro Dozón (only 10.7 k, but with albergue, and count on 5 more km's next day) or to Puzallos (16.3), check for rural shelter as above.
Day 4 Castro Dozón or Puxallos - A Laxe (albergue) 12.3K
Day 5 A Laxe - Bandeira (Albergue) 16.2K
Day 6 Bandeira - Outeiro (Albergue in village before Punte Ulla and in Outeiro) 17.1 K
Day 7 Outeiro - Santiago, Praza do Obradoiro. 16.3K

If your Camino coincides with my stay in Galicia (Carballino (10k from Cea)) I will personally pick you up and give you shelter and show you around!

Bo camiño!

 

[wayfarer]

Thank you both so much for the great info.

 

[Anniesantiago]

~15K stages on Sanabres could be something like this:

Day 1 Orense - Sobreira (there are some rural houses in the area if you follow peregrina2000's advice to check turgalicia.es and check them for a drop-service. 15.2K But to be honest, if you ask around if there are rooms available, don't be surprised if they give you shelter somewhere!
Day 2 Sobreira - Monasterio de Oseira (albergue) 15.6K
Day 3 Oseira - Castro Dozón (only 10.7 k, but with albergue, and count on 5 more km's next day) or to Puzallos (16.3), check for rural shelter as above.
Day 4 Castro Dozón or Puxallos - A Laxe (albergue) 12.3K
Day 5 A Laxe - Bandeira (Albergue) 16.2K
Day 6 Bandeira - Outeiro (Albergue in village before Punte Ulla and in Outeiro) 17.1 K
Day 7 Outeiro - Santiago, Praza do Obradoiro. 16.3K

If your Camino coincides with my stay in Galicia (Carballino (10k from Cea)) I will personally pick you up and give you shelter and show you around!

Bo camiño!

thanks!

 

[Luisa Carou]

Interested in maps and wanting to display some good ones on my own site-in-the-making, I came across www.elcaminosantiago.com. AMAZING! However, it doesn't have any contact details or copyright statements and I wanted to ask for permission to display his/her maps on my own site and get that information even more spread out there in multiple languages. Does anyone know who I should ask for permission??

 

[mspath]

Try searching the domain name, ie. elcaminosantiago.com on www.whois.net

 

[Dave Krnavek]

I intend to walk Ourense to Santiago this September. Had a look at Oseira monastery website, it looks beautiful place to so will make sure to go that way! I think there is guided tours at certain times. Unfortunately i dont think i wil be able to stay there overnight..my plan is Ourense - Cea - Castro Dozon - Silleda - Ponte Ulla - Santiago

http://www.mosteirodeoseira.org/horario/horario.html

My father and I are planning on doing the same Ourense - Santiago itinerary this September, as well (we might stay in the albergue at Oteiro instead of Ponte Ulla, but we're definitely passing through Oseira on the way to Castro Dozon). My wife and I are taking our two little boys out there for three weeks and my parents are joining us along with hers. We'll staying in Xunqueira de Espadanedo outside of Ourense, in her father's family house.

When are you planning on taking off? We've got a lot of leeway, so I figured we'd probably check the weather for a nice five day forecast, but I was thinking about maybe setting out on the 9th of September so we can stroll into Santiago on Sunday the 13th for mass.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[AML]

My father and I are planning on doing the same Ourense - Santiago itinerary this September, as well (we might stay in the albergue at Oteiro instead of Ponte Ulla, but we're definitely passing through Oseira on the way to Castro Dozon). My wife and I are taking our two little boys out there for three weeks and my parents are joining us along with hers. We'll staying in Xunqueira de Espadanedo outside of Ourense, in her father's family house.

When are you planning on taking off? We've got a lot of leeway, so I figured we'd probably check the weather for a nice five day forecast, but I was thinking about maybe setting out on the 9th of September so we can stroll into Santiago on Sunday the 13th for mass.

Cheers,
Dave

Hi Dave,
We plan to begin in Ourense on 16th and arrive Santiago on Sunday 20th.
Buen camino

 

[Dania]

Hi!
We just decided to walk from Ourense to Santiago in 10 days
Do you know where we can find a credencial in Ourense?

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi!
We just decided to walk from Ourense to Santiago in 10 days
Do you know where we can find a credencial in Ourense?

Hola!

Don't know about credencial, but 10 days are more than enough. I came to SdC Aug 4th and my stages were (distances by Endomondo):
01.) Ourense - Cea (albergue to albergue) - 27,10kms
02.) Cea - Castro Dozon (alb.to alb.via Oseira) - 24,10kms
03.) Castro Dozon - Silleda (alb.to center of Silleda) - 33,10kms
04.) Silleda - Ponte Ulla (Gran Albergue de Peregrinos - Albergue O Cruceiro) - 23,35kms
05.) Ponte Ulla - Santiago de Compostela (alb.to Praza do Obradoiro = Cathedral) - 23,90kms.

More than doable in 10 days
I think first stage is just that.
The second one you can easily stop in Oseira monastery albergue.
On the third I wouldn't recommend A Laxe albergue. I've stayed there last year and found it totally soulless, just concrete and glass with some wood, but not enough. They've had problems with bedbugs this year and later I've heard hundreds of mosquitos attacking people sleeping there...
On the fourth I liked Bandeira albergue (last year!) made of prefabricated units but on the edge of village with supermercado around the corner and fully equiped kitchen. On this stage this year I stopped for drink in Dornelas where Italian couple opened albergue this April. Lovely, quiet, clean, food offered etc.
Nothing much to say about the fifth stage. It was the second time in a row that I've stayed in Pension O Cruceiro, but you have to emphasize that you want to stay in albergue not the pension, and I got the same room no.105 as last year OK, no towels, but I've had private room all for myself for 10€. I didn't try Xunta albergue in Oteiro though...

Ultreia!

 

[Dania]

Thank you very much for all your advices.
What I meant was that we will start in 10 days! We have 7 days to walk and we expect to walk between 15 to 20 kms per day.

 

[AML]

Hi!
We just decided to walk from Ourense to Santiago in 10 days
Do you know where we can find a credencial in Ourense?

Hi Dania,

I imagine you can get a credential in Xunta albergue in Ourense, as its the beginning of 100km camino to Santiago and will be fairly popular starting point.....or maybe the cathedral in Ourense. Im walking this route next month.....but I already have a credential, I picked one up in Santiago last time I was there!

Best of luck....Buen Camino

 

[Dania]

Hi Dania,

I imagine you can get a credential in Xunta albergue in Ourense, as its the beginning of 100km camino to Santiago and will be fairly popular starting point.....or maybe the cathedral in Ourense. Im walking this route next month.....but I already have a credential, I picked one up in Santiago last time I was there!

Best of luck....Buen Camino

Thank you
It seems it is possible to pick one at the Cathedral or in the Asociación de amigos. I´ll report later.