• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Portugal or Italy for next Camino

Peosta

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances (2010, 2015, 2017)
LePuy - St. Jean (9/18-10/18)
We walked Camino Frances 2x. Walked
Le Puy to SJPP 2018. Which route next? Portugal or Italy ?
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I've done the CF and del Norte. Hoping for the via Francigena next year if my foot heals! The planning of which one to do is so enjoyable.....Happy planning😊
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
During the Camino Primitivo in 2015 I met a couple from Belarus.In2016 they visit me and last year they also visit me,the reason way did they visit me last year was(as they told me)There was allmost not a thing of Pelgrimspirite during their walk to Rome.During the way back Home to Minsk they visites me because Irina &Anatoly wanted to see a pelgrim
 
During the Camino Primitivo in 2015 I met a couple from Belarus.In2016 they visit me and last year they also visit me,the reason way did they visit me last year was(as they told me)There was allmost not a thing of Pelgrimspirite during their walk to Rome.During the way back Home to Minsk they visites me because Irina &Anatoly wanted to see a pelgrim
Thank you so much for your input!!!
Pilgrim spirit is an important aspect for us also! We have been reading a lot about both walks and couldn’t decide. But I think now the decision is made. We should do Portugal!
Also, we love the Brierly guide and we just received the 2019 edition. We will look forward to walking with him!
Again, thank you so much for relaying those thoughts to us.
 
@Peosta ...
While my first Camino (Portugues) was a REAL EYE OPENER for personal growth...WOW! Was it ever beauuuuuutiful!!!
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I am wary of dismissing the pilgrim spirit of Via Francigena but it is a very different type of pilgrim walk compared to Camino Frances or Português which I have done.
While I haven't yet reached as far as Italy yet (I am walking it all in sections) I have encountered "pilgrim spirit" but as there are very few pilgrims it is not the comraderie of the popular Camino routes. But I have encountered generosity, welcome, interest along the route so far. I have had locals be amazed at the craziness of being a pilgrim to Rome. I have been invited to eat or stay at people's homes or given some fruit or snack. I met few other pilgrims but when I did it was cause for celebrating. It shouldn't be compared to the growth that has occured on the major Camino routes which have major infrastructure and many pilgrims.
I have walked the Camino Frances and Portugues in sections and to be honest the "pilgrim spirit" on each has been different. And equally I found a very different "pilgrim spirit" walking on the Camino Frances in January than when I walked in the more main season of the route.

The question may be more about what you think "pilgrim spirit" is.
 
The question may be more about what you think "pilgrim spirit" is.
Absolutely! Some time back I read a post in which someone said that she felt the less-walked routes were not for her because they lacked "the Camino vibe". By which she seemed to mean large numbers and a large and bustling pilgrim infrastructure. Walking the Via Francigena I was occasionally saddened to hear Camino veterans complain that the VF was "not as good as the Camino" meaning that it was quieter, more expensive and demanded greater effort and planning on the part of the pilgrim. I found no shortage of pilgrim spirit amongst those who chose to make the journey despite those perceived problems and I gained a great deal from their company at points along the way.
PS. My first chance encounter with another pilgrim on the Via Francigena took place in the small parish albergue in Orsieres in the Swiss alps. Three of us there that night. I had started my walk in Canterbury, the others starting from their homes in Belgium and the Netherlands. Just the first of a number of people I met who were making a very deep and serious commitment to a long and physically demanding journey. No shortage of spirit there.
 
Last edited:
Thank you to all who have responded to my question. Yes, I understand and agree with what you are saying about definition of pilgrim spirit.
When we started our walk in LePuy, FR, I missed the spirit we felt on the Camino Frances. But I gradually adapted and grew to love the quiet. And, yes, we had lovely experiences with the pilgrims we did get to know.
What guide books did you use for the Via Francegena ?
We walked 6 weeks in FR. We enjoyed that amount of time so are thinking of doing that amount of time again.
I love this discussion and your comments!
Thought provoking as we get ready for our next walk. This is the beauty of the Camino and this blog!
We lost our beloved 38 year old son to cancer one year ago today. Our walks have been so important to us on this journey of healing.
❤️🌈🙏
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
What guide books did you use for the Via Francegena ?
I did not use a guidebook. I made my own route as far as Besancon and joined the official VF route there. Until the Swiss/Italian border I mostly navigated with pages from a road atlas and information from various internet sites. Once in Italy I used maps and accommodation lists downloaded from the official VF website.
 
Thank you to all who have responded to my question. Yes, I understand and agree with what you are saying about definition of pilgrim spirit.
When we started our walk in LePuy, FR, I missed the spirit we felt on the Camino Frances. But I gradually adapted and grew to love the quiet. And, yes, we had lovely experiences with the pilgrims we did get to know.
What guide books did you use for the Via Francegena ?
We walked 6 weeks in FR. We enjoyed that amount of time so are thinking of doing that amount of time again.
I love this discussion and your comments!
Thought provoking as we get ready for our next walk. This is the beauty of the Camino and this blog!
We lost our beloved 38 year old son to cancer one year ago today. Our walks have been so important to us on this journey of healing.
🌈🙏

The app on the https://www.viefrancigene.org/en/ website is better than any guidebook as they update it. I was always a guidebook fan, but after day 2 using the app, I was a convert. You can download the maps and use it offline so you are not draining your data. You still have to use a healthy dose of common sense, but it is incredibly easy to use. Mel
 
Thank-you VERY much for that information!!
Where did you start and end?
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Wonderful!!! Thank-you so much! We will check it out and then I'm sure we will have questions!!
We are also considering the Portuguese route and Camino Norte. Do you have any thoughts about which route we shouldn't miss. We are 74 and 70. We hope to do a walk each year until we can't anymore. Which was your favorite?
 
Wonderful!!! Thank-you so much! We will check it out and then I'm sure we will have questions!!
We are also considering the Portuguese route and Camino Norte. Do you have any thoughts about which route we shouldn't miss. We are 74 and 70. We hope to do a walk each year until we can't anymore. Which was your favorite?

I haven't done the del Norte, but it is on the list! My favorite is the Via de la Plata from Seville because of the wide open spaces and it is less busy. It is a long one though and there are some big days in there to get from village to village. Perhaps this has changed since I did it in 2014.

The Portuguese is very beautiful but has an INCREDIBLE amount of walking on hard surfaces, roads and $#@%# cobblestones. That was so hard on my feet and legs. It is gorgeous though.

Go you and your annual walks! I hope to be able to do the same one day. Take care, Mel
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Interesting that you brought up Via de la Plata. I had just been reading a little about it.
I’m not excited to hear about the poor walking surfaces in Portugal. But also glad to hear that it was beautiful. Hard to decide which walk to do...
I started our 6 week walk last year in France being treated for plantar fasciitis. The physical therapy I received (scraping) 2x/week for a month before we left worked!! But I am very aware of not wanting to have foot problems...
There are challenges with every walk, I guess.
We loved your first post about the Via Francigena .
Very anxious to read more! Thanks for all your feedback!!
 
Interesting that you brought up Via de la Plata. I had just been reading a little about it.
I’m not excited to hear about the poor walking surfaces in Portugal. But also glad to hear that it was beautiful. Hard to decide which walk to do...
I started our 6 week walk last year in France being treated for plantar fasciitis. The physical therapy I received (scraping) 2x/week for a month before we left worked!! But I am very aware of not wanting to have foot problems...
There are challenges with every walk, I guess.
We loved your first post about the Via Francigena .
Very anxious to read more! Thanks for all your feedback!!

Yes, each path is different and comes with its own challenges. None of the walks I have done can match the Frances for the amazing sense of community and interesting people/conversations, but then there is also the bun fight to get a bed at the end of each day.

Decisions, decisions and what a wonderful problem to have!! Mel
 
If you want to go to Portugal but getting to Santiago is not a priority, try the Rota Vicentina along the southwest coast. It’s absolutely gorgeous. We have walked Caminos spanning Spain, France, Switzerland and currently are walking in Italy. But the RV is one of our favorites.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-

Most read last week in this forum

The official Via Francigena site has published a list of free walks ** happening in 2024. If you happen to be passing through you might want to take part - or avoid that section that day. (**...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top