Recommendations for a beautiful week long walk?

[ChrisMac]

Hello Camino fans! I am flying into Madrid next Monday 8th April and staying for approx 1 week. I am in search of recommendations for a section of any camino which would fit my time boundary of 1 week which is not too difficult to get to from Madrid? I was considering continuing the Camino de Madrid which I walked to Valladolid last year but wondered if you fine folk had any other suggestions from past experience? Thanks Camino family! Un abrazo! Chris X

 

[LesBrass]

Some friends walked the Baztan from Bayonne to Pamplona.... but not sure how easy it would be to get to and from? It's 5-6 days long and they said it was beautiful.

 

[ChrisMac]

Thank you. It looks awesome but bit tricky to get to from Madrid.....will store it for another occasion though...

 

[ChrisMac]

Hello Camino fans! I am flying into Madrid next Monday 8th April and staying for approx 1 week. I am in search of recommendations for a section of any camino which would fit my time boundary of 1 week which is not too difficult to get to from Madrid? I was considering continuing the Camino de Madrid which I walked to Valladolid last year but wondered if you fine folk had any other suggestions from past experience? Thanks Camino family! Un abrazo! Chris X

 

[timr]

For simplicity, as you are starting from Madrid, I would choose to walk on from Valladolid towards Sahagun. i did it that second half in November a couple of years ago and found it very enjoyable.

 

[ChrisMac]

Thank you. How many days did it take you?

 

[timr]

Here is my account

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/a-short-walk-continued.51788/

Five days to Sahagun, but you could carry on towards Leon, or even walk backwards a day or so if you want to add days!

 

[VNwalking]

Some friends walked the Baztan from Bayonne to Pamplona.... but not sure how easy it would be to get to and from? It's 5-6 days long and they said it was beautiful.

My thought, too.
Train from Madrid to Irun. Local bus to Bayonne...and you're on your way. Return to Madrid from Pamplona.
It is a lovely 5-star camino!

For a bit more intense mountain drama, you could walk the San Salvador from Leon to Oviedo. I haven't walked this way but it gets wonderful reviews.

Soria to Burgos is also a possibility. Here is a thread with some chatter about the area, with some tracks. I've only walked the last 3 days, from Santo Domingo de Silos, and it was spectacular...very special.
I don't know how long it would take in total but here is a link to whet your appetite. Plenty of people here have done this and it looks wonderful - you can start by looking at @alansykes 's and @peregrina2000 's accounts - jump ahead to the sections past Soria.

Another thing you could do if that's too long or remote is to start in SDdS, merge with the Frances in Burgos, and see how far you get from there. If you are young and fit, you might easily get to Sahagun, which has easy train connections back to Madrid.

 

[Canuck]

Hello Camino fans! I am flying into Madrid next Monday 8th April and staying for approx 1 week. I am in search of recommendations for a section of any camino which would fit my time boundary of 1 week which is not too difficult to get to from Madrid? I was considering continuing the Camino de Madrid which I walked to Valladolid last year but wondered if you fine folk had any other suggestions from past experience? Thanks Camino family! Un abrazo! Chris X

HiChris,
Here is one starting in Madrid that you won't regret. Little known but of a rare quality.
It can be done either way (Madrid-Uclés, camino de Uclés marked in red) or (Uclés-Madrid, camino de Santiago marked in yellow):

ASOCIACIÓN AMIGOS DEL CAMINO DE UCLÉS

asociacionamigosdelcaminodeucles.blogspot.com

I'm sending you a mini-guide by pm.
Cheers,
Jean-Marc

 

[DragonShadow]

Irun to Bilbao (or beyond). Beautiful vistas overlooking the Bay of Biscay. Oh, I just saw that you've already done the Norte.

 

[JLWV]

Madrid to Toledo, 33 mn by train or 1h by bus
Toledo to Avila, 140 km by Camino de Levante, with very nice landscapes and interesting sites.
Avila to Madrid, 1,5 h by train or 2h by bus.

 

[ChrisMac]

Thank you all so much guys!!! LOVE this forum!

Chris X

 

[ChrisMac]

Hi all was thinking of taking the train to Salamanca and walking north on the Via de Plata. Possibly reaching Astorga in 6 days. Has anyone been on this route/section of this route? Any reviews?

Thanks in advance

Chris X

 

[alhartman]

Maybe from Zamora to Astorga a better choice for the week available. https://www.gronze.com/via-plata
I have only traveled the Ourense/Sanabria branch.

 

[ChrisMac]

Thank you!!! I've been humming and haaing for days on this.....I'm in Madrid now and have ruminated over 4 or 5 different options....including Toledo to Avila......Zamora to Astorga....why do you recommend??
Thank you

 

[alhartman]

Only done Zamora to Sanabria to Ourense to Santiago--and that is about 15-16 stages. But on Gronze stages, Zamora to Astorga is 6 stages. The VDlP stages are quite long. The two stages before Zamora from Salamanca are 37km and 32km respectively.. Those are 8-10 hours of steady walking!!

 

[ChrisMac]

Madrid to Toledo, 33 mn by train or 1h by bus
Toledo to Avila, 140 km by Camino de Levante, with very nice landscapes and interesting sites.
Avila to Madrid, 1,5 h by train or 2h by bus.

Thanks matey....gonna go for this one X

 

[ChrisMac]

Thank you. I'm going to walk this section X