SeattleWoman
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- Planning to walk the Camino in June 2018
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I'll be watching this thread with interest but not holding my breath while waiting for positive answersThere is a vicious/virtuous circle about the Camino Frances: it has a lot of facilities for pilgrims because so many people walk it, and so many people choose to walk it because it has such good facilities. When routes like the Camino Portugues begin to offer an infrastructure to rival the Frances then they too quickly become overcrowded for much of the year. Routes which do not attract large numbers cannot sustain a large pilgrim infrastructure. Perhaps the only way to square the circle is to walk the popular and well-supported routes at less congested times. So every year the "pilgrimage season" for the Camino Frances get longer!
How frequent do you have in mind? And why do you choose that particular number? Do you require a hot breakfast, or will a cold one suffice? Do you require a hot midday meal, or will a picnic suffice? Is there anything preventing you from walking say 20 km/day?... frequent towns and hostels for food and shelter.
... a clearly marked trail and frequent towns and hostels for food and shelter. Got Recommendations?
Any other route fits the criteria of not being as crowded as the CF. Many routes offer clearly marked trails, although "clearly" (like beauty) is in the eyes of the beholder.I’m looking for similar walks to the CF that aren’t as crowded as the CF and which offers similar amenities as the CF, such as a clearly marked trail and frequent towns and hostels for food and shelter.
I’m looking for similar walks to the CF that aren’t as crowded as the CF...
I'm looking at the Aragones, myself....
... Have a look at this web site for details about all of these routes and more.
I can't compare to the CF (I haven't walked it), but I did the Camino del Norte. The amenities were there - albergues, towns that seemed pretty frequent to someone from the Pacific Northwest, and very well waymarked trail. There are some stretches with 20km between albergues and 15km between towns. Not often, but a guide app or book of some sort is recommended and plan two to three days ahead to avoid odd stages.
Basque country had more ups and downs, with some pretty significant elevation changes each day. But it was also my favourite part of the trip. Very beautiful, and I have to admit, the hospitaleros were some of my favourite people along the way - very caring and kind.
Cantabria had decided to route pilgrims along roadsides, so while the landscape was at times very beautiful, my knees and feet ached from the pavement. There are shortcuts in Cantabria, but they were almost always along roads and highways. If I did it a second time, I wouldn't take them. Also, the public albergues were usually less nice than the private and religious ones.
Asturias was lovely, and had some glorious trails with much less paved surfaces than Cantabria. I did stay at some pretty amazing places, and in Asturias would highly recommend staying in little albergues (if you are using one of the apps, it say how many beds at different places. Ones with less than 10 beds are often in people's homes and the ones I stayed at were exceptionally clean, with fantastic home cooked meals).
Galicia was just exciting to know how close I was to finishing. Generally easy walking, well waymarked.
Via FrancigenaI’m looking for similar walks to the CF that aren’t as crowded as the CF and which offers similar amenities as the CF, such as a clearly marked trail and frequent towns and hostels for food and shelter. Got Recommendations? Thanks!!
Not our experience--you can always find someone to help if need be. We have done the Norte, Primitivo, some as the Mozarabe, Aragones (actually started in Arles, FR. as well as the Frances.Because I can only walk in the crowded time (August / September) I want to skip the most crowded parts of the CF.
So I want to try as my first camino the Aragones (Somport - Puente La Reina), CF (Puente La Reina - Ponferrada), Camino de Invierno (from Ponferrada), Camino Sanabrés (partly).
You get the idea with the map linked here:
But many pilgrims say that Spanish becomes more important if you go other routes than the CF.
Via Francigena
Camino del Norte
I’m looking for similar walks to the CF that aren’t as crowded as the CF and which offers similar amenities as the CF, such as a clearly marked trail and frequent towns and hostels for food and shelter. Got Recommendations? Thanks!!
I am walking El Norte and most recently paused my journey at Ribadeo. I have 200 km still to walk across the mountains. I agree with all your comments. Overall its a fantastic route and I wish El Camino del Norte was talked about more on this Forum. This is mainly so that I could join in with more postsI can't compare to the CF (I haven't walked it), but I did the Camino del Norte. The amenities were there - albergues, towns that seemed pretty frequent to someone from the Pacific Northwest, and very well waymarked trail. There are some stretches with 20km between albergues and 15km between towns. Not often, but a guide app or book of some sort is recommended and plan two to three days ahead to avoid odd stages.
Basque country had more ups and downs, with some pretty significant elevation changes each day. But it was also my favourite part of the trip. Very beautiful, and I have to admit, the hospitaleros were some of my favourite people along the way - very caring and kind.
Cantabria had decided to route pilgrims along roadsides, so while the landscape was at times very beautiful, my knees and feet ached from the pavement. There are shortcuts in Cantabria, but they were almost always along roads and highways. If I did it a second time, I wouldn't take them. Also, the public albergues were usually less nice than the private and religious ones.
Asturias was lovely, and had some glorious trails with much less paved surfaces than Cantabria. I did stay at some pretty amazing places, and in Asturias would highly recommend staying in little albergues (if you are using one of the apps, it say how many beds at different places. Ones with less than 10 beds are often in people's homes and the ones I stayed at were exceptionally clean, with fantastic home cooked meals).
Galicia was just exciting to know how close I was to finishing. Generally easy walking, well waymarked.
Could you share the dates you walked El Norte? I’m considering Feb to early March 2018.....I’m not worried about cold or snow
If you were inclined to walk the Camino Frances, but want to avoid the crowds, you essentially have three choices IMHO:
1. Walk off-season, start no later than mid-April (Easter is 1 April in 2018) and be off the Camino by early June, when the schools start to get out... Alternatively, start in mid-September, and walk through the end of October.
2. Walk whenever you desire, but adhere to the "pig in the python defense (PIP)." Stay away from all cities and large towns where pilgrims commonly arrive on Friday afternoon by train or bus, and start on Saturday and Sunday. This includes: Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, Leon, Astorga, Ponferrada, Sarria, etc. Also, this means not arriving on Friday or Saturday, so you can find lodging. You alter your daily distances to keep the PIP in front of, or behind you at all times, to the extent possible. You must be flexible regarding rest days, daily distances and types of accommodation to create time and space for the python to work it's way...away from you.
3. Consider starting at the Somport Pass, walk the Camino Aragones until it flows into the Frances at Puente la Reina; then follow the Frances until Ponferrada. From there walk the final 258 Km to Santiago on the Invierno. This completely bypasses the Camino Frances from Ponferrada to Santiago, including the much complained about Sarria to Santiago segment. This route is 39 Km farther from Ponferrada, or about two days walking. But, consider what you avoid...
I hope this helps.
Recommend the Norte and the route from Arles, FR, which becomes the Aragones (where some join in going over Somport pass) into Spain.
I can't compare to the CF (I haven't walked it), but I did the Camino del Norte. The amenities were there - albergues, towns that seemed pretty frequent to someone from the Pacific Northwest, and very well waymarked trail. There are some stretches with 20km between albergues and 15km between towns. Not often, but a guide app or book of some sort is recommended and plan two to three days ahead to avoid odd stages.
Basque country had more ups and downs, with some pretty significant elevation changes each day. But it was also my favourite part of the trip. Very beautiful, and I have to admit, the hospitaleros were some of my favourite people along the way - very caring and kind.
Cantabria had decided to route pilgrims along roadsides, so while the landscape was at times very beautiful, my knees and feet ached from the pavement. There are shortcuts in Cantabria, but they were almost always along roads and highways. If I did it a second time, I wouldn't take them. Also, the public albergues were usually less nice than the private and religious ones.
Asturias was lovely, and had some glorious trails with much less paved surfaces than Cantabria. I did stay at some pretty amazing places, and in Asturias would highly recommend staying in little albergues (if you are using one of the apps, it say how many beds at different places. Ones with less than 10 beds are often in people's homes and the ones I stayed at were exceptionally clean, with fantastic home cooked meals).
Galicia was just exciting to know how close I was to finishing. Generally easy walking, well waymarked.
@Colette I understand from people that did the CF initially, that they found it very empty compared to the CF - a very different experience. I had the joy of doing CNorte as my first Camino, with no expectations or experience to compare it to. It is its own thing. I did it from August 24 to October 8th ish. The number of pilgrims varied, and the type of pilgrim also changed . At the end of summer, there were lots of people doing two week stages over multiple years. They were often more vacation oriented. I would think that in the Spring, you wouldn't have the vacation oriented pilgrims, so it would be quite a bit emptier. Towards the end, I met more people that were walking for four or more weeks.Fellow Canadian, what date did you walk the Norte? I’m looking st March 2018 , weather will be suboptimal but I walked the CF March-April 2017 and it was bone dry. Met 1 young German girl wile on my way to Fisterra who walked El Norte same time as me the Frances and she said it was pretty lonely initially. Thanks for any advice (boots vs hiking shoes vs trail runners, etc)
No, we walked the Norte starting in mid-May and more of it in June.I’d like to walk El Norte beginning of March....yes weather will be suboptimal......did you walk at all on El Norte in March? Thanks
I'll be watching this thread with interest but not holding my breath while waiting for positive answersThere is a vicious/virtuous circle about the Camino Frances: it has a lot of facilities for pilgrims because so many people walk it, and so many people choose to walk it because it has such good facilities. When routes like the Camino Portugues begin to offer an infrastructure to rival the Frances then they too quickly become overcrowded for much of the year. Routes which do not attract large numbers cannot sustain a large pilgrim infrastructure. Perhaps the only way to square the circle is to walk the popular and well-supported routes at less congested times. So every year the "pilgrimage season" for the Camino Frances get longer!
There is no off seasonWalk off season.
There is no off season
Could it possibly be this route: JACOBOVA POT (part of the longer Ruta Jacobea)? The Slovenia part of the track is here.We met an older couple on the Norte last summer from Slovenia . They told us of a Camino in their country that is about 600 km long.
Hi. I am from Slovenia and last March I walked a "Gorenjska" branch of Slovenian Jacob's way. It's truly amazing and wonderful. Here you can see my photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...526.1073741870.1224625050&type=1&l=42cfd5b072 I was sleeping in monastaries three times, at apartma in Kranjska gora and in pension at Monte Lussari. Monte Lussari is one of the most special places I've been!Ive looked at the Slovenian Jakob’s Camino also because I have traveled through Slovenia every summer for the past 20 years on route to Istrian Croatia. It’s a tiny but beautiful country. While in Croatia I camp alongside many Slovenians. Their English is very good and because it’s such a small country they are very hospitable. There is a multi-language link to hostels: http://www.youth-hostel.si/anglesko/hostels.asp and the link offered above is valuable. I plan to walk this Camino in 2019 from the Austrian border to the Adriatic Sea. Good luck.
Hi, I am from Slovenia and yes, that's Jacobs's way in our country. I walked a "Gorenjska" branch of Slovenian Jacob's way last March. It's truly amazing and wonderful. Here you can see my photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...526.1073741870.1224625050&type=1&l=42cfd5b072 Monte Lussari is one of the most special places I've been!Could it possibly be this route: JACOBOVA POT (part of the longer Ruta Jacobea)? The Slovenia part of the track is here.
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