Recommendations on route from Sarria

[shubertj]

My wife is hiking the CF starting in early March with some friends, they plan to hike from Burgos to Sarria at which time I plan on meeting my wife. Her friends will bus to Santiago since they have already hiked in from Sarria previously and are on a limited time schedule. I plan to hike with my wife to Santiago then Finesterre/Muxia. Both my wife and I have hiked the whole route from SJPP and would like a new experience starting near Sarria to Santiago.

Looking for any suggestions of alternate routes as well as albergues you would recommend.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I'd get a bus or train up to El Ferrol and walk the Camino Ingles. Escape the whole moving sidewalk from Sarria and see a really undisturbed kind of camino.

 

[shubertj]

Rebekah,
Sounds like a plan we will look into it.
thanks

 

[swazidale]

My wife is hiking the CF starting in early March with some friends, they plan to hike from Burgos to Sarria at which time I plan on meeting my wife. Her friends will bus to Santiago since they have already hiked in from Sarria previously and are on a limited time schedule. I plan to hike with my wife to Santiago then Finesterre/Muxia. Both my wife and I have hiked the whole route from SJPP and would like a new experience starting near Sarria to Santiago.

Looking for any suggestions of alternate routes as well as albergues you would recommend.

Advance reservations for lodging are a must. I got stuck walking waaaaay too many kms upon being met by sold out/complet signs the closer I got to Santiago. Not a fun way to end 6 weeks of a happy camino experience.

 

[JillGat]

I'd get a bus or train up to El Ferrol and walk the Camino Ingles. Escape the whole moving sidewalk from Sarria and see a really undisturbed kind of camino.

My plan is to cut off onto the Invierno to avoid the Sarria portion. I would like to hear a comparison between the Ingles and the Invierno.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

The Invierno is a full-size, 10- or 14-day camino. The Ingles is more of a nice hike through the countryside that ends up in Santiago. The Ingles passes through a more developed area of Galicia, it's got more places to stop, just more people around and houses and towns. The Invierno is a bit of everything, and a lot of countryside. The etapas are longer, there is less choice in places to stop and places to stay, it passes through bits of all the counties of Galicia -- there's just more to it.
I cannot say why one feels more like a camino than the other, but to me it does.

 

[VNwalking]

Advance reservations for lodging are a must.

A bit off topic, but to say that this was not at all my experience (2 years in a row) during the time frame you're considering. Maybe later.
On topic...one way to avoid the crowds is to stay at smaller towns: this year for me it was: San Xil, Barbadelo, Portomarin, Casanova, Ribadiso. By staying a little before (or after) the more congested towns you can beat the rush and walk out of the 'wave.' Other nice possibilities might be Ligonde and Castaneda
Much more pleasant.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

just for the record: Unless it's a holiday or I'm walking in a big wave of pilgrims, I never make advanced reservations. I have only ever slept outdoors once on all my caminos, and that was by choice.
There are a lot worse things than sleeping outdoors, especially if you are with friends. It is no longer acceptable to say so, but I find adventures rarely happen with reservations made in advance.

 

[JillGat]

Where is the cut-off for the Ingles from the Frances?

The Invierno is a full-size, 10- or 14-day camino. The Ingles is more of a nice hike through the countryside that ends up in Santiago. The Ingles passes through a more developed area of Galicia, it's got more places to stop, just more people around and houses and towns. The Invierno is a bit of everything, and a lot of countryside. The etapas are longer, there is less choice in places to stop and places to stay, it passes through bits of all the counties of Galicia -- there's just more to it.
I cannot say why one feels more like a camino than the other, but to me it does.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

The Ingles does not intersect the Frances. It comes into Santiago de Compostela from the north.

 

[dougfitz]

Advance reservations for lodging are a must. I got stuck walking waaaaay too many kms upon being met by sold out/complet signs the closer I got to Santiago. Not a fun way to end 6 weeks of a happy camino experience.

I walked at a similar time of year in 2010 without any problem finding space in the Xunta albergues and the one private albergue I stayed at after Sarria.

 

[jdpiguet]

A bit off topic, but to say that this was not at all my experience (2 years in a row) during the time frame you're considering. Maybe later.
On topic...one way to avoid the crowds is to stay at smaller towns: this year for me it was: San Xil, Barbadelo, Portomarin, Casanova, Ribadiso. By staying a little before (or after) the more congested towns you can beat the rush and walk out of the 'wave.' Other nice possibilities might be Ligonde and Castaneda
Much more pleasant.

Have done almost the same, only Gonzar instead of Portomarin. In October, and no problem to find a bed...

Buen Camino, Jacques-D.

 

[don88]

I stayed at Casa Garcia in Gonzar. Very nice privado with a good dinner. Bed was 10E as was dinner. I would stay there again.

 

[Geri_San Diego]

Have done almost the same, only Gonzar instead of Portomarin. In October, and no problem to find a bed...

Buen Camino, Jacques-D.

I have been trying to reach Casa Garcia to reserve a room for May, but they don't answer their phone. Do you have any contact information for them?

 

[jdpiguet]

Casa Garcia is closed from November to Easter...
Try later!

Buen Camino, Jacques-D.

 

[mbmc]

A bit off topic, but to say that this was not at all my experience (2 years in a row) during the time frame you're considering. Maybe later.
On topic...one way to avoid the crowds is to stay at smaller towns: this year for me it was: San Xil, Barbadelo, Portomarin, Casanova, Ribadiso. By staying a little before (or after) the more congested towns you can beat the rush and walk out of the 'wave.' Other nice possibilities might be Ligonde and Castaneda
Much more pleasant.

Hi, I would love to hear any other recommendations you have of places where you stayed. I am planning to hike Sarria to Santiago & want to walk shorter slower distances (I prefer to cover 8-10 miles/ day vs 14 miles/day) than the routes I have seen so far. I was looking at the map & saw that it seems possible, but would love to hear your route

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

One of our memorable 2015 Camino nights was in Portos at A Paso de Formiga a very special and welcoming place. Recommend it highly



and, if the budget stretches, Pazo Xan Xordo in Lavacolla. A little way off the Camino but then only a leisurely 10km into Santiago on the next day.

 

[auburnfive]

If possible avoid leaving Sarria on a Monday as that seems to be when the large tour groups start so they can fit into a work week. It was crazy! A little better once we slowed down and let them get ahead a day or two, but still way too many people. In 2008 if you waited for 10 minutes someone would come into sight, in 2015 there was usually one or 2 people in sight, in 2019 there were usually 15-40 people within sight.