Sarria vs Samos

[Botaivica]

My daughter walked the Camino this year and invited me to join her at the end of the Way. We agreed to meet in Samos. When I walked in 2016, I did not take that alternative route so I was glad to see that part of the Camino. I flew to Santiago and took a bus from the airport to Samos. That bus goes to Sarria and the next stop is Samos.
Samos has several albergues and I chose to sleep in the monastery.
The Monastery of San Xulián de Samos is an active Benedictine monastery in Samos. It was founded in the sixth century. They offers three types of accommodation, in the monastery, in the hostel and in the albergue. Hostel and albergue were full.
Peaceful and quiet town with several bars, a restaurant and a shop.
My daughter slept in Lusio and when she came to Samos we continued to Sarria in Monasterio de la Magdalena. Unlike Samos, Sarria is a noisy town, lots of tourists and pilgrims, crowds and shouts.
In the morning there were a lot of pilgrims on the Way, noise, crowds in every bar. We avoided the crowd by sleeping in Mercadorio and did not even enter Portomarin. We arrived in Portomarin around 10AM, when all the pilgrims had already left, so the Camino was quiet and peaceful.
This can also be done if you start from Samos and pass Sarria and spend the night in Viela or O Mosteiro.

For those who need peace and quiet on the Camino, I recommend this route

 

[Jas_LB]

Yes, Samos was very pretty, I found!
A nice quiet time before the onslaught of pilgrims at Sarria

 

[donalomahony]

Yes, Samos was very pretty, I found!
A nice quiet time before the onslaught of pilgrims at Sarria

Really depends on the time of year year

Triacastela—Sarria

25km I eat a small breakfast with Ingrid at the albergue, and we leave at 9am, the last to do so. We walk past the bar we had dinner at last night and realise it is open, and the Moon family, Gerli…

jeremycamino.blog

 

[Former member 92300]

Yes, I wish I could have stayed in Samos! I hiked the CF in June/July 2021 - and the Monastery was still closed (to pilgrims) because of COVID. I did walk that route though and it was amazing!

 

[Jodean]

We stayed in Samos and walked on to Barbedelo for the night. Only had a great lunch in Sarria. The next morning was quiet and peaceful, with no crowds. Didn't start seeing lots of people until after 12:00.