Stops between Ourense & Santiago

[Guy Strachan]

I will be walking the final section of the VdlP starting in Ourense in May next year.
We will have my 86 y.o. father with us and therefore want to limit our daily walking to maxm 25 km per day.
Can anybody suggest over-night stops based on 5 days of walking?
Also wondering if any taxi firms or suchlike offer ca baggage transfer service (to lighten the load for my father). Any/all suggestions most welcome.
Many thank - and Buen Camino

 

[Caminata]

I will be walking the final section of the VdlP starting in Ourense in May next year.
We will have my 86 y.o. father with us and therefore want to limit our daily walking to maxm 25 km per day.
Can anybody suggest over-night stops based on 5 days of walking?
Also wondering if any taxi firms or suchlike offer ca baggage transfer service (to lighten the load for my father). Any/all suggestions most welcome.
Many thank - and Buen Camino

I am really impressed that your dad and you are able to do this together...I am always inspired when I see older people on the trail.
Since my first Camino 5 years ago..Ive always hoped I will be someone like your dad...out there making the most of it. Hope you have a great "moment in time" together.

 

[Donna Sch]

Day 1: Ourense - Cea 22 km Ourense sits in a volcanic crater so it is bit of an uphill slog leaving town http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/etapa-de-ourense-a-cea The Eroski pages are in Spanish but the elevation maps are great and it tends to be the most up to date information.
Day 2: Cea - Oseira Monastery - Castro-Dozon 23 km The Monastery is worth a visit and there are a couple of good bars there to stop at for lunch. Castro-Dozon has a municipal albergue which does have some single rooms if you realise. Otherwise it is a large (for the VDLP ) bunkroom. Open showers there, large kitchen but there are a couple of bars and a little supermarket on the way there.
Day 3: Castro-Dozon to a number of choices. We went all the way to Silleda. Friends stopped at A Laxe. There are other options inbetween.
Day 4: Wherever you stopped to Ponte Ulla. Ponte Ulla sits at the bottom of a river valley. There is a very steep hill on the way down so take walking poles. We stayed at the bar immediately on your right crossing the bridge. The room are simple, clean and reasonably priced. The food there is excellent. We arrived in time for a leisurely lunch and there were fireworks and music in July for Mary Magdalene. Good little supermarket there to stock up on supplies.
Day 5: Ponte Ulla to Santiago. 16 km. When you are staying in a valley there is a hill going down and a hill going up. Going up is always easier first thing when you are fresh rather than last thing. So while the albergue at Outeiro was an option, you probably won't feel like that climb in the afternoon. Especially if you have to top up supplies at Ponte Ulla.

Baggage transfer options:
http://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/index_en.php
http://www.mochilatrans.com/

Enjoy your trip!

 

[musicman]

Very helpful, Donna, as we shall be on this stretch, hopefully, next mid-May.
Thank you

 

[VPANAMA]

Day 1: Ourense - Cea 22 km Ourense sits in a volcanic crater so it is bit of an uphill slog leaving town http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/etapa-de-ourense-a-cea The Eroski pages are in Spanish but the elevation maps are great and it tends to be the most up to date information.
Day 2: Cea - Oseira Monastery - Castro-Dozon 23 km The Monastery is worth a visit and there are a couple of good bars there to stop at for lunch. Castro-Dozon has a municipal albergue which does have some single rooms if you realise. Otherwise it is a large (for the VDLP ) bunkroom. Open showers there, large kitchen but there are a couple of bars and a little supermarket on the way there.
Day 3: Castro-Dozon to a number of choices. We went all the way to Silleda. Friends stopped at A Laxe. There are other options inbetween.
Day 4: Wherever you stopped to Ponte Ulla. Ponte Ulla sits at the bottom of a river valley. There is a very steep hill on the way down so take walking poles. We stayed at the bar immediately on your right crossing the bridge. The room are simple, clean and reasonably priced. The food there is excellent. We arrived in time for a leisurely lunch and there were fireworks and music in July for Mary Magdalene. Good little supermarket there to stock up on supplies.
Day 5: Ponte Ulla to Santiago. 16 km. When you are staying in a valley there is a hill going down and a hill going up. Going up is always easier first thing when you are fresh rather than last thing. So while the albergue at Outeiro was an option, you probably won't feel like that climb in the afternoon. Especially if you have to top up supplies at Ponte Ulla.

Baggage transfer options:
http://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/index_en.php
http://www.mochilatrans.com/

Enjoy your trip!

Day 1: Ourense - Cea 22 km Ourense sits in a volcanic crater so it is bit of an uphill slog leaving town http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/etapa-de-ourense-a-cea The Eroski pages are in Spanish but the elevation maps are great and it tends to be the most up to date information.
Day 2: Cea - Oseira Monastery - Castro-Dozon 23 km The Monastery is worth a visit and there are a couple of good bars there to stop at for lunch. Castro-Dozon has a municipal albergue which does have some single rooms if you realise. Otherwise it is a large (for the VDLP ) bunkroom. Open showers there, large kitchen but there are a couple of bars and a little supermarket on the way there.
Day 3: Castro-Dozon to a number of choices. We went all the way to Silleda. Friends stopped at A Laxe. There are other options inbetween.
Day 4: Wherever you stopped to Ponte Ulla. Ponte Ulla sits at the bottom of a river valley. There is a very steep hill on the way down so take walking poles. We stayed at the bar immediately on your right crossing the bridge. The room are simple, clean and reasonably priced. The food there is excellent. We arrived in time for a leisurely lunch and there were fireworks and music in July for Mary Magdalene. Good little supermarket there to stock up on supplies.
Day 5: Ponte Ulla to Santiago. 16 km. When you are staying in a valley there is a hill going down and a hill going up. Going up is always easier first thing when you are fresh rather than last thing. So while the albergue at Outeiro was an option, you probably won't feel like that climb in the afternoon. Especially if you have to top up supplies at Ponte Ulla.

Baggage transfer options:
http://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/index_en.php
http://www.mochilatrans.com/

Enjoy your trip!

Very helpful, Donna, as we shall be on this stretch, hopefully, next mid-May.
Thank you

 

[VPANAMA]

I have just returned from that Camino. The last section on day 5, from Ponte Ulla to Santiago, is more like 28 km, not 16 km mentioned by Donna.
Buen Camino.

 

[Donna Sch]

Oops, it's about 16km from Outeiro to SdC. Just over 5 km from Ponte Ulla to Outeiro. And it's a nice walk. A hill up from the river but at least you do it when you are fresh. The walk into town is pleasant enough and my Santiago moment was at the railway overbridge. Like all good camino stages, the last bit is up a hill.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Now I don't know how determined your are to walk every step of the way. And how committed are you to sticking to five days?
If I were doing this with my 85 year old father-in-law, we would do the following (I offer it as an option for you to consider, although I realise the parameters may be all wrong for you!)

Day 1: Ourense - Cea 22km (and quite a climb at the beginning - if we were trying to keep the number of days down we would take a bus or taxi about half way along this stretch to avoid the hill at the beginning and allow us to make it to the monastery at Oseira - if we had an extra day we'd stop at Cea the first day and then do a short walk to the monastery the next day and spend the whole afternoon sketching) Cea - Oseira 8.6km
Day 2: Oseira - Castro Dozon 10.5km (go to mass in the morning and they might throw in a visit to the library) There's a stiff climb to start with - actually, it's mostly uphill all the way. We had been doing 30+km each day, but on this day did this short stretch and it felt like one of our longest days! Spacious albergue with extremely well-equipped commercial kitchen so spend some of the day cooking yourself a nice meal!
Day 3: Castro Dozon - A Laxe 18.4km (we didn't stop here but the albergue looked really nice from the outside)
Day 4: A Laxe - Bandeira 16.8km
Day 5: Bandeira - Outeiro 17.3km There's a long steep downhill to Ponte Ulla after about 10km. At Ponte Ulla you can buy provisions for your evening meal and breakfast - you then have to carry them up the hill to Outeira, but it is well worth the effort - the albergue is fabulous, and it means a nice short day into Santiago.
Day 6: Outeira to Santiago 16km

 

[Guy Strachan]

Thanks for all your responses - really helpful & much appreciated!