Torres/Geira vs VdlP/Sanabres

[AntonM]

I'm walking towards Salamanca on the via de la plata and only recently discovered on this forum that the camino Torres existed. I've taken a brief look at some of the threads here but I didnt really see a comparison between the combo of Torres & Geira and continuing on the via de la plata and taking the sanabres afterwards. I'm guessing most of those on the forum that have done the torres have done the sanabres on an earlier occasion and might be able to give some feedback?

It's quite clear that Torres & Geira will have less/no other pilgrims and less infrastructure/albergues. It also seems quite a bit longer, at least looking at the map, I didnt really check the stages yet.

Both routes are supposedly quite beautiful, from what I've read. Any remarks on how they differ from someone that has done both, mostly trail (difficulty, amount of road walking, maybe which camino would be more impacted by bad/cold weather) and landscape wise, would be very welcome. What I'm mostly wondering about: is the Torres/Geira option just a very nice option for an experienced pilgrim looking for something new/more unknown or is it that beautiful that it's preferable to the sanabres if you can afford the higher cost of needing to rely somewhat on private accommodation?

To be completely honest, I'm leaning towards continuing on the VdlP/Sanabres for two reasons:

• I can express myself decently in Spanish (and I like to use it) but not in Portuguese.
• I've been on parts of caminos before but this is the first time my aim is to get to Santiago and I'm a bit unsure about arriving there for the first time on what seems to be quite an obscure camino.

The main reason why I'm still considering the Torres/Geira is that I've been wanting to visit someone in Braga and it would be quite elegant to have the camino lead me there, now that I'm lucky to have lots of time.

 

[davejsy]

All things been equal - go with your heart.

 

[peregrina2000]

The Torres/Geira combo is spectacular. You’re right that it’d be longer than staying on the Sanabrés. For many, that would be an advantage! The Torres goes through a lot of beautiful, historical cities and towns, crosses the Douro, while the Geira goes through some of Portugal’s most beautiful country and its only national park. The stages are manageable I have a Find Penguins blog linked below in my signature line. But the Vdlp/Sanabrés is probably my favorite camino for having “just the right amount” of other peregrinos. Fewer end-stages into interesting places, but Zamora alone is worth the price of admission.

My totally impressionistic opinion is that the Vdlp has a lot less asphalt/road walking than you would get on the Torres/Geira. Very rarely on busy roads, but especially the second half ot he Torres has a lot.

 

[gns]

My first camino was from Salamanca via the Sanabres in 2016 and I walked the Torres followed by the Portuguese Central from Ponte de Lima in 2019. Both are pre-pandemic so things may have changed from an infrastructure point of view

Difficulty - I think this is a wash. The Torres was about 90 km longer and took 21 days against 17 for the Sanabres. In both cases there is a central section with lots of climbs. These are longer on the Sanabres but steeper on the Torres, with the climb out of Peso de Regua winning the prize. If you have started in Seville neither should cause you a problem.
Scenery - The best day on the Sanabres for me was between a Gudina and Laza but this didn't compare with the Douro valley. The second half of the Torres is much more populated and overall is less remote but conversely has more variation. Neither should disappoint.
History and Culture - Not much competition here. The Torres wins hands down. The Sanabres can put up Zamora, Puebla de Sanabria and Ourense up against the frontier fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Almeida (the former has a hidden gem of a cathedral as well), the hilltop castle town of Trancoso and the northern cities of Amarante, Guimaraes and Braga.
Walking - As Peregrino2000 said above most of the Torres in Portugal is on metalled roads (although not the dreaded Portuguese cobbles). The roads are quiet though. I will say this very quietly for fear of the wrath of the Francesistas, but the first week of the Torres was my favourite walking on any of my Caminos. Neither has any bad stretches. The Torres feels like more of an adventure but this is not from the difficulty of the path. The Sanabres is better marked but the Torres was adequate.
Other peregrinos - If you have walked from Seville then you already know most of the people you will meet on the Sanabres. You may very well not see anyone on the Torres. I crossed paths with three other pilgrims in 15 days.
Accommodation - In 2019 there were basic albergues in three villages between Salamanca and Ciudad Rodrigo, two more before the Portuguese border and only private accommodation once I hit Portugal. All of this is on the website.

Overall both are great caminos. My own preference would be for the Torres but if I had walked from Seville I think I would want to continue on the VDLP. I hope this is of at least some help.

A useful tip I heard once for making a decision like this is to put it to the toss of a coin. How you feel about the result will show what you really want to do.

 

[peregrina2000]

Overall both are great caminos. My own preference would be for the Torres but if I had walked from Seville I think I would want to continue on the VDLP. I hope this is of at least some help.

I think that is how I would ultimately come down too. I set out to walk the Torres/Geira and was never disappointed, it is really beautiful. But that was my plan, and I think I would have opted to “stay the course” if I were on the Vdlp. I walked in fall 2022 and never met another pilgrim, though I did meet several walking groups out on “hiking in Portugal” tours.

It’s fun to think about the choice, but I bet that the answer will come to you as you walk. Make your next camino the Torres/Geira combo and you won’t be disappointed!

 

[AntonM]

Thanks so much! Really interesting to read!

If I'm still not 100% convinced which one when approaching Salamanca, I like the idea of the coin toss. But it's been fun thinking about the options while walking indeed.

In any case, whatever I end up picking, I'll probably keep the other one in mind for the future. Might be Torres/Geira (after taking the time to learn a bit of portuguese) or the Levante (maybe starting from Toledo or Ávila)/Sanabres.