Very first express Camino - which way to choose?

[LyraSirin]

Hello!
I'm going to take my first camino in mid March 2019, and it won't be long - I'll have only 8 free days, therefore I plan to walk 5 days.
But I have no idea which way to choose!
As I understood, it is bad choice to walk near the cost in this time of the year. So, what is good choice? Please help me

Some tips:
- I'll be alone;
- I don't want to carry a sleeping bag, so I'll stay in hostels if the Albergue is no option;
- The Compostela isn't important;
- I aim to walk 20-30 km per day;
- I'd like to avoid particularly rainy regions;

I want to find a road with fascinating and breathtaking views and feel safely and confident in the same time.

I was thinking about the way from San Sebastian to Bilbao, is it wise to take this road in mid March?

 

[SYates]

Just walk from Sarria to Santiago, yes it can be rainy but you will have company.
Many albergues also offer private rooms, but a light sleeping bag might still be a good idea.
San Sebastian > Bilbao - Ask yourself, would that stretch make it a pilgrimage for you or just a walk?

Buen Camino, SY

 

[LyraSirin]

Just walk from Sarria to Santiago, yes it can be rainy but you will have company.
Many albergues also offer private rooms, but a light sleeping bag might still be a good idea.
San Sebastian > Bilbao - Ask yourself, would that stretch make it a pilgrimage for you or just a walk?

Buen Camino, SY

I don't mind to sleep in a dormitory room, I choose hostels only because I really don't want to carry extra 0.5 kg on my back

I consider Camino as "just a walk" with myself and mine thoughts,.
I'm not sure about San Sebastian > Bilbao because of the weather conditions, but I really liked landscape on the photos! May be there are another glorious roads?

 

[notion900]

It can be rainy anywhere in Spain in mid March.

 

[Finisterre]

Start in Santiago end up at Finisterre and Muxia.

 

[Michael-FL]

March can be rainy anywhere in the Iberian Peninsula. For abbreviated route, you might consider Camino Portugues, starting at Tui and taking the Central Route.

 

[kelleymac]

Good suggestions above. Since you only have 5 days to walk, why not pick a few routes, then look at the 5 and 10 weather forecast before you start. Take a bus to where you think it will be driest.

The weather may be cool, it may be warm, it may be dry, it may rain-- all in one day. I carry a light weight sleeping bag because I like knowing I can snuggle down and be warm at night.

You say you want to be alone with your thoughts, does that mean being out of sight of others? Or just able to walk by yourself? You will be walking before Easter, so some albergues and hostels won't be open yet.

Kate

 

[LyraSirin]

Start in Santiago end up at Finisterre and Muxia.

I was thinking about this raod too, but in mid March I expect heavy rain and strong wind from the sea. Am I wrong?

 

[LyraSirin]

Good suggestions above. Since you only have 5 days to walk, why not pick a few routes, then look at the 5 and 10 weather forecast before you start. Take a bus to where you think it will be driest.

The weather may be cool, it may be warm, it may be dry, it may rain-- all in one day. I carry a light weight sleeping bag because I like knowing I can snuggle down and be warm at night.

You say you want to be alone with your thoughts, does that mean being out of sight of others? Or just able to walk by yourself? You will be walking before Easter, so some albergues and hostels won't be open yet.

Kate

I'm from Russia,so I have to buy fight tickets to Spain and back and I would like to pick up the closest to my Camino airport, that why I can't improvise easily.

I can be with my thoughts when I'm surrounded by people, I just meant that I don't see any special pilgrimage experience for myself - it's kind of "just walk". I enjoy walking and would be happy to do it during some days, watching nice views and getting new emotions.

Are there any popular "the most beautiful" parts of the ways? I just have no idea how to search, I can only choose one of Caminos and then check pictures in reports. It takes a lot of time and not very productive.

I've never been in Spain before, so I don't know anything about it's regions

 

[Oravasaari]

The last section Sarria to Santiago won't be very busy in mid March time.

Sarria to Portomarin 23km
Portomarin to Palas de Rei 25km
Palas de Rei to Ribadiso 26km
Ribadiso to O Pedrouso 22km
O Pedrouso to Santiago 21km

There are regular (and cheap) buses from Madrid airport T4 to all major cities with plenty of drop-off points along each route.

Flights out of Santiago airport back to Madrid airport are quite cheap too. e.g. Ryanair.

 

[LyraSirin]

The last section Sarria to Santiago won't be very busy in mid March time.

Sarria to Portomarin 23km
Portomarin to Palas de Rei 25km
Palas de Rei to Ribadiso 26km
Ribadiso to O Pedrouso 22km
O Pedrouso to Santiago 21km

There are regular (and cheap) buses from Madrid airport T4 to all major cities with plenty of drop-off points along each route.

Flights out of Santiago airport back to Madrid airport are quite cheap too. e.g. Ryanair.

Thanks! I'll search pictures of this part of the road. What kind of landscape is there?

 

[Anamiri]

Galicia is beautiful

 

[Turga]

Hola @LyraSirin

If you don’t care about earning a Compostela but are more interested in a scenic walk that is also a bit challenging, I would suggets walking from Astorga to Triacastela. That will take you through some beautiful mountain landscapes and nice small cities as well as past Cruz de Ferro, which is one of the iconic places on the Frances.

Your stages would then be:

Astorga-Foncebadón 26 km
Foncebadón-Ponferrada 27 km
Ponferrada-Villafranca del Bierzo 24 km
Villafranca del Bierzo-O’Cebreiro 28 km
O’Cebreiro-Triacastela 21 km

As far as I know, Alsa runs a bus from Santiago to Astorga, so you could fly into Santiago and take it from there.

Whatever you choose to do, Buen Camino.

 

[Oravasaari]

a-Foncebadón 26 km
Foncebadón-Ponferrada 27 km
Ponferrada-Villafranca del Bierzo 24 km
Villafranca del Bierzo-O’Cebreiro

Mid March time could see some snow on both of those mountain crossings?

 

[Yctoo]

Camino Ingles from Ferrol to Santiago (127 k) is wonderful with albergues every 15-20 km and not too busy

 

[gerardcarey]

March is Springtime, often wet and muddy in Spain.
You will most probably, at some stage, encounter rain, possibly heavy, with cold temperatures.
Fascinating and breathtaking views are, by definition, generally observed from higher elevations, thereby giving a higher chance of bad weather.
Take a sleeping bag. There may not be a hotel/hostal at your daily destination. An albergue may be the only option.
I walked from Portugal to Santiago mid-march last year.
The weather was sunny, warm, so perfect for walking.
The previous week it was cold and rained constantly.
Be prepared.
Thats how it is.... Welcome to the Camino.
Regards
Gerard

 

[Kosmos]

Thanks! I'll search pictures of this part of the road. What kind of landscape is there?

Sarria to Portomarin 23km

 

[Finisterre]

I'm sure there used to be a website that had each route broken down into days with around thirty photos of that day's walking. Quite often wildflower photos. Very nice site.

It existed ten years or more ago. I pre-walked each route before I made my 2006 trip. An enjoyable site. It used to be the other obvious site from this. But has maybe been drowned in the commercial offerings?
I would be glad to find it again.
Hints welcome.
It was blueish and had a map on the front page.

 

[peb]

I would vouch for the Ingles. Walked it in March this year. Yes it was muddy and it rained, yes it was cold (4 degrees) in the morning, but nothing that good walking boots, a good waterproof coat and a strong umbrella could not cope with, and anyway if you are from Russia, the March 'cold' in Galicia is easy.

As @Yctoo says, the Ingles from Ferrol to Santiago can take 5 days, 123km, so you walk an average of 25km each day (that sounds a lot, but at a leisurely 4km per hour, that is only 6 hours walking per day).

The beauty of the Ingles is that you qualify for a compostela to take back with you, and because you walk the whole camino start to finish, it gives a better sense of achievement than walking part of a longer camino. The first two days of the Ingles are walking round the coast and by the sea. Not as spectacular as the Norte, but quite picturesque.

There are good small pensions to stay in on each night if you do not want to stay in mixed dormitories in albergues / hostels.

Also, if you wish to make your travel easier, you can arrange to transfer your luggage each day to your pension, allowing you to walk with just a daypack, and bring more comforts with you.

If you do the Ingles, I found flying into A Coruna through Madrid was much cheaper than flying into Santiago through Madrid. You take the train or bus from A Coruna to Ferrol to start and then there are frequent trains from Santiago to A Coruna at the finish.

If you have 8 days, first day travel in, 2nd day look round the delightful city of A Coruna and transfer to Ferrol. Final day of 8 travel back. The last stage of the Ingles is 15km, so you can do that in a morning, and have time in Santiago to look round the cathedral, obtain your compostela, etc.

 

[Tincatinker]

@LyraSirin, I'll ask because no-one else has - why a Camino route if you are not making a pilgrimage to Santiago; have no interest in obtaining a Compostella and just want a "road with fascinating and breathtaking views". If you also want a reasonable expectation of pleasant weather try Cyprus and any accessible stretch of the E4 or even https://www.completely-crete.com/E4-path.html

 

[PierreLB]

Hello!
I'm going to take my first camino in mid March 2019, and it won't be long - I'll have only 8 free days, therefore I plan to walk 5 days.
But I have no idea which way to choose!
As I understood, it is bad choice to walk near the cost in this time of the year. So, what is good choice? Please help me

Some tips:
- I'll be alone;
- I don't want to carry a sleeping bag, so I'll stay in hostels if the Albergue is no option;
- The Compostela isn't important;
- I aim to walk 20-30 km per day;
- I'd like to avoid particularly rainy regions;

I want to find a road with fascinating and breathtaking views and feel safely and confident in the same time.

I was thinking about the way from San Sebastian to Bilbao, is it wise to take this road in mid March?

Hi. I just finished at the Camino friend says and spoke with a lot of people that just finished there Camino in Santiago I strongly recommend for you to start in Sarria if you want to do 100 km but if you are able and want to do 165 km then I think the ideal is to start in Vega de la Valcarce because then you get to go through the beautiful mountains (over 1300 meters high) including O'Cebreiro and its wonderful views and ecosystem but it's a little bit more work as it is actually quite a hike to go up and to go down the mountain... but worth it!

 

[LyraSirin]

I would vouch for the Ingles.

Thank you for the detailed reply! There is a lot of information to think about

Yeah, 4C degrees isn't really cold for me, it is normal temperature for spring, but I hoped I could escape rainy muddy russian weather is sunny Spain. Oh,I was so wrong!

 

[LyraSirin]

There may not be a hotel/hostal at your daily destination. An albergue may be the only option.

Oh, I believed it would be easier to find a hostel then an albergue.... So I have to check if there is a place with reservations to be sure they are waiting for me

 

[LyraSirin]

@LyraSirin, I'll ask because no-one else has - why a Camino route if you are not making a pilgrimage to Santiago; have no interest in obtaining a Compostella and just want a "road with fascinating and breathtaking views". If you also want a reasonable expectation of pleasant weather try Cyprus and any accessible stretch of the E4 or even https://www.completely-crete.com/E4-path.html

Because this road has all infrastructure for long walking: paths, sings, cafes, hostels/albergiues, towns that are quite close to each others. Everything is prepared for pigrims so I won't be in trouble

 

[trecile]

Oh, I believed it would be easier to find a hostel then an albergue.... So I have to check if there is a place with reservations to be sure they are waiting for me

Many albergues accept reservations

 

[LyraSirin]

Many albergues accept reservations

And here is my point that I really don't want to carry a sleeping bag, it takes extra room and gives extra weight... Therefore I don't rely on albergues.I know it is not smart decision, but I can't persuade myself

 

[trecile]

And here is my point that I really don't want to carry a sleeping bag, it takes extra room and gives extra weight... Therefore I don't rely on albergues.I know it is not smart decision, but I can't persuade myself

I carry a silk sleep sack and tiny down blanket, which together weigh about 15 ounces