Walking from Biarritz>St Jean>Santiago>Finnistre>Porto

[scotty-thompson]

Hey everyone,

Me and also a friend have booked flights to Biarritz de Francés. We both arrive there 15th September this year. We then plan to walk from here to St Jean de Port then the el camino de Compostela. From here we plan to walk the extra few miles to the coast of Finnistre. Once we have finished this walk and we believe we would like to walk further, we thought about walking onto Porto, Portugal.

During our trip we hope to be camping in our Terra Nova Laser (lightest tent going) for as much of the trip we can. We don't like the idea of being in the refuges and I struggle sleeping where there are to many others around me.

So my questions to you are:

1. Is there a good route in which to take to get to Porto from Finnistre? how possible is this?
2. Are there any other towns we could continue walking to that may be better as a pose to Porto?
3. Any links?
4. How possible is it to walk to Santiago and camp out each night?


Thanks everybody.

 

[sillydoll]

Hi there,
Most people usually get a train to St Jean-Pied-de-Port and start walking from there. You can take a bus from Biarritz to Bayonne (either from the city center or straight from the airport) and then take the train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port.

Finisterre is quite far north of Santiago so you might have to walk back to Santiago to start walk ing south to Porto. Just remember that both walks will be in reverse and you will have to watch out carefully for arrows and other route markers. (You can download guides for the Finisterre and Portugues routes here: http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm )

There is quite a lot on this site about camping on the camino Frances. Do a search in the search box on the top right hand side of the page.

 

[elzi]

Hi the Portugues route to Porto is very well signed backwards but by the time you get to Finisterre you may want to just head off down the coast towards Porto bypassing arrows and other pilgrims... A met a guy earlier this year who was fed up with albergues (even the quiet ones of the Portgues) and just decided to walk up through Galicia (from Redondela) following the coastline North towards Finisterre off route completely! I have no idea how he got on but he was planning to just sleep outside in his sleeping bag. I think if you have a tent there are campsites down that coast and some of the landscape is stunning. You could always hook up with the Portugues route somewhere?

Of course the sensible plan would be to walk back to Santiago and down the arrow-ed route...
(blue arrows backwards)

It sounds like a bit of a mammoth journey you are undertaking!!! Maybe you shouldn't plan too far ahead, who knows how you will feel by the time you get to finisterre..? I had planned to walk back last year but somehow once I got there, walked along the beach barefoot, burned my clothes and watched the sun go down I felt that maybe I had walked enough and it was time to stop for a while. Allow yourself some flexibility - although the route to Porto is lovely!

 

[scotty-thompson]

Thanks for your replies.

I have ordered a book which has maps and everything needed for the normal El Camino de Compostela route so that should prove helpful. I also knwo I can take bus,train to St Jean, but we wish to walk there instead, using as little transport as possible.

The route to Porto via the coast sounds like it could be alot of fun from what you write. yes the safer option may be to go along the traditional route but we have always been the adventurous type and love off track things hikes.

 

[sillydoll]

That sounds like a great adventure!
You could walk some of the Arousa and River Ulla route to the coast on your way South to Porto.

"This sea-river route via the Ria de Arousa and the River Ulla commemorates the arrival, by sea, of St. James’ body in Galicia, the region where he had preached. According to tradition, the boat entered the “ria” and sailed up the River Ulla, arriving at the Roman city of Iria Flavia (Padrón), as remembered today by a sea-river procession to Pontecesures and Padrón.

Itinerary: Sanxenxo – O Grove – Cambados – Vilanova - Vilagarcía de Arousa – Catoira – Pontecesures – Padrón – Santiago; or entering via Ribeira – A Pobra – Boiro – Rianx

The maps show the two routes - to Finisterre and from the Ria de Arousa

 

[Canuck]

Great plan. I hope you have fun.

Just in case you haven't found out, there is a marked way from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port.
Here is where you'll find all the info:
http://vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversale ... tp=accueil

Cheers
Jean-Marc

 

[tevita]

Dear Jean Marc, I'm planning to do Biarritz-Santander this year. As far as I've read and seen there's not much of a camino from Biarritz to St Jean Pied de Port.

Just saw the website you sent in 2009 (http://vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversale ... tp=accueil)
That route is from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port.
Do you know if there's any route along the coastline from Biarritz?
merci

david