Where to start with 33 days?

Manusp · Mar 12, 2023

Hello,

I’d like to gauge what peoples thoughts are on this. I have 33 days from start to the latest day I should arrive in Santiago. I have previously done the section from ponferrada to Santiago with kids and 0 time pressure. For this solo trip, I’m worried that I might not be able to nourish the relationships along the trail as much as I hope to because I may have to move faster then some friends made along the way. I have three thoughts here,

Start in sjpdp and if I feel like I’d go a slower pace with others purchase a cheap bike somewhere around sarria to make up for lost time.

Start in sjpdp and go my needed pace, no matter what.

Start a little closer to Santiago like pamplona, it feels like a good idea, but I have gotten quite hung up on starting in sjpdp…

For those who have a full Camino under some time pressure or several under different circumstances behind you, what are your thoughts and recommendations?

Anamiri · Mar 12, 2023

I have walked from SJ to Santiago in 33 days due to limitations of leave days (and the really long time it takes to get to Spain from NZ).
But I prefer to be able to take it slower. Next time I'll allow more days, and include more rest days up my sleeve.
To make it work with 33 days, you could start at SJ, see how you are going, and take some form of transport if you think its pushing you into days that are too long, or if you get injured. I would take that option on some of the days such as into Leon, or to Hospital D'Orbigo. Its an OK walk but very flat and a little featureless, and the walk into Leon isnt the most fun. That's a good option if you only need to make up a couple of days. You will however get out of step with people you meet.
If a Compostela isn't important to you, you could just start and see how far you get and get home from where you end up (your option B).
Otherwise you could skip a few days ahead by bus earlier in the walk, (or cycle from Burgos to Leon), so that you can walk the last 100km.
If biking I think you'll need to cycle the last 200km to get a Compostela, so the picking up a bike there may not work out for you.

Manusp · Mar 12, 2023

Thanks for the response!

I’m not too worried about fitness, injuries will have to be adapted to and could lead to having to skip sections no matter how long you plan, really. I just don’t like the idea of feeling rushed away from people I connect with and was wondering what others experiences around that were. I don’t really need a compostella but it would be nice.

How was your experience for finding people to walk with at that pace? Did you have a good few people you connected with and saw often along the trail or did the people you saw change pretty frequently?my favourite memory from my last Camino are the people we consistently found again and developed great friendships with.

Anamiri · Mar 12, 2023

I didnt skip ahead at all, so always kept pace with other walkers.
They were all different walks, the first time I ended up in a Camino family of 6, with another wider group of about 20 that we constantly ran into.
The next time, family members joined for some parts, and we connected with 2 others to be a Camino family of 4, and a wider group of about 8.
Last time we took a grandson, and the dynamics of having a kid with you change things again. No Camino family, but we were an actual family. And there were people we met again and again.

Its more important to me to have a continuous walk than to achieve a particular distance, by missing parts.

Manusp · Mar 12, 2023

Thanks, very reassuring! Having my children with me the first time around was amazing, we kept moving at the same pace as a couple in their 50s and another person in his 60s and that Camino family really added to the experience.

jeanineonthecamino · Mar 12, 2023

Lots of people do SJPDP to Santiago in 33 days. I did. I did the Norte/Primitivo in 28 days which is also about 780km and more mountainous. I found most of us started out walking normal stages then threw in some longer stages after week 1. But in the last 100km of both routes - I did it in 2.5-3 days. As far as friends are concerned - sure you might leave some behind, but you will make new friends. And some of your friends will probably also walk slightly faster.

I would start in SJPDP and plan to do some longer stages when the terrain is more favorable for it (like the Meseta as long as it isn't too hot)

trecile · Mar 12, 2023

Gronze.com and Brierley both have 33 stages from SJPdP and many people follow those stages, so you would not necessarily be going faster than others that you meet.
On my first Camino I walked from SJPdP to Finisterre in 34 days, and that included stopping in Orisson the first night.

VNwalking · Mar 12, 2023

Don't overthink it. No matter what pace you walk (so long as its neither the slow or fast extremes) you'll find people to connect with on a regular basis. So start where you want - and buen camino!

Manusp · Mar 12, 2023

hah, overthinking is exactly where I’m at from all the excitement, been waiting 5 years to finally get back to it! So yes, I’m sure it’ll be fine, and I appreciate all the reassurance. Pretty sure that’s what I’ve been looking for in the end.

gregrobinson · Mar 12, 2023

Start in SJPDP and don't skip anything until Sarria. Since last year it gets extremely crowded after Sarria and not very pleasant. I would skip that before I would skip anything else.

Anik2001 · Mar 12, 2023

I walked the Camino Francés twice, both times in 32 days, without time constraints and I’m not a fast walker. I usually walk between 25 and 30 km per day, so they’re not extra long days. I think 33 days should be enough if you’re in a correct shape, but everyone being different, you will have to just start walking and see.
Buen Camino!

Kit Holmes · Mar 12, 2023

my wife and i did Norte from Irun to Compostela in 33 days with 1 rest day each in San Sebastian, Santander and Gijon and did not rush. highly recommended

Jean-Pierre · Mar 12, 2023

SJPDP without doubts.

Manusp · Mar 12, 2023

That’ll be next time. The Meseta is calling for now.

Laura Olsen · Mar 12, 2023

I plan to use around 33 days. I will definitely want rest days - Logroño and Leon probably - so I plan to take the bus from Sahagun to Leon. But I also plan to change my mind whenever I feel like it. We will see what happens. Buen Camino.

MarkyD · Mar 12, 2023

Start where your heart tells to to start and don't worry about the rest. You can make flexible choices along the way, according to your own situation and any deadline date of arrival in Santiago.

You can always skip a couple of stages if you need to make up time. Better to do that than flog yourself to walk at a pace that is unnatural for your body. Most people I met who pushed themselves too fast, too hard and too soon didn't manage to finish their Camino. It's not a race, take it slow and enjoy every moment. SJPP is a glorious place to start in my opinion, providing weather conditions are good for going over the Pyrenees.
Avoid bed races and then you'll probably gradually increase daily distances (with plenty of stops to rest a bit during the day) and still make Santiago in 33 days. It's all doable, as long as you don't push it hard, especially during the first week.

Gregory Graf · Mar 12, 2023

33 days is very doable from SJPDP without any rest days. To be on the safe side I’d recommend starting at Pamplona. Easy to get to and you will have cut off only three days from SJPDP. Buen Camino

wisepilgrim · Mar 12, 2023

#2. Always.

DwainS · Mar 13, 2023

I'am walking my first camino this May and have planned 32 walking days. Have my first night reserved in SJPP and my last and 32nd night booked Santiago. What happens in between will be an adventure, no matter what circumstances arise.

TravellingMan2022 · Mar 13, 2023

I think it is important to think about the ‘type’ of walker you are. And also remember that whilst we all talk about ‘days’ what may be more valid is number of hours.

So I did it in 26 days (with one rest day) which sounds quick but am a very slow walker. But my strength is stamina and the ability to keep walking for long hours. Some days I may have left the Albergue with a couple of people for whom I walked too slow so they sped on, and if we met again that night i probably arrived 4 hours after them! They may have walked 8 hours and I might have been 12!!

Very crudely, and of course it varied hugely, but I reckon my approx 30kms per day were achieved by lots of 10 hour days at 3kms per hour!

Henriettagal · Saturday at 4:31 PM

I walked SJPDP to Fisterra. I wasn't sure I would have time but 28 days to SDC and 3 more days to Muxia and then Fisterra where I had a fabulous massage and a 2 night rest in a proper hotel. I bused back to SDC and night bus back to Madrid for my flight home. I found that though I generally walked alone I surprisingly kept meeting up with folks along the way. I loved not preprograming my stops. I enjoyed the surprise of catching up with friends along the way. Start SJPDP and go your own pace. You may surprise yourself. Buen Camino.

Housedog · Saturday at 5:36 PM

Last October I had a 33 day window, as well. Starting in SJPP I followed a 31 day plan which felt very comfortable to me. The last two days were only 20km each so I did them in one to have more time in SDC. Total 30 days. For me the biggest issue with the tight window was working out the time change while walking; it was quite a few days before I slept until 6am.

Thornley · Saturday at 8:24 PM

Either one
When you see people who have commenced in France a month prior in St JPP commencing there is not a major priority.
Once you start in Pamplona it will be of little interest to anyone where you commenced.
You will see the same olds every day , some taking breaks and rejoining etc
Get over the hang over on STJPP