ChichiPerez
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2021
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Hi All. I'm new here and hoping to do the Camino this coming August. I'll have 2/3 weeks to spend in Spain so could do a 11-14 day camino. I have read many posts about two week caminos and what route is recommended but none with my specific question.
I'll be going alone and hoping to meet some people. I speak Spanish quite fluently but am out of practice these days as I'm back living in Ireland so would love a route that has lots of Spanish speaking pilgrims to chat to. For this reason am I right in thinking that the Camino Portugués would not be for me? I could be wrong about that.
So with that in mind I'm thinking about either starting at Pamplona and going to Burgos or starting at Astorga and going to Santiago.
Any advice and recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Muchas gracias!
Spanish pilgrims make up more than half of all pilgrims who reach Santiago in a normal year. Probably a greater proportion in this pandemic year, so I guess you will meet them on any route.I'll be going alone and hoping to meet some people. I speak Spanish quite fluently but am out of practice these days as I'm back living in Ireland so would love a route that has lots of Spanish speaking pilgrims to chat to. For this reason am I right in thinking that the Camino Portugués would not be for me? I could be wrong about that.
So with that in mind I'm thinking about either starting at Pamplona and going to Burgos or starting at Astorga and going to Santiago.
I think you may be right. But which bit of the Frances?Francés is your best bet. If you choose a less common route, you risk not meeting very many pilgrims at all.
Yes, that's a good point. With that in mind, I would avoid the section from Sarria to Santiago. So ending in Burgos could be a good option, or León.I think you may be right. But which bit of the Frances?
OP said that they were considering Pamplona to Burgos, so I guess the Compostela is not important. That opens up various possibilities - and I think that it may be hard to predict where to find the "Goldilocks" level of pilgrim density for an optimally sociable Camino. Some of that will come down to individual preference I guess. I have a feeling, though, that for easy socializing with strangers, the last section of the CF might be a little too crowded, with too many organized groups, too many tight cliques. Pamplona to Burgos might be just right?
Thoughts?
Thanks so much for your responses everyone!
I am leaning towards Pamplona to Burgos because, as has been mention, maybe friendship groups would be already formed by Astorga/Sarria, and so might be harder to meet people? Has anyone walked from Astorga/Sarria and found that to be true?
Anyone that's done the first half does it feel sad/disappointing to stop at Burgos, or wherever and watch everyone else keep going, or do many people do this?
Thanks again!
Lots of people walk partial Caminos. They set their goal for the year, which might be Burgos or another place. Some of them intend to come back to pick up the Camino from the same place. Others aren't fussed. For them, the Camino isn't about reaching a destination. They feel that Camino is about being on the Camino. Whether that feels satisfying to you, only you can tell.Anyone that's done the first half does it feel sad/disappointing to stop at Burgos, or wherever and watch everyone else keep going, or do many people do this?
True, true. But meeting ans socializing less with fellow pilgrims often translates into meeting and socializing more with locals, which can be of help if one wants to practice one's Spanish.Normally I would suggest a less popular camino if you want to speak Spanish, but for this year I do think the Francés is your best bet. If you choose a less common route, you risk not meeting very many pilgrims at all.
I agree with this. The Camino Frances will be sociable, if that's what you want. If your main objective is to speak Spanish, you might be disappointed, but then again, you might get exactly what you want. In any case, you will probably get a very satisfying experience.If I were you I would not overthink it.
The concept of a " Camino family " is really overrated IMHO.
Every day on the Camino is a chance to meet new people.
wonderful!He commented "On the Camino Frances I met the world. On the Mozarabe I met Spain."
I didn’t see this comment on my first skim through the thread, but this is an excellent way of explaining what I wanted to express in an earlier post.A friend of mine recently finished walking the Camino Mozarabe as his second Camino. His first was the Camino Frances. He commented "On the Camino Frances I met the world. On the Mozarabe I met Spain."
I'd be careful not to equate opportunities to speak English with a lack of opportunities to Spanish. Is it easy to avoid speaking Spanish on the CF if that's what you want to do? Yes. Is it easy to speak Spanish on the CF if that's what you want to do and if you speak it "quite fluently" as the OP does? Also yes.My thoughts would be NOT the Camino Frances. I have never had to speak Spanish on the CF. Nor the Camino Portugues. On the more isolated routes, like the Camino de Madrid or the Salvador, the locals don’t speak English so much, so then you HAVE to say a few words in Spanish. But then these are strange times, so you may find only Spanish speakers anyway on any camino. I wish I could go in August . . .
With the time that you have you can do Camino Primitivo I think at least 60 % of the people walking it now are Spanish.Hi All. I'm new here and hoping to do the Camino this coming August. I'll have 2/3 weeks to spend in Spain so could do a 11-14 day camino. I have read many posts about two week caminos and what route is recommended but none with my specific question.
I'll be going alone and hoping to meet some people. I speak Spanish quite fluently but am out of practice these days as I'm back living in Ireland so would love a route that has lots of Spanish speaking pilgrims to chat to. For this reason am I right in thinking that the Camino Portugués would not be for me? I could be wrong about that.
So with that in mind I'm thinking about either starting at Pamplona and going to Burgos or starting at Astorga and going to Santiago.
Any advice and recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Muchas gracias!
Thanks so much for your responses everyone!
I am leaning towards Pamplona to Burgos because, as has been mention, maybe friendship groups would be already formed by Astorga/Sarria, and so might be harder to meet people? Has anyone walked from Astorga/Sarria and found that to be true?
Anyone that's done the first half does it feel sad/disappointing to stop at Burgos, or wherever and watch everyone else keep going, or do many people do this?
Thanks again!
I agree!With the time that you have you can do Camino Primitivo I think at least 60 % of the people walking it now are Spanish.
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