Your favorite way to spend 8 days on the Camino

[Wigglefish]

I've only got 8 days to spend on the Camino (and it's my first time), and I'm beginning to wonder if Sarria to Santiago is really the best experience. I've come to terms with not being able to complete the entire way this trip around. So at the very least, I'd love to see the most beautiful part of it.

So ... help! I'll be in Reus, Spain before hand with the family, and will be traveling from there.

Camino experts! What's your favorite strip of the way? Any ideas?

xx

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Eight days from Leon will get you almost to Sarria. It has some beautiful views.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

 

[KinkyOne]

Well, I guess you would have to walk the whole way and decide which 8-days stretch is the most beautiful. And of course, return and walk it again

 

[Dutch]

I would walk:

8 days starting in sjpp
Or
8 days counting backwards from SdC
Or
8 days towards SdC, but so that i could also walk in 3 days to Finisterre ( L.O.V.E. that walk)

 

[clearskiescamino]

8 days from ST Jean gets my vote

 

[Wigglefish]

Every post has me starting to lose my mind (in the best way possible!) I'm googling up all these suggestions now and they are breathtaking! So grateful! Thank you!!

 

[RENSHAW]

Roncesvalles to Logrono ............... then one day you may return .

 

[fraluchi]

You might want to consider the Camino Sanabres from Ourense to Santiago instead of the Frances from say Sarria. Less people, beautiful and can be done in 5 days. Easy to get to Ourense by Alsa bus (or train).

 

[Kiwi-family]

San Salvador taken slowly?

 

[annakappa]

On our first Camino, due to time restrictions, we walked from Roncesvalles to Najera. We then returned to Najera the following year and completed our Camino to Santiago. And then, because we liked the experience so much, we returned...again and again! Anne

 

[karenfromcali]

Mine would be 8 days from St Jean for sure! The Pyrenees was beautiful

 

[Kiwi-family]

Every time I see this thread name I think "walking", yes my favourite way to spend any days on the camino is walking!

 

[tyrrek]

I second Fraluchi's suggestion of Ourense to SdC. I walked that route earlier this year and it struck me what a good first Camino it would be. Very easy to get to and from. As it's only 5 days you could start a bit further back from Ourense. Alternatively you'd have a few days to enjoy Santiago, walk to Finisterre if you're very quick, or bus to Finisterre and walk to Muxia etc.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Other alternatives are the Camino Inglés from Ferrol (5 days + depending on the stages you make), or the Camino Primitivo from Lugo (5 or 6 days) or another point east (Castroverde/Cádabo). The latter joins the Francés at Melide so you experience some of that too.

 

[Luka]

Eight days from Leon will get you almost to Sarria. It has some beautiful views.

That is exactly what I just did (coming from the Via de la Plata). Walking in 8 days from León to Sarria. Only the first stage was boring (roughly from León to Hospital de Orbigo, if I remember well), the rest was wonderful. And León has a very nice and old city centre.

 

[Al the optimist]

Why not look at the Camino Catalan starting in Tarragona?

 

[Mark Lee]

Eight days from St. Jean.
Doing eight days to Santiago and then later on doing the rest from St. Jean would be like having dessert before dinner....

 

[Wigglefish]

You guys are the best! It's so hard to decide! I just feel like i'd be missing out starting in Sarria. But I don't know when I'd ever get back to do the whole Camino. Maybe many years. It's making me a little sad. Maybe the right leg of the run will make itself clearer as I continue to look up all your wonderful suggestions. Thank you so much! xx

 

[Dutch]

I'm gonna cheat and "vote" for 5 days to santiago and 3 days to finisterre again. The walk to Finisterre is more then WONDERFULLLLLLL

 

[jennie]

8 days from ST Jean gets my vote

i agree its a great place to start,and will i am sure will leave you wanting so much more.its beautiful..BUT be prepared for the weird sad feeling of leaving people that you have meet only a few days ago and so sad/envious that they are going on without you..

 

[Wigglefish]

Eight days from Leon will get you almost to Sarria. It has some beautiful views.

I can totally see this happening to me... good call.

 

[jackgroenvold]

I've only got 8 days to spend on the Camino (and it's my first time), and I'm beginning to wonder if Sarria to Santiago is really the best experience. I've come to terms with not being able to complete the entire way this trip around. So at the very least, I'd love to see the most beautiful part of it.

So ... help! I'll be in Reus, Spain before hand with the family, and will be traveling from there.

Camino experts! What's your favorite strip of the way? Any ideas?

xx

Sorry mate - IMHO the best part of Le Puy to Santiago is in France, from Le Puy en Velay across Massif Central to Espalion - consider taking a train there.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

I walked Camino Primitivo onto Santiago in 8 days But that requires that you love long days. Otherwise Ingles+Finisterre and Muxía. 4+4.

 

[Nicola Galli]

I suggest Pamplona - Burgos. Generally needs 9 days but you can easily walk in 8. Santo Domingo de la Calzada and San Juan de Ortega are maybe the best places along Camino and the landscape is always wonderful.

 

[volleyjanice]

We had the same dilemma last August, albeit with a few more days at our disposal. The original plan was to begin in Leon but the more we read the more concerned we became about the busy last 100k impacting our enjoyment of the experience. We ultimately decided that although we would very much like to see Santiago, the end destination was not the end all and be all for us. If we couldn't do the end, then why not the beginning? (Well, one of the beginnings!) We walked from St. Jean Pied de Port to Belorado. We could have walked for one more day but due to injuries and having a fantastic hard last day that culminated in a truly special evening with camino friends, (some of whom we had not expected to see again), we chose to end on a positive note. Of course it wasn't really an end. Now we are planning for August 2015! We will spend a full month at it his time and now have to decide - do we finish the Frances and head to the end of the earth, or do we tackle a different route. Such difficult decisions! I will say that for those with religious reasons for doing the camino I can understand how the destination does hold more importance. Whatever your decision - enjoy the whole experience; the sore feet, lack of sleep, elation, wonderful people, and occasional frustration. It's all part of the experience!

 

[gidivet]

It depends a bit on your fitness. Start in SJPP if fitter. It is beautiful. But start in Pamplona to cut out the steep ups and downs, including the bit from Roncesvalles to Zubiri.
Pamplona gets my vote as a good starting point for many reasons. Easy to get to. Great city. Beautiful countryside.

 

[GerryDel]

Now that I know about the free wine fountain in Estella, I would hit that baby hard. I told my wife I wanted to move there and become the local drunk.

 

[gidivet]

Now that I know about the free wine fountain in Estella, I would hit that baby hard. I told my wife I wanted to move there and become the local drunk.

You'll find better wine in Rioja but a small amount of wine from the fountain will make you fly over the hills. Ask me. I couldn't figure out why my knees hurt so much the next day until I remembered the wine in my water bottle ;-)

 

[clearskiescamino]

I'm gonna cheat and "vote" for 5 days to santiago and 3 days to finisterre again. The walk to Finisterre is more then WONDERFULLLLLLL

I'll be doing that next yr! Not on the Frances though.

 

[David]

It really depends on who and what you are, Wigglefish (is that a great name or is that a great name!). What your dreams, aspirations, romantic pilgrim ideas are and so on.
If you want to feel as if you were a medieval pilgrim, all dusty and worn, then start in Burgos and walk onto the Meseta - huge open spaces, a timeless ageless place, with hot dusty sleepy villages rising up out of what you sometimes thought was a flat plain ... marvellous. If you hanker for that Compostella and the excitement of reaching the Cathedral, then start some days before there. If you want to feel that you are setting off, at 'Day One' (regardless of what that really means) then start at St Jean. If you want a beautiful walk - well, it is all beautiful, but you could walk from Pamplona through Rioja ... it really depends on what you want, what is in your heart, what calls to you, what needs to be fed deep inside you .... I would say choose the Frances, the Camino de Santiago, as it is now called, as the lonelier Caminos may feel to you like a lonely walk, whereas the hubbub of the Frances has that "authentic" pilgrimage feel - with all its pros and cons.

Thing is - if it takes you - as it does for countless thousands of people - if the Camino takes you, makes you one of its own, then you will want to return - it will sit in your head in a place you cannot scratch, until you go back - and if it does that I think you will wish that you had started in St Jean.

Whatever you choose - Buen Camino!

 

[jimtim]

8 days... 000... Muxia - Finisterre - Santiago?
backtrack 6-7 days down the camino portugues and see where that puts you.
you have the opportunity to make every step meaningful!
walk well

 

[Wigglefish]

I walked Camino Primitivo onto Santiago in 8 days But that requires that you love long days. Otherwise Ingles+Finisterre and Muxía. 4+4.

I followed your pics on Instagram actually! I recognize your face! It looks like you had an amazing journey. How long where your days?

 

[Wigglefish]

We had the same dilemma last August, albeit with a few more days at our disposal. The original plan was to begin in Leon but the more we read the more concerned we became about the busy last 100k impacting our enjoyment of the experience. We ultimately decided that although we would very much like to see Santiago, the end destination was not the end all and be all for us. If we couldn't do the end, then why not the beginning? (Well, one of the beginnings!) We walked from St. Jean Pied de Port to Belorado. We could have walked for one more day but due to injuries and having a fantastic hard last day that culminated in a truly special evening with camino friends, (some of whom we had not expected to see again), we chose to end on a positive note. Of course it wasn't really an end. Now we are planning for August 2015! We will spend a full month at it his time and now have to decide - do we finish the Frances and head to the end of the earth, or do we tackle a different route. Such difficult decisions! I will say that for those with religious reasons for doing the camino I can understand how the destination does hold more importance. Whatever your decision - enjoy the whole experience; the sore feet, lack of sleep, elation, wonderful people, and occasional frustration. It's all part of the experience!

Thank you. And I'm glad you are getting to go back next year!!

 

[Wigglefish]

I walked Camino Primitivo onto Santiago in 8 days But that requires that you love long days. Otherwise Ingles+Finisterre and Muxía. 4+4.

Wait maybe I think I got you confused with someone else sorry! But thanks!

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

Wait maybe I think I got you confused with someone else sorry! But thanks!

It was probably me @beaatankar

My days are described here
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-stages-on-the-camino-primitivo-8-days.28549/ 7-10 h/day.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

I've only got 8 days to spend on the Camino (and it's my first time), and I'm beginning to wonder if Sarria to Santiago is really the best experience. I've come to terms with not being able to complete the entire way this trip around. So at the very least, I'd love to see the most beautiful part of it.

So ... help! I'll be in Reus, Spain before hand with the family, and will be traveling from there.

Camino experts! What's your favorite strip of the way? Any ideas?

xx

No point if you don't walk into Santiago, in my opinion, especially if it's your first time. Sarria sounds fine, you could probably even start at Cebreiro which is 150 km from Santiago, the walk down is stunning and the following day too. i definitely wouldn't start further back than Ponferrada unless you are aiming to walk close to 30 km every day.

Buen Camino!

 

[3walkingtoSantiago]

We did the Camino Frances over 3 years. We were lucky enough to be able to do it over 3 consecutive summers, but if we'd had to wait longer in between legs, that would have been fine (except my son doesn't want to walk with us anymore). I still plan to go back one day and walk straight through, but it will probably be years from now. Life... Whatever you decide will be good, but nothing you decide will be perfect - and that's okay!

 

[Tito C.]

It depends on how much you can cover in a day...I completed 7 walking days a couple weeks ago in 2 stages. I walked from SJPP to Pamplona in 3 days. Then, I went to Sarria to walk to Santiago for 4 days. I started from SJPP because I read about the nice views walking to Roncesvalles. Weather can play a factor also and I was fortunate that I had good weather with only a day of slight drizzle. Buen Camino!

 

[journeycakes]

If it were me in your pre-Camino location of Reus with only 8 days to spend on the Camino I would look into making train connections to Pamplona - it's a lovely trip by rail. In Pamplona I would stop by the Albergue Jesús y Maria and obtain a credencíal and then I would nip into a bar and eat a couple of pinchos before taking a taxi ride to Zubiri to begin my walk there. My choice of Zubiri has to do with having walked over the Pyrenees from SJPP last year which was exhilarating but very exhausting long days. The route levels out considerably for the next part of the journey at Zubiri which is at the foot of a long descent. My proposed route also has to do with Pamplona’s downtown bar and pincho scene being one of my favourite places to eat on the Camino and the possibility of going through the city more than once on this jaunt. Early in the 8 days you would still get a good climb up Alte de Perdon and careful descent on the other side. You might consider the alternate route through Eunate, prior to Puente de la Reina. The church/hermitage was temporarily closed the day I walked through last September due to flooding from heavy rains. After Estella comes Irache where you can sample free wine. By some stroke of unfortunate luck the wine fountain was turned off when I walked past because there was a huge celebration going on in Estella, and in the past young locals had been known to drive up to the winery and help themselves to excessive amounts of the free wine leaving little for the pilgrims! The final resting place of Cesare Borgia in Viana interests me as does the comfortable albergue at Santo Domingo de la Calazada where I discovered the flock of chickens from which the pair inside the church (great story) are kept in a coop at the rear of the albergue near some great outdoor hand-laundry sinks and clotheslines. I might mention that there is an admission charge to the church (pay to pray!) during the day but there is no charge to enter to attend evening mass and you can look upward on your way out after the mass and see the chickens on display. Next comes Grañon and the lovely town of Belorado if you get that far. I would read up on the albergues, pilgrim meals and sights along the way to determine my daily and ultimate distances and my stopping places on this route which could include more of the smaller albergues located in between the traditional major stopping places on the Camino. And that’s just a few of the high points of one of many possibilities for an 8-day journey along a route where any starting and finishing points would be rewarding, interesting and inspiring.

 

[CatherineAnn]

I don't have an opinion on which section that would be the best for you and there have already been some great ideas above. What I do know is that unless the Compostela means a great deal, I would choose anything but the last 100 k. Nothing wrong with the last 100 k, just a different experience that is wonderful combined with other sections, but on it's own, not my favorite. Have a great adventure!

 

[MikeandLyn]

I've only got 8 days to spend on the Camino (and it's my first time), and I'm beginning to wonder if Sarria to Santiago is really the best experience. I've come to terms with not being able to complete the entire way this trip around. So at the very least, I'd love to see the most beautiful part of it.

So ... help! I'll be in Reus, Spain before hand with the family, and will be traveling from there.

Camino experts! What's your favorite strip of the way? Any ideas?

xx

Wow! It is coming up on a year since our Camino. Today, I really missed it. It was one of those days, where my mind kept wandering back and I kept remembering the simple peace of walking along the Way. I came home this evening, read several posts from this site, watched a few videos, and even went through all of our pictures, fondly remembering the wonderful experience that was the Camino. We walked from Sarria to Santiago de Compostella, approximately 114 Km in 5 days, then went on to Muxia and Finisterra. I long for the day when we can go back. I'd like to do the entire 800 Km from SJPD to SdC. Perhaps, God willing, someday. Until then, I will fondly look back on my pictures, have my memories, and live vicariously through fellow peregrinos. Buen Camino me Hermanos y Hermanas, Buen Camino!

 

[amancio]

I would go Portuguese , from Barcelos or Ponte de Lima... Beautiful!