A little quiz

jungleboy

Spirit of the Camino (Nick)
Feb 4, 2018
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For a bit of fun:

Do you know, or can you guess, which are the SIX most popular starting points for the Camino Francés (based on 2019 whole-year pilgrim office statistics)?

Three or four are fairly obvious, of course, but there are a few contenders for the last couple of spots. Can you guess all six? Bonus point if you list them correctly in order of their popularity!

The answer is in the spoiler below, but don't look until you've posted!!

1. Sarria (50.7%)
2. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (17.5%)
3. León (5.6%)
4. O Cebreiro (4.4%)
5. Ponferrada (3.6%)
6. Roncesvalles (2.6%)

I found these statistics quite interesting so I wrote a blog post about the pros and cons of these six starting points.
 
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Caligal

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Feb 1, 2018
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Hmm...let 's think.
1. Sarria
2. St Jean Pied de Port
3. Leon
4.Ponferrada
5. Roncesvalles
6.Astorga ?
I would replace #4 with Pamplona and #6 with Burgos. How’d I do?
 
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jungleboy

Spirit of the Camino (Nick)
Feb 4, 2018
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SJPDP
Sarria
Roncesvalle
Pamplona
Burgos
Leon

These were the six that I had in mind before I looked it up, but no.

Hint: there are two starting points in the top six that are closer to Santiago than a couple of these ones. @SabineP is on the right track but not quite there ;)
 
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Without looking it up, I would think that O Cebreiro is among the top six starting points for the Camino Frances.

Sarria is number 1, I am pretty certain of that. Only about a quarter start from SJPP I think, so it would be neither number 1 nor 2. Roncesvalles may be not among the top six.

I hope someone guesses it soon!!! I'm so tempted to look it up ... 😇
 
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jungleboy

Spirit of the Camino (Nick)
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How many did @sabine get right, 4 or 5? If it is not these six starting points, then I am going to look them up! I am not going to tell, of course ...

Sarria
O Cebreiro
Leon
SJPP
Ponferrada
Burgos
She got 5 right ... and so did you.

Getting there! (This is even more fun than I thought it would be!)
 
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I worked it out from previous posts ... but I won't spoil the fun.
Interesting if you look at all of the routes Tui comes in pretty close to Sarria for people who want to opt for a short Camino,
According to the 2019 data from the pilgrims office, Porto and Tui (in that order) were the third and fourth most popular starting points for all pilgrims arriving in Santiago.

I was a little surprised to see them ahead of all but two places on the CF, but when you consider the huge proportion of pilgrims who start in Sarria, I guess it makes sense.
 
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jungleboy

Spirit of the Camino (Nick)
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Interesting! I got 4 out of 6, but not necessarily in correct order. Of the two I missed, the less obvious one I almost included, and the other is so obvious it should have hit me me the face. But I never even thought of it. 😂
That so obvious one is indeed so obvious 🤣
 
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Mar 18, 2012
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This is maddening ... I haven't looked yet ... so with the help of an old envelope, I've come to the following conclusion. If both @SabineP and I got only one wrong, then the following are included among the top six starting points of the CF because otherwise we would have 7 correct answers:

Sarria
SJPP
Leon
Ponferrada

I need a cup of tea before I can wrap my mind around the other two. 🙃
 
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Mar 18, 2012
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@SabineP and @jungleboy, does your 😍 mean that I am on the right track?

So ... as @SabineP and I got only one wrong, one of these - Roncesvalles or Astorga - and one of these - O Cebreiro or Burgos - must be among the top six, right?

And there are @Bala and @trecile who got 4 out of 6 ... the plot thickens ...
 
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jungleboy

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My final offer (arbitrary sequence):

Sarria
SJPP
Leon
Ponferrada
O Cebreiro
Roncesvalles
To spare anyone else from the emotional torture that you have been through 🤣 , I will announce that this is the correct answer! Well done and you can relax now! In terms of the order it's almost correct too; Ponferrada and O Cebreiro are switched.
 
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Mar 18, 2012
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To spare anyone else from the emotional torture that you have been through 🤣 , I will announce that this is the correct answer! Well done and you can relax now! In terms of the order it's almost correct too; Ponferrada and O Cebreiro are switched.
THANK YOU :D. The worst was not giving in to the temptation to look it up 🤣.

I guess the list refers to 2019? As soon as the data for October 2020 are out, I'm going to add up a few numbers for this year. And yep, I could think of better things to do. 🤣
 
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THANK YOU :D. The worst was not giving in to the temptation to look it up 🤣.

I guess the list refers to 2019? As soon as the data for October 2020 are out, I'm going to add up a few numbers for this year. And yep, I could think of better things to do. 🤣
Congratulations! I had the wrong “P” city....
 
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Chrisp

Member
Jun 29, 2014
54
54
Australia
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances: 2014
EPW: 2015
Portuguese Camino: 2016
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VF: 2018
For a bit of fun:

Do you know, or can you guess, which are the SIX most popular starting points for the Camino Francés (based on 2019 whole-year pilgrim office statistics)?

Three or four are fairly obvious, of course, but there are a few contenders for the last couple of spots. Can you guess all six? Bonus point if you list them correctly in order of their popularity!

The answer is in the spoiler below, but don't look until you've posted!!

1. Sarria (50.7%)
2. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (17.5%)
3. León (5.6%)
4. O Cebreiro (4.4%)
5. Ponferrada (3.6%)
6. Roncesvalles (2.6%)

I found these statistics quite interesting so I wrote a blog post about the pros and cons of these six starting points.
Sarria
Roncasvalles
Saint-Jean-Pied=de-Port
Astorga
Leon
Pamplona
 
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Mar 18, 2012
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Congratulations! I had the wrong “P” city....
I, too, found it surprising that Ponferrada is more popular than Pamplona as a starting point. Of the six most popular, Sarria and SJPP really stick out. And @SabineP wasn't so far off with Astorga on place 7.

6 most popular on CF.jpg
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.

domigee

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Nov 25, 2013
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2024 Paris to SdC... maybe
Hmm...let 's think.
1. Sarria
2. St Jean Pied de Port
3. Leon
4.Ponferrada
5. Roncesvalles
6.Astorga ?
That would be my choice too.
PS Just seen the answer, never thought of O’Cebreiro! In fact, I’ve never met someone who started there 😁
 

barnettstakeagiantstep

Active Member
May 16, 2019
190
347
Concord, NC, USA
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To spare anyone else from the emotional torture that you have been through 🤣 , I will announce that this is the correct answer! Well done and you can relax now! In terms of the order it's almost correct too; Ponferrada and O Cebreiro are switched.
Fun to observe. Thanks for the journey 🚶🏼‍♀️
 
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trecile

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Feb 19, 2016
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I'm not surprised to find Sarria at the top, but the absence of Irun/Hendaye - that was a revelation.
That's because the quiz asks
Do you know, or can you guess, which are the SIX most popular starting points for the Camino Francés (based on 2019 whole-year pilgrim office statistics)?
 

Cindy McGuire

Member
Mar 29, 2016
48
71
Time of past OR future Camino
Starting from St.jean Pied de Port April 24, 2016
For a bit of fun:

Do you know, or can you guess, which are the SIX most popular starting points for the Camino Francés (based on 2019 whole-year pilgrim office statistics)?

Three or four are fairly obvious, of course, but there are a few contenders for the last couple of spots. Can you guess all six? Bonus point if you list them correctly in order of their popularity!

The answer is in the spoiler below, but don't look until you've posted!!

1. Sarria (50.7%)
2. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (17.5%)
3. León (5.6%)
4. O Cebreiro (4.4%)
5. Ponferrada (3.6%)
6. Roncesvalles (2.6%)

I found these statistics quite interesting so I wrote a blog post about the pros and cons of these six starting points.
1. Sarria, 2. Burgos, 3. Sahagún, 4. St Jean Pied de Port, 5. Léon, 6.Pamplona
 
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David Tallan

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Dec 8, 2013
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My guess, not necessarily in order:
Sarria
SJPP
Roncesvalles
Pamplona
Leon
O Cebreiro

After seeing the answer: I got 5/6. My answer seems to have been coloured by the accounts I have read, which tend to be weighted towards those who have walked further.
 

SabsP

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Feb 18, 2010
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some and then more. see my signature.
I, too, found it surprising that Ponferrada is more popular than Pamplona as a starting point. Of the six most popular, Sarria and SJPP really stick out. And @SabineP wasn't so far off with Astorga on place 7.

View attachment 86738



I thought from the perspective from the Spaniards. I believe they still are the highest percentage of pilgrims. Makes sense they walk parts of a Camino so therefore starting in Ponferrada or Astorga would be very feasible for them to walk " in a normal holiday".
Also makes sense that Spaniards would start in Roncesvalles and not go into trouble of using a taxi or bus to get to Saint Jean.
Burgos , I believe, is for many people not such an interesting city to start. There is still that weird idea that the meseta is " boring ". Not to me though...I love it!
 

David Tallan

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Dec 8, 2013
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Also makes sense that Spaniards would start in Roncesvalles and not go into trouble of using a taxi or bus to get to Saint Jean.
When I did my first Camino I was living in Spain. I started in Roncesvalles because that's where my Spanish neighbors told me it started. Even today, when you walk between the statues just before Sahagun marking the "geographical centre of the Camino de Santiago" and get your half-way certificate in Sahagun, you aren't marking the mid-point between SJPP and Santiago but between Roncesvalles and Santiago.
 
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Steve Taylor

Member
Aug 3, 2019
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101
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Shrewsbury, England
stevetaylorscamino.home.blog
Time of past OR future Camino
June 2019 Sarria to Santiago Sept 2019 Logrono to Burgos Aug 2020 St Jean Pied De Port to Logrono
For a bit of fun:

Do you know, or can you guess, which are the SIX most popular starting points for the Camino Francés (based on 2019 whole-year pilgrim office statistics)?

Three or four are fairly obvious, of course, but there are a few contenders for the last couple of spots. Can you guess all six? Bonus point if you list them correctly in order of their popularity!

The answer is in the spoiler below, but don't look until you've posted!!

1. Sarria (50.7%)
2. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (17.5%)
3. León (5.6%)
4. O Cebreiro (4.4%)
5. Ponferrada (3.6%)
6. Roncesvalles (2.6%)

I found these statistics quite interesting so I wrote a blog post about the pros and cons of these six starting points.
My first six answers were:
Sarria (No 1) followed in no particular order by:
St Jean Pied de Port
Logroño
Burgos
Leon
Pamplona

(though having seen other answers, perhaps the last one should have been replaced by Roncesvalles)
 
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