Best 5-6 Day Route for Last 100-120km in September

[Scottteresa30]

If you only have 5-6 days to do the last 100-120km in September, what route would you take and why?
We started in Sarria in 2016. Love it, the towns, villages and scenery. We have looked at starting in Tui but we have heard there is alot of road walking. We prefer less roads.
We are physically fit and don’t mind a challenging route if needed be.

 

[TashH]

I am yet to walk (I leave for Portugal next month) but will be walking the Portuguese route from Porto. The Variant Espiritual looks amazing and the opportunity to ride in the boat up the river is something I don’t want to miss out on. I’m not sure if it’s initially road walking fromTui, but I think this variant would be worth it.

 

[jungleboy]

I have walked all the last 100km routes now except the Norte, and my vote (by a decent margin) is the Portuguese from Valença/Tui including the Variante Espiritual.

This is my VE highlights article.

 

[martapl]

I've done the Espiritual and, the Inglês from Ferrol. Both are with lots of scenery a lots of green love it. But arriving to Santiago, the last kms I prefer the Inglês, choose the green paths/variante. But. In the Portuguese you arrive through, under and above motorways. And the building zone is much uglier than the old buildings on the arrival of the English way
Buen camino

 

[thejoker]

I thought the route from Tui was lovely, especially if taking the alternative that avoids the very big industrial zone outside O Porrino (not a pleasant section but I found my fave bar of the Spanish section there, just after it). If I had 6 days and wanted to do a more complete pilgrimage, I'd walk the Ingles. No matter which route, they all have plenty of asphalt to enjoy.

 

[RESOMERS]

Start in Vigo, Spain on the Portuguese way. You will qualify for the Compostela, it's not a lot of highway walking. I thought the walk was beautiful. Through woods and small towns, in fact, you will be walking on a historic path that the Romans used.

 

[David Tallan]

I've done the Espiritual and, the Inglês from Ferrol. Both are with lots of scenery a lots of green love it. But arriving to Santiago, the last kms I prefer the Inglês, choose the green paths/variante. But. In the Portuguese you arrive through, under and above motorways. And the building zone is much uglier than the old buildings on the arrival of the English way
Buen camino

That's interesting. I don't remember that from my Camino Portugues. That isn't to say that it wasn't there, just that it didn't make as much of an impression on me as it did on you. I remember passing by the park in downtown Santiago as we approached Plaza de Obradoiro from the south rather than the east.

What I really like about the Portugues (not having done the Spiritual Variant yet) is Padrón as a lead in to Santiago. In Padrón you get the sites and stories of Saint James before his bones ended up in Compostela: you can see where he preached when he was alive and where the stone boar fetched up when his remains were returned to Santiago. It is good prep for what you are theoretically walking to.

 

[KarinaH]

I would vote for the Inglés (which I just completed last month) simply because your time frame allows you to complete the entire Camino, rather than just the "last 100-120km." The Inglés is lovely, and not crowded.

 

[dougfitz]

I would consider the Norte from Baamonde, but only because I have done the other major routes into Santiago. I like all the other routes, but for different reasons. This year I walked the Variante Espiritual and Sanabres, Walking the complementary paths into Porrino and Pontevedra made an enormous difference to walking some otherwise long road stretches. I took seven days to do the Sanabres via Oseira, but with some longer days it would be achievable in fewer days.

I personally wouldn't repeat walking the CF right now, but any of the other routes seem to be good candidates.

 

[Scottteresa30]

I would vote for the Inglés (which I just completed last month) simply because your time frame allows you to complete the entire Camino, rather than just the "last 100-120km." The Inglés is lovely, and not crowded.

I just looked it up and it says 82km out of 116km is on asphalt.
I really don’t want that. But thank you for responding!

 

[KarinaH]

I just looked it up and it says 82km out of 116km is on asphalt.
I really don’t want that. But thank you for responding!

It certainly didn't feel like that... There was asphalt, yes, but lots of beautiful wooded paths, passing through farmland, etc. We loved it. Hope you find what you are looking for!

 

[El Ramon]

Start in Vigo, Spain on the Portuguese way. You will qualify for the Compostela, it's not a lot of highway walking. I thought the walk was beautiful. Through woods and small towns, in fact, you will be walking on a historic path that the Romans used.

totally agree...I leave tomorrow to do the same route for the 3rd time, including the variant, I liked it so much when I did the coastal route I now use it to bring friends who want to try their first camino...less people, lots of woods, although I must admit I take 7 days as I love Combarro too much to not spend the day there..it was a recommendation from a previous posting and I'm so happy I followed their advice......buen camino...

 

[Frankybaby66]

If you only have 5-6 days to do the last 100-120km in September, what route would you take and why?
We started in Sarria in 2016. Love it, the towns, villages and scenery. We have looked at starting in Tui but we have heard there is alot of road walking. We prefer less roads.
We are physically fit and don’t mind a challenging route if needed be.

You thought of Finisterre- Muxia - Santiago loop?(or do it in reverse order) Very pretty Camino (imo). Full loop's around 210 km but you could adjust the start point to reduce the distance to fit your available time, and still arrive in Santiago as your final destination.
( I presume that the Compostela is important to you as you specified wanting to do 'the last 100km)
Have fun researching your options
Buen Camino

 

[BarbaraW]

Of the caminos I have walked:
4. Frances, I found the large numbers challenging, and the entry to Santiago is far from picturesque, although of course after a long walk walking into SdC for the first time, is incomparable.
3. Portuguese: a lovely route, though increasingly busy. I don't mind tarmac, as I can look at the scenery and not where I'm putting my feet.
2. Finisterre/Muxia. The loveliest entry into the city (a view, of the cathedral, green woodland, a couple of historic streets, then bang you're in the Obradoiro) but few people walking in this direction, so you don't get that happy experience of bumping into the same people again and again.
1. The Ingles as a "complete" Camino with sea, history, and scenery. The entry into Santiago with the "enchanted wood" and historic streets lined with churches and monasteries is good too. And it's possible to get to A Coruña or Ferrol without stopping overnight in Santiago, which always seems counter- intuitive to me.

It boils down to what's important to you.