10 day route suggestion

If you could double your distance to 10km a day you could get from Sarria in 10 days. From there it is so well marked you'd find it hard to get lost! And safe as houses. If you can walk further in a day, you could obviously start further back.
http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiag ... roquis.htm
This should help you.

lea.t said:

Hello there!

I was wondering if this route is possible to complete in about 10 days in August - i've never walked marathons or long distances before but frequently go for 5 km walks..
Also, Im a female solo traveller who doesnt know spanish at all- is it safe and well marked?

Thanks!

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Last September I walked the Camino Portugues from Porto to Santiago in 10 days. After leaving Porto, my stops were:

Vilarinho (If you stop there you must stay at the Casa da Laura, a private hostel)
Barcelos
Ponte de Lima
Rubiaes
Tui
Redondela
Pontevedra
Caldas de Reis
Padron
Santiago de Compostela

This was my first experience walking for long distances. I did train quite a bit before leaving to prepare myself.

It appeared to me to be very safe. I encountered several solo female travelers, and quite a number of pairs of female travelers. The trail is very well marked. I had no trouble following it.

I can not speak Spanish or Portuguese (some say I can barely speak English :lol: ), but I had no trouble at all on this trip. Only a sadness that I could not converse with some of the wonderful people I encountered.

The only issues were the significant amount of road walking the first day from Porto to Vilarinho, some of it a bit dangerous. If I do this again, I will follow the coast out of Porto.

The most challenging part was between Barcelos and Ponte de Lima, which was nearly 34 kilometers. Tui to Redondela was also over 30 kilometers.

DurhamParish said:

....
The most challenging part was between Barcelos and Ponte de Lima, which was nearly 34 kilometers. Tui to Redondela was also over 30 kilometers.

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You could break the long stretch from Tui to Redondela by stopping roughly midway at O Porrino. Owned by the Xunta de Galicia this albergue is VERY comfortable; well heated in winter it has a good kitchen and many sitting areas. Here is their listing on Eroski >> http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es./al ... -o-porrino

Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

I'm afraid that they only Camino I've done . . . . . so far . . . . . has been the Portuguese.

Hello lea.t

Well, about your last question it depends of the time of the year. The Frances has more Albergues (because it’s the most well-known), but people say that for starting, the Portuguese fits very well for a first experience.

I’ve done the Portuguese this year, and I’ve divided the steps like these:
Day 1: Póvoa do Varzim > Barcelos (+- 25km)
Day 2: Barcelos > Ponte de Lima (+- 32km)
Day 3: Ponte de Lima > Valença (+-38km)
Day 4: Valença > O Porriño (+-20km)
Day 5: O Porriño > Pontevedra (+- 37km)
Day 6: Pontevedra > Caldas de Reis (+- 23km)
Day 7: Caldas de Reis > Padrón (+- 18km)
Day 8: Padrón > Santiago de Compostela (+- 22km)

After Valença, we were supposed to stay in Mós, but when we arrived to O Porriño, we get the information that Mós Albergue was already full, so we stayed in O Porriño.

I’m thinking of doing it again next year, but with more time and to divide the steps (I’m thinking of adding one or two more days like, after Ponte de Lima I’ll stay in Rubiães, and after O Porriño, I’ll stay in Redondela).

Best Regards
Diogo

Hi Lea,

Re: walking by yourself-- the routes feel safe and fellow pilgrims are friendly. I'm also a peregrina and have walked both the Portuguese and French routes by myself.

I enjoyed both routes and they each offer different gifts. I would highly recommend planning your Camino in a way that leaves room for at least one day of rest during a 10-day walk. I found days of rest to be incredibly valuable--mentally/emotionally even more than physically--and I made sure I averaged at least one day/week. It's not that one can't walk for 10 days in a row, but there's so much to take in, so much to process, and you never know if you might come across a magical town/village where you wish you could just stay an extra day to relax/walk around, not to mention unexpected injuries.

Re: Spanish, I didn't speak a word before my first Camino...I find that often people speak a universal language on the path and, either way, you can pick up on the important words very quickly. I'm not sure if you're taking a guidebook with you-- I thoroughly enjoyed John Brierley's books. Here's a link to his Camino Frances guidebook-
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1844095894/?tag=casaivar02-20
He actually also includes in it basic words in Spanish.

Re: bed availability, I've walked both routes in the summer months and haven't had a problem finding a bed. I'd recommend figuring out which route is better for you and trusting that, if you plan ahead (but also leave room for spontaneity), it all works out.

In case it helps in making a decision, you can find pictures and posts from both routes in the link below.

Buen Camino!
Michal
--
https://michalrinkevich.wordpress.com/tag/camino-de-santiago/

All very helpful comments and it's much appreciated reading these terrific experiences. I'm feeling very inspired to read that so many woman have walked this on their own.

I'm planning on walking in December 2013 - doing the Camino Portugues (Porto to Santiago). Is this okay to do in winter as a solo female traveller? (However I am open to suggestions on other places to start for a 10 day walk). Hopefully it will be a mild winter

My Spanish and Portuguese language skills are next to nothing (but I have been trying to learn the basics!)

Best Regards
Kalm75