11 days in June - To Santiago by C. Ingles, Ourense or Sarria

The Camino Frances from Sarria will be very busy. Even without encountering any particularly rowdy groups the sheer number of individuals will be large and intrusive. I like solitude when I walk and in the unlikely event that I walk the CF again it will be in winter. The Camino Sanabres from Ourense is likely to be the quietest of the routes you mention. Relatively few people start from Ourense and some of those you meet may be people who have walked all or part of the Via de la Plata. Although Ourense is an interesting town I did not find that last 100km of the Sanabres especially interesting as a route. My preference would be for the Camino Ingles: a more varied route which is rapidly growing in popularity and the infrastructure is growing too. Access to Ferrol by bus from Santiago is very straightforward.

I did the Ingles, and so am biased - do the Ingles. For the following reasons:

1. It is far quieter than the Frances, even in the summer, so that you do not feel you walk in a procession.
2. Being much quieter, you feel you are on a pilgrimage
3. Accommodation should be available, but booking in advance helps
4. You walk the whole camino - gives you a larger sense of achievement than just walking the last stage of one of the larger caminos
5. Lovely coastal walks for the first three days.
6. Possible to walk the whole way and stay in hotels / B&B's or in alberges with private ensuite rooms

Suggestions.


10 June - arrive Santiago - transfer to Ferrol
11 June Day 1 - Walk from Ferrol to Xubia / Neda
12 June Day 2 - Xubia / Neda to Pontedeume
13 June Day 3 - Pontedeume to Betanzos
14 June Day 4 - Betanzos to Meson de Vento / a Rua
15 June Day 5 - Meson de Vento to Sigueiro
16 June Day 6 - Sigueiro to Santiago
17 June Rest day in Santiago
18 June - 21 June - 3 or 4 days walking the Finisterra - to Xubia then to Fnisterre
22 June - home

I found my accommodations on the Ingles from the Cicerone guide website and then booked directly

www.northerncaminos.com/accommodations

If you had a spare day, I would go to La Coruna for a night, on the way to Ferrol. Well worth spending a day looking around.

If you walk the Ingles from Ferrol you will more than cover the minimum distance for a Compostela. The more historically "authentic" route from A Coruña is well short of 100km. However the cathedral in Santiago has agreed that those who can prove that they have already walked at least 25km of a pilgrim route in their home country may walk the A Coruña route and receive a Compostela. The Camino Society Ireland is actively promoting this idea as "the Celtic Camino".

When I walked the Ingles with a friend our first day was Ferrol to Pontedeume, walking around the inlet past Neda. A long day but not difficult walking. The walk around the estuary is relatively flat. The second half of the day is more hilly through woodland but not very rough or steep. If you are pushed for time you could trim a few km off the day by walking across a bridge from Ferrol to Fene which would make it more manageable.

As @Bradyplus says, a first stage from Ferrol to Pontedeume is long. Although the first half was flat around the estuary, it took me 10 hours start to finish. I am in my 50's like you, and did little training, but for me, this first stage was too long, hence, if I did my time again, I would break this into two stopping at either Xubia or Neda. My legs suffered too much on the second stage from Pontedeume to Betanzos from the very long first stage. But if you are reasonably fit, you may well be able to make the walk without repercussions.

However, walking, and walking with your pack, are very different things. The worst thing to do is to wreck yourself on the first day, instead of taking caution and you affect future days

One alternative to think about, as @Bradyplus says, is to shave about 8 or 9 km of the route off by walking across the N 651 road bridge from Ferrol to Fene and pick up the Camino from there. You still walk 100km from Ferrol to still qualify for your Compostela without the need to walk extra in Ireland and worry about whether this officially counts or not. However, it cuts the first days walk to a more manageable 24km or thereabouts, and you save that extra day for R&R at the end.

You do need a day in Santiago, firstly sightseeing, but secondly, adapting yourself to seeing people and the real world, and also to rest your feet and legs.

BTW, when I said on the Finisterra, to Xubia and then Finisterre, I actually meant Muxia and then Finisterre. I have not done the Finisterra, but I understand it is between 3 and 4 days. There is a separate Finistera forum on this site where you should be able to obtain the answers to any questions on that walk.

The other point about the Ingles, is that when I was in the queue for the Compostela, having done a whole Camino, start to finish, instead of only 100km of the Frances, I felt morally right to be there. I did not feel inferior to anyone else who had walked all the way from San-Jean Pied-de- Port, because I did not have 6 or 8 weeks spare. I am not sure that I would have had the same feeling if I had just walked the last 100km from Sarria. And you never know, having completed one camino, it may set you up for walking the others in the future.

Some more in relation to the Dingle reference
above


Efforts under way to save Other Voices church in Dingle. Church of St James with reference to Santiago https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2018/0421/956201-dingle/

I did Ingles in September last year. First day travelling UK to Santiago, bus to Ferrol. Day 1 walking to Pontedeume, taking advantage of shortcut mentioned by previous correspondent. Day 2 relatively short to Bentanzos; Day 3 Meson do Vento 31k; Day 4 Sigueiro 24k; Day 5 Santiago. Short day so obtained compostela and continued walking on Camino Finisterre due to limited period of trip (not recommended). Arrived Finisterre early on 3rd day and bus back to Santiago and overnight. Had only 10 days for entire trip and could have done with 11. Did not meet anyone else from UK on entire journey. Pilgrims on Ingles almost entirely Spanish - lovely people!

Hi just back from Ingles a week ago, I split the stage to Pontedueme, but maybe an ok distance if you go over the bridge. If you split it you can walk in via Cabannas beach which is really nice.