2 Dads and 3 girls off to the end of the known world. Help please.

[Jimloveuk]

Dear Peregrinos
We are driving to Santiago mid August 2016 and then walking to Finestera and Muxia. Real beginners questions:

• Do we need to book hostels before?
• Is it very hot as in Cote D'azur 35c?
• Are there buses from Muxia back to Santiago?
• Do we have to be able to do 20km to 25km per day because of the sparsity of hostels?
• Is there a buddhist monestary on the way anywhere?

Bit random that last one

Thanks in advance.

PS this is about showing teenagers a bit of life without screens

 

[peregrina2000]

Dear Peregrinos
We are driving to Santiago mid August 2016 and then walking to Finestera and Muxia. Real beginners questions:

• Do we need to book hostels before?
• Is it very hot as in Cote D'azur 35c?
• Are there buses from Muxia back to Santiago?
• Do we have to be able to do 20km to 25km per day because of the sparsity of hostels?
• Is there a buddhist monestary on the way anywhere?

Bit random that last one

Thanks in advance.

PS this is about showing teenagers a bit of life without screens

Hi, Jimloveuk,
Welcome to the forum! Here are a few answers:

I've never booked a hostel walking to Finisterre and Muxia but I have never walked mid-August. I have walked in May, June, July, and September though, and did not have a problem.

Santiago's high summer temps are nowhere near Cote D'azur, I'll bet it rarely if ever reaches 30.

There are buses from Muxia to Santiago, but I think there may only be one, early in the morning.

To answer your question about distances, take a look at this website: http://www.gronze.com/santiago-finisterre It is in Spanish, but I think it will be pretty self-explanatory. By looking at the map of each stage and the lists of accommodations, you can get an idea of what your mimimum distance will have to be. For example: http://www.gronze.com/etapa/santiago-compostela/logrosa -- shows you can either walk 20 to Negreira on the first day or break it up after about 9 in Castelo.

No idea about Buddhist monasteries on that route, though I believe there is one in Galicia somewhere -- maybe Lugo or Ourense.

Two dads and three girls should make for a great Camino! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[VNwalking]

Laurie's advice is spot on!
As for Buddhist monasteries...there are a few small retreat houses in the Tibetan tradition here and there in Gallicia--Ourense and Ventoleso--but I don't know about these first-hand. I've only been to a nunnery in the Extreamdura...a long way away.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Laurie has told you all you need to know! But I will add that if you're taking teens, I would not be scared of doing 20km a day, especially if you put in a few weekend training walks before you go.
Wishing for you that this is the beginning of screenless adventures that last a lifetime!

 

[peregrina2000]

Laurie's advice is spot on!
As for Buddhist monasteries...there are a few small retreat houses in the Tibetan tradition here and there in Gallicia--Ourense and Ventoleso--but I don't know about these first-hand. I've only been to a nunnery in the Extreamdura...a long way away.

Viranani, is this place familiar to you? If so, can you tell us anything about it? I am totally clueless when it comes to Buddhist monasteries, but I did have a vague memory about something in Ourense.

http://www.fundacionchusuptsang.org

P.s. Clearly not on the camino to Finisterre, but the OP did raise the issue, so maybe it's not too much of a tangent.

 

[VNwalking]

I only know of it 3rd-hand, Laurie, so I'm afraid I'm not much help there. As I understand it's a retreat house--and I don't know if there is someone there all the time. It's a Tibetan lineage...which is another world entirely from the one I inhabit! Imagine Russian Orthodox as opposed to Quaker. (I'm on the Theravada 'Quaker' end...)
If I decide to cut my time on the Meseta short for some reason (actually unlikely...!) the intention is to jump ahead to Ourense and walk from there. So if I end up in Ourense I'll check it out.

 

[rometimed]

-No, especially if you can stay early in the pack
-Note quite that hot
-Yes, I would ask at the Bus station in Santiago as they speak English (at least as far as I have tried) and have timetables
-Well no you could do less but there are sections where you will have to do 8-12KMs
-No idea on the monestary

 

[Lord Longpath]

Dear Peregrinos
We are driving to Santiago mid August 2016 and then walking to Finestera and Muxia. Real beginners questions:

• Do we need to book hostels before?
• Is it very hot as in Cote D'azur 35c?
• Are there buses from Muxia back to Santiago?
• Do we have to be able to do 20km to 25km per day because of the sparsity of hostels?
• Is there a buddhist monestary on the way anywhere?

Bit random that last one

Thanks in advance.

PS this is about showing teenagers a bit of life without screens

I walked there at the end of May last year and had no problem with not booking ahead but... with that size of party and in August I guess you should.

You will be close to the sea, it will be the coolest part of Spain, with a sea breeze. The Spanish go there to escape from all that hot sun.

Tip - go to Muxia first, then Finisterre. There are more buses back from Finisterre than there are from Muxia. More importantly, if you go to Finisterre first you will have to do a 30km day sometime, probably between Maronas and Cee. If you go to Muxia you can do it in 4 X 20km days. If you find 20km a stretch you will definitely need to split the walk from Muxia to Finisterre at Lires. There's not much accommodation there, so book that one.

Didn't see any Buddhist monasteries, but you can be Buddhist anywhere.

 

[VNwalking]

Didn't see any Buddhist monasteries, but you can be Buddhist anywhere.

ha ha ha!!
Good one, LL, truer words were never said...can I quote you?

 

[sempervivum]

Chapeau! For both of you, dads!
You will enjoy your time together with your girls, and they will have a great time, too.

No need for booking, no need to worry about buses, because there are places to stay over night and buses to catch for return. As rometimed said, just ask.
Do not worry about the distance, 20 to 25 km are very doable.
It will be hot, around 30C midday in the open field, but there will also be plenty of shadow and breeze.
No, there are no Buddhist monasteries on the way.

I would say to go to Finistere first, because the way is nicer, and then, after a day of rest (maybe), you head for Muxia. After 4 days of Camino, you will be able to cover those last 30 km in one day, crowning your Camino

Buen Camino!

 

[jirit]

There is a monastery of sorts just before Muxia. Below is an excerpt from my email I received from a friend that stayed there

"I found San Martino de Ozon (http://www.auroradeloscaminos.org/) by chance on my way to Murxia. I had no intention to stop there but, well, I have learned to listen to those Junghian syncronicity signs that our brain for some reason choses to point at us. As all the signs were pointing to visit this place and finally I have even accepted to stop for a night which turned into a week…

The place is a XII century monastery where now live a few people who escaped modernity and chaos and that created an almost completely self-independent “cooperativa” -with no religious/spiritual kind of obligations-. They welcome the peregrinos who want to stop (but almost no one is stopping there…). When you stop you are given the opportunity, if you like, to live with the community (make cheese together, work in the field, even participate to their meetings…) I was impressed by the relaxing atmosphere and by the well self managed group dynamics (including conflict management) even though, I could clearly see a specific personality type (not implying any positive/negative evaluation) between the components of the group."

 

[Kanga]

I love this forum! Everything answered. And applaud you @Jimloveuk - I think what you are doing with the teenagers is fabulous. Are you going to "lose" the electronic gadgets before you start? They are so addictive. I've seen people walking with their noses glued to them, ignoring glorious scenery all around, and not engaging at all with people around them.