I just finished five days on the “Camino do Mar.”
Thought I’d share some thoughts on my experiences.
First, stages and distances:
Stage 1: Ribadeo to Praia das Catedrais, 17.8k
Stage 2: Praia das catedrais to Foz, 21.8
Stage 3: Foz to San Cibrao,
32.8 (I took a train from Burela to San Cibrao to shorten the stage)
Stage 4: San Cibrao to Viviero, 29.7 ( Almost 10 hours of walking)
Stage 5: Viviero to O Vicedo, 21.9 (Seemed a lot longer)
(From O Vicedo I was planning to take the train to Ferrol, but when the train broke down in Ribadeo and didn’t show up, Renfe sent a taxi to take me and a few other people to our destination. How’s that for service!? Over an hour away, no extra charge. Yay Renfe!)
That’s all I had time to do right now. The route goes and on and there are lots of alternatives, of course.
I didn’t see another pilgrim but there were hikers occasionally. Mostly I was alone. Glorious scenery and some long days. And lots of up and down. Whew! But if you’re looking for a solitary camino with lots of views, I highly recommend this one!
I used the Cicerone guide to Camino Ingles and Ruta do Mar, the kindle version. The tracks they make available on their website are invaluable. I downloaded the tracks to maps dot me and used that all the way through, checking at every intersection. There were times when the suggested tracks took an unnecessarily difficult alternative, in my opinion, but they were mostly spot on. I was basically following the Ruta del Cantábrico, which is signed but not enough. I would have been lost many times without the tracks on my phone. The cicerone guide gives alternatives and suggested routes. I sometimes took their suggestions and sometimes not.
I stayed in private rooms, but they were reasonably priced and all very nice. There are a couple of albergues along the route but both cancelled my reservation, saying they had closed for the season.
So, in the end, there wasn’t much “camino” about this camino, if you know what I mean. But it was a lovely walk. I enjoyed the beauty and the solitude more than I can say.
I’m starting the Camino Ingles tomorrow. Albergues and pilgrims. Oh my. Or maybe I’ll take the train back to Ribadeo!
Hope this helps. If you have specific questions, let me know.
Cat
Thought I’d share some thoughts on my experiences.
First, stages and distances:
Stage 1: Ribadeo to Praia das Catedrais, 17.8k
Stage 2: Praia das catedrais to Foz, 21.8
Stage 3: Foz to San Cibrao,
32.8 (I took a train from Burela to San Cibrao to shorten the stage)
Stage 4: San Cibrao to Viviero, 29.7 ( Almost 10 hours of walking)
Stage 5: Viviero to O Vicedo, 21.9 (Seemed a lot longer)
(From O Vicedo I was planning to take the train to Ferrol, but when the train broke down in Ribadeo and didn’t show up, Renfe sent a taxi to take me and a few other people to our destination. How’s that for service!? Over an hour away, no extra charge. Yay Renfe!)
That’s all I had time to do right now. The route goes and on and there are lots of alternatives, of course.
I didn’t see another pilgrim but there were hikers occasionally. Mostly I was alone. Glorious scenery and some long days. And lots of up and down. Whew! But if you’re looking for a solitary camino with lots of views, I highly recommend this one!
I used the Cicerone guide to Camino Ingles and Ruta do Mar, the kindle version. The tracks they make available on their website are invaluable. I downloaded the tracks to maps dot me and used that all the way through, checking at every intersection. There were times when the suggested tracks took an unnecessarily difficult alternative, in my opinion, but they were mostly spot on. I was basically following the Ruta del Cantábrico, which is signed but not enough. I would have been lost many times without the tracks on my phone. The cicerone guide gives alternatives and suggested routes. I sometimes took their suggestions and sometimes not.
I stayed in private rooms, but they were reasonably priced and all very nice. There are a couple of albergues along the route but both cancelled my reservation, saying they had closed for the season.
So, in the end, there wasn’t much “camino” about this camino, if you know what I mean. But it was a lovely walk. I enjoyed the beauty and the solitude more than I can say.
I’m starting the Camino Ingles tomorrow. Albergues and pilgrims. Oh my. Or maybe I’ll take the train back to Ribadeo!
Hope this helps. If you have specific questions, let me know.
Cat
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