Alternatives to Sarria

[RemysMimi]

When walking the Frances, is there an alternative to another route (Primitivo, Ingles) where I cross over to avoid doing the Sarria route?

 

[DoughnutANZ]

When walking the Frances, is there an alternative to another route (Primitivo, Ingles) where I cross over to avoid doing the Sarria route?

There is a bus that goes from Sarria to Tui (Portugués camino) and you can then walk the last 100klm from Tui

I did this in 2023.

 

[trecile]

You can switch to the Invierno at Ponferrada, there are plenty of albergues, but you will encounter very few other pilgrims.

Camino de Invierno | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

El Camino de Invierno es el trazado jacobeo que une Ponferrada con Santiago de Compostela pasando por el valle del río Sil y la Ribeira Sacra. Se trata de una gran variante meridional del Camino Francés que evita las cumbres del Cebreiro, y que por tanto resulta más asequible en invierno, como...

www.gronze.com

 

[Tincatinker]

The Invierno from Ponferrada? The Via Kunig from Ponferrada to Lugo? The Invierno and the Via Sacra?

What’s wrong with the Way from Sarria? If it’s the crowds walk in the off-seasons. If it’s the pavement, you’re in Galicia. Turismo Galicia knows what’s good for you.

Edit: from Ponferrada you can get a bus to Lugo; Ferrol; Tui; Ourense or even Santiago. You can get buses to all sorts of other places too but they aren’t the sacred 100km from himself

 

[alexwalker]

When walking the Frances, is there an alternative to another route (Primitivo, Ingles) where I cross over to avoid doing the Sarria route?

I have walked many CFs. I will never walk from Sarria again. Go to the train station in Sarria and get a train to Zamora/Pueble de Sanabria, then walk the Sanabres into Santiago. Easy and peaceful.

Peace.

 

[Tincatinker]

I have walked many CFs. I will never walk from Sarria again. Go to the train station in Sarria and get a train to Zamora/Pueble de Sanabria, then walk the Sanabres into Santiago. Easy and peaceful.

Peace.

Never Alex? Never. I just walked the Inglés for the umpteenth time. I laughed at myself as I looked at the “crowds” and at the thought “this is just like “Sarria””.

I think I walked my swan song but, and listen for the Dog laughing, I also find myself thinking - well, maybe: I’ve always liked Samos and Portomarin and Furelos and A Rua and all those other places 5km over or under the guide book lists.

And there’s something very beautiful in that tide of humanity walking to shout their heads off or burst into tears in the Obradoiro.

That said there’s a very old (in both senses of that phrase) friend of mine about two days walk from Potes whose still is still giving. Maybe I should go and wince the Lebaniego one more time. At least I won’t have to decide between a wheatgrass and buttermilk smoothie and a decaffeinated, oatmilk, frappachino for desayuno

 

[RemysMimi]

You can switch to the Invierno at Ponferrada, there are plenty of albergues, but you will encounter very few other pilgrims.

Camino de Invierno | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

El Camino de Invierno es el trazado jacobeo que une Ponferrada con Santiago de Compostela pasando por el valle del río Sil y la Ribeira Sacra. Se trata de una gran variante meridional del Camino Francés que evita las cumbres del Cebreiro, y que por tanto resulta más asequible en invierno, como...

www.gronze.com

That's what I am looking for. A quieter route. Done the Frances from SJPdP three times and looking for sometheing quieter at that point.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

You can take many buses a day from either Santiago or Sarria to Lugo (Monbus busline) and follow the Primitivo to the CF at Melide to skip some of the CF or take one of the Via Verdes (rail trails in the US) to skip more. You will still be qualified for a compostela.

See these posts of mine for introductions to topics and links for more information.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...n-qualify-for-certificate.82572/#post-1173441

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...n-qualify-for-certificate.82572/#post-1173792

 

[RemysMimi]

The Invierno from Ponferrada? The Via Kunig from Ponferrada to Lugo? The Invierno and the Via Sacra?

What’s wrong with the Way from Sarria? If it’s the crowds walk in the off-seasons. If it’s the pavement, you’re in Galicia. Turismo Galicia knows what’s good for you.

Edit: from Ponferrada you can get a bus to Lugo; Ferrol; Tui; Ourense or even Santiago. You can get buses to all sorts of other places too but they aren’t the sacred 100km from himself

I've walked the Frances 3 times from SJPdP. Just looking for something quieter and different from Sarria on. What would you consider "off-seasons"? I have walked April-May, September-October. I'm a bit apprehensive about winter and not a fan of heat.

 

[chinacat]

Maybe I should go and wince the Lebaniego one more time.

Autocarrot’s been giving me the runaround lately too

 

[Tincatinker]

That wasn’t spielchequer. That was me

 

[chinacat]

I did wonder!

 

[Tincatinker]

I've walked the Frances 3 times from SJPdP. Just looking for something quieter and different from Sarria on. What would you consider "off-seasons"? I have walked April-May, September-October. I'm a bit apprehensive about winter and not a fan of heat.

I would have thought, on past but not recent experience, that hitting Sarria in October would leave you behind the pack. My recent experience on the Inglés is leading me to thoughts such as “you know nothing old man”. But, oh such a but, what’s wrong with walking with a few more, even many more, enthusiasts?

If you’ve thriced the Francés then maybe it’s time for another route entirely and not the Francés until you run out of comfort zone and leap on a bus.

I think you should seriously consider the Invierno or the Kunig. Both from around Ponferrada and well short of Sarria. From Sarria you can walk any road you like and any mapping app will find you one. As regards a route from Sarria: as the little sign on the launch hut on the Cresta Run used to say “its all downhill from here…”

 

[Robo]

That's what I am looking for. A quieter route. Done the Frances from SJPdP three times and looking for sometheing quieter at that point.

You'll love the Invierno then.
I walked it last year.
There is a daily blog / video here if you want to see what it's like.

Camino Invierno to Santiago | In Search of Santiago

robscamino.com

 

[isawtman]

I've walked the Frances 3 times from SJPdP.

How about just doing a different route that is more quite?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Autocarrot’s been giving me the runaround lately too

My auto correct still doesn't remember how to spell alburgie...there it goes again.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

There is no finagling bus/train schedules if you walk the Invierno from Ponferrada. It is a seamless transition if you prefer to stay away from the Sarria crowds, which is similar to interstate traffic.

 

[Robo]

There is no finagling bus/train schedules if you walk the Invierno from Ponferrada. It is a seamless transition if you prefer to stay away from the Sarria crowds, which is similar to interstate traffic.

Yep. You just leave town on a different route, cross a bridge............and find ...........peace.

 

[CWBuff]

How about just doing a different route that is more quite?

On a nutshell that's whatcIP is asking

 

[isawtman]

On a nutshell that's whatcIP is asking

I don't think it's exactly what the Original Poster is asking.
It sounds to me like Remysmini wants to hike the Camino Frances
but doesn't want to hike the last 100 km from Sarria.

Here's another suggestion for Remys, how about just ending your
Camino at Sarria. If you've hiked the CF 3 times, do you really need
another compostela?

The subject of the last 100km comes up quite frequently and I've
made some other suggestions in the past that haven't been
all that greatly received by our forum participants.

The first one is just to power through the last 100 km then just
move on to something more quiet like hiking out to Finnesterre.
When I did the CF I was hiking in the Afternoon and was almost to
Arzua. I was planning to end the day at Arzua. I met a couple from
my home state and was talking to them. I asked them where they
were going to stop for the night and they said they were hiking
all the way to Santiago. I should have gotten there information
to find out if they actually made it all the way. But, it goes to show
that in the last 100 km, people start doing bigger miles and crazy
stuff. I have heard of people hiking all night and being first
at the pilgrims office so they could catch a plane.

My second suggestion was for Galicia to create a second path after
Portomarin. The reason it has to be after Portomarin is that bridges
crossing the River Minho are few and far between. But after the river
there are no obstructions to having a second path. Plus there are towns
that have old pilgrims statues in them that are 3 to 5 km off the current
route, so a some point pilgrims went through those towns.

But recently there was a news article that Galicia is spending millions of
dollars for fixing up the Invierno among other things. So, it sounds like
they are getting ready to promote the Invierno as the main alternative
to the Frances.

 

[t2andreo]

That's what I am looking for. A quieter route. Done the Frances from SJPdP three times and looking for sometheing quieter at that point.

Oh, the Invierno is quiet - year round. The scenery is beautiful and the folks you do meet are very nice.

 

[sillydoll]

Here are a few starting places to walk your 100km camino and qualify for the Compostela.

Ferrol - 112 Camino Ingles

Lugo - 101 Camino Norte / Primitivo

Muxia/Fisterra - 116 Fistera Way

Tui - 117 Portuguese Caminho

Ourense - 108 Via de la Plata

Monfortes de Lemos - 133 Invierno

 

[GailGwyn]

That's what I am looking for. A quieter route. Done the Frances from SJPdP three times and looking for sometheing quieter at that point.

The Invierno is beautiful and my favourite Camino (so far)

 

[Ernie Fraser]

If you are looking to substitute the equivalent kilometres from Sarria to Santiago, two options come to mind for me based on my experience. You can take a train or bus from Sarria to Ourense (on the Invierno route) and walk from there to Santiago. The other option would be to take a train from Sarria to Tui and then walk from Tui to Santiago. I walked the former in 2022 as part of the Invierno and the latter as part of the Camino Portuguese in 2023. Both times in the fall.

 

[trecile]

You can take a train or bus from Sarria to Ourense (on the Invierno route)

Slight correction - Ourense is on the Via de la Plata/Sanabrés.

 

[mattythedog]

I have walked many CFs. I will never walk from Sarria again. Go to the train station in Sarria and get a train to Zamora/Pueble de Sanabria, then walk the Sanabres into Santiago. Easy and peaceful.

Peace.

I did CF 8x, and I love the part between Sarria and Santiago. No issues with crowds, because the few I encounter, I talk with the people as I pass through. To each his own.