An alternativo to avoid busy highway after Chantada

[andycohn]

Leaving Chantada this morning for our first day on the Invierno, I was appalled to see that, roughly 2k out of town, the Camino ran adjacent to a busy highway for some 3k before cutting off south towards Penasilas.

Since I HATE walking anywhere near a busy road, I stopped before proceeding and checked on mapy.cz to see if there was a more tranquil alternative.

And there was! Along rural and almost completely unused paved farm tracks that were wonderfully scenic and totally serene. From the point we left the Camino until the point we rejoined it 4k later we saw exactly 5 cars, all gently moseying along. (This compared with at least 50 cars that whizzed by along the highway in the 2 minutes I was checking mapy.cz for alternatives).

Note that if you really prefer the dulcet roar of semi-trucks, you can save yourself a full 200 meters by staying on the Camino along the highway. Far be it from me to dictate your choice.

Btw, if you're staying at Hotel Vilaseco, you just stay on this alternative at the point where it hits the Camino.

Here's the track for mapy.cz fans (I'm confident someone more tech-savvy than I can convert this into gpx tracks):

Route from LU-213 to A Laxe, Chantada
Route 4 km • 1:17 h

Mapy.cz

Nejpoužívanější mapový portál v ČR s celou řadou tématických map - základní, turistickou, cyklistickou, dopravní a plno dalších. Nabízí možnost reálného leteckého, panoramatického nebo 3D pohledu. Rozsáhlé množství obsahu, firem a turistických bodů zájmu. Umožňuje vyhledávání, plánování tras...

mapy.cz

A screenshot from mapy.cz is pasted in below, along with some photos (The Camino follows the highway, in green).

I've checked the great guidebook of @peregrina2000 and some of the wonderful threads on the forum, as well as Brierley and Wise pilgrim, and can find no mention of this possible alternative, so I offer it here.

Hope it's useful!

 

[Stewart K.]

thanks! I begin my Winter Camino on Sunday.

 

[Keyser]

It’s worth visiting the spanking new Pilgrims Office in Monteforte where Fran will be delighted to give information on alternative routes or where arrows might be temporarily missing or just to say Bon Camino!

 

[Dudley]

Leaving Chantada this morning for our first day on the Invierno, I was appalled to see that, roughly 2k out of town, the Camino ran adjacent to a busy highway for some 3k before cutting off south towards Penasilas.

Since I HATE walking anywhere near a busy road, I stopped before proceeding and checked on mapy.cz to see if there was a more tranquil alternative.

And there was! Along rural and almost completely unused paved farm tracks that were wonderfully scenic and totally serene. From the point we left the Camino until the point we rejoined it 4k later we saw exactly 5 cars, all gently moseying along. (This compared with at least 50 cars that whizzed by along the highway in the 2 minutes I was checking mapy.cz for alternatives).

Note that if you really prefer the dulcet roar of semi-trucks, you can save yourself a full 200 meters by staying on the Camino along the highway. Far be it from me to dictate your choice.

Btw, if you're staying at Hotel Vilaseco, you just stay on this alternative at the point where it hits the Camino.

Here's the track for mapy.cz fans (I'm confident someone more tech-savvy than I can convert this into gpx tracks):

Route from LU-213 to A Laxe, Chantada
Route 4 km • 1:17 h

Mapy.cz

Nejpoužívanější mapový portál v ČR s celou řadou tématických map - základní, turistickou, cyklistickou, dopravní a plno dalších. Nabízí možnost reálného leteckého, panoramatického nebo 3D pohledu. Rozsáhlé množství obsahu, firem a turistických bodů zájmu. Umožňuje vyhledávání, plánování tras...

mapy.cz

A screenshot from mapy.cz is pasted in below, along with some photos (The Camino follows the highway, in green).

I've checked the great guidebook of @peregrina2000 and some of the wonderful threads on the forum, as well as Brierley and Wise pilgrim, and can find no mention of this possible alternative, so I offer it here.

Hope it's useful!

Thank you thats going in my notes for 2025

 

[Glenshiro]

Why didn't I think of this - the stretch out of Chantada was a bit of an ordeal compared with the zen-like calm of most of the Invierno. Thanks, Andy.

 

[BruceNZ]

Perfect thanks. Roll on May2025!

 

[trecile]

It sounds like a nice route, but I don't remember a busy highway out of Chantada. Maybe I didn't notice because it was pretty foggy the morning I walked.

 

[Lindsay53]

It sounds like a nice route, but I don't remember a busy highway out of Chantada. Maybe I didn't notice because it was pretty foggy the morning I walked.

I did not find the highway that busy either, but I was there on a Sunday so that could have made a difference.

 

[andycohn]

I did not find the highway that busy either, but I was there on a Sunday so that could have made a difference.

I think "busy," like "beauty" and "best", are in the brain of the beholder. (Having an alliterative afternoon in Lalin).

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I'm a bit confused. You only walk on the LU-213 for about 100 mtrs, then turn left to walk on farm track/gravel roads for a couple of kms. Sure, the Camino runs next to the highway but you never see it because of the vegetation. Since I always walk early in the morning, I have never heard much of the cars either. The walk out of Chantada is just as peaceful as the rest of the day, I think.

 

[caminka]

That's interesting. Has camino been moved? In 2012 it run almost exactly on this alternative. See my wikiloc: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/camino2012-149-chantada-rodeiro-21734719.

Another possibility is that the route on mapy.cz is not the waymarked route. I find that mapy.cz sometimes has someone's walked route that doesn't always align with the waymarks.

 

[andycohn]

That's interesting. Has camino been moved? In 2012 it run almost exactly on this alternative. See my wikiloc: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/camino2012-149-chantada-rodeiro-21734719.

Another possibility is that the route on mapy.cz is not the waymarked route. I find that mapy.cz sometimes has someone's walked route that doesn't always align with the waymarks.

Indeed, that is interesting, @caminka. Your wikilocs track does line up with the alternative I sketched out. However, I can assure you that the camino now runs along or near the main road. Not only does mapy.cz point you down the main road, but so, too, do the markers, along with the track from Gronze. (Exactly how busy that through road is seems to be a point of -- rather ridiculous -- contention, but it is indisputably a through road along which the speed limit is 80 kph, or more).

So it seems like the camino has moved since you walked it. The "Why" is another matter.

(And your wikilocs track will be useful to those who use that app. instead of mapy.cz. Thanks).

 

[Keyser]

Why not send an email with your query to Fran in the Pilgrins Office in Monteforte. From my experience, he is very knowledgeable and would be happy to give advice. Oficina Peregrino Gmail <oficinaperegrinomonforte@gmail.com>

 

[caminka]

Indeed, that is interesting, @caminka. Your wikilocs track does line up with the alternative I sketched out. However, I can assure you that the camino now runs along or near the main road. Not only does mapy.cz point you down the main road, but so, too, do the markers, along with the track from Gronze. (Exactly how busy that through road is seems to be a point of -- rather ridiculous -- contention, but it is indisputably a through road along which the speed limit is 80 kph, or more).

So it seems like the camino has moved since you walked it. The "Why" is another matter.

(And your wikilocs track will be useful to those who use that app. instead of mapy.cz. Thanks).

Perhaps there has been a territorial dispute and the camino had to be rerouted. Although N roads in spain usually have a small shoulder, they are not nice to walk on.