Camino Catalan

[isawtman]

Has anyone done the Camino Catalan?

I'm assuming the guidebook cover the Camino de Ebro, too
since it is part of the route.

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela: Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL: 9788412188059: Amazon.com: Books

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela [Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela

www.amazon.com

 

[SabsP]

Has anyone done the Camino Catalan?

I'm assuming the guidebook cover the Camino de Ebro, too
since it is part of the route.

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela: Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL: 9788412188059: Amazon.com: Books

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela [Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela

www.amazon.com

Here you go....

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/cami-catalan-cami-st-jaume.105/

 

[peregrina2000]

Has anyone done the Camino Catalan?

I'm assuming the guidebook cover the Camino de Ebro, too
since it is part of the route.

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela: Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL: 9788412188059: Amazon.com: Books

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela [Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela

www.amazon.com

Which branch of the Catalán are you interested in? There’s a lot of variation here. The Ebro is a different route than the Catalán, but the Lleida branch of the Catalán does merge with the Ebro before Zaragoza. If it were me, I’d walk the Huesca branch of the Catalán. I started in Llançà, walked to Montserrat, and then through Huesca and up to the Aragonés. It is a totally glorious route. I don’t know which parts of that route are covered in the guidebook you reference, though.

 

[Tincatinker]

Has anyone done the Camino Catalan?

I'm assuming the guidebook cover the Camino de Ebro, too
since it is part of the route.

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela: Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL: 9788412188059: Amazon.com: Books

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela [Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela

www.amazon.com

250gms strikes me as heavy for a guidebook. All those colour photos and general information will weigh heavy in a pack after a few days. That said it might be a useful planning tool and you could always use a razor-blade to cut out all the faff.

I can't get my head around whether it covers the Ebro without spending too much time but the CSJ provide a handy extract https://www.csj.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=4f366572-df5a-4421-8b1f-effa01e074e7 with a map of the routes covered.

Happy planning

 

[peregrina2000]

with a map of the routes covered.

That clears up the question, thanks, @Tinca. Great map. It shows that the book covers the Ebro, at least from Tortosa to Logroño. I think most people who walk the Ebro start either in Sant Carlos de la Rapita, Deltebre, or Riumar. That’s about 24 km before Tortosa, on the coast.

That map gives a lot of clarity about most of the marked camino routes in that area, because the names used are sometimes confusing. Camí Catalá, I think, typically refers to Montserrat up to Tarrega, where it splits into two variants, one through Huesca, one through Lleida. And the map also shows the route from Port de la Selva, which connects in Montserrat, as well. I’ve seen that referred to as Camí Sant Jaume.

One other alternative not shown on the map, which I thought was a wonderful option, is to head west on the Castellalno-Aragonés a day or two north of Zaragoza. That route takes you through Soria and then merges with the Lana close to Santo Domingo de Silos. But of course that’s beyond the scope of the book‘s title.

Like Tinca, I think it’s a heavy book to carry. Because it covers so many routes, I would think it’d make a great reference book for planning, with screen shots of the portions to be actually walked. Or, for those who don’t consider ripping sections out of books to be a crime against humanity, that is another way to lighten the load!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I've walked Barcelona - Monserrat - Huesca - San Juan de la Peña to the Camino Aragonese to Puente la Reina in October/November 2019. A very lonely walk that time of year. The Aragonese earlier in the year may have more pilgrims but the rest probably not. Most of the Catalan at that time of year was a bit dreary with fields plowed. The scenery got better from Huesca on. The Catalan in spring could be gorgeous as there were many orchards and the fields would be in shades of green instead of brown. I used https://www.gronze.com and Wikiloc tracks as my guides.

I'll watch this thread to see if there is anyway I can help.

 

[peregrina2000]

The Catalan in spring could be gorgeous as there were many orchards and the fields would be in shades of green instead of brown.

My sentiments exactly! LT and I walked from Montserrat in early June and we crossed many vast brown agricultural expanses. I think it would be gorgeous in springtime! The part up to Montserrat was much more forested and green, but once we headed out from Montserrat, it got brown. Dreary is a good word to describe it.

 

[Blister Bill]

Has anyone done the Camino Catalan?

I'm assuming the guidebook cover the Camino de Ebro, too
since it is part of the route.

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela: Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL: 9788412188059: Amazon.com: Books

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela [Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela

www.amazon.com

Hi, I haven't done any of the Catalan Caminos yet but bought this guidebook to do my route planning. Has all the legs of all the various options (which removed all the naming confusion) and weighs no more than any other guidebook. I've found it invaluable along with the various links on here especially the blog of Lauri and LT.
Buen Camino !

 

[Berenguer]

I have that book and plan to use it to walk from Barcelona in a few years when I have more time.

 

[isawtman]

Well, I am considering doing the Camino Ignaciano which uses a portion of the Camino Del Ebro backwards. I already have the Camino Ignaciano Guidebook

 

[VNwalking]

Here you go...

And:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/virtual-planning-thread-caminos-girona-catal%C3%A1n-and-aragon%C3%A9s-part-1-llan%C3%A7%C3%A0-to-montserrat.70634/

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/virtual-planning-thread-caminos-girona-catal%C3%A1n-and-aragon%C3%A9s-part-2-montserrat-santa-cilia.71223/

 

[Former member 99290]

Wow, what a fabulous book, beautifully and clearly laid out from the look of this extract. Thank you @Tincatinker now my ‘to walk’ list is getting ever longer. A Camino that takes in both Girona and Montserrat - what a start. Gracias

 

[peregrina2000]

A Camino that takes in both Girona and Montserrat

Truly it is one of the most beautiful caminos I have walked. The monastery of San Pere de Rodas high on a hill overlooking the mediterranean is right at the start. The catalán countryside is gorgeous and there are numerous romanesque churches sprinkled throughout. And though Vic is smaller than Girona, it is also a great place for a visit, with a top notch ancient art museum.

I walked long stages, but others have walked shorter stages. My report is here. Virtually no pilgrim infrastructure, though there are some albergues juvenilies. Definitelly deserves to be on your ever-growing list @jenny@zen!

 

[Josep Montserrat]

Hi pilgrims,

Where is this?


I answer you. This is in Sant Pere de Rodes. Turism Ofice of Galicia and Catalunya present the Camí de Sant Jaume guide, isawatman told about it, and place a new mark wiht the arrow and the scalop.

Now you know, only 1.250km to arrive to Compostela.

Ultreia!

https://twitter.com/search?q=camisantjaume&src=typed_query&f=live

 

[VNwalking]

Turism Ofice of Galicia and Catalunya present the Camí de Sant Jaume guide, isawatman told about it, and place a new mark wiht the arrow and the scalop.

It looks like a superb walk.
A number of us did a planning thread from Sant Pere here on the Forum, and now we know to look out for the new waymark!

 

[JabbaPapa]

Has anyone done the Camino Catalan?

I'm assuming the guidebook cover the Camino de Ebro, too
since it is part of the route.

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela: Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL: 9788412188059: Amazon.com: Books

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela [Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela

www.amazon.com

Just personally -- in hindsight, what I should have done last year was walk the Catalàn as far as Fraga (re-started from Lleida last year), then DIY south from there (to avoid the very empty ultra-meseta stretch from Fraga) to Mequinenza, then either tarmac or Natural del Ebro to Caspe, and join the Camino del Ebro there -- though I might personally have gone tarmac + farmers' roads Mequinenza > Faión > Nonaspe > Fabara > Caspe (reaching the Camino del Ebro proper at Fabara) to avoid the very lengthy direct Mequinenza > Caspe stage.

But if you don't mind some very long days and can stand the potential heat with zero shade out there (I could have, were it not for the handicap, so sadly I was forced to bus it, very much against my principles) -- obviously the Catalàn 'til it reaches the Ebro Way at Pina de Ebro is faster ; and there are a few petrol stations and one or two restaurants in the midst of it for R&R, plus the pueblos which are large and with all mod cons.

 

[JabbaPapa]

The latest rumour down here, and it's days old, is that for the part of the Catalan Way between the French border and Montserrat, Catalonia is now promoting the route after Girona leading through Sils and Sant Celoni, and eventually Sant Cugat and Terrassa.

This makes me happy, as it is the most historic route - - but it does mean that the French Association across the border has to now rethink its advice, as others will also, as to the proper route to follow in case of a start to the Catalan Way in France or further away.

 

[VNwalking]

the part of the Catalan Way between the French border and Montserrat, Catalonia is now promoting the route after Girona leading through Sils and Sant Celoni, and eventually Sant Cugat and Terrassa.

A pity. That's only one historic route.
There would have been many ways West, as you have said a number of times about other routes. I would far rather walk through more rural areas via Vic and Manresa than along the more built-up main drag the 'original' route has become. Plus Manresa has the Ignacian connection.

It's money, though. And bigger cities have more clout than little places like Angles, l'Estany, or Artes.

 

[JabbaPapa]

The only real problem with the more historic route to date is that it was extremely badly waymarked.

But in these three years since walking those Ways, several waymarked routes nearby to the ultra-tarmacked original but following its original spirit, and much through pueblos and countryside and some mountainside have appeared.

It seems to have become a far more valid option than it was for me on my 2019, so that I abandoned a plan to go that way !!

 

[callum69]

Has anyone done the Camino Catalan?

I'm assuming the guidebook cover the Camino de Ebro, too
since it is part of the route.

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela: Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL: 9788412188059: Amazon.com: Books

Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela [Christie, Callum J., Editorial PIOLET SL] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Camino Catalan. The Tranquil Route towards Santiago de Compostela

www.amazon.com

Hola!
Yep the guide book covers a variety of routes all starting in Catalunya. The Ebro route is included with a start at the cathedral of Tortosa. A Barcelona start as well as another on the French border are also in the book.
Buen Camino!
Callum Christie

 

[Keith H]

Hola!
Yep the guide book covers a variety of routes all starting in Catalunya. The Ebro route is included with a start at the cathedral of Tortosa. A Barcelona start as well as another on the French border are also in the book.
Buen Camino!
Callum Christie

Reviving an old thread it seems but I’m planning my Camino Catalán now leaving in 5-6 weeks or so. I’ve got your book in hand now @callum69. It’s been invaluable in my planning. I also watched a series of videos by a pilgrim from Germany who used a German guide book that was essentially the same as your until near Monasterio San Juan de La Peña.