Camino Ingles in August 2019?

[Becky 59]

I'm planning my next Camino for next summer, to bring my 20-year-old daughter while she is on college break. Can anyone give me comments about weather and crowds on the Ingles in early August? We're hoping to walk ~15 km day because of my orthopedic limitations. If weather in Galicia is similar to the Pacific NW in the US, I'm hopeful it won't be too scorching hot.

 

[peb]

The first stages of the Ingles benefits from being along the coast, and therefore, if it is hot in Spain, the coastal breeze should hopefully make it cooler. After Betanzos, about 40% of the walk is on forested roads, again, giving some chance for shade. The rest is much on roads in open countryside, where, if it is really hot, you would be wise to carry an umbrella.

that said, the benefit of the Ingles is that it is all in Galicia, which should be cooler than many other parts of Spain in the summer. It could also mean that it is wet.

the Ingles is not crowded compared to other Caminos, but it is getting more popular. the albergues are not large in terms of number of beds, nor frequent. You may want to think about booking some private accommodation, as an alternative to sleeping in albergues.

If you are only able to walk about 15km per day, then you may want to think about the following stages:

Day 1 - Ferrol to Xubia / Neda
Day 2 - Xubia / Neda to Pontedeume
Day 3 - Pontedeume to Mino
Day 4 - Mino to Betanzos
Day 5 - Betanzos to Presedo
Day 6 - Presedo to Hospital de Bruma / Buscas
Day 7 - Hospital de Bruma / Buscas to Sigueiro
Day 8 - Sigueiro to Santiago.

Consider also thinking about having your bag transported each day by Correos and walking with a day pack. This should help your walking and may enable you to walk further each day, reducing the number of days walk, if 8 days is too large a budget.

 

[musicman]

Good advice from Peb.
I walked it four years ago and still have the spreadsheet .
I am going in September, next year - all accommodation booked.
Johnnie Walker’s Guide is worth getting
Taking a group of 15

 

[peb]

@musicman, many, many changes to the Ingles route from 4 years ago. Johnnie Walker's guide is fairly updated (for example; it has the new route to Hospital de Bruma), but it is still not up to date. I found the best way was simply to follow the yellow markers

 

[daesdaemar]

I have walked it twice that time of year. Mornings can be chilly but it can get quite warm later in the day.
Depending on your orthopedic conditions be aware that there are some hills to climb.

 

[Becky 59]

@peb, great info!, thanks for the suggested stages, I've been looking at Gronze and coming up with about the same. @daesdaemar, I was in a terrible car accident 3 years ago that among many other injuries shattered the talus bone in my right foot. So now I have post-traumatic premature arthritis, and when I did part of the Frances this spring we discovered my ankle didn't tolerate longer distances (swelling and pain). And I did take advantage of sending my bag ahead, what a boon to people like me with disadvantages (I like that word better than disabilities!). I figure if I could make it up the last steep stretch into the village of Valcarlos (as I did in May), I'm ready for more hills.

 

[peb]

The two big hills are out of Pontedeume and Betanzos, but these are both at the start of the day, when hopefully you will be able to tackle them. Pontedeume was the worse. Thankfully, there is a bench halfway up where you can rest, and enjoy the view of the estuary.

I actually found the last stage of Sigueiro to Santiago hard, as there were some punchy uphill parts in the forest, when you think that you should be going down to Santiago. The infamous hill to Hospital de Bruma is no more. It is a gentle, but long, uphill walk. I kept asking myself when the hill was going to come, but it never did. If you can make it 7km further from Hospital de Bruma to Buscas along a flat tarmacked country road, stay at Casa Rural Donnamaria, the best place I stayed. Only 4 rooms, so you need to book

 

[mylifeonvacation]

If you can make it 7km further from Hospital de Bruma to Buscas along a flat tarmacked country road, stay at Casa Rural Donnamaria, the best place I stayed. Only 4 rooms, so you need to book

Or just have a really short day and enjoy Casa Doña Maria! The backyard / garden is beautiful and there’s even a ping pong table for entertainment!