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Combining Caminos

Luka

Veteran Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Next: Camino Sanabrés (May 2024)
In 2015 I combined several Caminos. Starting in solitude from the Morvan to Le Puy en Velay, then Via Podiensis, then Francés, then Invierno from Ponferrada and then back to the Francés from Sarria (as I couldn't get over my fear of dogs). I recall it was always a big change.

1. First from walking solo to walking with the French (and struggling with my French) on the Via Podiensis.
2. Then in SJPdP a big change from a French Camino to an international one. At dinner in Beilari we were with 9 different nationalities and using English as a lingua franca. One of the French pilgrims was rather upset about it: 'Nous sommes en France et nous parlons Français ici!' (we are in France and we speak French here).
3. In Ponferrada I went from the Francés crowds to solitude and from albergue life to (more anonymous) hostals. It wasn't that easy to get used to that again (loose dogs didn't help).
4. And then from solitude to Sarria. However I was prepared, it was still a culture shock. The good thing though: when I walked out of Sarria the next morning, I met my Camino family from Beilari again. They were with the 6 of them and had sticked all the way together (I lost them because of having to recover from an injury in Pamplona). So I actually really enjoyed my last 5 days to Santiago.

I was pondering about this because I would like to walk from Madrid to Oviedo next spring (combining the Camino de Madrid, Camino Francés and Camino del Salvador).

Have you combined different Caminos? From where to where did you walk? And how was the transition from one Camino to the next?
 
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Luka said:
I was pondering about this because I would like to walk from Madrid to Oviedo next spring (combining the Camino de Madrid, Camino Francés and Camino del Salvador).
Click to expand...
Hi @Luka - your 2015 combination caminos sound wonderful to me.

I think the Madrid, Frances, Salvador is great. In 2018, we (my husband and I) walked Madrid, connecting to the Salvador. If you had time the Primitivo would be a great addition from Oviedo - all very different paths.

Luka said:
Have you combined different Caminos? From where to where did you walk? And how was the transition from one Camino to the next?
Click to expand...

In 2019 I walked a month long 'bespoke' Camino with a friend who had walked the Frances a few times. We were walking for a month in Spain and she asked that I put together a route of some of my favourite paths. My combo was Aragones (Canfranc to Puenta la Reina), continuing for a day on the Frances to Estella, bus to Hondarribia, walking del Norte from there to Bilbao, bus to Oviedo and then walking the Primitivo. So, that was not continuous - and some may shudder at the thought - but we thoroughly enjoyed all of it, and ended up in SdeC.

A couple of times I have continued on the Frances (for some days) after arriving in SJPP from The Le Puy Way.

And have also walked Arles and Aragones - but that's really just another continuation, albeit a dramatic change from one side of the Col du Somport to the other. After connecting with the Frances, we walked backwards to Pamplona.

In every case, I found the transitions exciting, even the days on the Frances after the much quieter Le Puy, Madrid, Aragones and Primitivo paths.

Happy planning.
 
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it’s great to hear about these different ideas. After walking the Frances from SJPDP this year way too quickly (I’ve been regretting not taking it more slowly) and arriving in in Sarria coinciding with Semana Santa (and really feeling overwhelmed by the crowds) I’ve been considering doing the Frances again in 2024, but starting towards the end of August (hoping to depart SJPDP before the rush at the beginning of September) and then considering either switching to the Salvador then primitivo back down to Santiago, or continuing on the Frances until Ponferrada and then taking the invierno…. So many choices…. I want to go in the hot months this time, and to avoid massive crowds from Sarria, but I wonder whether (a) the invierno might be too quiet for me- I do like the pilgrim company, and (b) whether the Salvador / primitivo might be too tough for me, and whether I might also really miss the Cruz the ferro…. I don’t know, I’m sure which ever option will be fabulous, regardless, but I’d be happy to hear anybody’s thoughts on these options!
 
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I had planned to walk the exact route you mention @Luka with the addition of the Primitivo. The Madrid and Frances to Leon were to be solo and then I had family joining me on a particular date to complete the rest. When I set out from Madrid at the end of September I was expecting the temperatures to have dropped to a reasonable level but they were still bizarrely up in the high 30s, and having come from winter in New Zealand it was quite the shock and I had to reduce some of my planned distances because I was wobbling like a jelly in the heat. That means I did not have time to walk from Sahagun to Leon and took the train. I really would have preferred to walk, but needs must. It's a great combo.

Here's a little map I have of a walk from Barcelona to Burgos just in case I ever happen to be there at short notice...and in case I don't have enough time, there's also a loop around Pamplona. Go cobblers!!
 
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I love the camino mixto, don't really know how to do any other type now. This is last year's: Camino del Sur (Huelva-Zafra), Vía de la Plata (Zafra-Cáceres), Caminho da Estrela (Cáceres-Ferro), Caminho Nascente (Ferro-Trancoso), Camino Torres (Trancoso-Braga), Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros (Braga-Santiago). It was glorious (mostly).

 
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Luka said:
Have you combined different Caminos? From where to where did you walk? And how was the transition from one Camino to the next?
Click to expand...

Hi Luka,

This year I walked a combination.

VdlP Seville to Astorga. Remote, vast landscapes, few Pilgrims, but some deep friendships, roman architecture, glorious in every way.

Frances Astorga to Ponferrada. Masses of Pilgrims, facilities everywhere, busy albergues, some intense conversations, high energy.

Invierno. Ponferrada to Santiago. Solitude, and more solitude, mountains, river valleys, amazing views, nature up close, wonderful.

Fisterra. Santiago to Fisterrra & Muxia. More Pilgrims again, but not too many. more facilities again, but great walking and landscapes. Walking by the sea, so special. And to end, on the rocks in Muxia, so fitting.....

I enjoyed the transition immensely. After the remoteness of the VdlP the crowds and energy of the Frances was uplifting. And then to be tipped into the solitude of the Invierno was like being at the Roman Baths in Aljucen, as you go from the hot bath (Frances) to the cold bath (Invierno), and relax in the tepid bath......(as you settle into the Invierno)

I loved it all.

I made a video of the comparisons. Called which Camino was the Best?

That realisation came to me towards the end of the journey.
Each route was so special in it's own way.
But one stood out........

It's hard to explain in the written word, for me at least.
So apologies for having to share via a video.

 
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Robo said:
I made a short video of the comparisons. Called which Camino was the Best?

That realisation came to me towards the end of the journey.
Each route was so special in it's own way.
But one stood out........
Click to expand...

I watched your video on this the other day- it really got me reconsidering if I should stay on the Frances the whole way, whether the invierno might be too quiet, and whether the primitivo might be just busy enough to get my fix of camino community that is super important to me about the whole process. Thanks @Robo for the video!
 
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Maybe try a 'combo!
 
What a great thread! I combined last year, but not as exciting a route as the ones above. I walked from Le Puy to Pamplona, bus to Bilbao and walked Norte to Ovideo, Primitivo to Santiago and then on to Finisterre. The Le Puy route was just fantastic, I made some deep friendships with others going to SJPdP and SdC which I still maintain now. It was the right mix of solitude and company. I used gites and camped. When I reached SJPdP and continued on the Frances the change to how busy it was came as too much of a shock. That's why from Pamplona I took a bus to Bilbao. The Norte was great, the days that were stunning were truly stunning but there was a little bit too much road walking. A few days I invented my own path to use the coast. It was busier than Le Puy but not overwhelming. Then the Primitivo was awesome, my only complaint was its too short! This again got a bit busier, before finally merging with the Frances to carry me to SdC. By that point the crowds didn't overwhelm me so much, I guess because the Norte and Primitivo had slowly built my tolerance back up. Then I went to Finisterre and it felt like a beautiful ending next to the 0km mark at the lighthouse.

Sorry for the long reply! But what an interesting thread, hope others add to it.
 
What a great video Rob! I have subscribed to your channel.
 
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Robo said:
That wasn't the goal of sharing it, always a bit wary to share videos here, but glad you found it interesting
Click to expand...
Oh I understand, watching the video explained why sharing that was easier than you trying to condense it into a forum post! I just liked your delivery and saw you had more videos on offer
 
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@Robo Thanks so much for your wonderful video. It's rare for me to watch camino videos but I was intrigued by yours as we are hoping to walk the exact same combination in April 2024. I very much enjoyed your reflections on the various paths. Muchas gracias.
 

I would definitely do a 'Combo' camino again. Mixing up the different of routes was such a great experience. Right now I'd be happy to be back on any of them!
 
Robo said:
I would definitely do a 'Combo' camino again. Mixing up the different of routes was such a great experience. Right now I'd be happy to be back on any of them!
Click to expand...
I agree. Have enjoyed our combo caminos very much - the transitions and the contrasts.
 
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Hi @Luka

I walked the Madrid to Sahagún, Frances from Sahagún to O Cebrerio then bussed to Tui and walked the Portuguese from Tui to Santiago de Compostela.

I enjoyed the Madrid the best because I had lots of opportunities to interact with local Spanish people and it was jarring when I started walking the Frances from Sahagún because I had walked the Frances from SJPdP in 2019 and I had a set of expectations about the Frances.

A couple of (disappointing) days into the Frances I was able to jettison my expectations and by taking different alternatives and stopping in different villages I was able to re-make my Frances experience and started enjoying it a lot more.

I had no real expectations of the Portuguese but I enjoyed it the least and it seemed very disjointed as I walked it. There were some really nice bits but for me the Portuguese didn't have any overall coherence. It was more like a walk or hike that I might do anywhere rather than a pilgrimage.

I always walk alone, by choice, so that I can use my walking as a type of meditative experience but I do enjoy interacting with other people at my destination. This may have influenced my choices because I had the most interactions on the Madrid (despite it being the loneliest), second most (with other pilgrims) on the Frances and the least interactions on the Portuguese.

I hope that this is the sort of comment that you were looking for.

Buen Camino!
 
In 2021, we walked from SJPP to Burgos, then bussed to Oviedo. We couldn't choose between the Primitivo and the Invierno. So we bussed back to Ponferrada from Santiago and did them both!
 
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I did exactly what you are planning this past June (and then continued on the Primitivo to Santiago and then on to Finisterre and Muxía).

I started from the south end of Madrid (south of the river) from the front door of where I used to live. The first day (the day my plane landed), I just walked the 20 km to Plaza de Castilla and didn't even make it out of Madrid. The second day I walked from there to Tres Cantos. The Camino de Madrid is a very nice Camino but quite solitary. There were only two other pilgrims I saw more than once and most nights I was the only pilgrim in the albergue (this was in June). It is really useful to have some Spanish. I think I was only spoken to once by a couple of Polish pilgrims on the second night (I never saw them again) and once by someone selling me a ticket to the Alcazar in Segovia.

The Camino ends in Sahagun. I stayed at the Albergue de la Santa Cruz there, where they have a communal dinner. There were more pilgrims at the dinner than I had seen in the entire Camino de Madrid.

My time on the Frances was short. I took three days to Leon but I expect many do it in two. Then it was on to the San Salvador.

The San Salvador is a beautiful little Camino. It is noticeably busier than the Madrid, but that isn't saying much. I fell in with a Spanish couple right from the beginning who turned the same way as me when the Salvador split from the Frances. Altogether, there were about a half dozen pilgrims I was seeing consistently day to day. The infrastructure is good, but I recommend getting Ender's Guide if you are going to walk it. You often will want to book ahead a day or so - not to be sure that there is space for you but to be sure that they are expecting you. This isn't uncommon on the less-walked routes, I am told. There are a couple of places where if you aren't bringing in your own food, you will want to book a meal a day ahead. If you are going to walk the Salvador, I highly recommend a stop in Bendueños!

The Primitivo in some way was like a busier continuation of the Salvador. It continued the walk through the Cantabrian mountains. While we had one little "pilgrim family" on the Salvador, there were probably four or five sizable ones in my cohort on the Primitivo. It isn't is noticeably less busy than the Frances or Portugues, it is still in the top group in terms of popularity. And, of course, for the last 50 km it merges with the Frances. Walking this in July (the busiest time of the year) I had gone from one of the most solitary Caminos to one of the busiest (the last section of the Frances in July) all in the same journey. It helped for this last section that I was walking off-stage so I avoided the really big crowds.

In general, my combined Camino experience was of staged increases in fellow pilgrims (with a little blip of the Frances between Sahagun and Leon). This avoided too much of a shock (except in Sahagun). I found it a bit hard to integrate with other pilgrims on the Frances after the Madrid. I didn't have that difficulty on the Salvador or the Primitivo. That may have been in part because I knew I would be separating from any pilgrims I met on the Frances imminently. But in general, I liked the increasing pilgrims. I like other pilgrims. Which is why I hang out here, I guess.
 
In 2016, two friends and I walked the Madrid and then at Sahagun walked the Frances to SdC. It was a great combination of solitude followed by the busy Frances. In 2019, we (same 3) walked on the Via de la Plata for five days starting in Salamanca and then the Sanabres to SdC. This was another great combination and none of it was busy even though there were more pilgrims after Ourense. In 2022, a friend and I walked the Frances to Ponferrada and then the Invierno to SdC. From the fairly busy Frances to a very quiet route was another great mix. I think combining the Salvador with the Primitivo would be a great combo.
 
I walked the arles from Pau,then the Aragones to Estella,then a train to Leon and did the Salvador. In 2017 I walked the Primitivo then took the Camino Verde to Sabrados,then from Boimorto went west all the way into Santiago,avoiding the end of the Frances. I found it a wonderful alternate to the Sarria thing. I went with 4 other people,and found the Verde very well marked in spite of what was said about it at the time. The path out of Lugo was pure magic!
 
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Luka said:
Have you combined different Caminos? From where to where did you walk? And how was the transition from one Camino to the next?
Click to expand...
Yes, a few times.
The Lana/San Olav from Santo Domingo de Silos onto the Frances first just to get my toes into the less-traveled camino water. Next a wee bit longer off the beaten track, the Baztanes onto the Frances. Then in 2019 the Via de Bayona+Frances+Invierno.

Each time, merging into the flow of the Frances has been a shift, but no more so than the first time, from SDdS. I'd gotten lost, found wonderful alternative ways, and managed 2½ days of totally solitary walking on only one real meal, breakfast the last morning. Burgos felt like a megacity.!

One thing I find helps the adjustment is to walk on through the city and stay in an albergue in a smaller town - it really helps since it's easier to meet fellow pilgrims that way. I've done that both times merging into the Frances at Burgos - staying in Rabe instead of Burgos. Coming into Pamplona, I didn't - so felt like a stranger until after a few nights in smaller places.

The shift back to quiet when turning off the Frances at Ponferrada was only a relief, even though I was nervous about what lay ahead (unnecessarily).
 
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Thanks for the tip - I have heard very little about the Camino Verde - it sounds like I might need to investigate further.... Maybe it was the headspace I was in at the time, but Sarria to Santiago in Semana Santa was really not ideal for me, and I think if I found a good alternative, I'd probably take it! So many choices - I guess thats one reason people keep coming back again and again....
 
I completed Le Puy to SJPdP, to Hendaye on the GR10, crossing to Irun and the del Norte to Bilbao, the Olvidado to Ponferrada, and the Invierno to Santiago. I stayed off the Frances because I didn’t want that many people. I had company on Le Puy and del Norte but not at all crowded. I was alone on the GR10 but that was only four days. You have to be comfortable with solitude on the Olvidado and very limited infrastructure. I didn’t see a single other pilgrim walking the whole 20 days although I did see a couple in La Robla who were walking a couple of days of it as part of their own combination route. The Invierno is great, a few people I got to know but still very lightly traveled. Altogether, 72 days of walking.
 
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Thanks so much all, so many combinations still to be explored!

Regarding continuing on the Primitivo, that Camino is definitely on my list, but I am going to save it for another time. As I live in Asturias, the whole idea of walking Madrid to Oviedo is also to walk home (more or less, Oviedo is still at a 1 hour drive from where I live). To really walk home I would have to add another route from Oviedo. That route is called Ruta de las Peregrinaciones, so just because of the name it almost sounds mandatory...

@Kiwi-family That knot looks more like a Camino Eterno
@alansykes I love that name! So I think this thread should be renamed 'Caminos Mixtos'
@Robo, thanks for the wonderful video!

It has been a great pleasure to read all your stories! I'll bookmark this thread for further exploration/inspiration in the future
 
Clearly your next Camino should be the Ruta de las Peregrinaciones from your front door to the Primitivo to Santiago.

Then we will excuse you for skipping the Primitivo this time.
 
Another nice combination that I did last April/May: the Madrid to Sahagun, then two days to Leon on the CF, one day to La Robla on the San Salvador, and then, I think, a week on the Olvidado to Ponferrada (others would probably do that part faster!) and then the Invierno to Santiago.

My family is pretty covid-cautious so I originally planned the route to avoid staying in crowded albergues. That could not have been more successful! On all three routes i was often alone at night. I only say one other person walking while I was on the Madrid. No one else walking while I was on the Olvidado. There were, of course, a lot of people on the CF and, eventually I did start meeting other peregrinos on the Invierno, but there was only one night when we were more than 6 people.

Very different vibes on each route. I loved it!

If you are concerned about crowds, for whatever reason, it was a great spring camino.
 
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I think the Camino Combinado or the Camino Mixto is something we are all drawn to once we have walked the more established routes. I have done a few. @alansykes is the king of the Camino Mixto and generously shares his annual journeys from the Mediterranean to Santiago. Just look for his live threads for many many options!

Here are the ones I have done.

Ebro — Castellano-Aragonés — Lana — San Olav — Salvador — Primitivo (this is a LONG one but it is fabulous)

Madrid — small chunk of Francés — Salvador — Primitivo (a shorter option, which combines some totally different routes and makes for a super mix).

Levante — Sanabrés (really that’s not a camino mixto, because the Levante ends in Zamora, so from there you have to either do Francés or Sanabrés, and I much prefer the Sanabrés)

Cami St. Jaume from French border — Catalán (from Montserrat) — Aragonés — Invierno (this one involved “skipping” ahead on a train, but it would be easy to walk if you had the time).

Vasco Interior — Olvidado — Invierno (This also involved skipping from Burgos to Aguilar de Campóo). Those lucky people with more time could also easily walk the whole route.

Probably my favorite combo — the Olvidado from Bilbao to Ponferrada and then the Invierno. This one isn’t too long, has some of the most beautiful mountain scenery on any camino I’ve ever walked, and then combines with the much less “spectacular” and more quiet rural beauty on the Invierno.

These days I am not able to be away for a 6-7 week camino mixto, so I will be doing combos that involve a first part connected with a second part by public transportation. 2024 may be Via Serrana to Sevilla. Sevilla to Ponferrada by some god-awful train or bus ride. Ponferrada on the Invierno.

I am enjoying all the many options that people are suggesting, but it is frustrating to know that my remaining walking years are probably not enough to be able to enjoy all these fabulous routes!
 
As we are thinking about all the possibilities... it would be nice to have a list that organizes caminos by length. One day I will actually sit down and make one!

peregrina2000 said:
but it is frustrating to know that my remaining walking years are probably not enough to be able to enjoy all these fabulous routes!
Click to expand...

Re time in a bigger sense - I just read a piece in the Guardian about a woman celebrating her 116th birthday.

Want to live to 116? The secret to longevity is less complicated than you think

Good humour, a positive outlook and staying away from toxic people is more important than genes, ice baths or spartan diets
www.theguardian.com
 
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One thing I forgot to say is that I think the IGN Camino Map is one of the most important, if not the most important, tool for getting started with this. Though some have gone way beyond this map in their search for ways to combine caminos, I would say it is an essential first step. I know of no other source that puts 43 caminos on one map.

Unfortunately, I see it is sold out in Ivar’s store. Hoping it will be back in stock soon!
 
This last summer, I combined San Salvador from León followed by the Primitivo at Oviedo.
It was nice:
- the San Salvador is shorter, but steeper, therefore it was a good training before the second camino.
- the Primitivo was more crowded, therefore different atmosphere.
 
Not all in one go and not planned, but my current three stage Camino will incorporate at least part of seven routes.
  • Ciudad Real to Toledo (Manchego)
  • Toledo to Medina del Campo (Levante)
  • Medina del Campo to Benavente (Sureste)
  • Benavente to Astorga (VDLP)
  • Astorga to Ponferrada (CF)
  • Ponferrada to A Laxe (Invierno)
  • A Laxe to Santiago (Sanabres)
 
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For what it is worth, I put the IGN Camino GPS tracks on this Camino Google Map.
 
I did the same this summer, preceded by the Madrid. The San Salvador/Primitivo is a sweet, sweet combo and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering the Primitivo who can afford the extra time.
 
I hope so too!
@ivar will these be back in stock soon? I'm getting itchy feet again
 
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