Going Off Piste at Tui. Where do I get my Credential stamped?

[Derek Booth]

I am in the planning stage of walking the Central route of the Camino Portuguese in September 2022 and, because of circumstances, I find that I have to walk the route from Tui to Vigo.

I appreciate that the two towns are on different routes but, notwithstanding this, I will have to do this as part of my walk.

I appreciate that I could? walk the coastal route from Porto but I am already pushed for time/distance and have no desire to walk much further than that to which I am committed for lack of a stamp.

It occurred to me that going '"Off piste" it may be that I will struggle to get the necessary stamps in my Credential to prove/show that I did in fact walk between the two.

Do places such as cafes etc have stamps in their establishments and, if not, can someone suggest where I might find that stamps are available.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

 

[mspath]

Derek Booth,
Anyone who is in business usually has a stamp just ask. The general rule used to be to have 2 stamps per day for the l00km into Santiago if you were walking.

However the Digital Credential may be different
See

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/new-digital-credential-is-introduced-from-the-cathedral.70156/

Carpe diem and Buen camino

 

[naplesdon]

Most establishments have stamps for things like paid accounts, etc. which shows the name of the business and possibly the location, otherwise you could have the merchant sign the credential for you.
Unless someone else disagrees with me there is no such thing as "official" stamps along the Camino and no stamp police at the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago.

 

[henrythedog]

I am in the planning stage of walking the Central route of the Camino Portuguese in September 2022 and, because of circumstances, I find that I have to walk the route from Tui to Vigo.

I appreciate that the two towns are on different routes but, notwithstanding this, I will have to do this as part of my walk.

I appreciate that I could? walk the coastal route from Porto but I am already pushed for time/distance and have no desire to walk much further than that to which I am committed for lack of a stamp.

It occurred to me that going '"Off piste" it may be that I will struggle to get the necessary stamps in my Credential to prove/show that I did in fact walk between the two.

Do places such as cafes etc have stamps in their establishments and, if not, can someone suggest where I might find that stamps are available.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Just about any kind of business, cafe, restaurant, bar or accommodation, or public office (council, police), museum, gallery, library will have a sello.

The old rule is still the rule - 2/day when walking for last 100km for a compostella.

 

[Derek Booth]

Derek Booth,
Any one who is in business usually has a stamp just ask. The general rule used to be to have 2 stamps per day for the l00km into Santiago if you were walking.

Thank you for quick response.

I am aware that I need two stamps but that is the cause of my question.
I am NOT walking along a traditional Camino route.

Imagine, (if you will) that it would be necessary for me to walk from, say Sarria on the Camino Frances to say, Ourense before continuing to Santiago. Both of those towns are on Camino's but on different Caminos.

This is exacerbated because like Sarria, Tui is THE town where the 100kms, twice a day stamp rule comes in.

 

[naplesdon]

Personally, I beleive you are "over thinking" it!

 

[Derek Booth]

Dear Don,
CF11, CF12, CP13, CF14, CA15, S.Anton15, CF&CI15
Ditch Pig16, CF&CP17, CdN18, CM18, CF18, LePuy19

I bow to your greater knowledge.
However Failing to Plan = Planning to Fail

 

[miguel_gp]

@Derek Booth - just a suggestion
Are you thinking of walking it in one day or two? It is actually only 10km walking distance between the Interior route at Mos to the Coastal route on the outskirts of Vigo. The crossover skirts Vigo airport. If you were thinking of two days then crossing over from Mos would give you maximum route from Tui with official way-marking and then just that extra 10 km using something like plotaroute.com.


© OpenStreetMap

 

[Former member 91017]

There is nothing to prevent one from mixing and matching the routes walked so long as the required distance is made for the Compostela. And if you just want to have stamps in order to be able to sleep in the albergues that are for pilgrims only, then advice about going into most businesses and making the request will still prove that you are making a pilgrimage.

 

[SioCamino]

I'm trying to remember from my time in the Pilgrim's Office... I actually think that walking not on official routes for the last 100kms might cause some issues for the compostela. It would at a minimum require some extra attention and figuring out of distances...as a volunteer it would definitely be a situation where i would consult with the permanent staff for a decision.
It has been a while since i worked there - does anyone know for definite if walking from Vigo fulfills the min requirement? (it certainly wasn't a few years ago d but i think the recognition of the coastak route might have changed that). If so then i think the kms before that (from Tui in your case) would effectively be irrelevant for the compostela. (asking for a certificate of distance might be.... interesting! )

 

[Former member 91017]

I'm trying to remember from my time in the Pilgrim's Office... I actually think that walking not on official routes for the last 100kms might cause some issues for the compostela. It would at a minimum require some extra attention and figuring out of distances...as a volunteer it would definitely be a situation where i would consult with the permanent staff for a decision.
It has been a while since i worked there - does anyone know for definite if walking from Vigo fulfills the min requirement? (it certainly wasn't a few years ago d but i think the recognition of the coastak route might have changed that). If so then i think the kms before that (from Tui in your case) would effectively be irrelevant for the compostela. (asking for a certificate of distance might be.... interesting! )

Yes, but I think that the OP was just talking about switching from the coastal to the inland and wondering how to acknowledge the distance from Tui on the inner, to connect with Vigo on the coastal. So there’s not actually an abandonment of the known routes.

 

[jungleboy]

Personally, I believe you are "over thinking" it!

This is the correct response

 

[Derek Booth]

I'm trying to remember from my time in the Pilgrim's Office... I actually think that walking not on official routes for the last 100kms might cause some issues for the compostela. It would at a minimum require some extra attention and figuring out of distances...as a volunteer it would definitely be a situation where i would consult with the permanent staff for a decision.
It has been a while since i worked there - does anyone know for definite if walking from Vigo fulfills the min requirement? (it certainly wasn't a few years ago d but i think the recognition of the coastak route might have changed that). If so then i think the kms before that (from Tui in your case) would effectively be irrelevant for the compostela. (asking for a certificate of distance might be.... interesting! )

Thank you for your comments.

I am not starting my Camino in Tui. I am starting in Lisbon therefore I don't think I am at any risk of any worries as to whether or not I had walked the necessary 100kms.
My problem is compounded by the fact that I am under time restraints. My wife will be in Vigo for one day only and I intend to be there when she is there. It would be easier if I had all the time to get there but I am restricted by by other factors which I will not go into.

I appreciate your comments regarding distance to the Compostela.
Fortunately, modern technology is at hand to tell me (and any accepting authority) as to how far I will have walked. ie. I already know that the route between Tui and Vigo is 26kms.
Surely there will be enough peeps in the Office who can take their shoes and socks off to work out how far I have walked.
(The last bit was a joke?)

 

[lt56ny]

Most establishments have stamps for things like paid accounts, etc. which shows the name of the business and possibly the location, otherwise you could have the merchant sign the credential for you.
Unless someone else disagrees with me there is no such thing as "official" stamps along the Camino and no stamp police at the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago.

I totally agree. I still like to look at my credentials sometimes but the more times I walk the more I just rely on getting my stamp at the albergue at night. Even when I stop at a church/historic site or bar I find that I never get an additional stamp. When I get to the last 100K I have to remind myself to get a stamp during the day. It becomes almost a hassle because after walking 7, 800 or more kilometers I rarely stop during that part of the camino. The last few times I have been in Santiago it seems like the volunteer who is verifying my Camino doesn't spend more than a few seconds reviewing my credential. It seems like they are thinking about what they will have for lunch while they are looking at it. Not much of a "police force" haha.
Maybe someone like @t2andreo could shed a greater light on this review process.

Has anyone ever heard of someone who was denied a credential because they were missing a stamp or two on the last 100K? I am sure it has happened but I have never heard a pilgrim tale or read about this happening here on the forum.

​

 

[Derek Booth]

@Derek Booth - just a suggestion
Are you thinking of walking it in one day or two? It is actually only 10km walking distance between the Interior route at Mos to the Coastal route on the outskirts of Vigo. The crossover skirts Vigo airport. If you were thinking of two days then crossing over from Mos would give you maximum route from Tui with official way-marking and then just that extra 10 km using something like plotaroute.com.

View attachment 106082
© OpenStreetMap

Thank you for this.

I think I have answered your question somewhere on here.
I'm starting in Lisbon and because of time restraints I will be doing Tui to Vigo in one day. (26kms)

I will be using all the tech. in the World to prove to someone where and how I walked between these two points

 

[Derek Booth]

An update on this thread.

First of all, I would like to thank all the contributors so far.
I appreciate that I know the ins and outs of getting the two stamps etc. but it will good for 'Newbies' to read who might not know etc.

Having had a good long look at my original proposal, (including, I might add, poring over the various routes on Google Maps with the 'Little Orange Man' showing me the various roads I would have to walk), I have decided against my original plan of walking from the Central Route to the Coastal route somewhere in the vicinity of Tui, O Porrino or Gos.

I came to this conclusion because, quite frankly, the roads in that area are confusing in the least and downright diabolical in the worst. They twist themselves in knots, going this way and that and, on closer inspection appear to be devoid of signage. Add to that the fact that the most direct route on approaching Vigo would seem to be dual carriageway (Divided Highway to our American cousins) and having had first hand experience of the quality of Portuguese driving, I think I'll pass on being 'Target of the Day.'

I do have an alternative Plan.

I will walk out of Porto on the 'Central Way' until I get to Sao Pedro de Rates where I will turn left and head roughly for Esposende. (Who knew that that word means 'Wife' in Portuguese?)
Yes, it adds some distance to the walk BUT, it's NOT in the last 100Kms so will not attract the attentions of the Compostela 'Police' in the office at Santiago

 

[kenwilltravel]

I will walk out of Porto on the 'Central Way' until I get to Sao Pedro de Rates where I will turn left and head roughly for Esposende. (Who knew that that word means 'Wife' in Portuguese?)
Yes, it adds some distance to the walk BUT, it's NOT in the last 100Kms so will not attract the attentions of the Compostela 'Police' in the office at Santiago

I might be missing something here, but my understanding is that it really doesn't matter what route you take or what stamps go into your credentials book before Vigo. The reason: the last 100 km to Santiago start in Vigo, if you follow the route Vigo-Redondela-Pontevedra-Padrón-Santiago. That's all the Pilgrims Office is going to look at -- that you have two stamps per day from Vigo onward. They really have no interest in any of the stamps that go into the book before that, or whether you collect one or two per day. That's just personal info for you. This Camino belongs to you, not to the Pilgrims Office.

 

[Derek Booth]

I might be missing something here, but my understanding is that it really doesn't matter what route you take or what stamps go into your credentials book before Vigo. The reason: the last 100 km to Santiago start in Vigo, if you follow the route Vigo-Redondela-Pontevedra-Padrón-Santiago. That's all the Pilgrims Office is going to look at -- that you have two stamps per day from Vigo onward. They really have no interest in any of the stamps that go into the book before that, or whether you collect one or two per day. That's just personal info for you. This Camino belongs to you, not to the Pilgrims Office.

Thank you for your input Ken.

In the original plan I would have gone through and got a stamp (or two) in Tui which, I understand is the start of the 100kms for the Inland route. It was my understanding that from that part of the route it would have been necessary to get the two stamps and, being off piste, I was fearful that I would not been able to get the necessary sellas.

Regardsless, I have altered my plans, and no doubt they will be changed again, umpteen times before next September.

 

[Pilgrim9]

Might it be prudent to also save all of your cash register slips, cafe / lodgings receipts, and automated cash machine slips and take them with you to the Pilgrim's Office, just in case additional evidence becomes required to support the issuance of a compostella? They almost invariably include the name and location of the business and the date.

Yes I know that they will not be embodied into the officially-recognized credencial but surely (?) the Pilgrim's Office can use discretion occasionally to admit additional forms of evidence.

BTW not all Spanish businesses that are situated away from recognized pilgrimage routes understand what a pilgrim is, or why s/he would want their credencial stamped, or even have a stamp for that purpose. A large commercial hotel that I stayed at in Igualada in 2017 (I was attempting to walk from Barcelona to the CF) was initially a bit reluctant to stamp my credencial but did so after I explained my foot pilgrimage and the purpose of the credencial, and a cafe associated with a self-serve automated hostel (no reception or front desk) that I stayed at in Balaguer a week or so later, had no stamp at all.

Never assume anything especially off-piste.

 

[Former member 22438]

Might it be prudent to also save all of your cash register slips, cafe / lodgings receipts, and automated cash machine slips and take them with you to the Pilgrim's Office, just in case additional evidence becomes required to support the issuance of a compostella? They almost invariably include the name and location of the business and the date.

Yes I know that they will not be embodied into the officially-recognized credencial but surely (?) the Pilgrim's Office can use discretion occasionally to admit additional forms of evidence.

BTW not all Spanish businesses that are situated away from recognized pilgrimage routes understand what a pilgrim is, or why s/he would want their credencial stamped, or even have a stamp for that purpose. A large commercial hotel that I stayed at in Igualada in 2017 (I was attempting to walk from Barcelona to the CF) was initially a bit reluctant to stamp my credencial but did so after I explained my foot pilgrimage and the purpose of the credencial, and a cafe associated with a self-serve automated hostel (no reception or front desk) that I stayed at in Balaguer a week or so later, had no stamp at all.

Never assume anything especially off-piste.

I once was refused to get a stamp in my credential by a priest in a church in the place of Ordes on the camino Inglès . Because as he said Ordes was not on the camino (the camino was 2 kms away ) but in Ordes was a hotel where we stayed.
at the end the hoteldesk stamped the credential but it should have been nicer to have a stamp of the church .

 

[Kathy F.]

I once was refused to get a stamp in my credential by a priest in a church in the place of Ordes on the camino Inglès . Because as he said Ordes was not on the camino (the camino was 2 kms away ) but in Ordes was a hotel where we stayed.
at the end the hoteldesk stamped the credential but it should have been nicer to have a stamp of the church .

Wow. I am surprised that a priest would refuse such a simple request for such a lame reason. But priests are only human and as fallible as the rest of us. I have experienced priests going above and beyond in order to help those who need assistance on the Camino.