Holy Week in Camino Ingles

[pumiko]

Hello, I'm new here. I'm doing my first camino in April.
My plan falls on holy week totally, I can't reschedule it because of my work.
I have read holy week threads of other route or general question,
but would like to know specific information about Camino Ingles.

Normally Camino Ingles seems not to be so crowded as other routes such as Frances, Portuguese,
but is filled with pilgrims during holy week?
I'm planning to stay at albergue in Betanzos or Bruma, or both. Those get full quickly in holy week?
I will get up so early and head to them if necessary.
Of course also thinking about pre-booking hostels on some stages,
but I cannot find affordable accommodation on all of the stages.

Thank you.

 

[Former member 22438]

Usually in the "Semana Santa"the holy week lots of Spaniards walk these kind of short distances like the Camino Inglés, the walk from Sarría or from Tui.
In Spain it is good for your CV if you walked the camino so they choose for the shorter distances.
Few years ago I walked the Inglés and we met lots of big groups even with a bus behind them as the steep hill was to much for them, they could sit down in the bus. as it looked like they were unexperienced walkers .but the caminopath was full with slow walkers.
In Betanzos we saw them again and all restaurants were full .no place at all.
God gracious they weren't in the albergue but after diner they moved with the bus to somewhere.
But you will meet lots of solo walking people who you'll meet in the albergues.

We walked from Ferrol to Neda (alberge) the first day
Then to Pontedeume. (Albergue) Remember me clmbing the steep hill just after leaving the albergue
Miño (albergue)
Betanzos (albergue)
Meson do Vento hostal 2 kms off camino instead of the Bruma albergue
Ordes hotel off camino
Sigueiro hotel
Santiago air bnb

Very comfortable and relaxed and a very nice camino

Passa bem e bom caminho

 

[peb]

I walked the Ingles in Holy Week in 2018, leaving Ferrol on the Tuesday of Holy Week arriving Santiago on Easter Saturday, a 5 day walk, allowing time to celebrate Easter Sunday in Santiago. If I had my time again, I would walk the Ingles in 6 days instead of 5, and break either the 1st stage into two (staying at Xubia or Neda), or better still, cutting the 2nd stage at Mino, and allowing time to enjoy the beach at Mino, which you do not see if you just walk through from Pontedeume to Betanzos. If I only had 5 days, I would substitute shorter earlier stages by walking from Hospital de Bruma all the way through to Santiago, missing out Sigueiro, as I found myself being able to walk longer stages later in the week, once I had overcome the doubt that I could walk 25 to 30km, or even further, every day.

Maybe because Easter fell at the end of March in 2018, instead of in the middle of April this, year, when I walked, I saw no more than 10 other pilgrims a day. Therefore, the Ingles was not busy at all.

I did not stay in albergueg (because I wanted a bath to soak my legs every evening and my own bed), but when I passed those to obtain a stamp, they had spaces. The albergue at Betanzos is larger than at Bruma. I started at about 08.30 each morning. It was pitch black in the morning before 08.30, and with the clocks going forward at the end of March 2019, I would expect that it would be pitch black until at least 09.15 in Holy Week this year. You do not sunrise to be so late, but it does mean that you have enough time to complete the long stages in daylight.

Where you do need to book accommodation is in Ferrol and Santiago. Ferrol does Semana Santa in a big way, with large processions every night. Betanzos also has processions, but on a much smaller scale. Expect many of the residents of Ferrol on the street each night, meaning that finding somewhere to eat is quite difficult, and it being quite noisy until late at night, especially at weekends. Also expect seaside towns such as Cabanas and Pontedeume only to have a handful of places open and look very much in off season mode. Santiago though was busy on Easter weekend.

But do not let that put you off a Holy week camino. I found walking through Holy Week as a kind of personal passion (but only a crumb of discomfort compared to the real Holy Week passion), and a real pilgrimage bringing me closer to God. Yes it rained every day (on one day it snowed), it was cold, the Ingles was very wet and muddy (take that into account in deciding footwear and how many clothes to take), but I was really happy that I walked a camino from start to finish throughout the Holy Week, rather than another week in the calendar.

 

[pumiko]

Thank you Albertinho, so helpful!

Maybe I picked wrong season ... because wanted to walk calmly.
But it seems so good for the camino beginner like me not to worry about getting lost
And I want to enjoy seasonal things like the processions.

 

[pumiko]

Thank you peb, so helpful and encouraging!
I have read your thread on Ingles forum, so glad you post on this thread.
I'll prepare for rain & cold as you said, and enjoy camino.
I can't imagine how far I can walk in a day, the maximum in my life is about 23km so far.
Skipping Sigueiro sounds good unless my feet kill me

 

[peb]

If you skip Sigueiro, it is 40km from Hospital de Bruma to Santiago. If instead you walk an hour and a half past Hospital de Bruma and stay at Casa Rural Donnamaria ayt Buscas, this makes a one day walk to Santiago from Buscas doable (you will reach Sigueiro by lunchtime from Buscas). The walk from Betanzos to Buscas via Hospital de Bruma was 36 km and took 10 hours.

I did no training. My training was simply walking 10km per day on a normal day round London, as it is quicker than the bus or car. I too was perplexed how I could possibly walk 25km, 30km or 35km each day, as I too, have never walked anything over 20km in a day. However, even at a slow pace of 4km per hour, all you need to realise is that if you keep putting one foot in front of you, carry enough water and sustinence, stop at the few places where there are to eat and drink, over 9 hours you will walk over 30km per day. That is one of the reasons why I stayed in pensions and not the albergue, because I didn't want the stress of worrying about a bed at the end of the day. I could also cheat, by sending my luggage and walking with just a day pack. In early spring, I was glad of this, because at the end of each day, my trousers were so muddy, I am glad I had a fresh pair each day. A golf sized umbrella with a half stick that I could put sticking out my day pack for the few moments that it did not rain also helped. Walking with my top half dry instead of being soaked if I had no umbrella also helped greatly.

 

[Deleted member 43780]

Some great replies given.

After Seville, Holy Week in Ferrol is a very big event.
That may sound strange to a outsider. Ferrol celebrates/honors Holy Week more than any other city in Spain. Except Seville.

Once out of Ferrol things should be fine.

 

[pumiko]

Thank you so much, peb.
Walking 10km everyday is so tough! I am not a sporty person, do exercises but not so regularly and intensely. I will consider my capacity and make a plan.
You made great efforts, I want to make mine too!

 

[pumiko]

After Seville, Holy Week in Ferrol is a very big event.
That may sound strange to a outsider. Ferrol celebrates/honors Holy Week more than any other city in Spain. Except Seville.

I didn't know that. I will leave Ferrol before the events, would like to experience Holy Week in Sevilla or Ferrol someday!