Just a week on the Camino in autumn - which one to choose?

[kptorrahk]

I'm sorry if I'm posting in the wrong group. Feel free to move my post.

I have walked 7 caminos, always in Spain (well, max 50k in France), the country I love. At the end of october/start of november i have 8 potential walking days to fill in and I'd like to walk more Camino.

I'm looking for solitude but I'm afraid of choosing a route that's too solitary, like the camino vasco interior or olvidado; it would be nice still to have the option to meet others or at least have chance encounters.

I would also like to keep rainy days to a minimum. I'm open to walking in France btw. I'm an experienced mountaineer who loves ups and downs, but i also enjoyed the meseta.

What would you recommend me based on your experience? Remember it would be the height of autumn.

Thanks so much in advance!

 

[davejsy]

Maybe some of the Via de la Plata?

 

[Liica]

I'm sorry if I'm posting in the wrong group. Feel free to move my post.

I have walked 7 caminos, always in Spain (well, max 50k in France), the country I love. At the end of october/start of november i have 8 potential walking days to fill in and I'd like to walk more Camino.

I'm looking for solitude but I'm afraid of choosing a route that's too solitary, like the camino vasco interior or olvidado; it would be nice still to have the option to meet others or at least have chance encounters.

I would also like to keep rainy days to a minimum. I'm open to walking in France btw. I'm an experienced mountaineer who loves ups and downs, but i also enjoyed the meseta.

What would you recommend me based on your experience? Remember it would be the height of autumn.

Thanks so much in advance!

I recently walked the Camino Lebaniego and I am sure you would love it! It's only 4 days, but you can keep walking from Potes to the Camino Vadiniense (mountains route).
https://www.gronze.com/camino-vadiniense

Other options: Invierno or Primitivo (more than 8 days).

 

[Caomhin O Fearghaill]

I'm sorry if I'm posting in the wrong group. Feel free to move my post.

I have walked 7 caminos, always in Spain (well, max 50k in France), the country I love. At the end of october/start of november i have 8 potential walking days to fill in and I'd like to walk more Camino.

I'm looking for solitude but I'm afraid of choosing a route that's too solitary, like the camino vasco interior or olvidado; it would be nice still to have the option to meet others or at least have chance encounters.

I would also like to keep rainy days to a minimum. I'm open to walking in France btw. I'm an experienced mountaineer who loves ups and downs, but i also enjoyed the meseta.

What would you recommend me based on your experience? Remember it would be the height of autumn.

Thanks so much in advance!

Consider Santiago to Muxia, you may have rain, though,

 

[KariannNor]

Suggest San Salvador, you can do it in 6/8 days, and get a special certificate in Oviedo at the end. I have no idea how busy it is at that time of year, but you can look at statistics if there is some from last year maybe? To avoid rain completely, well sorry, wrong season..

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Consider the Aragonese. Six stages from Somport to Puente la Reina but you could add one more day for visiting the old and new monasteries of San Juan de la Peña. Or add more days by starting in France.

I walked the last four stages in early November (saw the monasteries the day before coming off the Catalan). Not bad but generally wet weather all over Spain that year (2019) at that time. You'll have to check the weather conditions for stage 1 in the mountains. There was three of us walking separately but staying in the same albergues each night. I think traffic has picked up.

 

[dbeatriceb]

I think the Aragonés from Somport could be an excellent choice. Keep in mind, no matter which route, October is statistically the second most rainy month in Spain

 

[henrythedog]

So you’re looking for solitude but you don’t want it to be too solitary? How many people do you want to see each day and do you count the indigenous population or just other tourists?

The ‘no rain’ part is beyond anyone temporal’s ability to promise I’m afraid.

 

[trecile]

Consider the Aragonese. Six stages from Somport to Puente la Reina but you could add one more day for visiting the old and new monasteries of San Juan de la Peña. Or add more days by starting in France.

With the damage to the trail from the recent flooding walking in Frances before Somport is probably not a good option. But if you choose the Aragonés definitely give yourself extra time to see the monasteries. You can spend a night (or two) in the lovely little village of Santa Cruz de la Serós to do so. And definitely don't miss the Foz de Lumbier. Visiting the monasteries and the gorge at Foz de Lumbier were my two favorite parts of the Aragonés. There is a nice hotel to stay in in Lumbier.

 

[kptorrahk]

Thanks for the tips!
I've already walked a lot of caminos you mentioned (it's in my signature). The Aragones is out of the question because of the flood damage but it remains on my list.
I looked up rain days/month and the vasco interior predicted 6/month around that time. That seemed decent enough.

I've walked several caminos where i didn't meet any pilgrims (the sanabres in nov/dec, the Madrid in september &the caminho portugues interior in September) and on the Salvador in april just a few. A few pilgrims per day or at the destination is nice.

Would you recommend any of the French ways?

Thanks for the lebaniego tip. I am considering the vadiniense but it might be a bit hard trying to do it in 8 days.

 

[trecile]

The Aragones is out of the question because of the flood damage but it remains on my list.

I haven't read of flood damage on the Aragonés. I believe that it's on the Arles route in France where the damage occurred.

 

[kptorrahk]

I haven't read of flood damage on the Aragonés. I believe that it's on the Arles route in France where the damage occurred.

Wasn't there a topic about how hard it is to get to somport now because of the road damage?

 

[trecile]

Wasn't there a topic about how hard it is to get to somport now because of the road damage?

I think that's coming from the French side.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Would you recommend any of the French ways?

The Via Podiensis is wonderful, and any section you'd choose would be great. The Cele Valley variant was a special standout for me; absolutely unique and stunning!