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"Nice Way" into Santiago

Rombuk

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
May/September 2015
Is there a nice/pleasant way of entering Santiago thereby avoiding busy roads and urban sprawl
 
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But of course! I nearly always enter using this method. There I am in 2005, comfortably seated and above the traffic noise and the smell of engines. Otherwise it is really like any city with a centre and the outlying sprawl of housing and businesses.

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On a serious note, it really is quite a shock entering to the centre of any city after days out on Camino in the countryside. I suppose one could stay outside and enter at, say, 4 or 5am, when it is still quiet?

Unfortunately Santiago isn't built either side of a river - if it were then one could enter along the bank. For a genuine better entry one would need to skirt the city completely and come at it from the Camino route for the next day - is much more appealing .. but would anyone want to do all that extra walking?
 
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Wise ass @David ;)

It's tricky I guess as the Cathedral is fairly central.

I've only ever arrived from the Camino Frances, from the East.

Other Caminos I presume enter at different points of the Compass.
Some might be a bit more picturesque?

Though I see from the Ingles, as you are arriving from the North East, it appears you have 'more of the City' to walk through?

Maybe veer off to another Camino?
Across to Lavacolla for example on the CF.
Not sure how practical that is.

SdC.webp
 
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I found the entry from the Sanabrés route lovely; small outlying villages, very pretty country, green lanes until you are right in the city and you seem to pop out of one and find yourself looking straight at the towers of the cathedral. Ourense on the Sanabrés is the obligatory 100km out, if you are keen on getting the Compostela. The last two stages are A Laxe, Silleda, Outeiro, Lestedo, Piñero, SDC.
 
When I came into Santiago on the CI I didn't find it too bad. It's about 3km of city but I certainly did not walk along the N 550. The arrows took me mostly along a quiet route. I had the Brierley guide but did follow the yellow arrows. Santiago is in the middle of a city you can't avoid all busy roads but I only remember having to cross them, not walk along them.
 
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The walk out of the city, and the subsequent return from the Santago, Fisterra, Muxia, Santiago route is short and pleasant. That said I recall nothing unpleasant about the last few Km of the Ingles. I haven't walked the "new" route but Siguero & on in, while it features a couple of industrial estates also takes you on a delightful meander through the backstreets.
 
I found the entry from the Sanabrés route lovely; small outlying villages, very pretty country, green lanes until you are right in the city and you seem to pop out of one and find yourself looking straight at the towers of the cathedral. Ourense on the Sanabrés is the obligatory 100km out, if you are keen on getting the Compostela. The last two stages are A Laxe, Silleda, Outeiro, Lestedo, Piñero, SDC.
I agree with Kanga. The route into the city from the Sanabres is probably the nicest and with good views of the Cathedral as you drop down into Sar
 
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I found the entry from the Sanabrés route lovely; small outlying villages, very pretty country, green lanes until you are right in the city and you seem to pop out of one and find yourself looking straight at the towers of the cathedral. Ourense on the Sanabrés is the obligatory 100km out, if you are keen on getting the Compostela. The last two stages are A Laxe, Silleda, Outeiro, Lestedo, Piñero, SDC.
I'd definitely second that from my experience in 2018 - a lovely finish to a lovely route!
 

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