Recommendations for a week in early March.

[Nroca]

Hello. Looking for recommendations for a week on a Camino route in early March 2024. Prefer to avoid risk of snow but don't want to be too remote so there will be open accommodation options. Where should I start? Thanks for any advice.

 

[davejsy]

There are so many answers to this, but, perhaps Pamplona is as gooda place as any.

 

[C clearly]

You don't give us much to base a recommendation on! What is your experience, and what routes have you considered?

 

[Tincatinker]

@Nroca you’ve probably got easy flights to Porto, Barcelona, Bilbao, Asturias, A Coruna and maybe even Santiago. What did you have in mind? Reaching Santiago and obtaining a Compostela? Walk the Camino Ingles or the Frances from Sarria. If you’ve only a week you’ll be very constrained by where you can get to and home from at this time of year. Perhaps you might want to sort out the front and back logistics and then pose your question again

 

[Nroca]

Thanks for replies.
Experienced multi day walker, but have not yet done a camino route.
Not aiming for a compostela this time, will save that for when I have time to do a longer walk.
I was thinking of maybe a week at the beginning of a more southerly route given its early in the season. I could continue it another time hopefully.
I will look at logistics, I do have leeway to add a couple of days at either end for travel.
Maybe I will study Via de la Plata
Thanks again, off I go to do my research

 

[Lowtide]

Maybe consider Porto to Vigo, on the coastal route. It would give you a good taste of what the camino is all about, with easy access to go and return. I'm a big fan of Portugal.
Enjoy

 

[wes]

Hello. Looking for recommendations for a week on a Camino route in early March 2024. Prefer to avoid risk of snow but don't want to be too remote so there will be open accommodation options. Where should I start? Thanks for any advice.

My partner and I walked the meseta from Burgos to Leon in February a couple of years ago and it was marvellous. Although the meseta is uniformly elevated, it doesn’t have very high peaks as say, on Day 1 out of St Jean, or later at O Cebreiro, etc, and so is less likely to have snow, which is always a possibility at that time of the year.
In fact, the weather was ideal for walking, clear and around 15 degrees. There were very few peregrinos, and some small villages were entirely zipped up, nothing open, not a soul to be seen. But there were enough places open for a halfway coffee each day, and the small hotels/pensiones we stayed in each night were wonderful: warm, welcoming, dinner available, and friendly locals to chat with.
We'd flown in to Madrid, taken the excellent Alsa bus direct to Burgos, same for the return from Leon.
Buen camino.

 

[wes]

PS: I should also have said that I love the meseta. Open spaces and skies, natural uncluttered rural landscapes, the Roman road, perfect pueblos, it’s the best place to get inside the rhythm of your walking, of the moment, and of your thoughts.

 

[DTCamino]

My partner and I walked the meseta from Burgos to Leon in February a couple of years ago and it was marvellous. Although the meseta is uniformly elevated, it doesn’t have very high peaks as say, on Day 1 out of St Jean, or later at O Cebreiro, etc, and so is less likely to have snow, which is always a possibility at that time of the year.
In fact, the weather was ideal for walking, clear and around 15 degrees. There were very few peregrinos, and some small villages were entirely zipped up, nothing open, not a soul to be seen. But there were enough places open for a halfway coffee each day, and the small hotels/pensiones we stayed in each night were wonderful: warm, welcoming, dinner available, and friendly locals to chat with.
We'd flown in to Madrid, taken the excellent Alsa bus direct to Burgos, same for the return from Leon.
Buen camino.

I second Burgos to Leon on the Frances. Only 8 days walking easy stages, you can take the bus directly from the Madrid airport and take bus or train back to Madrid easily, more accommodations on the Frances than most, and the route is plainly marked for the first time navigating a Camino. You could even prebook your accommodations if you felt uncomfortable staying in albergues without a reservation. It’s kind of a gentle break in to doing a Camino walk.