Ruta do Mar in July

[woofer]

Hola ! I will be walking this route at the start of July. Anybody else walking this way? I've just had a quick glance at the new Cicerone guide and note that they suggest combining some sections of the "Ruta Cantabrica" which stays on the coast with "do Mar" which veers inland for a more church/sacred experience.

It seems there are hardly any albergues once you leave Ribadeo and there are 2 massive music festivals en route which greatly reduce the amount of accomodation available and also greatly increases the cost of accomodation. Has anyone walked this way in July the last few years and how difficult/expensive was it to find accomodation.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Hi @woofer! We've been considering doing this route as well but, not until August. Have you been reading @Dave's threads (he's an author of that new guide): https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/what-i-learned-on-the-mar.42552/

Also, this link is loaded with more current "Mar" activity: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/ruta-do-mar-from-ribadeo.112/

 

[Tia Valeria]

If you have the Cicerone guide then you have a number of good suggestions for accommodation. As you realise there are no public albergues just private rooms.
If you want to make your own stages near As Catedrais then combine the maps on p78 and 81 - the Hotel Amadora is in view of the Mar at a right turn, Very friendly. Also if wanting to stay near As Catedrais there is an alternative at Devesa (O Lar de Camiña). Just before the huge car park there is a left turn under the railway. Go down this, and turn left at the roundabout back towards Ribadeo. Approx 200mts along is the hotel restaurante on the right. Not in the guide as it is not really on the route, but we stayed there to catch the low tide and see the rock arches.
You don't say exactly where the music festivals are but several places have other alternatives nearby, eg Cafe Bar Moderno in San Cosme, as well as those in the book.
Please do post and let us know how you get on.
Buen Camino

 

[woofer]

Many thanks for all the info. The festivals are in Viveiro - a heavy metal 3 day event the first weekend in July and Ortigueira's 4 day Celtic music festival the following weekend. Literally tens of thousands of fans at both so potential pilgrims take note as these are annual events and do complicate matters !

 

[Magwood]

@woofer I walked a version of the Mar in May 2016. I pretty much stuck to the coast and made a side trip to Estaca de Bares, the most northerly point of Spain, and to San Andres de Texeido, a pilgrim destination in its own right. You are welcome to take a look at my blog, starting at day 24 for the Ruta do Mar. This was an entirely solitary and truly wonderful week of coastal walking. There is lots of info in the blog, but if you have any questions, please ask away.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

@Magwood, this is a lovely and inspiring blog! We are considering doing this Camino as well (as an old Lebaniego route), during our upcoming 6 weeks in Costa Verde.
Well done!

 

[Magwood]

@Magwood, this is a lovely and inspiring blog! We are considering doing this Camino as well (as an old Lebaniego route), during our upcoming 6 weeks in Costa Verde.
Well done!

Thanks for your feedback. It was a wonderful experience.

 

[woofer]

@woofer I walked a version of the Mar in May 2016. I pretty much stuck to the coast and made a side trip to Estaca de Bares, the most northerly point of Spain, and to San Andres de Texeido, a pilgrim destination in its own right. You are welcome to take a look at my blog, starting at day 24 for the Ruta do Mar. This was an entirely solitary and truly wonderful week of coastal walking. There is lots of info in the blog, but if you have any questions, please ask away.

Many thanks - will indeed check out your blog!

 

[VeganCamino]

Hola ! I will be walking this route at the start of July. Anybody else walking this way? I've just had a quick glance at the new Cicerone guide and note that they suggest combining some sections of the "Ruta Cantabrica" which stays on the coast with "do Mar" which veers inland for a more church/sacred experience.

It seems there are hardly any albergues once you leave Ribadeo and there are 2 massive music festivals en route which greatly reduce the amount of accomodation available and also greatly increases the cost of accomodation. Has anyone walked this way in July the last few years and how difficult/expensive was it to find accomodation.

I'm on the Norte now thinking of walking to A Coruna. Looking for info. When/ where are the music festivals? Thanks fellow Pilgrim.

 

[woofer]

I'm on the Norte now thinking of walking to A Coruna. Looking for info. When/ where are the music festivals? Thanks fellow Pilgrim.

Hi there. Like I said above the metal festival is in Viveiro the first weekend in July and Ortigueira (nearer to Ferrol) has a 4 -day Celtic music festival the 2nd weekend. There are literally no beds available since early Feb in these towns for this summer. These are annual events that the Cicerone Guide obviously knows nothing about. Lack of dedicated albergues and costly accommodation is likely to keep numbers low on this Camino. Will post my experience of it over the next couple of weeks !

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hi there. Like I said above the metal festival is in Viveiro the first weekend in July and Ortigueira (nearer to Ferrol) has a 4 -day Celtic music festival the 2nd weekend. There are literally no beds available since early Feb in these towns for this summer. These are annual events that the Cicerone Guide obviously knows nothing about. Lack of dedicated albergues and costly accommodation is likely to keep numbers low on this Camino. Will post my experience of it over the next couple of weeks !

Hope you are able to avoid the festivals and find a bed, unless you want to attend them of course. I don't think the guides can list festivals even if annual without adding too much info and weight. Easier to check online for dates etc and get up to date information for the year.
It is a Camino that currently lacks much support for pilgrims but its low numbers made it attractive. We found the locals very welcoming and enthusiastic that we were walking their Camino.
Buen Camino

 

[Phil71]

I walked a part of the ruta Cantabrica from just after Ribadeo to as catedrais. Wonderful wonderful route.

 

[VeganCamino]

Hi there. Like I said above the metal festival is in Viveiro the first weekend in July and Ortigueira (nearer to Ferrol) has a 4 -day Celtic music festival the 2nd weekend. There are literally no beds available since early Feb in these towns for this summer. These are annual events that the Cicerone Guide obviously knows nothing about. Lack of dedicated albergues and costly accommodation is likely to keep numbers low on this Camino. Will post my experience of it over the next couple of weeks !

I see it now. Reserruction fest. Thanks for the heads up. I'm two weeks behind. Enjoy.

 

[woofer]

Hope you are able to avoid the festivals and find a bed, unless you want to attend them of course. I don't think the guides can list festivals even if annual without adding too much info and weight. Easier to check online for dates etc and get up to date information for the year.
It is a Camino that currently lacks much support for pilgrims but its low numbers made it attractive. We found the locals very welcoming and enthusiastic that we were walking their Camino.
Buen Camino

I am attending the Ortigueira festival as I'm finishing do Mar there but not going to the Heavy Metal festival in Viveiro. I cant agree with you that mentioning 2 festivals is adding weight and too much info to a guide book. It is extremely relevent and a big help to planning. I booked accomodation in Feb for my July walk and even then the only hotel rooms showing availability for Viveiro were quoting 220 euro. Surely peregrinos need this type of information ? There is little or no support for peregrinos and no albergues once you leave Ribadeo and though it is a lovely walk it seems to me more a marketing ploy to get more people to walk the Ruta Cantabrico which is over 80% identical than a real Camino.

 

[woofer]

 

[Tia Valeria]

............ I cant agree with you that mentioning 2 festivals is adding weight and too much info to a guide book. It is extremely relevent and a big help to planning. .................. Surely peregrinos need this type of information ? There is little or no support for peregrinos and no albergues once you leave Ribadeo and though it is a lovely walk it seems to me more a marketing ploy to get more people to walk the Ruta Cantabrico which is over 80% identical than a real Camino.

Viveiro and Ortegueira - Those are just 2 of the many festivals/ fiestas etc along the route (and also others) so it really would not be practicable to list them all. They are walking guides not cultural/historical in great depth, although they do include some relevent history etc. We research areas for ourselves before making plans so that we know is happening as we walk through.
I don't see it as a marketing ploy but a joining of older routes and also the route to San Andres. True there is no infrastructure for pilgrims but then, years ago, there was none on other Caminos until numbers began to make it desirable and viable. Still true of some of the other lesser known and used routes too.
Love the photos, they remind us of our time walking there.

 

[woofer]

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Viveiro and Ortegueira - Those are just 2 of the many festivals/ fiestas etc along the route (and also others) so it really would not be practicable to list them all. They are walking guides not cultural/historical in great depth, although they do include some relevent history etc. We research areas for ourselves before making plans so that we know is happening as we walk through.
I don't see it as a marketing ploy but a joining of older routes and also the route to San Andres. True there is no infrastructure for pilgrims but then, years ago, there was none on other Caminos until numbers began to make it desirable and viable. Still true of some of the other lesser known and used routes too.
Love the photos, they remind us of our time walking there.

Glad you liked the photos. My final word on the festivals - they are actually 2 of the biggest in Spain - he does mention Ortigueira. They do play a major role - given that we agree that peregrino accomodation is sadly lacking - in further reducing availability and causing prices to skyrocket ! After 4 days I have seen ONE do Mar sticker and a small scattering of fading yellow arrows. This walk - delightful as it is - is really the Ruta Cantabrico with a few optional extras and the exhorbitant cost of hotels will ensure that it's appeal as a fully fledged Camino remains unlikely in my opinion.

 

[Tia Valeria]

I think @woofer that it all depends on the route taken from the end of the As Catedrais boardwalk. We turned left and followed the Mar to San Cosme, then the Mar again inland to San Martiño (the Basilica) before turning north to Foz/Fazouro. From there we partly followed the Cantabrico where it and the Mar coincide and this was true of other sections too. We skipped a section between Viveiro and Ponte de Mera before continuing on the Mar to San Andrés itself, the actual destination of the Mar from either Ribadeo or Ferrol.
There are yellow arrows on the Mar and also in places the red GR signs which can be confusing so in one place we did find ourselves on the Cantabrico for a while, but realised where we had strayed. You walked much longer days than we did as it took us a week to reach Viveiro. We found the prices reasonable for what was on offer, not extortionate, but this is now 'high season' so prices will rise.
The new Cicerone guide's stages are between accommodation, when we walked the Lugo Amigos stages were between pick up points, often literally in the middle of nowhere so we had to make our own stages. (We realised that they had basically walked the route as day walks).
I suspect that cheap albergue type accommodation will only follow if there are sufficient pilgrims and therefore need, as has happened with the Norte and the Primitivo. Meanwhile the fact there are few walkers is part of its attraction for some of us but I think it will grow as others seek the less frequented routes.
Buen Camino as you continue.

 

[woofer]

Some of what you missed - the coastal way from Viveiro to O Vicedo (23km)

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Oh my gosh @woofer, those ROCKY beach shots (post #15) taken on the sand are awesome!

 

[woofer]

Oh my gosh @woofer, those ROCKY beach shots (post #15) taken on the sand are awesome!

The "Cathedral Rocks" - As Catedrais about 10 miles west of Ribadeo. Incredible!

 

[Tia Valeria]

The "Cathedral Rocks" - As Catedrais about 10 miles west of Ribadeo. Incredible!

Truly amazing.
Just a reminder that they are only visible/accessible at low tide and timing/numbers are strictly controlled in high season, monitored (for safety) the rest of the year. So if you plan to visit check out the up to date tides and 'rules' via a search engine.

 

[woofer]

Yeah - you actually need to register now at www.ascatedrais.xunta.gal which is free. You will also find times of low tides there also.