what to do if i only have 16 days to walk?

[sippymarie]

hello everyone! i recently decided to do my first camino this september (alone!) and i am wondering if anyone here has any advice about which portion(s) of the camino frances i should do if i only have about 16 days to walk? eventually i want to do the whole thing, but i have schedule constraints and it's just not possible for me this year. it feels really important to me to do it now, even if it's incomplete, rather than wait until next year! i was originally thinking i should just start somewhere that's roughly 12 days from santiago and then maybe do finisterre at the end, but based on some other things i've seen, it seems like maybe i could start at the beginning and then skip to the last 100km? thank you! buen camino to all of you!

 

[AK2112]

I would rather do the complete Camino Primitivo from Oviedo to SdC. Less pilegrims, more beautiful, but harder.

 

[roving_rufus]

My first time was 2 weeks and I walked CF from Leon to SdeC. But if you are keen to do the whole CF in future how about the CP from Porto as the Portuguese route has plenty of infrastructure and keep the CF for future? That said I enjoyed the last section of the CF from Leon.

 

[Anamiri]

hello everyone! i recently decided to do my first camino this september (alone!) and i am wondering if anyone here has any advice about which portion(s) of the camino frances i should do if i only have about 16 days to walk? eventually i want to do the whole thing, but i have schedule constraints and it's just not possible for me this year. it feels really important to me to do it now, even if it's incomplete, rather than wait until next year! i was originally thinking i should just start somewhere that's roughly 12 days from santiago and then maybe do finisterre at the end, but based on some other things i've seen, it seems like maybe i could start at the beginning and then skip to the last 100km? thank you! buen camino to all of you!

The benefit of starting in one of the bigger cities is that you spend less time travelling to the start, making the most of the days you have.
So based on that I'd suggest starting from Leon and walking into Santiago. 16 days will allow that.
There is a great satisfaction in walking into Santiago.
Or start from SJPDP if you think you will return and break the Camino across two trips.

 

[dougfitz]

hello everyone! i recently decided to do my first camino this september (alone!) and i am wondering if anyone here has any advice about which portion(s) of the camino frances i should do if i only have about 16 days to walk? eventually i want to do the whole thing, but i have schedule constraints and it's just not possible for me this year. it feels really important to me to do it now, even if it's incomplete, rather than wait until next year! i was originally thinking i should just start somewhere that's roughly 12 days from santiago and then maybe do finisterre at the end, but based on some other things i've seen, it seems like maybe i could start at the beginning and then skip to the last 100km? thank you! buen camino to all of you!

It might help if you change your thinking about what the pilgrimage is, or isn't, for you. For a start, every pilgrimage is a complete thing within itself, whether you walk for five days or fifty. Even if you might think that one day you might walk all the way from SJPP, Lisbon or somewhere else, if you walk a section now, that will be your pilgrimage.

Unless you have a definite plan to complete a particular route in sections, which I think is a perfectly good way of doing some of the longer routes, I would be inclined to think that ending in Santiago would be a better option. There is something very special about arriving there at the end of your pilgrimage that you can take away that I don't think you would get stopping somewhere else.

Splitting the camino over two or more discrete sections is clearly an option. When my wife got ill when we did the CF together, we in effect were forced into doing that. I wouldn't do it voluntarily myself. It was too disruptive of the flow of the camino for me, even though that is what we did to make it work. We saw others doing something similar, such as crossing the Pyrenees, and then taking the train or a bus to Sarria and continuing from there. Some were walking several sections, including from Sarria. That seems rather artificial to me, trying to pick the good or interesting towns to visit. It seemed more like a sight-seeing walk than a pilgrimage.

My last point is to echo the suggestion that you consider the Camino Portuguese route, starting at Porto. I have walked several different routes now, including the Central route from Porto. It seems to me that for someone doing their first Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, it has the same advantages as were lauded of the Frances in terms of places to stay, the numbers of other pilgrims walking, etc, but doesn't have the same crowding after Tui that seems to be occurring on the the Frances. You would still need to determine which of the routes to use leaving Porto, but it appears to me that none of them would present any particular difficulty if you plan to do sensible distances.

 

[henrythedog]

I’d agree with the recommendation to walk from Porto. If history is a guide the Frances will be very busy indeed in September. Do you have any flexibility in your timing? If you are committed to the Frances, August or late September through October would be better.

 

[woody66]

As the Portuguese Coastal and Espiritual Variant from Porto are the only paths i have walked i would do it again in a heartbeat!
!6 days are enough to complete this Camino to Santiago with a couple of spare for rest days!
Check out YouTube vids for some reference.

Less crowds but really good infrastructure.
The Portuguese people were amazing and so generous and friendly!
I love the sea and the walk along the coast was beautiful and just as good when you turn inland !
If it's historic sites you want then the central way has more i believe.
If you do decide to do a route in Portugal The Espiritual Variant has a lot to offer and is beautiful.
Whatever you decide have a wonderful walk
Buen Camino
Woody
Vids Porto riverside

 

[markie6]

If you feel the need to walk now, then it won't really matter too much where from or where to

I'd echo those who say from Porto would be manageable and give you a sense of completion if that would help

 

[MickMac]

If you feel the need to walk now, then it won't really matter too much where from or where to

I'd echo those who say from Porto would be manageable and give you a sense of completion if that would help

.

hello everyone! i recently decided to do my first camino this september (alone!) and i am wondering if anyone here has any advice about which portion(s) of the camino frances i should do if i only have about 16 days to walk? eventually i want to do the whole thing, but i have schedule constraints and it's just not possible for me this year. it feels really important to me to do it now, even if it's incomplete, rather than wait until next year! i was originally thinking i should just start somewhere that's roughly 12 days from santiago and then maybe do finisterre at the end, but based on some other things i've seen, it seems like maybe i could start at the beginning and then skip to the last 100km? thank you! buen camino to all of you!

As the song goes " Let's Start at the very beginning "

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

If you would not choose for the CF and would rather walk a "complete" camino and finish in Santiago I would prefer the Primitivo to the Portugues. The central route there I did not like very much, too much road walking on roads with many cars and little space for walkers. (The first 1,5 stage along the coast to Villa de Conde and the Spiritual Variant were very nice though) The primitivo is less crowded, more mountainous and so of cause harder but very worthwhile

 

[Camino Chrissy]

My opinion is I would start either in SJPdP or Pamplona going as far as is feasible in your allotted time. You can add on to it in the future as time permits...
OR walk the Portuguese route from Porto as others have suggested, including the Spiritual Variant, and you should be able to complete it and end up in Santiago if that is important to you.

 

[Flatlander]

i recently decided to do my first camino this september (alone!)

Congratulations!!!

i only have about 16 days to walk?

I am not going to give suggestions or advice on a route, just on language.

I'm a big believer that the language we use is very important - even, especially, the language we use in our internal monologues.

"Only" 16 days is a lot longer than others can manage!

If I tell myself I "only" have x amount of time to do something I can already feel a little pressure, a little tension in my neck and shoulders. Of course, that may just be me.

One person's 16 days of walking could be another person's month or another's week!

@dougfitz has some excellent advice above. Figure out what you want then figure out how to get it.
For me, the best way of figuring out what I want is to research. Personally, I prefer to read, others prefer the visual. There is no shortage of either.

I don't "research" for facts, I "research" for inspiration. I am not looking for the best albergue/place to eat/most beautiful view. I am attempting to get a "feel" for a place or a route. I also like to leave a lot unresearched so I have surprises (for good and bad) along the way. I most certainly do not want to build up a list that I will then check off as I go along. That way lies madness!

There are many people who do longer Caminos in stages, sometimes just a few days at a time. Indeed, some solo pilgrims meet similar along the way and then arrange subsequent sections together!

To be boring and practical for a moment, it is always a good idea to pick a route that is appropriate to your skills. Long, empty stages with little accommodation, food and drinking options can be more difficult for some than others. Or, there may be time to prepare yourself for the route that speaks to you!

It's all good!
You have decisions to make but they're good decisions!

Buen Camino!

 

[ZampeBianche]

@sippymarie I might be in a similar boat (and on a similar schedule)! Trying to negotiate more time off from work so I can walk the entire Frances, but it might just not be feasible this year. I'm also thinking about starting from Leon; would prefer Burgos if I can swing it as I'd quite like to see the Meseta. The Portuguese Costal sounds great though, as does the Primitivo. It is very important to me to finish in Santiago.

For the experienced pilgrims in here, is the Primitivo feasible for a first time pilgrim? I'm a woman in my late 30s, ok physical shape but not an experienced backpacker at all, haha. I have done day hikes over some gnarly terrain for field trips but nothing long distance like the camino.

 

[kelleymac]

My son and I walked from Leon to Santiago de Compostela our first time. I had been putting off walking for years because I could not find 4 weeks to walk, so I finally said-- I'll walk what I can. Like you, we had 16 days, and I was unsure about how far I could walk. The 16 days gave us a few extra days (one in Leon, half a day in Astorga and Samos, a couple days in Santiago). Knowing now how far I can walk, I think we might have been able to start in Burgos, but that would be pushing it, with no breaks.

Buen Camino!

 

[Catherineeliza]

Just to echo what others have said, I don't think you need to end in Santiago. Wherever you end, you're likely to be have been bitten by the bug and be dying to get back and complete it at a later date and you have that to look forward to.

I think if you start the Camino Francés half way through, you're perhaps unlikely to go back and do the earlier stages, which, for me were some of the nicest.

I did the Camino Francés and never had 5/6 weeks free, so I did it in stages starting at St Jean Pied de Port. When I eventually arrived in Santiago on my 4th Camino, it was so special. I guess it does depend however where you live and how easy it is to get to Spain.

I don't have experience of the other Caminos, which do sound amazing too!

Happy planning!

 

[trecile]

Trying to negotiate more time off from work so I can walk the entire Frances,

Forget about the concept of the "entire Francés.". Walking into Santiago from any spot on any route makes it a complete Camino for you. SJPdP is an arbitrary starting point. There's a long thread about it here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/whats-so-special-about-sjpp.80751/

If you want to receive a Compostela the only requirement is that you walk the final 100 km into Santiago on a recognized route and get 2 stamps per day in your credential during that 100 km.

 

[sp01326]

Two options in my opinion.
1. Primitivo (the most beautiful Camino for me) and prolongation to Finisterre and/or muxia.
2. Start in Burgos, then walk through mesetas, Cruz de hierro and Cebreiro. Then stop where you arrive. Keep in mind that the last km are sadly busy also in September. From Melide.
Both the hypotheses are challenging for the legs but can give you strong sensations.
In any case, Buen Camino

 

[Former member 92300]

Personally - For the Frances I would start in SJPDP and walk until I need to catch a bus/train to my departure point and pick up where I left off next time.

You could do the Primitivo in that time, but I personally think the Frances is the best starter route with all of it's infrastructure and history. Primitivo is easily done in 2 weeks, but it is a more challenging route with longer distances between accommodations.

 

[Former member 101413]

hello everyone! i recently decided to do my first camino this september (alone!) and i am wondering if anyone here has any advice about which portion(s) of the camino frances i should do if i only have about 16 days to walk? eventually i want to do the whole thing, but i have schedule constraints and it's just not possible for me this year. it feels really important to me to do it now, even if it's incomplete, rather than wait until next year! i was originally thinking i should just start somewhere that's roughly 12 days from santiago and then maybe do finisterre at the end, but based on some other things i've seen, it seems like maybe i could start at the beginning and then skip to the last 100km? thank you! buen camino to all of you!

What is the reason for you to do the Camino? It sounds like doing Europe in 5 days, running very quickly through very historical and famous places, not really getting the deep feeling for this religious pilgrimage, only to proof to friends and yourself that you could have walked a part. Lots of people run instead of walk this way just to proof the fitness. But is this the reason for this Camino? You fly in over a very long distance just for running? Don't you have nice walking challenges in your country? Sure, in these days it is easy to fly and book and run.
Again, is this the target to walk this way.

 

[sp01326]

Personally - For the Frances I would start in SJPDP and walk until I need to catch a bus/train to my departure point and pick up where I left off next time.

You could do the Primitivo in that time, but I personally think the Frances is the best starter route with all of it's infrastructure and history. Primitivo is easily done in 2 weeks, but it is a more challenging route with longer distances between accommodations.

In the “early Frances” the first step will be the hardest (SJPDP-Roncesvalles). It’s useful to start well trained.
In the Primitivo the longest distance without services is the wonderful route called “Hospitales” (17km).

 

[Former member 92300]

In the Primitivo the longest distance without services is the wonderful route called “Hospitales” (17km).

Same as Frances - but on the Frances, there are accommodations and other services frequently at every 3-5km intervals. That is not the case on the Primitivo. There isn't as much flexibility to walk your preferred distances vs the stages on the Primitivo compared to the Frances.

 

[Former member 92300]

What is the reason for you to do the Camino? It sounds like doing Europe in 5 days, running very quickly through very historical and famous places, not really getting the deep feeling for this religious pilgrimage, only to proof to friends and yourself that you could have walked a part. Lots of people run instead of walk this way just to proof the fitness. But is this the reason for this Camino? You fly in over a very long distance just for running? Don't you have nice walking challenges in your country? Sure, in these days it is easy to fly and book and run.
Again, is this the target to walk this way.

A lot of people fly in just to do Sarria to Santiago in under a week - at least the OP has over 2 weeks time.

 

[sippymarie]

Congratulations!!!


I am not going to give suggestions or advice on a route, just on language.

I'm a big believer that the language we use is very important - even, especially, the language we use in our internal monologues.

"Only" 16 days is a lot longer than others can manage!

If I tell myself I "only" have x amount of time to do something I can already feel a little pressure, a little tension in my neck and shoulders. Of course, that may just be me.

One person's 16 days of walking could be another person's month or another's week!

thank you, this is very good advice! 16 days of walking (plus a couple travel days on either end) will still be the longest solo trip and most walking i've ever done, by a LOT, so you are absolutely right that i should banish the word "only" from my vocabulary

i think based on everyone's advice i will either start in leon or do the central portuguese route. thanks all!

 

[Anamya]

Having done both CF and CP, I also vote for doing the Camino from Porto. Fits perfectly in your schedule, walking from an iconic cathedral to another. And has excellent infrastructure to support pilgrims, without the crowds.

The camino starts at your door, so do not worry about feeling like you have to start here or there. Enjoy the journey!

 

[sippymarie]

It might help if you change your thinking about what the pilgrimage is, or isn't, for you. For a start, every pilgrimage is a complete thing within itself, whether you walk for five days or fifty. Even if you might think that one day you might walk all the way from SJPP, Lisbon or somewhere else, if you walk a section now, that will be your pilgrimage.

Unless you have a definite plan to complete a particular route in sections, which I think is a perfectly good way of doing some of the longer routes, I would be inclined to think that ending in Santiago would be a better option. There is something very special about arriving there at the end of your pilgrimage that you can take away that I don't think you would get stopping somewhere else.

Splitting the camino over two or more discrete sections is clearly an option. When my wife got ill when we did the CF together, we in effect were forced into doing that. I wouldn't do it voluntarily myself. It was too disruptive of the flow of the camino for me, even though that is what we did to make it work. We saw others doing something similar, such as crossing the Pyrenees, and then taking the train or a bus to Sarria and continuing from there. Some were walking several sections, including from Sarria. That seems rather artificial to me, trying to pick the good or interesting towns to visit. It seemed more like a sight-seeing walk than a pilgrimage.

My last point is to echo the suggestion that you consider the Camino Portuguese route, starting at Porto. I have walked several different routes now, including the Central route from Porto. It seems to me that for someone doing their first Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, it has the same advantages as were lauded of the Frances in terms of places to stay, the numbers of other pilgrims walking, etc, but doesn't have the same crowding after Tui that seems to be occurring on the the Frances. You would still need to determine which of the routes to use leaving Porto, but it appears to me that none of them would present any particular difficulty if you plan to do sensible distances.

thank you, this is very good advice! i think you are right that doing it as one continuous walk to santiago rather than skipping around will feel better. i am definitely considering the portuguese route, it seems like a great fit for my needs! since it's my first time and i'm going alone, i want to do a route that will have a lot of infrastructure and other pilgrims around. i might also do the frances starting in leon. cheers!

 

[sippymarie]

What is the reason for you to do the Camino? It sounds like doing Europe in 5 days, running very quickly through very historical and famous places, not really getting the deep feeling for this religious pilgrimage, only to proof to friends and yourself that you could have walked a part. Lots of people run instead of walk this way just to proof the fitness. But is this the reason for this Camino? You fly in over a very long distance just for running? Don't you have nice walking challenges in your country? Sure, in these days it is easy to fly and book and run.
Again, is this the target to walk this way.

what a strange post! who said anything about running? or "proving fitness"? as someone else in this thread said, "every pilgrimage is a complete thing within itself, whether you walk for five days or fifty." not everyone has the ability to take a month and a half away from their families and jobs and responsibilities. there are plenty of shorter camino routes that people do all the time for all kinds of reasons. i'm just trying to make the most of the time that i have available, and many other people on this thread have been helpful and encouraging so i will listen to their advice. cheers!

 

[RolfMagener]

I would suggest the Camino Primitivo...beautiful scenery and can be done in 12 days. I have a video on youTube if you want to see what it's like:

 

[David Tallan]

hello everyone! i recently decided to do my first camino this september (alone!) and i am wondering if anyone here has any advice about which portion(s) of the camino frances i should do if i only have about 16 days to walk? eventually i want to do the whole thing, but i have schedule constraints and it's just not possible for me this year. it feels really important to me to do it now, even if it's incomplete, rather than wait until next year! i was originally thinking i should just start somewhere that's roughly 12 days from santiago and then maybe do finisterre at the end, but based on some other things i've seen, it seems like maybe i could start at the beginning and then skip to the last 100km? thank you! buen camino to all of you!

If you only have 16 days to walk and eventually want to do the whole thing and want to do the Frances, I would start wherever you think the "whole thing" begins. That's a pretty fraught topic here. You could pick St. Jean Pied de Port, Roncevalles, Pamplona, Puente la Reina, or somewhere further from Santiago than SJPdP. Then walk as far as you get in the time you have available and resume your Camino from there next time. Get a stamp where you stop; keep your credential and next time restart it with a stamp from the same place. Many Europeans do this and complete their Caminos in sections over a number of years.

Alternatively, I often advise people with only 16 days to walk to walk the Portugues from Porto to Santiago. That fits nicely in a couple of weeks, has plenty of infrastructure and support, and isn't one of the most challenging Caminos, all of which make it excellent for a first-time pilgrim. Walking a fair distance every day alone is enough of a challenge without throwing in the more challenging terrain throughout the Camino or less infrastructure limiting the choices in how far you walk each day.