What's your best non-standard itinerary for the last 100km?

[Ungawawa]

I never tire of doing the Camino Francés (five times and counting!), but the overcrowding in the summer months has made the Brierley stages from Sarria a no-go for me. That's why today I'm interested in your alternative itineraries for the last 100 km of the Francés in the summer!

I want to hear your ideas of how to avoid the worst logjams and keep your serenity. Please post your four or five-day stage suggestions for those last 100km avoiding the most overcrowded spots. Bonus points if you can add in some suggestions of albergues or special things that place has to offer in the summer!

Here's my most recent one to get the ball running:

• Barbadelo: the peaceful alternative to Sarria. Casa de Carmen is a nice spot to eat/stay with a charismatic hospitalera.
• Gonzar (28.7 km) - your choice of three places, one with a pool!
• Melide (32.3 km) - Albergue San Anton is great if you can get it
• Salceda (25.6 km) - enjoy the fabulous Mesón A Esquipa restaurant there with the best churrasco and pulpo
• Santiago (27.7 km)

 

[Robo]

I have walked that final section 3 times but not since 2018.
So places may have changed.

But if I was to walk it again I would only stay in intermediate 'smaller' places and probably leave later in the day, say 9am. But I'm not sure even that avoids the crowds much these days.

Maybe someone who has walked this year could give a view?

In the past we have stayed in places like Morgade, Ferreiros, Ventas, A Rua, A Brea, Salceda, Lavacolla.

Of course you know the easy answer!
Turn left at Ponferrada.

Why are you so keen to walk that part of the CF again?

 

[trecile]

But if I was to walk it again I would only stay in intermediate 'smaller' places and probably leave later in the day, say 9am. But I'm not sure even that avoids the crowds much these days.

Last year in June, coming off of the Primitivo I stayed in Boente and Santa Irene. I was in a private room in an albergue in Boente, but two of my friends were in the dorm, and when they woke up between 6:30 and 7:00 everyone else had left. I think that we started walking at 7:30 and didn't see lots of people on the way, though of course the bars were busy, but not overly so. The next night our small group were the only ones staying at Albergue Astrar near Santa Irene. The next morning we didn't see any other pilgrims for about an hour and a half.

 

[stewinyvr]

I managed a couple of quiet days after Sarria at Gonzar and Ponte Campaña. On the afternoon walking from Portomarin to Gonzar I only saw 10 people..I saw not much more than this the whole of the following day, but this was partly down to Hurricane Kirk..I was there at the beginning of October this year.

 

[Roland49]

• Barbadelo: the peaceful alternative to Sarria. Casa de Carmen is a nice spot to eat/stay with a charismatic hospitalera.
• Gonzar (28.7 km) - your choice of three places, one with a pool!
• Melide (32.3 km) - Albergue San Anton is great if you can get it
• Salceda (25.6 km) - enjoy the fabulous Mesón A Esquipa restaurant there with the best churrasco and pulpo
• Santiago (27.7 km)

I stayed in Sarria in Casa Peltre (not the worst stop, even in July), Portomarin (Folgueira), Ponte Campaña (Casa Domingo), A Rúa (Espiritu Xacobeo) and SdC (km 0) and was quite happy with the outcome.

 

[Harland2019]

The only thing I would suggest, if you want to get to Santiago early to either catch a plane home or to miss the worst of the queues for your Compostela, is to stay at Lavacolla. There will then be a short walk the following day into Santiago although you will likely miss the companionship of those you may have been walking with if they do a "more normal" final day.

 

[VNwalking]

Last year in June, coming off of the Primitivo I stayed in Boente and Santa Irene

Same here in mid-April.

Boente: Albergue El Aleman, fabulous place. Not your standard Albergue, ️️️️️
I met others here who had come off the Primitivo, so there was a nice feeling of continuity.

Santa Irene: Santa Irene Municipal. I originally thought to go to the same place you did, @trecile , but the municipal was right there on the way and perfectly adequate - actually more than adequate. Very nice. And spotless. Just no food when I got there, so plan ahead. It sure beats the crowds at O Pino/O Pedrouzo.

 

[Ungawawa]

I have walked that final section 3 times but not since 2018.
So places may have changed.

But if I was to walk it again I would only stay in intermediate 'smaller' places and probably leave later in the day, say 9am. But I'm not sure even that avoids the crowds much these days.

Maybe someone who has walked this year could give a view?

In the past we have stayed in places like Morgade, Ferreiros, Ventas, A Rua, A Brea, Salceda, Lavacolla.

Did any stand out to you as being particularly nice?

Of course you know the easy answer!
Turn left at Ponferrada.

I've done the Invierno last year and loved it!

Why are you so keen to walk that part of the CF again?

I walked this summer from Le Puy. You can probably imagine how having walked from June and arriving in Santiago in August that not doing the final five stages wasn't an option. You've built up friendships over a long distance and to let all that go in the last five days would just be daft.

However it was a whole new type of hell that I'd never seen before! I left Sarria at 5:30am, marched with no breaks to a totally booked-out Portomarin (not even expensive hotels left). At 11am there were still 80 people ahead of me in the queue for the Xunta albergue! I got in this time, but vowed I never want to do this again. I'm looking for different itineraries that could avoid the crowds for the next time I end up on those very common last few stages west of Santiago.

 

[Ungawawa]

Same here in mid-April.

Boente: Albergue El Aleman, fabulous place. Not your standard Albergue, ️️️️️
I met others here who had come off the Primitivo, so there was a nice feeling of continuity.

Santa Irene: Santa Irene Municipal. I originally thought to go to the same place you did, @trecile , but the municipal was right there on the way and perfectly adequate - actually more than adequate. Very nice. And spotless. Just no food when I got there, so plan ahead. It sure beats the crowds at O Pino/O Pedrouzo.

Thanks for the tip of Santa Irene. I'll put that on my list for the future.
I've been to Boente. Nice albergue but my overriding memory of it was how terrible the food there was!

 

[Ungawawa]

The only thing I would suggest, if you want to get to Santiago early to either catch a plane home or to miss the worst of the queues for your Compostela, is to stay at Lavacolla. There will then be a short walk the following day into Santiago although you will likely miss the companionship of those you may have been walking with if they do a "more normal" final day.

How is Lavacolla to stay at? Are there nice albergues with good spirit? I've only ever walked through it.

 

[Ungawawa]

I stayed in Sarria in Casa Peltre (not the worst stop, even in July), Portomarin (Folgueira), Ponte Campaña (Casa Domingo), A Rúa (Espiritu Xacobeo) and SdC (km 0) and was quite happy with the outcome.

Thanks. A Rua is a good suggestion instead of Pedrouzo. One for the list.
KM0 is a favourite of mine too!

 

[Ungawawa]

Last year in June, coming off of the Primitivo I stayed in Boente and Santa Irene. I was in a private room in an albergue in Boente, but two of my friends were in the dorm, and when they woke up between 6:30 and 7:00 everyone else had left. I think that we started walking at 7:30 and didn't see lots of people on the way, though of course the bars were busy, but not overly so. The next night our small group were the only ones staying at Albergue Astrar near Santa Irene. The next morning we didn't see any other pilgrims for about an hour and a half.

They probably had their eyes on a Xunta albergue. In August I found you have to leave at 5am and not take many breaks to get a spot in the Xunta places! I decided I couldn't do that any more as it took all the joy out of the walking.