Which camino fits to my criteria?

[LenaOnTheRoad]

Hello everybody, I just discovered this forum and I'm super happy to be able to talk to you guys! Thank you for beeing here! I'm asking you for recommendations, as I don't know, where to walk:

I would like to walk in October for a week or two in the nature. As I already did 3 different caminos (Frances, Portugues, Via de la Plata) and as I live in Valencia I was considering the camino Levante, but after a bit of reserach I see it is probably not the camino what I need right now. What I am hoping to find is:

- A lot of nature, forest, lakes, rivers, hills, but not high mountains (knee problems), rather flat or little mountains. Forest is important.
- Not to close to cities and roads, don't wanna walk on streets nor spending time in cities (as I live in a big city, I really need to connect with the nature).
- The distances between the albergues not too high. My max. per day is 20 km. But actually 10 or 15 km would be perfect.
- Not as crowded as Camino Frances, but not as empty as Via de la Plata. Sleeping alone in a albergue is a bit scary and boring..

From what I read the camino Levante has nothing of my criterias. At least not in the first 200-300 km.

What camino, or which part of the camino (about 100-200 km) would you recommend? The most important is enjoying the forest, the nature.

Thank you all in advance!

Lena

Ps: I wanna walk in October
Ps.: I don't need to arrive in Santiago

 

[LenaOnTheRoad]

Maybe this category is not the best for my post? But I didn't find anything that would fit.

 

[Kathor1]

Not as crowded as Camino Frances, but not as empty as Via de la Plata. Sleeping alone in a albergue is a bit scary and boring..
Ps: I wanna walk in October

Do you mean now in October? 2020?

Not even the Camino Frances was crowded this September - detailed statistics were published today by the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago - and October will be even less crowded.

 

[LenaOnTheRoad]

Well, I was there in 2013, it was very crowded by young party people in groups.
I have no idea how it is now. Thank you!

 

[Turga]

Are you familiar with this website - it has good information on many different caminos.

Happy planning and Buen Camino!

 

[LenaOnTheRoad]

I ckecked several websites and guides already, but before i invest days and weeks in the research, I was hoping somebody could have an idea for me...

 

[evanlow]

You are in Spain, quite devoid of forest.

I would think of Camino Primitivo would be your best bet, along the ridges of the mountains. Not forest but lots of trees. Stages are not long, should be quite but enough people.

If you really love forests than maybe asking too much but Germany would be a better place. I walked the Mosel Valley Camino there last October and what struck me the biggest difference in the Camino is the green there...

 

[jungleboy]

I would think of Camino Primitivo would be your best bet, along the ridges of the mountains. Not forest but lots of trees. Stages are not long, should be quite but enough people.

This was also going to be my recommendation. It seems to fit the criteria as well as or better than any other option.

 

[LenaOnTheRoad]

Haha, thank you, but I'm from Germany and I really don't wanna go back there, the wheather kills me...And yes, we do have a lot of places with forest in Spain, too. Maybe not the hugest forest on earth, But I remember to walk through forest on other caminos (Frances, Portugues, even on the Via de la Plata..)

I will defintely check out colser the camino primitivo! Thank you!

 

[trecile]

Not a Camino, but maybe the Picos de Europa?

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/picos-de-europa.65070/

 

[LenaOnTheRoad]

Look amazing! But unfortunately my legs are not made for this kind of mountains...

 

[trecile]

Look amazing! But unfortunately my legs are not made for this kind of mountains...

I'm sorry, I forgot that you said no high mountains.
I haven't done it yet, but I think that the Primitivo would also be out based on the criteria of no steep mountains.

 

[LenaOnTheRoad]

I just checked it and yes, I think, it's too steep for me. It' also rainig a lot there next week.
Right now I'm reading about the route Via Augusta Cadiz-Sevilla, 170 km. Still warm, flat, and it seems to go through a national park or something similar. No Albergues, but hostels etc....

Edit: Yeah, it doesn't go to the national park, but follows the national street...bummer

 

[JohnMcM]

Hello Lena,
Welcome to the forum.

I don't have a particular Camino suggestion to offer in answer to your post.

I only wanted to say that perhaps there is section of the 3 Caminos you have already walked that meets your needs?

Buen (satisfying) Camino

 

[alexwalker]

Or you can check out Camino Madrid.

 

[Kanga]

My recommendation is also the Camino de Madrid. Lovely soft dirt paths, no roads, pretty much flat all the way, only one climb, distances between stops manageable (although usually longer than 15km). Not much in the way of forests though.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I was thinking of the Catalan from Huesca to Santa Cilia until I got to the part about distance and loneliness.

 

[David Tallan]

You are in Spain, quite devoid of forest.

I would think of Camino Primitivo would be your best bet, along the ridges of the mountains. Not forest but lots of trees. Stages are not long, should be quite but enough people.

If you really love forests than maybe asking too much but Germany would be a better place. I walked the Mosel Valley Camino there last October and what struck me the biggest difference in the Camino is the green there...

An interesting recommendation. I haven't walked the Primitivo myself, but everything I've read about it suggests it is one of the more challenging routes in terms of climbs and descents. The OPS seemed to be looking to avoid those due to knee problems. But if the climbs and descents can be easily avoided because the Camino just walks along the ridges that's okay then.

 

[lt56ny]

Do not forget to check accommodation availability before you choose a route and start. You can find alot of information on this website about that.

 

[Richmond Gardner]

Is the Olvidado gentle enough? Don’t know myself, as I have only wished to walk it. Perhaps someone else knows? I do believe that it is wooded much of the way

 

[grayland]

I am not a fan of mountain or uphill walking and avoid it as much as I can. I was surprised to see some posters reject the Primitivo due to hills.

Having said that...I do not recall that the Primitivo was that difficult. It is not flat, but I would remember if it was particularly demanding as far as hills are concerned. There were many areas of trees and forests. Open albergues would be something to research.

 

[VNwalking]

Is the Olvidado gentle enough?

Gentle it's not.
Parts of the Invierno are out too, if you don't want any hills. If you want lots of forest, the challenge is that it tends to come with wrinkly landscape.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Parts of the Invierno are out too, if you don't want any hills.

According to the spec in the OP hills are Ok, just not high mountains.

Lena - I think you've set an impossible wish-list!
I can't think of camino 100-200km that has wild countryside including woods that has accommodation every 10-15km, max 20km. Generally the more popular and accommodation-rich means more travelled caminos with more built-up sections, or else the wide open meseta in the case of the Frances. That section of the VdlP from Sanabria into Galicia is the closest I can think of to what you are looking for - but still tricky for accommodation, and you've already done that I think.
Primitivo maybe the best of the rest, possibly starting in Oviedo and finishing in Lugo (as you don't mind missing Santiago), but v unlikely you'll always get under 20k for the stages.
Otherwise I'd research the Salvador - it goes through the mountains but it's not a mountain path - although you will want to always be checking the weather. Gronze splits it into five stages but I reckon you could make it eight or nine, in which case each one will be pretty easy. You start on the open meseta but move into the foothills on the first day. Once you get over the high point to the north side, you are in the watershed of the Cantabrian mountains and there's lots of interesting forests and woodland until you close in on Oviedo.
Cheers, tom

 

[islandwalker]

- A lot of nature, forest, lakes, rivers, hills, but not high mountains (knee problems), rather flat or little mountains. Forest is important.
- Not to close to cities and roads, don't wanna walk on streets nor spending time in cities (as I live in a big city, I really need to connect with the nature).
- The distances between the albergues not too high. My max. per day is 20 km. But actually 10 or 15 km would be perfect.
- Not as crowded as Camino Frances, but not as empty as Via de la Plata. Sleeping alone in a albergue is a bit scary and boring..

Might the Via Serrana work for you? You can read a description in Johnnie Walker's excellent guide. It's 240 kilometers from La Linea de la Concepción to Sevilla, has some beautiful forested paths through Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales, and passes through villages that are close together, making it possible to keep stages under 20 km. Elevation-wise, there is one hard day between El Colmenar and Estación Cortes de la Frontera, but this can be bypassed by using an alternate route or taking the train that runs through the river valley. Other days have little elevation change. (See the charts in the guide.) One drawback is there are no albergues, and there might not be any other walkers at this time of year. If you stay in small hotels, though, there would likely be others there.

 

[Peregrino andante]

I haven't walked the Invierno, but I did take the train from Santiago de C to Pamplona, which goes through the area the Invierno covers. I remember extensive forest-covered hills and beautiful river valleys. Gronze's stages total around 200 km, and the site also includes an elevation profile of each stage so you can see if the route fits your needs. Perhaps the section of this forum on the Camino Invierno might be helpful: Camino Invierno Forum

 

[Conor40]

Hi Lena,
I'm not sure when you plan to commence walking but I would recommend you start from Le-Pey-En-Valay in France. It's the starting point of the Camino Frances and not St Jean Pied-De-Port.

I walked six days along the trail towards the end of last October. I am keen to return asap. I may get to by next weekend if I can get a flight to Toulouse/Lyon from Ireland. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 situation is rapidly deteriorating in parts of France.

It is an incredibly beautiful stretch with plenty of deciduous forests and historical medieval villages. It is recognized by UNESCO as an area of outstanding beauty.

The food is better than in Spain and so is the wine There was plenty of accommodation and the distances between towns wasn't vast as with the VDP in places.

I too have completed four Caminos: Primitivo, VDP, Norte and CF from St Jean. Based on my experiences the walk from Le Puy En Valey is an excellent option to seriously consider.

Bon chemin

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

As you live in Valencia, why not try the peaceful Camino del Ebro?