View Full Version : El Camino de Santiago 2009
I have been looking into El Camino de Santiago, and the more I read the more enticing it sounds.
I am thinking about walking it in late spring (mid-April through May) in 2009. There are several branches to this ancient pilgrim route. The one I am looking is the "main" route (Camino Frances) and starts in Saint Jean Pied de Port. The time frame could move a little, though I would prefer not to start much earlier or too much later. I am also open to staying in Europe after the hike for a while.
This route is 800km, about 500 miles. The terrain in not difficult and hikers typically stay in hostels, refuges, and auberges (non-campground camping is evidently outlawed throughout Europe), so it is fairly easy to hike. I have read some trail journals and people seem to average 15-17 miles a day, so I am planning on four to five weeks.
If anyone is also has this path on their "bucket list" and would like to plan a joint venture, feel free to post here or PM or email me.
thought this was a bicycle route? though i suppose it can be done that way too?
thought this was a bicycle route? though i suppose it can be done that way too?http://youtube.com/watch?v=RMOIAbUDQNA
What a coincidence. Someone I know just told me today that they are doing this trail this summer - and I had never heard of it. She also told me that 93,000 people do it each year. Crazy!
Princess Hoot
06-06-2008, 22:15
I have been looking into El Camino de Santiago, and the more I read the more enticing it sounds.
I am thinking about walking it in late spring (mid-April through May) in 2009. There are several branches to this ancient pilgrim route. The one I am looking is the "main" route (Camino Frances) and starts in Saint Jean Pied de Port. The time frame could move a little, though I would prefer not to start much earlier or too much later. I am also open to staying in Europe after the hike for a while.
This route is 800km, about 500 miles. The terrain in not difficult and hikers typically stay in hostels, refuges, and auberges (non-campground camping is evidently outlawed throughout Europe), so it is fairly easy to hike. I have read some trail journals and people seem to average 15-17 miles a day, so I am planning on four to five weeks.
If anyone is also has this path on their "bucket list" and would like to plan a joint venture, feel free to post here or PM or email me.
I did 100 miles of the el camino couple years ago We started at Sars, Spain, and hiked to Santiago. It was an amazing trip.........unforgettable and I have always wanted to go back and do the whole thing................would definately be interested.............I am old but feisty....:banana...........doing the AT now in sections..........any interest................thanks Jan Boudrie
Princess Hoot
06-06-2008, 22:17
I am new to this...........must have answered incorrectly................ hope you got the email
I am new to this...........must have answered incorrectly................ hope you got the email
I am new to this...........must have answered incorrectly................ hope you got the emailAlas, I didn't get an email or message. I sent one to you, or you can email me:
tom-sweeney ATSIGN comcast.net
Hi,
I just did the Camino last summer from Amsterdam, Netherlands until Fisterra, Spain (3 days after Santiago)
I left alone but after a while (especially in Spain) i met many others. Until the border of France, I met no other pilgrims
In case you want more info the guides I used where as follows
Pelgrimspad I & II > Via Mosana > GR 654 > Voie de Vezelay > Camino del Norte
The total distance was 1900 miles or 3000 km (85 days)
I averaged about 22 miles per day
overall the trip was very good.
After Vezelay you can find pilgrim accommodation pretty regularly, but I would still carry a tent (i used a Golite Lair tarp) to be sure
There are always places to sleep. I slept a lot in my tent in the country side
There are many churches that have a porch which you can usually sleep under (stealthily) in smaller towns
Sometimes I slept in town hall or abandoned school after a villager gave me permission. Or sometimes I would be invited into people's homes!
If you are interested in having a wilderness experience, do something else, because you are never really in the wilderness, although there are many beautiful forests and landscapes along the way. "pastoral" is a good word to describe it. However there is A LOT of road walking and some sections are quite dangerous due to traffic
But there are very beautiful parts. My favorites where in Belgium, southwest France, and Galicia in Spain. Sometimes it really felt like I was back in time. I really miss the cobblestone streets, medieval ruins, the sheep and cows, the villages, and the good food, and of course the freedom and tranquility
I highly recommend taking the "Camino del Norte" which follows the north coast of Spain. Then you can take the "camino primitivo" to Santiago. It is much more quiet, you can swim in the sea, the views are amazing. The weather is also cooler in the summer
I speak french but it would have been nice to know a bit of dutch and spanish
No need to carry a stove, there are towns everywhere
It is ridiculous how many people do the Camino Frances (Main way) in the summer. The refuges are totally packed and you never hike alone
It is possible to do this by bike, although bikes sometimes have to take alternate routes because the path can go through rocky or steep trails
I can send you some pics of my trip if you want (send me a PM) or if you have questions
Take care
:)