Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

[JohnnieWalker]

Camino Ingles – 27 July - 1 August 2007


“Spend 5 days exploring Northern Spain with its sea views, wonderful scenery and the coolness of forest glades. Then have 2 days in Santiago de Compostela enjoying the many restaurants, visiting historic buildings including the magnificent Cathedral or simply sit in the square watching pilgrims arrive and life go by.”

Sounds like an advertisement for a City Break! But it is a very good description of the last week I spent on the Camino Ingles and then in Santiago. It is a perfect route for anyone who wishes to either prepare for a longer route or simply has one week’s vacation. The route from Ferrol is over 100 kms and therefore qualifies for a Compostela, the certificate of pilgrimage provided at the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago. The other arm of the Camino Ingles from A Coruna (perhaps the more historically authentic!) is less than 100 – I will walk it another time.

Getting there

Is easy with either a Ryanair flight into Santiago or a Clickair flight into A Coruna – bus services readily available.


I found the postings on this site very useful and the CSJ Guide invaluable background. In particular Bill Murphy’s posting: viewtopic.php?t=1025 is very helpful as it can be printed out in the daily stages then each day pop the relevant sheet into a zip lock. But there are some issues with both this posting and the CSJ Guide.

First there seems to be some discrepancy on the distances of one of the stages – that from Betanzos to Hospital de Bruma with the CSJ claiming it is c24 k and Bill Murphy 34.8k. There are also claims in some other internet reports that there is a steep climb in this etapa which can take “hours”. I’m sure there will be other discussions on the distance but I would say don’t be put off by worrying about the exact distance – I took 8 hours of steady walking plus one of rest in two 30 mins periods. Water top ups are readily available along the way. I usually walk at a steady 4k per hour and the 3k “climb” took me 45 mins. It isn’t a mountain just a steady uphill walk on a forest path most of the way. Go for it!

That 3k uphill walk is one of the attractive aspects of this little route. There is considerable interest, the scenery is wonderful in parts and it also has some bite to give you a sense of achievement. The route is well waymarked and it looked to me as if there have been some very recent improvements in signing. For example in Bill Murphy’s post there is a point where he says “turn right” when actually the turn is Left – but when on the Camino always go with the yellow arrows and almost universally they are obvious.

I used exactly the same stages:

Day 1 Ferrol to Pontedeume 23.7 km (14.7 miles)
Day 2 Pontedeume to Betanzos 22 km (13.6 miles)
Day 3 Betanzos to Hospital de Bruma - distance to be agreed!
Day 4 Hospital de Bruma to Sigueiro 21.4 km (13.3 miles)
Day 5 Sigueiro to Santiago de Compostela 17 km (10.6 miles)


The route out of Ferrol isn’t terribly well waymarked although if you simply keep the sea to your right and go around the periphery of the town all will be well. The Tourist Office on the first floor of the building tucked into the corner of the Plaza Espana will provide a sello and a map of the city with the route marked in highlighter pen. For those who can’t obtain this and particularly want to walk the “exact” route here are the streets:

Pick some harbour steps on the Paseo da Marina
Turn left up Espiritu Santo
Veer left and head straight up to the Calle Real
There is a yellow /blue shell tile at the corner of Calle Terra indicating a right turn
but the map indicates the next right down Rural Cava - both take you to
Canton de Mollins through to the Plaza das Angustias then across the road
and up Taxonera leading to Calle McMahon leading to
Estrada Decircunvalacion – by this point regular waymarking has started
The yellow arrows take a straight route through a barrio
The highlighted map takes the path closest to the sea BOTH bring you a left turn before the motorway
which is waymarked

Accommodation
The hotels mentioned in other posts – The Hesperia in Ferrol – 981 330 226, the Hotel Eumesa in Pontedueme 981 430 925 or 981 430 901 and the Complejo San Roque in Betanzos 981 775 555 ALL charge a consistent 60 Euros. I had a good look around in each place and there are sufficient other less expensive options available.

There are albergues in Neda, Mino and Hospital de Bruma.

In Hospital de Bruma there is an excellent Albergue but no food or bar – a further 2k or so along the main road brings you to the well signposted Inn Canaima Meson do Vento – 981 681 401 – 22 Euros for an excellent room plus a home made Menu del Dia available in the dining room.

In Segueiro there is one Hostal the Hotel Miras which is just before the next waymark across the river. The telephone numbers listed everywhere previously are WRONG and I was anxious as I couldn’t get any answer. They explained that the wrong number had been published in one directory and it just stuck – the CORRECT number is 981 69 45 08. 15 Euros for a room – very basic but with excellent and reasonably priced home made food.

As always I simply asked one place to phone ahead to the next to make sure a room was available and they were happy to help.

Mass and Sellos

Ferrol – Sello available in the Tourist Office.

Pontedeume – busy parish Church of Santiago, priest lives opposite in the Rectory and happy to provide Sello – regular parish mass times.

Betanzos – the Church of Santiago appears only to have a 1pm mass on Festivos but the Church of SanFranciso easily found in the Old Town and served by Franciscan Nuns and Friars who were very pilgrim friendly has a 6.30 pm mass – sello available at other times from the convent office.

Sigueiro – the parish Church of St Andrew is just across the bridge 5 mins from the Hotel Miras – Mass at 7pm – sello available in Sacristy.


Best bits

Lovely solitary walking – I never met another pilgrim in 5 days.

The sea views, the smell of the sea and the cries of seagulls.

In Pontedeume instead of intoning the Gloria of the Mass the entire congregation burst into the chorus of the Battle Hymn of the Republic – Glory, glory, halleluia, Glory, glory, halleluia – glory, glory, halleluia El Nombre Del Senor!

In Betanzos the stunning church of San Francisco and the friendly nuns singing the Mass.

In Segueiro – a total bill of 30 euros for Bed and Breakfast, evening meal with an extra starter of pulpo and a bottle of wine + 3 copas to celebrate the journey nearly ending!

Worst bits

Not having done it before.

The torrential rain walking into Santiago and having to shelter under a lorry trailer for 30 minutes!


Most memorable

Following a waymarked turn on a sweltering road-bubbling afternoon to be plunged into the cool deep green darkness of a forest path with branches arched like a vaulted ceiling. Standing still when suddenly a shaft of light appeared like a spotlight on a stage illuminating the butterflies dancing along the path. Magical.

A conversation with a girl behind a Bar in Betanzos. She was from Brazil and had never heard of the Camino until she got here. She thought it was an extremely locissimo thing to do. Slowly her story emerged. A camino moment. She had arrived in Madrid, got a job, met a boy from Betanzos. Got pregnant aged 22. Moved to Betanzos. Boy left. Now working hard to maintain baby and herself. Having blurted all of that out she coughed and to change the subject asked me to tell her more about the Camino. When I finished her already careworn face looked wondrous – she said, “ Walking…alone…free…time to think…to rest…just to be… truly un regalo de Dios.”

Indeed.

[Peter Robins]

Nice post, John.

Re the 'steep climb', I've just looked on Visor SigPac, and it seems the route rises to ca 460m just before Bruma. Have to admit I hadn't realised it was that high. (Though, in my book, 'steep' is when you have to use your hands )

[Joseph Chan]

Wonderful inspiring practical posting. Shows real costings, places to stay with contact numbers and describes moments to savour on the Camino.

Best of all we now know it is possible for one place of stay can phone ahead to inform of the impending arrival of the person or persons needing a place to stay. No need to carry a mobile or phone card.

This will make it easier to convince our better half that there is no need to queue for hours at the door of a refugio, endure cold showers, sleep on the floor, endure the snoring, leave at the crack of dawn without a hot drink or thing to eat, stave off dogs, have blistered feet, etc. to make the second Camino.

Thank you for bringing reality back to these postings.

Grandpa Joe

[JohnnieWalker]

Joe - in terms of accomodation now I would simply get to Ferrol confident in the knowledge that there are a number of hotels and hostals. I had booked in advance but when I got there I wished I had been able to explore more to find a place - particularly down by the harbour. The CSJ guide lists alternative accomodation here and in the next place Neda - some people set off for there on the first day. If you go to the Tourist Office in Ferrol they will help you book what you need along the route - similarly each night I simply checked what was available in the next place I was walking to.

Buen Camino

John

[rolf]

Thanks John, great post!
I think next time I will walk the same stages as you did. It's just a shame that the albergues in Neda and Mino are in between.
I'm still surprised how few are walking the Ingles. On the other hand, that's one of the beauties of this Camino, especially if you read about recent reports on overcrowding on the Frances...
Rolf

[Mardo]

Hoping to walk this route at the end of September.
hopefully I will be able to find a decent map etc.

[JohnnieWalker]

Mardo - the route is really well waymarked - the CSJ guide and the information on this site will be enough - promise!

[Jim]

Hi,
Is there a graphic chart anywhere on the elevations along the Camino Ingles? I love John Brierley's graphics on this that are published in his books on Camino Portuguese and Camino Frances.

Another thing... Who can issue pilgrim credentials along this route? And where? Heard that the Office of Pilgrims at the cathedral will not be accepting those credentials given by secular organizations. Really a shame about this! We plan on walking this route in late spring this coming year and already have a letter of introduction from my own church so that we might get the proper credentials.

[sillydoll]

You will find a graphic profile of all the stages at Mundicamino: (Copy the whole URL and paste it)
http://www.mundicamino.com/ruta.cfm?p=T ... ol&xfin=Miño&xne=1&quees=Trazado%20/%20Perfil

Not a profile map, but for strip maps of the route go to: http://www.amigosdelcamino.com/

On the right hand side click on: Caminos
Then Camino Ingles
Then on the top tool bar click on Mappas

For photos go to: http://www.santiago-compostela.net/ingl ... ci_en.html

For more info on the route: http://www.caminosantiago.org/cpperegri ... ngles.html

[JohnnieWalker]

Jim - you can get a credencial, a map of the route and a detailed road map of the route out of Ferrol from the tourist office there - it is on the first floor of a glass fronted office building tuckedinto the left hand corner of the Plaza Espana.

Buen Camino

John

[Jim]

Sil, John
Thanks for that info

-Joanie and Jim

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola

I just walked this route again from Ferrol having walked from A Coruna a few weeks ago. The waymarking has deteriorated and the temporary waymarking around the new roadways that I found really helpful a year ago has been removed - there were also sections which were surprisingly confusing - trees had been felled and undergrowth cut back removing arrows.There are also new sections not described in the CSJ guide of 2000. I have extensive notes to write up and with Rebekah's help we'll give a full up date to the CSJ soon.

The local Amigos haven't repainted arrows yet but there are also other issues around the accommodation situation and the length of the stages which need to be desribed in greater depth.

In the interim if anyone is walking on this route very soon pm me for further info if you wish.

[Alexandra Zajac]

Hello,

My boyfriend wants to walk to Santiago de compostela and he wants to know if he can start in England and it that case where he should start?

Many thanks!

[sillydoll]

Alexander - welcome to the forum. Your boyfriend could read Gareth's blog at :
http://whizz-kidz-pilgrim.blogspot.com/

He recently walked from England to Santiago (and then to Finisterre) using the Via Turonensis which goes through Paris and Tours. Then he walked the Camino Ingles which is a short 107km route from Ferrol on the north coast to Santiago.