The English Way (Camino Ingles) is one of the shorter routes of the Camino de Santiago network on mainland Europe. This route is growing in popularity, every year more and more pilgrims choose this Camino, but it’s still far from being as busy and crowded as the Camino Frances.
For us, the English Way was our 6th Camino de Santiago that we completed in a year and probably the easiest one due to its short distance and easy terrain.
You can find a lot of information for planning your walk in our Camino Ingles detailed guide.
Table of Contents
English Way PDFs
We created free downloadable PDF files that contain walking stages and places to stay along the route. These files will help you to plan your pilgrimage on the English Camino.
GPX files of the English Route
You can download our GPX file for navigating on the English Camino.
- English Way. Day 1. Ferrol to Neda
- English Way. Day 2. Neda to Miño
- English Way. Day 3. Miño to Presedo
- English Way. Day 4. Presedo to Sigüeiro
- English Way. Day 5. Sigüeiro to Santiago de Compostela
The route overview
- Distance – 116 km/72 mi
- Time – 4-6 days
- Starting point – Ferrol
- Finishing point – Santiago de Compostela
- Total ascent (over 5 days) – 2520 m
- Total descent (over 5 days) – 2230 m
- Walking surface – 82 km/51 mi on tar/asphalt; 34 km/21 mi on gravel road/footpath
- Route marking distance poles, yellow arrows, and shells
- Average cost – 35€ per person per day
- Accommodation – public and private albergues, hotels, guesthouses
Travel insurance for the Camino
Walking like any other outdoor activity involves a risk of getting an injury or losing some of your gear. The English Camino is not a very demanding hike through remote areas but walking daily with a backpack is still challenging. Small injuries such as blisters, knee problems, or shin splints are common on the Camino.
Read more about travel insurance for the Camino or get a personalized insurance quote right here!
World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
The English Way – walking stages
The English route starts in the town of Ferrol on the coast of Northern Spain. Like any other Camino route on the mainland it finishes at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Places to stay in Ferrol
There is a public albergue in Ferrol. It’s a new albergue situated near the port, 600 m from the starting point of the English Way. Its capacity is 60 people. I’m quite sure you’ll always be able to get a bed there.
If you prefer staying in private room you can stay at one of the hotels.
- Low-end | Hotel Alda El Suizo |
- Mid-range | Gran Hotel de Ferrol | Parador de Ferrol |
Stage 1. Ferrol – Neda, 14 km/8,6 mi
- Distance – 14 km/8,6 mi
- Time – 3 hours (moving time)
- Ascent – 178 m
- Descent – 160 m
- Walking surface – 10 km/6,2 mi on tar/asphalt; 4 km/2,4 mi on gravel road and boardwalks
- Walking on the road – 0 km
- Difficulty level – 1 out of 5, very short and easy day
The English Camino starts at the port of Ferrol, there is a route marking pole next to Sarga Tapas and Raciones restaurant (you can search in Google maps “Inicio del Camino Inglés a Santiago de Compostela” the spot is marked). We didn’t use any GPS or map to find the starting point; we just asked locals where the port (Puerto) was and found the sign quite easily once we got there. From there on the route was marked well.
We started walking late and for this reason, we decided to stop in Neda. If you start early you can continue walking past Neda. The next public albergue is 15 km/9,3 mi from Neda if you want to stay in a public albergue your first walking day will be 29 km/18 mi.
Highlights
- The port and the historical center of Ferrol
Challenges
- Nothing specific just a lot of walking on a hard surface
Neda
Neda is a nice small town on the river.
Places to stay in Neda
- High-end | Pazo da Merced | Sobre la villa 12 |
Day 2. Neda – Miño, 26 km/16 mi
- Distance – 26 km/16 mi
- Time – 6-7 hours
- Ascent – 648 m
- Descent – 641 m
- Walking surface – 19 km/11,8 mi on asphalt/tar; 7 km/4,3 mi on gravel/footpath
- Walking on the road – 700 m
- Difficulty level – 4 out of 5, a relatively long walking day with a couple of very steep ascents and descents
It was a long and challenging day with many places to stop along the route for coffee, lunch, and rest. We stopped 3 times, it made the walk easier. The first half of the route is through suburban areas with not much to see. After that, the route becomes more scenic. We got to walk through the beautiful forest from time to time.
Pontedeume is about halfway through the day, and a great place to stop for coffee or lunch. If you have time you can walk around a bit and do some sightseeing. Another option is to stop here and continue walking the next day.
Note! In Pontedeume the route is marked with metal shells on the ground, don’t miss them.
Walking through the forest we saw several stands with shells (a traditional symbol of the Camino) that you could purchase for donation and two or three spots with cooler boxes with cool drinks, juices, and water – for donation as well. We have seen it before on some other Camino routes.
After Pontedeume the scenery becomes less urbanized, with forest and fields scenery.
Highlights
- The historical center of Pontedeume; Torreón de los Andrade, Puente de Piedra, Iglesia Parroquial de Santiago and a couple of other churches.
- Beautiful lush green forest
- Playa Grande de Miño, close to the albergue
Challenges
- A couple of steep ascents in the second half of the day starting from Pontedeume.
- A lot of walking on tar/asphalt which makes your feet quite tired compared to walking on a footpath or gravel.
Miño
Don’t miss the albergue sign in Miño, it’s on the opposite side of the Tourism information sign, pointing in the same direction as the information office. There are signs on the righthand side of the road pointing to the albergue.
Places to stay in Miño
- Low-end | Hotel Crisol de las Rías |
- Mid-range | La Terraza |
- High-end | Miño Centro |
Day 3. Miño – Presedo, 23 km/14,2 mi
- Distance – 23 km/14,2 mi
- Time – 5-6 hours
- Ascent – 700 m
- Descent – 556 m
- Walking surface – 21 km/13 mi on tar/asphalt; 2 km/1,2 mi on footpath/gravel
- Walking on the road – 4 km/2,4 mi, the last 3 km/1,8 mi to Presedo are on the road
- Difficulty level – 4 out of 5
The first half of the walk to Betanzos went quickly, we stopped in the town for about 1-1,5 hours to drink coffee and to do some sightseeing, there are many interesting places to see luckily most of them are on the route or not far away from it.
After Betanzos the Camino continued climbing up and down almost non-stop. The last 3 km/1,8 mi we had to walk on the road. It wasn’t a busy road but some trucks and buses were driving by.
During the whole day, we saw only four pilgrims but when we arrived in Presedo there were 6 other people in the albergue.
Highlights
- The beautiful forest outside Miño
- The historical center of Betanzos; the Plaza of Irmáns García Naveira, Plaza de la Constitución, several churches, and historical buildings.
Challenges
- Walking on tar road/asphalt all day
- Many steep ascents and descents
- Walking on the road for the last 3 km/1,8 mi
Presedo
Presedo is not a town there is only an albergue and a restaurant. Your food options are to eat in the restaurant (about 500 m away from the albergue) or to bring food from Betanzos and cook (the albergue has a kitchen). There are two or three big supermarkets in Betanzos (Lidl, Eroski, Gadis, etc.), about 100 m away from the Camino. At the exit of the city; at the roundabout turn right and go two or three blocks down the street.
Places to stay in Presedo
- High-end | Rectoral de Cines (away from the Camino but according to the pilgrim’s reviews they offer free pick up and drop off) |
Day 4. Presedo – Sigüeiro, 37 km/23 mi
- Distance – 37 km/23 mi
- Time – 8-9 hours
- Ascent – 673 m
- Descent – 581 m
- Walking surface – 22 km/13,6 mi on tar/asphalt; 15 km/9,4 mi on gravel/footpath
- Walking on the road – 4 km/2,4 mi
- Difficulty level – 5 out of 5
Note! We wanted to have one long walking day on the English Way, and for this reason, we decided to walk two stages in one day. You can split this day into two stages; Presedo – Hospital de Bruma, 13 km/8 mi and Hospital de Bruma – Sigüeiro, 24 km/15 mi. A good thing about walking a short stage to Hospital de Bruma is that you’ll arrive there before the majority of pilgrims (who come from Betanzos) which can guarantee you a spot.
The first 30 km/18,6 mi went quickly. The main ascent for the day was right at the beginning in the first 2 hours or so. We stopped for coffee several times, it was a nice day. A part of the walk was through the beautiful forest. The last 6-7 km/3,7-4,3 mi were not that pleasant. First of all because we started getting tired and second, because the route got very monotonous (walking next to a busy road). We were very happy when we finally reached Sigüeiro.
Highlights
- Beautiful Galician forest
- At 16 km/10 mi in front of the bar, there are several metal and stone sculptures of people and animals, the most impressive is a giant dinosaur.
Challenges
- Walking on tar/asphalt for a big part of the day
- A very long distance
- Several steep ascents in the first half of the day
- The last 4-5 km/2,4-3,1 mi to Sigüeiro next to the highway and then 1 km/0,6 mi on the road (not very busy) and past an industrial area.
Sigüeiro
This town is a great stop before Santiago. There are a couple of private albergues and several hotels but no public albergue here.
Places to stay in Sigüeiro
- Budget | albergue Camino Real | Albergue Mirás |
- Middle price | Alojamiento Camiño Real – Piso Turístico |
- High-end | Siaba Pensión Boutique |
Day 5. Sigüeiro – Santiago de Compostela, 16,5 km/10,2 mi
- Distance – 16,5 mi/10,2 mi
- Time – 4-5 hours
- Ascent – 321 m
- Descent – 292 m
- Walking surface – 10 km/6,2 mi on tar/asphalt; 6,5 km/4 mi on footpath/gravel
- Walking on the road – 0 km, no road walking today!
- Difficulty level – 2 out of 5
If you want to arrive in time for the pilgrims’ mass in the Cathedral (which starts at 12 pm) it’s better to leave early, at least at 8 am to have enough time. Note! You’re not allowed to enter the cathedral with a big backpack you can leave it in your hotel in Santiago or you store it at the storage and pick it up later. The storage is 200 m from the Cathedral in front of the Pilgrim’s Reception Office. They charge 4 euros for 24 hours.
On out last day time went very fast. We didn’t even notice how we got to the outskirts of Santiago, from there it’s about 5 km/3,1 mi more to walk through the city to the cathedral. There is a church Parroquia de San Caetano on the way where you can get the last stamp before the cathedral. Out of all the Camino routes we’ve done the city part of the English route is one of the best and the shortest.
Highlights
- The beautiful forest Bosque Encantado (Enchanted forest) in the middle of the day
- Arriving in Santiago de Compostela – the highlight of the route. It’s a magical moment to see hundreds of pilgrims coming from different directions to Plaza de Obradoiro.
Challenges
- Several short ascents and descents
- On the last 5 km/3,1 mi a part of the route goes through the industrial outskirts of Santiago de Compostela.
Santiago de Compostela, the end of the English route
Santiago de Compostela is a great place to spend a couple of day after finishing the Camino. There are many interesting things to do here. One of our favorite is to go out and try local tapas, they are delicious. The best street to go out for tapas is Rua do Franco. You can join a tapas tour of Santiago.
Things to do in Santiago de Compostela
- Full-day Rias Baixas Guided Tour from Santiago
- Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and Museum Guided Tour
- 1-hour Pilgrim’s Massage
If after finishing the English Way you feel like walking for a couple of more days the Camino Finisterre is a great option. It starts from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela and takes you to the Finisterre (the end of the world). If you don’t feel like walking anymore you can do a day tour to Finisterre.
Places to stay in Santiago
I’d like to mention one special place that has been accommodating pilgrims for centuries – Hospedaria San Martín Pinario or Seminario Mayor. It’s one of our favorite places to stay in Santiago de Compostela. They have special rooms for pilgrims. Rooms can be booked over the e-mail at reservas@sanmartinpinario.eu or the phone (+34) 981 56 02 82.
I strongly recommend booking it in advance, especially in the peak season. We were there in June and it was booked two weeks ahead. They have renovated rooms (more expensive but more comfortable) that can be booked online.
More places to stay in Santiago
- Budget | Albergue Seminario Menor | Hostel SP 55 by Bossh! Hotels |
- Middle price | Alameda Rooms Santiago | Hotel Herradura |
- High-end | Hotel Virxe da Cerca |
How to get the Compostela certificate in Santiago?
The Pilgrim’s Reception Office is open from 10 am to 6 pm if there are many people inside they might close the gate earlier.
In the peak season when there are many pilgrims there is a number system that determines your position in the queue. It’s a very easy and convenient system you don’t have to sit there for hours waiting for your turn. You can go back to your hotel, or walk around the city keeping an eye on the queue online.
To get your Compostela certificate you need a Credential (pilgrim’s passport) with stamps and a passport or an ID document. The Compostela is free. You can get the Certificate of Distance. It is similar to the Compostela but has more details, it costs 3€.
You need two stamps per day if you walk 100 km on any Camino route which means two stamps for every day of the English Way.
English Camino planning resources
- Plan your English Way | The Camino Ingles guide |
- How to prepare for the Camino walk? | The best tips for planning the Camino de Santiago |
- Find out why this Camino called “English”? | History of the English Way of St.James |
- Make sure to try delicious Galician food | Galician food guide – 20 things to eat and drink |
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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
Mike
Saturday 21st of September 2024
Hello: If DW and I choose the English Route, Coming from TX USA, max 10 days to enjoy Europe, what would be the best option for flight to start and depart? Thinking we would spend 3-4 days post-hike.
Stingy Nomads
Monday 23rd of September 2024
Hello Mike. Thank you for the comment. The best will be to fly to Santiago de Compostela, but there are no direct flights from the USA. You'll probably fly first to Madrid and then to Santiago. I don't know what's your nearest airport and if there direct flights to Madrid. If not, use skyscanner.com to check what is the best way of getting to Santiago from your city. Buen Camino
Jill
Thursday 27th of June 2024
Hello. I plan to walk the last 100 km of the Camino starting August 23 this year as a solo 56-year-old female traveler. I am in good shape and work out every day, though this would be my first time walking the Camino, I am not used to hiking back-to-back long days and will have minimal time to train. I am looking at walking the English Way, the Portugues Way from Vigo (or maybe the central way), or the French Way from Sarria. What is your recommendation given the time of year, the last-minute hike? Thank you!
Stingy Nomads
Thursday 4th of July 2024
Hello Jill. Thank you for the comment. If you're worried about walking far every day and not used to do multi-day hikes it's better to choose a route that has more infrastructure e.g. the Portuguese Camino from Tui or the French Route from Sarria. The English Way is a nice walk but there are fewer accommodation options and distances between towns and places to stop are larger. Keep in mind that it can get very hot in August. It's better if you start walking early. Buen Camino
Ed
Sunday 9th of June 2024
Where would you stop if you want to do 13-15 km each day?
Stingy Nomads
Wednesday 12th of June 2024
Hello Ed, thanks for reading. In the post there are links to downloadable PDF files we created to help you plan your route. The ´walking stages` document shows our suggested walking stages with elevation profiles and our difficulty ratings for each stage. This document also shows distances to other towns with facilities available. The `places to stay´ document shows distances and accommodation available at suggested stops on the pilgrimage. You can use these documents to customize your walking stages to your preferred walking distance. Buen Camino
Grace
Sunday 19th of May 2024
Hi, just wondering is it easy to get the stamps? I worry that I would finish my day with only 1 stamp from my accommodation and then not be able to qualify- do lots of places offer them? Is it obvious where does? Is it easy to get 2 or more each day on the ingles? Thanks!
Stingy Nomads
Monday 20th of May 2024
Hello Grace. Yes, we could get 2 stamps a day easy on the English Way. Many bars and cafes have stamps often you can even see a sign saying that they can stamp your Credential. One stamp you get at your accommodation place and one when you stop for breakfast or/and lunch. You don't even have to eat at a place if you see a sign saying that you can get a stamp there just ask for it. Buen Camino
PAUL
Monday 29th of April 2024
I am wondering about the bridge in Ferrol. I have heard that a lot of going around the tip is industrial and people recommend the bridge but what would that do to the distance?
Stingy Nomads
Monday 29th of April 2024
Hello Paul. Thank you for the comment. I don't recall any unpleasant industrial areas on the way to Neda. There are two bridges in Ferrol. If you cross the first one (Ponte das Pias, near the port) it'll cut 14 km from the walk which leaves you 100 km on the dot. If you cross the second bridge (Ponte AP-9) you'll cut 5-6 km your total walk will be around 110 km. Buen Camino