The Camino Ingles walking stages 2026, GPX+PDF
The Camino Ingles (English Way) is one of the shortest 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 or the Portuguese route.
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.
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Camino Ingles 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 route
You can download our GPX file for navigating on the Camino Ingles.
- 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
If our PDFs and GPX files helped you plan your Camino, consider buying us a coffee ☕ — it’s a small gesture that means a lot and helps us keep creating quality content for fellow pilgrims!
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.
Camino Ingles - 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 – 3-4 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
Stage 1 route description
The Camino Ingles 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 |
Stage 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.
Stage 2 route description
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 |
Stage 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
Stage 3 route description
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) |
Stage 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
Stage 4 route description
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 |
Stage 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
Stage 5 route description
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/31 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.
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.
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 Camino Ingles
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 on the Camino Ingles.
English Way planning resources
- 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.
hi guys
your blog is very informative, we are hoping to complete the camino de ingles in sept. im finding it very difficult to find accommodation around o meson do vento as we hope to walk from betanzos to o meson do vento
would you have any tips or places close by to stay not far off the trail
Hello. Laura. Thank you for the comment. O Meson do Vento is about 1,2 km away from Hospital de Brumas and the Camino. There are 2 albergues (one public and one private) in Hospital de Brumas both are currently open. You can stay in one of them. There are three guesthouses in O Meson do Vento that you can stay in if you don't want to stay in albergues. You can find contact details and booking information for all 5 places in our updated PDF file "Places to stay on the Camino Ingles" (the PDF files are at the beginning of the post).
Buen Camino
Hello Stingy Nomads,
First and foremost, you have made planning this so easy for me! One question, how do I obtain a Credential? Can I order one? Do I obtain one in Ferrol?
Hello, Oscar. Thank you for the comment. I'm not sure what country you're from. Many countries have Camino de Santiago associations where you can get a Credential. If it's not possible for you can get it in your home country you can get it in Ferrol. The Church of San Julian (Co-Catedral de Ferrol) between 10am and 1pm and between 6pm and 8pm. The tourism office of Ferrol between 8am and 2pm and 5pm and 8pm. La Domus the residency of the bishop in Ferrol at Miramar Street, in the morning. At least at one of these places you should be able to get a Credential.
Buen Camino
@Stingy Nomads,
Thank you for the quick reply, I'll add this to my notes. On a side note, a friend was casually talking about the Camino and he led me to your site. A week to the day, I'm all booked for this trip. Your guide and info made this possible. Again Many Thanks!
Thank you very much for your feedback! All the best on the Camino.
Hello, I am currently in the planning stages to hopefully do the Camino this year in June. Given limited time, I am thinking of doing the Camino Ingles. Just found your site today and it is very helpful and interesting! It helped answer most of the questions I have.
It’ll be my first Camino and I am going with a friend. Looking at the stages of the English Way, some day it is like 28km or so. I am not sure if we can do it or not though we hike very frequently even in the winter time. But we usually only hike for approximately 15km. I wonder if we can go with our own distance such as 20km or so each day. If so, how can we find the accommodations on the way? Any suggestions how can we plan for that? Thanks a lot!
Hello, Joanne. Thank you for the comment. It's possible to walk shorter days on the Camino Ingles. If you check at the beginning of this post you'll find 2 free downloadable PDF files; the first file contains walking stages with distances between towns and the second one has a list of albergues and hotels (with distances) along the Camino route. Using these files you can create the itinerary that suits you.
I can give you a sample itinerary that might suit you
Day 1. Ferrol - Fene, 19 km
Day 2. Fene - Miño, 21 km
Day 3. Miño - Presedo, 23 km
Day 4. Presedo - A Rua, 20 km/O Outeiro, 23 km
Day 5. A Rua/O Outeiro - Sugueiro, 17 km/14 km
Day 6. Sigueiro - Santiago de Compostela, 16 km
If you don't have enough time to complete one of the longer Camino routes you can always walk the last 100 km to Santiago on any route it's the required minimum if you want to get the Compostela certificate. In fact, you can start from anywhere on any Camino and walk to Santiago. The advantage of walking the last 100 km on for example the Camino Frances from Sarria or on the Camino Portuguese from Tui is that there are many accommodation options (more than on the English Way) it's easier to adjust the itinerary. In this post https://stingynomads.com/camino-de-santiago-last-100-km/ you can find details on walking the last 100 to Santiago km on different Camino routes.
I hope it helps.
Buen Camino
@Stingy Nomads,
Hi Stingy,
Thank you very much for your reply. This is very helpful. Yes, as we only have limited time and would like to get the certificate, hence we are thinking of doing the short one this time. In the future when we have time, we might come back and complete the longer ones. Thanks.
Best regards,
Joanne
You're welcome. As I said to get the Certificate you can walk the last 100 km on any Camino de Santiago route you don't have to complete the entire Camino. If for some reason you struggle with finding suitable accommodation on the Camino Ingles you can always do the last bit of one of the more popular routes.
Buen Camino
Hello,
Will the public albergues be open in April this year? Are there any ways to check it (dedicated webpage etc)? Thanks for your help.
Hello, Vytenis. As of now, most public albergues on the Camino Ingles are currently open and only 2 closed: Albergue in Presedo (for renovation) and in Miño. If public albergues will be open in April or not depends on the restrictions and the situation in general in Spain.
Buen Camino
Great information. I am doing this route in early May. Our first day is 30km. I’m now scared I won’t be able to do it after reading this post 🤣🤣 I’m a novice.
Hello, Barbara. Thank you for the comment. I'm not sure how much you hike or walk but to walk 30 km on your first day especially if you're an inexperienced hiker might be too much. I'm sure you'll be able to complete it but you might get blisters or be very tired the next day and it'll be more difficult to continue walking the Camino Ingles. If you have time maybe you can consider a shorter day as your first day on the Camino but it's up to you.
Buen Camino
Hi Stingy Nomads! I am currently in the planning stages to hopefully do the Camino this year. Just spent my weekend devouring your site! Very very helpful and interesting!
It’ll be my first Camino, and I’ll be doing it with my dog, a very energetic Labrador. Hence we are looking at the shorter routes. Would you say the English way is dog friendly - when you say the majority is walking on asphalt, is there a dedicated pedestrian pavement or is it walking next to busy road/highway? Would the accommodation be dog friendly? My friend did the French way and she met a lady with a dog and it could be quite tricky to find a place that allows dogs. So, on the basis of type of road surface and availability of accommodation, would you recommend the English way, or the French way from Serria, or Portuguese way from Tui?
Thank you ever so much!
Hello, Adeline. Thank you for the comment. Walking the Camino with a dog is quite challenging no matter which route you decide to walk. We met several people with dogs on the different routes of the Camino. They all faced the same problem finding dog-friendly accommodation. Out of all the Camino routes for walking with a dog, I'd recommend walking the French Camino from Sarria. Simply because there are many places to stay your chances of finding a dog-friendly place are better. On the Camino Ingles, the accommodation is quite limited you might struggle to find places to stay. As far as I know, public albergues don't allow dogs. The route from Sarria goes through the fields and forest which I guess your dog will enjoy more than walking through towns. One pilgrim with a dog we met on the Camino was carrying a small tent and if dogs were not allowed to stay inside she'd pitch a tent in the yard for her dog. I'm not sure if your dog will be ok with it and if you'll want to leave your dog outside alone for the night.
Another thing to consider is transportation. I don't know where you live and how you're planning to get to the Camino with your dog. You're allowed to take dogs on long-distance buses in Spain only in the carrier in the luggage compartment. Same with trains you can take a dog under 10kg in a carrier with you on a train. Overall I got the impression that Spain is not a very good country for traveling with a dog. I met a girl from Germany that adopted a dog on the French Camino and once she arrived in Santiago she had a really tough time trying to figure out how to get back to Germany with a dog. She was looking for a car ride on BlaBlaCar.
I don't want to put you off walking the Camino with your dog but you have to be prepared and plan well.
Buen Camino
Hi I appreciate the weather would be inclement throughout December but would like to do it over the Christmas holidays. Would this be possible with access to accommodations along the route?
Hello, Dave. You're right the weather in December is quite bad: rainy and cold. As far as I know, many albergues and hotels are closed during the Christmas holiday (it's not a winter holiday destination) so finding accommodation might be a problem. To make sure you can check the availability of private accommodation options on booking.com using our PDF file
Buen Camino
Hola chicos, felicitaciones por tan buena información, que buen trabajo han hecho 👏🏼👏
Hace tres años con mis hijos adolescentes, hicimos el Camino Francés, hace dos años hice unas primeras etapas del Camino Del Norte, no pude terminarlo por falta de tiempo, en estos dos caminos encontré el uso de los palos de trekking muy necesarios.
Lastimosamente perdí mis palos en uno de los últimos albergues, nada que lamentar, solo qué pasa algunas veces que pierdes cosas, en mi caso solo fuimos a albergues municipales y muy pocos privados, nunca fuimos a un hotel y nunca perdimos nada, solo fueron lindas experiencias cada etapa.
Ahora voy a hacer el Camino Inglés desde Ferrol y quería saber si tú crees necesario el uso de los palos para estas etapas, no parecen tan difíciles. No soy una experta pero suelo caminar con regularidad.
Que opinas debo llevar unos?
Gracias y buen camino 😊
Hola, Sofia. Gracias por tu comentario. No hace falta tener los palos en el Camino Ingles. Hay pocas subidas y bajadas. Si no tienes problemas con rodillas no vas a necesitarlos.
Buen Camino
@Stingy Nomads,
Gracias Sofia por hacer esta pregunta y mil gracias Stingy Nomads por confirmar que no hay necesidad de palos para caminar esta ruta, a mi me gusta caminar con las manos libres y lo de los palos me parece clave saberlo.
hey guys, i am new to the stingy nomads....great, helpful, enthusiastic site..well done..i especially appreciate the attention to walking on asphalt. as someone who got knocked off the vezelay route from shin splints i am grateful for the info.
Hello, Jim! Thank you very much for the comment! We're glad you've found our site helpful. Shin splints are a real pain especially if you run or walk a lot on asphalt. Keep well!
Buen Camino!
Hello
Me & my wife are very interested in doing the English Way. Based on the stages you did, are there stops and accomodation in between. We would like to do an average walk of 5-6 miles per day
Hello, Rico! Yes, there are places to stop in between. In the itinerary part of the post at the end of every stages, you can find a table with places to stop in between, it includes distances, facilities, and accommodation options you can plan your own itinerary based on it.
Buen Camino!
We would like to plan this for 2022 or 2023 with three kids (high energy, extremely active) who would be 14, 11, and 9. Don't let the ages fool you, the little one started hiking four miles a day with me (asphalt trails through Oglebay, West Virginia) when she was 3. Do many families hike the Ingles and would you consider the aubergues family friendly? This site is wonderful, by the way. So informative!
Hello, Melissa! Thank you for the comment! We didn't see any families on the English Way when we walked it but I can't see any reason why walking with your children can be a problem. Albergues are basically hostels with dormitories, bunk-beds, and shared facilities. On the Camino Ingles, there are not many people the albegues never were full I'm sure when it's possible hospitaleros (hosts) will try to put you in a separate or a smaller room to give you more privacy. I don't think other pilgrims will mind children though your kids might be overwhelmed by snoring people))
Well done with your children! With active and caring parents kids can achieve incredible results!
Buen Camino!
Hi guys! Thank you so much for the detailed infos about the routes.
I have one question though... Having walked all the places along the Camino Ingles, would you have made different stops? I see that you liked the historical center at Pontedeume, for example, but you just walked through it. Thank you for your answer, a priori!! Sofia, Greece
Hello, Sofia! Thank you for the comment! Originally we wanted to stop in Pontedeume but the only albergue in the town was closed for renovation and there were not many other budget-friendly accommodation options that's why we had to shift our stages a little bit. If it wasn't for that we would have stopped in Pontedeume it is a very nice town.
Buen Camino!
Thank you so much for all this information! My husband and I would like very much to walk the entire Camino in 2023 but I am now considering breaking it down into chunks. This may sound daft but my big fear is of animals, particularly dogs in towns and at rural houses and as such I would prefer to do it when the Camino would be busy with other pilgrims, safety in numbers lol! Have you had any problems with animals en route? Many thanks, Ger
Hello, Geraldine! Thank you for the comment! I'm not sure if you're talking about breaking down the Camino Ingles or a different Camino route. The English Way is only 120km not much to break down. Or you mean the French Camino that is more than 700km? On the English Camino, we didn't see any stray dogs, there might have been some dogs behind fences but they didn't bother us at all. In fact, I don't remember any dog-related problems on any Camino route, there are dogs they do bark sometimes but they all behind fences, no ways they can reach you or bite you. As for the season from May to September, all Camino routes are quite busy, the French and the Portuguese Caminos are the busiest Caminos with hundreds of people walking every day, you might consider walking the last 100km on any of these two instead of walking the quieter English Way.
Buen Camino!
Thank you so much! It is the entire Camino Frances that we are considering!
Hello from Cape Town!
What a treat to read about all your camino experiences and I am ever so thankful for all your efforts in making the information available - it is a treasure of information for all of us. My dream has been to do at least two weeks of the camino - albeit two different routes of one week each - and to combine possibly with a brief holiday thereafter.
My concern is are these routes suited to beginner hikers? We do not do well on the inclines and that is kind of bothering me but then if we are not challenged then what is the point? LOL.
And would it be safe for ladies to get around alone on the hikes? Would there be signage every where or are there some routes that are more easily marked than others?
I am hoping to be ready by 2022.
Thank you once again, I truly admire all your travels and wish you both all of the best!
Regards
Charms
Hello, Charms! Thank you very much for your generous comment! Knowing that our posts are helpful is the best reward for us! The Camino Ingles is a good route for the beginners there are some hills most days you walk between 500m-600m up and down but usually, it's not one steep ascent but several shorter hills. You can see elevation profiles for every day on the route in this post. If you think it's a bit too much you can consider walking the last 100km on the Camino Frances from Sarria. Here is our detailed post on that route. It's the most popular Camino to walk for the beginners with many albergues, hotels and restaurants along the route. Here is the post https://stingynomads.com/camino-frances-sarria-santiago-walk There are some hills on the route as well. The last 120km on the Portuguese Camino from Tui is another popular option to walk for the beginners.
If you want to combine two Camino routes you can always do the Camino Finisterre-Muxia, it's another 5-6 days. The route starts in Santiago de Compostela and finishes at the coast of the Atlantic ocean, it's a popular route to walk after finishing one of the other Camino routes. You can combine it with Camino Ingles or the Camino Frances from Sarria. All mentioned routes are well-marked and easy to follow, no GPS or maps needed. As I said the Camino Frances from Sarria or the Portuguese from Tui are the most popular routes for first-time pilgrims but the Camino Ingles can be done as the first Camino as well.
As for safety, walking through Spain and Portugal is quite safe, especially on the popular route where there are many other pilgrims. I've walked 800km on the Camino Frances alone and never had any problem or unpleasant experience. I used to travel alone to Spain and Portugal quite a lot in the past and have great memories of those trip. I hope it helps!
Buen Camino!
Sounds as if there was a great deal of pavement walking each day. . . Is this true? I would prefer to walk on natural substances.
Hello, Cathy! 82km out of 112km on the Camino Ingles is on asphalt. If you prefer walking on natural surfaces I'd suggest considering a different Camino route, e.g. the Camino Primitivo or Camino Finisterre-Muxia there is less asphalt on these routes.
Buen Camino!
Hi there! We've been inspired by this entry and have decided to walk the Camino Ingles instead of walking from Saria.
One question though if you don't mind, if we walk the next 14 km from Neda to the next public albergue, that would take us to which city???
Thank you very much for your inspiring blog, Stingynomads!!!
Hello, Jasmin! Thank you for the comment! If you walk 14km more from Neda you'll get to Pontedeume. It's a very nice town with a public albergues an several hotels. At the end of every day, there is a table with distances between the towns and facilities along the route.
Buen Camino!
Hello, My girlfriend and I have decided to do the walk and we are most excited. Your sites have been incredibly well done and so informative. Thanks for all of it.
Can you please tell me what airport do we fly into to do the Ferrol hike?
By the way, my husband is from South Africa and loves your sites too.
Hello, Pamela! Thank you for the comment! You can fly to A Coruña (1-hour bus ride to Ferrol) and out from Santiago or it might be cheaper to buy a return flight to Santiago and take a bus from there to Ferrol, about 2,5 hours by bus.
Buen Camino!
Hi Stingy Nomads,
I am a single woman wishing to walk the English Camino would you think it is safe or foolish?
I have just read through you blog, just so inspired by it and so well recorded and written. Thank you so much
Aad J.
Hello, Heidi! I just walked the French Camino alone and I never had any problem or felt unsafe. We did see single women on the Camino Ingles, I don't think it's foolish to walk it alone, there will be more people on the Camino you can always join somebody and walk together if you want or need, I'm sure people won't mind.
Buen Camino!
Where do you sign up for the Dual Pilgrimage? I will be completing the Kumano Kodo this year and would like to complete the Camino next year.
Hello, Cherie! As I'm aware there is not such a thing as a dual pilgrimage on the Camino at least not that I know about. We've walked 7 different Caminos and never signed up for anything, every Camino you walk is a separate pilgrimage and your previous experiences don't count for anything. Maybe there is a local organization in your country that grants a special certificate for completing several pilgrimage routes but in Santiago de Compostela you get only the certificate for walking at least 100km to Santiago on any Camino route.
Buen Camino!
Thank you Stingy Nomads. I know this was a lot of work and we all appreciate it. I just finished your YouTube video on the same path.
I have a week to kill in Europe the end of April. I'm thinking of walking this path at that time.
Thanks again for the great info.
Hi, Jon! Thank you for the comment! I hope you'll enjoy the Camino!
Cheers!
Where in Ferrol do you get the paperwork that needs to be stamped on the way?
Hello, David! By paperwork do you mean the Credential (a Pilgrim's passport)? If so I believe you can get at the Pilgrim and Tourist Attention Office at Paseo da Mariña in Ferrol.
Buen Camino!