...two months to next long walk
...two new Camino routes
...two Compostela Certificates
...two Pilgrim walkers
...two long distance shuttle rides by Antonio
...two different entry gates into Santiago de Compostela; will now have walked through all 5 modern gates of entry (explanation below)
...two nights in Paulo’s family condo in Porto, Portugal
...fourth time Paulo and I have walked together on a long walk or for the mathematically inclined 22
...too much time to think of writing this blogpost 😉
Admittedly the plan is a little “creative”...one that has percolated for quite some time. Given the small numbers of Camino Invierno walkers it’s almost certainly on the unique side...I am really looking forward to giving it a go! It’s my kind of wonky plan ☺️
Two new Camino routes NOTE: ChatGBT Derived
Just for fun and trying something new I asked ChatGPT for a review of both the Camino Ingles and the Camino Invierno. I was amazed at the immediate results!
While everyday we hear of the risks and pitfalls of AI technology it is clear that it can generate impressive results.
Camino Ingles
"Here’s a full review of the Camino Inglés from A Coruña, a beautifully compact and contemplative pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela:
🚶 Overview & Certificate Note
- The Camino Inglés begins in A Coruña, tracing a roughly 75 km path to Santiago, typically completed in 3–4 stages .
- However, this 75 km distance falls short of the official 100 km minimum needed for the Compostela certificate—unless you’ve already walked at least 25 km on an approved Camino in your home country, such as a Celtic Camino in Ireland or the UK .
🏞️ Scenery & Route Highlights
- You’ll walk from the historic port city of A Coruña, past its UNESCO-listed Tower of Hercules, and along the Ría de Burgo estuary before heading inland through rolling hills, forests, and peaceful Galician countryside .
- The route converges near Bruma, where it joins the longer Ferrol branch and continues through traditional villages like Betanzos, Sigüeiro, and finally to Santiago .
✅ What Makes It Special
- Tranquility & Solitude: This route sees far fewer pilgrims than major Caminos—often as few as 3–7 walkers per day—offering reflective, peaceful walking .
- Historical Roots: Once the medieval entry point for English and Irish pilgrims arriving by ship, now it remains a historically rich pilgrimage with heritage linking to the British Isles .
- Strong Waymarking: Although some sections just after A Coruña are less ideal, the overall route is well marked with yellow arrows and shells—so you’re unlikely to get lost .
- Galician Hospitality & Cuisine: From seaside tapas in A Coruña to Betanzos tortilla and local wines, plus hearty caldo soups along the way—make food a highlight of your walk .
⚠️ Considerations & Tips
- Accommodation Booking: While towns generally offer lodging, Bruma is a known pinch point—it has limited albergues and private rooms, so advance reservations (especially in peak months like June–September) are wise .
- Terrain & Distance: Expect moderate difficulty with some hilly sections. Daily stages around 20–25 km are common; the first day can be long if done in one go (~33 km) so consider breaking it up into two shorter legs .
- Weather Preparedness: Galicia’s climate tends toward frequent rain—year-round—so bring a reliable poncho or rain jacket and staking poles or trail runners with good traction
- Certificate Strategy: If Santiago’s Compostela certificate matters and you haven’t walked another Camino, consider beginning in Ferrol (110 km) instead—or completing a 25 km Celtic Camino beforehand to qualify.
🧭 Verdict
Starting from A Coruña, the Camino Inglés is ideal for time-conscious pilgrims who crave quiet, coastal vistas, and historic depth. It may not qualify on its own for the Compostela certificate unless paired with another Camino, but it delivers a rich, manageable pilgrimage experience. Perfect for introspection and savoring Galicia’s understated beauty.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars — scenic, culturally resonant, and beautifully peaceful—but requires planning around certificates and lodging logistics.
Buen Camino!"
Camino Invierno
"Here’s a full review of the Camino de Invierno, Spain’s scenic Winter Way to Santiago:
🌄 Overview & Origins
The Camino de Invierno (Winter Way) is the most recent officially recognized Camino, granted status in 2015 – 2016 as an alternative to the snowy O Cebreiro route on the Camino Francés . Starting in Ponferrada, it spans approximately 260–275 km (typically 10–11 stages) and traverses through El Bierzo into all four Galician provinces before merging with the Camino Sanabrés roughly 50 km from Santiago de Compostela .
✅ Highlights
1. Spectacular Landscapes & Heritage
- Walk through Las Médulas, a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring breathtaking red earth remnants of ancient Roman gold mining.
- Traverse the dramatic Sil River canyons flanked by terraced vineyards in the Ribeira Sacra, dotted with Romanesque churches and monasteries of .
2. Tranquil, Off-the-Beaten-Track Experience
- Far fewer pilgrims—roughly 2,000 annual walkers—mean you’ll enjoy quiet reflection and solitude on much of the route .
- Sense of an early-modern pilgrimage with long stretches of peaceful trail and minimal crowding .
3. Refined Camino Certification
- It qualifies for the Compostela certificate just like mainstream Caminos, provided you walk at least the final 100 km (Pilgrim passport and stamps required) .
⚠️ Considerations & Challenges
Sparse Infrastructure
- Accommodations and services are limited—especially before Monforte de Lemos—which can result in 30–35 km walking days between villages. Booking ahead is advised .
- Few open albergues, bars, or shops in remote areas; carry food in case nothing’s open in the evenings .
Terrain & Weather
- Moderately challenging terrain with hilly sections and some steep climbs (rated around difficulty 2.5–3, compared to the Francés’) .
- Despite its name, trail may still face snow, mud, sleet, and fog, especially in winter—best tackled April through November .
Solitude & Logistics
- The route tends to feel lonely—several pilgrims report traveling stretches and nights without encountering another walker .
- Limited English-language help; basic Spanish phrases, reliable maps, and a plan B are essential when facilities are closed .
🧳 Practical Tips
|
Tip |
Why it matters |
|
Start in Monforte de Lemos |
Covers ~120km and meets Compostela requirement with better infrastructure |
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Book private lodging when possible |
Private hostels or pension offer local hospitality and may include meals or laundry service |
|
Pack for solitude & varying weather |
Rain gear, layered clothing, flashlight, extra snacks, offline maps, Spanish phrasebook |
|
Get a detailed guidebook |
John Brierley or Wise Pilgrim guides aid route navigation and stage planning |
🎒 Final Verdict
The Camino de Invierno is a compelling choice for walkers seeking solitude, stunning scenery, and historic depth away from the crowds. It reveals much of Galicia’s hidden beauty—from ancient mines and Romanesque churches to vineyard-draped river valleys. But the trade-off: fewer services, longer stages, and greater logistical demands. For well-prepared, fit trekkers comfortable with Spanish and seeking introspection over social bustle, this is a deeply rewarding pilgrimage. It’s not the easiest path—but it is one of the most atmospheric. 🌿
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars — quiet, scenic, historic, but demanding in planning and infrastructure.
Buen Camino!"
Map showing two routes
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| Camino Ingles orange line top left hand corner blue circle; Camino Invierno green line in blue oval below coming off Camino Frances at Ponferrada |
How many pilgrims walk these routes?
The Oficina del Peregrino Office provides detailed statistics of pilgrims receiving their Compostela certificates. For the time period 2022 to 2025 (July) the breakdown by route is shown in the graph below.
Note the Camino Ingles is the 3rd most popular route at 5.6% while the Camino Invierno is much less traveled at .5%. The combined Camino Frances and Portuguese routes account for 81% of all pilgrim walkers.
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| A little Googling led me to the ALDHA-West website and the Official Registry! |
Two Compostela’s
As noted in the above Camino Ingles description the route from A Coruna at 73 kms falls short of the 100 kms required for a Compostela. However combined with my May 2025 Bray’s Coastal Camino Irish 32 kms route I will qualify for this special Compostela.
Paulo and I will then obtain Compostela’s for the Camino Invierno.
Five modern entry gates into Santiago de Compostela
With this walk I will have passed through all five entry gates.
Two new entry gates into Santiago de Compostela
Porta Poennae, now Porta de la Pena: Camino Ingles (2025)
Porta de Susannis, now Puerta de Mamoa: Camino Sanabres/Camino Invierno (2025)
Three previous entry gates used in Santiago de Compostela
Porta de sancto Peregrino, now Puerta de la Trinidad: Camino de Fisterra (2014) - used this gate to walk out of Santiago de Compostela
Porta de Falgueriis, now Puerta Fajera: Camino Portugues (2018)
Porta Francigena, now Puerta del Camino: Camino Frances (2024), Camino Primitivo (2022)
The Plan 😳😰☺️
Admittedly this was the most complex planning puzzle of any recent long walk! If I fully described my process including spreadsheets, graphs etc you would likely not believe it...or worse you would believe it 🤓
The Walking and Accommodation Plans were created by yours truly...they do take a significant amount of time. I have the time, persistence and inclination and truly enjoy the many combinations and permutations in creating a “workable” plan. The creative Transportation plan was driven by Paulo with a suggestion from me.
I know full well that nothing...absolutely nothing in life is guaranteed. A challenging and in many ways satisfying part of any long walk is when the plan becomes 💩 and one must adapt on the fly.
Transportation Plan
Clearly a challenge considering Paulo and I are flying from different continents! After a number of drafts this was the “Final” plan sent to Paulo.
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| Original Transportation Plan presented to Paulo |
- Porto is essentially halfway between A Coruna (starting point) and Santiago de Compostela (end point)
- Azul airlines flies non stop (a luxury for Paulo) to Porto Portugal
- Paulo and his wife Andrea own a condo in Porto
- Paulo previously utilized the shuttle services of Antonio in Porto
Paulo then offered an alternative plan where he would fly to Porto and hire Antonio to A Coruna from Porto and from Santiago de Compostela to Porto. I would join him in A Coruna after making my way there from Madrid.
Ok my turn for a little thinking 🤔
- I recalled that Air Transat had a direct flight from Toronto to Porto
- Crunched the numbers and realized that financially it was at worst a wash for me to cancel Air Canada flights...book Air Transat flights and chip in for Antonio’s shuttle. Oh and PLUS Paulo has a condo in Porto ☺️
Soooo the final plan became much simpler, less transportation hassle and will create some time exploring Porto. In 2018 I spent 4 days in Porto lying in bed under Dr. Olga's orders after blister surgery 😰 so I am looking forward to this opportunity. If possible I will pay a visit to Dr. Olga to thank her personally. A link to that blogpost if interested.
Dr. Olga - Thank You 🙏 Finally!
Great teamwork resulting in final Transportation plan.
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| Final Transportation Plan |
The trickiest part of planning requiring a balance between kms walked, elevation gains/losses and availability of accommodation.
I reworked the Camino Invierno plan many times. For the Camino Invierno I originally had Oct 12th walk from Quiroga to Montforte de Lemos at 36.3 kms and Elevation Adj Kms at 44.8 kms. A brutal day which has been walked in the past by some pilgrim walkers.
However as noted below Montforte de Lemos deserves a little TLC 😉😄
I reworked the Camino Inglis plan a few times...finally coming up with the creative (or not 😳) Day 1 Oct 4th plan where everything happens...we fly overnight and meet in Porto...Antonio drives us to A Coruna and then we walk 10 kms that same day 😰
Colour rating is my own creation...numbers refer to Adjusted Elevation Gain/Loss Kms
Green - < 30 kms...should be fine
Yellow - >= 30 and < 40 kms...be careful here I am not age 56/57 anymore
Red - >= 40 kms....think positive...keep moving forward...hope
Challenging as there are limited choices when compared to routes like the Camino Frances, Portuguese or Primitivo.
Significant time was spent reviewing Gronze, Wise Pilgrim, past Pilgrim comments, Camino Forum posts, proximity to Camino paths, value for Euros spent etc.
Accommodation Personal Preferences
- For both of us a private room with twin beds and washroom...whether in an Albergue (best alternative), Pension, Hotel, Casa etc. This is SO much more relaxing after a long day's walk compared to a crowded dorm room. This preference was settled in 2014 Day 1 on the Camino Frances walk in Roncesvalles when World champion snorer Guiseppe from Italy kept everyone awake all night.
- Pre-booking accommodation on medium length 2 week walks. This was an issue on the Camino Portuguese where I spent 4 days in bed resting in Porto due to blister surgery…worked like a charm on the Camino Primitivo. With flexible cancelation policies in place and a willingness to replan as needed I live in hope all will be good for Fall 2025!
These choices are certainly not shared by all who walk Camino Paths. Many walk and stop when the spirit moves finding accommodation at day’s end.
To date I have not had problems sharing time, experiences (sometimes embellished for dramatic impact😉) with many walkers whether in a restaurant, coffee shop, pub, on the trail or simply while resting at the side of the path.
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| If curious our individual cost should be 32 Euros per night with 6 breakfasts included |
October 12th - Special Accommodation
We will be staying at the Parador de Montforte de Lemos...a treat after walking some tough days on the Camino Invierno. Why would we stay there...well back in 2014 Paulo, Marc (brother) and I stayed at the Parador in Leon...an experience that none of us will forget. Here are a few excerpts from blogposts...
April 29, 2014 Blogpost
"We are targeting to reach Leon mid day on May 6th and have planned a special treat for ourselves...more later!”
May 1, 2014 Blogpost
"Tomorrow another 35 kms...then we have a few 30+ days leading to O'Cebreiro...and of course our potential treat in Leon!”
May 4, 2014 Blogpost
"Two days to Leon!!!”
May 5, 2014 Blogpost
"Now on to tomorrow where we have a 27 km walk to Leon and our special treat! We have being planning this for a week or so. On to tomorrow...life may never be the same.”
May 6, 2015 Blogpost
Leon Parador!
"The world famous Leon Parador!!!!! Our special treat...saw other pilgrims here as well. Yes I know it's ridiculously luxurious (58€ each for a two bedroom suite...somehow we got a free upgrade!) but this kept us going for more than a week and Martin Sheen did this in the movie The Way!
Parador Breakfast Room
Parador Fruit Selection
Parador Meat Selection
What a memory! Marc was having a tough time with foot issues...Paulo some really bad blisters. In the 14 day period prior to Leon we averaged 30.4 kms per day or 33.7 kms per day Adjusted for Elevation Gains/Losses. Leon Parador kept us moving forward...it was worth every Euro and more.
In planning to stay at the Montforte de Lemos Parador I have no expectations to fully relive that experience. It was once in a lifetime...however there will be some smiles all round as we enter the Parador for sure!
I only wish Marc was with us...hey Marc...here is an idea! Any chance you could fly to Madrid...take a train to Ponferrada...then some type of transportation to get to Montforte de Lemos. If you can the Parador night stay is on me as will be supper and a few cervezas! 😉☺️ Paulo will of course pay for everything else...flights etc. 😂
Physical & Mental Preparation
Basically nothing different...just consistent daily walking ☺️
Focusing on the very positive 2025 Kerry Way walk where...outside of a minor blip on Day 1 which was saved by a timely chocolate bar offer from John... I stayed out of any “mini/major meltdown” mode.
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| Summary of long walks since 2013 |
Shoes
A fellow Camino Forum member posted this amazing response!
