...sometimes plans have to change. In my August 3, 2025 Blogpost our Fall 2025 Camino plan was outlined. Camino Inglis from A Coruna to Santiago de Compostela followed by Camino Invierno from Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela. It was a great plan ☺️.
Then an August 18, 2025 Camino Forum post titled “Town of Las Medulas evacuated because of fire” appeared. That sure caught my attention as Las Medulas was the first stop after Day 1 walking on the Camino Invierno.
I quickly sent a WhatsApp message to Paulo and then watched as the Camino Forum simply exploded with Wildfire impacts on various Camino paths. To date 27 different Postings in the newly created “Wildfires in Spain 2025” Forum section have been created.
A very bad gut feeling...the Walking Plan is in BIG trouble. Paulo and I started talking about alternatives should the Camino Invierno not be possible.
Over the next few days additional information was received. The second and third photos are satellite photos of walking days 1 - 3 on the Camino Invierno. The brown areas are the wildfire burnt areas...the highlighted yellow areas represented active fires as of August 21, 2025.
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| Camino Invierno Mojon...where does one walk? |
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| Day 1 Camino Invierno within blue oval |
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| Days 2 & 3 Camino Invierno blues arrows |
Decision Time
Paulo and I, along with many Camino pilgrim Forum walkers, observed that the wildfire situation was concentrated in the south. Paulo first suggested Plan B...keep Camino Inglis and then switch to the Camino Norte.
Over the next day or so we both independently concluded the Camino Invierno almost certainly wasn’t in the cards for us. Neither Paulo nor I would knowingly walk a path where on balance the risks were simply too high.
Then on August 22, 2025 a very well respected Forum Moderator posted a video which was subsequently translated by Ivar (creator of the Camino Forum). This sealed the no go decision.
"Good evening, everyone.
There are many kilometers of trail damaged by the fire, but what worries us right now are the mudslides that could form if it rains (even if not torrentially, because we don’t expect torrential rain). We are also concerned about the lack of potable water, the absence of electricity in some places, and the loss of phone coverage, as many areas have been left without signal. In addition, much of the trail signage has been destroyed. What concerns us most is a factory in the area that is releasing toxic gases from products that were stored there, which is complicating the recovery of the route.
Tomorrow we will also be contacting many of the businesses that serve pilgrims to check whether they are open, closed, or operational.
That being said, what we can give you right now is the list of towns that have been affected by the fire, so that you can understand the scale of the damage—and so that you don’t feel the need to rush back to the Camino, even though we are working to reopen it as soon as possible. From the Galician Federation and from the associations involved, we will also be reaching out to other groups, because we may need volunteer work from pilgrims to help move forward with the reopening of the Winter Way. It’s a complex task, but it’s necessary to ensure that you won’t face any problems when you return to walk this route.
To give you an idea: in the first stage marked by Gronze, from Ponferrada to Puente Domingo Flórez, the fire caused major damage in Arlanza del Bierzo, Santalla del Bierzo, Villavieja, Borrenes, Carucedo, Las Médulas, and across the slopes of the mountain from Alto de las Pedrices to Puente Domingo Flórez. In the second stage of the Gronze guide, you’ll find El Barco de Valdeorras, Vilamartín de Valdeorras, and A Rúa de Valdeorras—all three of these towns have been badly affected, with problems in drinking water and other issues.
In the third stage, which runs from A Rúa to Quiroga, there were fires in the localities of Alvaredos, Montefurado, O Ermidón, Bendillo, Soldón, Sequeiros, and Asnovais—very close to the castle of Asnovais and not far from Quiroga.
We ask for your commitment and patience. Tomorrow or the day after we will provide a phone number for anyone who wishes to come as a volunteer and help out in whatever way possible. Please be patient and respectful regarding what has been happening over the past two weeks. We are not looking to assign blame—we are looking for solutions. The Camino is still there; don’t be in a hurry to return just yet. Please know that Peregrinos de Zae, all the Winter Way associations, the Galician Federation, and other groups are working hard so that you can walk the Camino again safely and peacefully, and enjoy it even under the shadow of the blackened landscape left behind by the wildfires.
We’ll leave it here—it’s now half past nine, ten at night, and we believe it’s time to rest after a long day. Thank you for watching this message. Please share it so that these updates reach other pilgrims or anyone who might want to help restore the Camino. We know these are difficult times, but we must all do our part so that the people who have always offered us a place to rest can soon return to the normal routine of welcoming pilgrims again.
Buen Camino to all.”
NOTE: I have no idea how ChatGPT came up with distances ie 300 kms total as all other reliable information sources are consistent and very different. If AI is correct we are in very deep trouble 🤣. Another likely System Architect snafu 😉.
- Wise Pilgrim 242 kms
- Gronze 246 kms
- Cicerone 245 kms
"Got it 👍 You’d like a description of the Camino del Norte starting from Luarca (Asturias) rather than all the way from Irún. That’s a really nice starting point, because Luarca is a classic Asturian fishing town and it puts you a little over 300 km from Santiago — about 12–14 days of walking depending on pace.
Here’s the breakdown from Luarca → Santiago de Compostela:
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Asturias: Luarca → Ribadeo (~80 km, 3 stages)
- Stage 1: Luarca → Navia (20 km)
Gentle stage along the coast with green countryside and small villages. Navia is a lively riverside town. - Stage 2: Navia → Tapia de Casariego (22 km)
Pleasant coastal walking. Tapia is famous for surfing and has great seafood. - Stage 3: Tapia → Ribadeo (30 km)
Enter Galicia by crossing the Eo estuary on a long bridge into Ribadeo, a vibrant town with nearby “Playa de las Catedrales” (Cathedrals Beach).
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Galicia: Ribadeo → Santiago (~220 km, 9–11 stages)
- Stage 4: Ribadeo → Lourenzá (29 km)
Inland through forests and farmland. Lourenzá has a fine monastery. - Stage 5: Lourenzá → Mondoñedo (9 km)
Short but rewarding stage, ending in Mondoñedo with its beautiful cathedral. - Stage 6: Mondoñedo → Abadín (17 km)
A steady climb, then gentle countryside. - Stage 7: Abadín → Vilalba (21 km)
Green rolling Galicia; Vilalba has a medieval tower. - Stage 8: Vilalba → Baamonde (21 km)
Rural Galicia, quiet paths through woodland. - Stage 9: Baamonde → Miraz or Sobrado dos Monxes (30–40 km, usually split)
Pilgrims often break this up; Sobrado is famous for its vast Cistercian monastery, where you can stay overnight. - Stage 10: Sobrado → Arzúa (22 km)
Here the Camino del Norte merges with the Camino Francés, so the path becomes busier. - Stage 11: Arzúa → O Pedrouzo (20 km)
Classic Galician countryside, eucalyptus forests. - Stage 12: O Pedrouzo → Santiago de Compostela (20 km)
Final walk into Santiago; arrival at the Cathedral of Santiago, where pilgrims have gathered for centuries.
⏱️ Summary from Luarca
- Distance: ~300 km
- Time: 12–14 days
- Character: Coastal Asturias (fishing towns, seafood, ocean views) → inland Galicia (forests, monasteries, rolling hills) → final convergence with Camino Francés.”
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| Unchanged from Original Plan except for Oct 7th to Luarca on Camino Norte |
Walking Plan
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| Oct 6th onwards totally revised |
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| Aug 6th onward totally revised 32 Euros per night per person |
