The Camino Ingles is a short ~120km camino route from Ferrol (or A Coruña) to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It was established in the 12th century by pilgrims arriving by boat from England and other Northern European countries and then continuing by foot to Santiago.
After completing the Camino del Norte, I spent a few days resting in A Coruña and started to get restless. I decided to walk the Camino Ingles from Ferrol to Santiago, as I would likely not return to Spain just to walk this short route. I took a bus from A Coruña to Ferrol and started walking the same day. As it was Semana Santa (holy week before Easter), it was expected to be busy so I decided to book rooms a day ahead to avoid a possible bed race at the albergues. I subsequently found out that most albergues made overflow arrangements for pilgrims during the busy week.
Overall, I enjoyed the Camino Ingles and glad I walked it. But it’s not one I am likely to walk again. I found it too short to get into the camino spirit or to build a strong community, though I did meet some interesting pilgrims. Furthermore, after walking the Camino del Norte immediately before and the Primitivo right after the Ingles, I didn’t find the Ingles incredibly scenic or memorable. Furthermore, recent route changes have increased the amount of road walking so I tried to walk the older route whenever possible (both are shown in the Buen Camino app). Lastly, I will likely not walk a camino during Semana Santa again as the number of pilgrims swells significantly, having to constantly think ahead about finding a bed or booking ahead of time, which I generally prefer to avoid.
Dates: April 17, 2019 to April 21, 2019 Walking days: 5 Distance: 116 km Average per day: 23 km Longest day: 36 km Shortest day: 15 km
| Day | Date | Distance (km) | Finish | Accomodation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Tue 16-Apr-19 | Ferrol | ||
| 1 | Wed 17-Apr-19 | 15 | Neda | Albergue de peregrinos de Neda |
| 2 | Thu 18-Apr-19 | 25 | Miño | Hostal La Terraza |
| 3 | Fri 19-Apr-19 | 36 | Hospital de Bruma | Canaima Hotel |
| 4 | Sat 20-Apr-19 | 25 | Siguero | Albergue Camino Real |
| 5 | Sun 21-Apr-19 | 15 | Santiago |
Day 1: Ferrol to Neda, 15 km
After a couple of days hanging out with friends in Santiago (after finishing the Camino del Norte) and a few days relaxing in A Coruña, I started making plans to return to the US. Then I saw sunshine in the forecast for the weekend and realized I was so close to the start of the Camino Ingles, a short ~120km route from Ferrol to Santiago. So this morning I took a bus to Ferrol and started walking. I figured I wouldn’t likely make a separate trip to Spain in the future for this short camino and this seemed like an opportune time. Plus, I always feel more restless when I’m resting than when I’m moving.
Day 2: Neda to Miño, 25 km
A relaxing day through quiet villages, forest trails, and a walk on the beach. My body is definitely tired after a month of walking the Camino del Norte so I welcomed the short day. However, tomorrow will be a much longer walk with some decent climbs.
Day 3: Miño to Hospital de Bruma, 36 km
A long but chill day with plenty of hills. So many beautiful wildflowers along today’s route. Only 40km remaining to Santiago and sunny warm 22C+ weather in the forecast.
Day 4: Hospital de Bruma to Siguero, 25 km
An easy 25km day with blue skies and warm weather. I was originally thinking of going all the way to Santiago today (only 15km left) but decided to stop early, have lunch, and relax. Further, I wanted to avoid the crowds in Santiago due to Easter weekend. So tomorrow will be a relaxed saunter to the Cathedral.
Day 5: Siguero to Santiago de Compostela, 15 km
Today I reached Santiago and completed my 4th camino and was greeted in the cathedral square by good friends, another wonderful arrival. Each camino has a completely different feel. This one was shorter than my previous ones but special in its own way. The goal after each camino always remains the same: to maintain the camino spirit of simplicity, community, and spirit when returning to ‘normal’ life, whatever that may be.
