Camino de Santiago 2023: Camino Ingles

Camino Inglés
Ferrol - Santiago de Compostela, 22. october - 25. october 2023 (4 days), distance: 121.5km (1199.9km).

Camino Inglés is the least interesting of all the routes to Santiago de Compostela. At least that is the word. Not from everybody, though, but there are some voices in the air. I have done it two times previously. With the last time doing it in reverse, going from Santiago de Compostela to A Coruña. The first time, I walked together with my cousin. I found that I would like to walk it on my own, and see if what I remember from it would collate with those whispers in the air.

The port town of Ferrol, starting point of the English Way.

And being a short Camino, I opted to do this again instead of the Camino de Finisterre.

Muiño das Aceas.

You can start the Camino Inglés from either Ferrol or A Coruña, but starting from the latter will not make you eligible for the Compostela. That matters little to me, my cupboard back home has enough of this piece of paper already. Normally, I would like to spend one evening at the place I am starting from, but time makes me decide otherwise. From Santiago I take a bus to Ferrol and start straight away, only having to make my way to the starting point at the port first. Which makes it a late start, at almost twelve o’clock.

Nature reserve after the Neda albergue.

The part of the English Camino that I find the most interesting is from its start at Ferrol until Betanzos, normally the two first days. After that there are some nice sections and places in between, but it fails to interest me that much.

Looking across to Pontedeume.

Out of Ferrol, I am somehow excited by the late start, seeing it as a kind of a little adventure in terms of reaching my destination not too late. As before, the alternative past the old Muiño das Aceas is advisable, even with less time available. And do not follow the ordinary waymarks after crossing over the Ria de Ferrol at Xuvia, instead do the old route that goes past the Neda albergue. This route is much more scenic than the route just following the road, going through a small reserve next to the estuary before it will join the new official route before Neda.

Ponte de Pedra, Pontedeume.

With dramatic clouds on the sky, I arrive at the Ponte de Pedra at the entrance of Pontedeume, with just enough time to visit the museum and tower of Torreón dos Andrade. Given the late start, I had wondered about not going as far as to Pontedeume, but stop at place before, but being back I was happy with my decision. Pontedeume is a small, but charming town boasting some nice narrow streets with small plazas between them. And a vending machine where one can buy fishing equipment and bait. I eat a delicious dinner at Taberna Zas.

San Miguel de Breamo.

Normally, I would find the distance between Pontedeume and Betanzos too short, but as with the former, the latter is one of the highlights of this Camino. One way to extend the day is to visit the small chapel of San Miguel de Breamo, situated in a very serene location. Views of Pontedeume, with the bridge and estuary and surrounding landscape can be seen on the walk up to it, and there is an easy to find route that can get you back to the Camino without having to backtrack.

The Camino Inglés going underneath a grape arbor.

Returning to the Camino, there are almost no clouds in the sky and a heating sun. After a descent through woods, it has all changed and just before I get to Ponte Baxoi, I barely escape a sudden deluge at a pilgrim café appearing just at the right time. This would be the norm for the rest of the day, walking in nice weather with brief deluges hitting at uneven times.

The bay windows of Betanzos.

Apart from the the walk to up to the Iglesia de San Miguel de Breamo, the short section after Miño is the most notable on the way to Betanzos. The huge trunk of the tree inside the park near the Antiga Fábrica de Curtidos does still stand there, but the park itself is now more overgrown. Choose the wooden boardwalk going around the small park and then visit the Praia da Alameda beach. At A Ponte do Porco with its pig statue, the route before crossed the river on the bridge and went up the hill just across, but now the route has been changed. By my remembrance it is for the better.

Betanzos in the evening.

Betanzos is to me the highlight of the Camino Inglés. Just spend the time walking through the charming streets are recommended, but there are nice plazas, churches, old buildings, and nice cafés to visit. One of the features of the town that fascinates me is the bay windows of the apartments lined up above one of the narrow streets. It also features a vending machine containing sex toys, which I found amusing given its fishing counterpart in Pontedeume.

Rainbow.

After Betanzos, it is normal to stay at the albergue at Hospital de Bruma, once a medieval hospitales. On the way there it becomes apparent that the route has again changed since I walked it back in 2016, I walk for a long time expecting to see the signs of Casa Julia appearing, but it never materialises. I do not remember if I enjoyed the old route that much, but I cannot say the new route is much interesting either.

Path on the old route of the Camino Inglés.

I stop for a very late lunch at the bar at Hospital de Bruma before walking alone the rest of the way to A Rúa, enjoying all the amusing sculptures and paraphernalia at O Castro on the way. A Rúa is not big, consisting of not much of a couple of houses, but it does has a church and two bars (one that appears to be the morning bar and the other being the evening bar). No albergues, but a very wonderful Casa Rural (Dona María).

Cabeza de Lobo, the dinosaur is really moving around.

On the last of the few days the Camino Inglés takes, I understand more of the resentment that I have heard about the route. When I walked it back in 2016, I remember a long stretch of walking in a straight line through a forest, not so interesting at all, but far better than the new route. For those straight five kilometres through the forest are far more preferable than the same distance walking next to a noisy highway. The heavy rain does nothing to improve my mood either. The enchanted woods are almost the only boon for the eye between Sigüero and Santiago de Compostela, with the exception of arriving at the old town.

One of the worst sections of any Camino de Santiago, walking next to the noisy highway before Sigüeiro, the lousy weather does not make it any better.

No views of the cathedral when I walk into Santiago, the clouds are lying low in the heavy rain. Although the clouds are not lifting, my mood is significantly lifting when I once again walk through the old and beautiful buildings. And the weather gods are smiling at me when I arrive at the Praza do Obradoiro. No sun, but the rain is gracefully taking a break while I am at the square. People are looking amused at me when I sit down, being the only one doing so.

Bridge in Área Recreativa De Carboeiro in Sigüeiro.

I find the changes being done to the Camino Inglés are making it a lot less interesting than it was when I first did it, and even then, it was not that much interesting in total. Despite that, I am actually happy to have done it, but does not expect to return.

Bosque Encantado.

My time in Spain (and Portugal) has come to an end, my combination of the different Camino de Santiago routes has come to an end. It has been a thrill, 43 days, 8 different Caminos and about 1200 kilometres walked.

Wet on the Praza Obraidoro, had to sit down anyway.

If there is one thing that I want to be the lesson of these series of articles, is to choose adventure. Follow your impulses, make your own way. I think the example of Petra is the best one, she chose to change her route on impulse on the way. There were obstacles on the way, but that is part of the adventure, and she overcame those. Do not see the pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela as a fixed way depending on the way you chose, combine them. With the additions of new routes appearing the routes appear more and more like a grid than separate one-directional ways.

Panorama, Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.

Buen Camino!

San Martin Pinario in the evening rain.

Camino Inglés // day 2 // Hospital de Bruma - A Coruña

Camino Inglés, day 2 (Camino day 43).
Distance: 35.0km (78.4km / 1219.0km).
Weather: Cloudy and rainy.

In a way, the long wrong turn, walking in the opposite direction and having to sojourn out in the rain to get food, only added to the exitement of yesterday. So I was the last to go to bed yesterday, needing to have a moment to myself, calming myself down. Today, I was the first to wake up, seeing the need for time going against the current towards A Coruña. Thankfully a shorter distance today. Most of the other people here will head for Siguero. As it was a pleasant company yesterday, it would have been great to walk together with them today.

Albergue de Peregrinos de Hospital de Bruma in the morning.

Finding the junction where the routes from A Coruña and Ferrol intersects was my first complexity today. I had talked to the hospitalero and he had given me some information, containing one important fact. The Camino has been rerouted, and both routes now joins before As Travesas if you walk towards Santiago de Compostela. It is on the same road that I had to walk up to yesterday, only in the other direction. It was raining quite the amount outside when I ate breakfast, but when I leave the ancient pilgrim hospital it has lessened some.

The descent through woods from As Travesas.

After As Travesas (the walk here mostly constisting of walking next to the road) there is a signpost pointing towards Ferrol, but not for A Coruña. Scrutinizing the map closely, I do manage to find the way, confirmed by a welcoming yellow arrow sometime later. As Travesas is also the highest point on the English Way, at 450m. Fronting farmland and acres on both sides first, the Camino soon starts to make a long descent on a forest path. The Camino emerges from the woods into a small farmland hamlet before finding cover under the trees again.

Looking back at the Camino coming down from As Travesas, coming from A Coruña you will go up that hill.

That this is the ultimate day of my walk is hard to fathom, or convince myself that it is, accustomed as I am to this way of life after so many days of walking. Weather has been nice to me so far. Much kinder than the forecast, but that I will be spared rain today is not possible. The horizons are bleak. And it soon starts to rain. Not suspecting to meet any one, one lonesome pilgrim trudges past me. I stop for a coffee and some food at a bar in Sardones, a small village featuring some old buildings with worn facades. I know I will miss the Spanish café con leche when I am back home. Missing the waymarker out of the village, or rather the ones into Sardones, I go a short stretch on the road before having to retrace my steps.

Old buildings with worn facades in Sardones.

Angles can sometimes be misleading, signs may appear logical when viewed from one angle, but not from another. Coming from the opposite direction, this is such an angle. A large yellow arrow painted on a fonte entices me to follow the road next to it, where a short steep descent follows. Placing me at the mercy of a junction with no waymarks. I spend some time finding the correct route from here, backtracking once up to the yellow arrow. If coming from A Coruña, I would have seen the arrow from another angle, the correct one after walking through a section of forest path. This was just before Sergude, you will get here afterwards. There is now an albergue in Sergude, nice if you want to split the 32.5km to Hospital de Bruma.

A long gone house.

During my search for the Way, the rain intensified.

Dark clouds coming rolling over the horizon.

More walk through farmland and villages, before I approaches the area on the map looking like continuous settlements all the way to A Coruña. Here I go the wrong way again, it is easy to make these mistakes when walking in the reverse direction, but this one was more or less my own fault for not paying enough attention. I end up in Altamira on a very busy road, but manages to find my way back without the need to backtrack.

A rainy day on the Camino Inglés.

Rain arrives for full before I get to Sigrás, where I head for a bar for shelter and an exclusive lunch. On the 43rd and final day, I feel that I have earned it, I have about 14km left of my quattro Caminos.

The old well outside the Church of Santiago in Sigrás.

Sun is then miraculously appearing in holes above. Welcoming after so much darkness on the sky. Again the route does not match my map, making it difficult to get onward through an industrial area. Finding the way, I also finds two other pilgrims. Now near the airport, i have quite good views of the weather ahead. It looks promising, but that promise is surrounded by dark omens.

Church of Santiago in Sigrás.

Down at the Ponte de Burgo, another nice old bridge, the Camino joins a riverside promenade. It must be great to get here after the walk throgh the cityscape of A Coruña and its outskirt. It is welcome to me too. It feels like the announcement of the end of my journey, although a nice one at that. Gentle weather and relaxed people about. Out in the river, or in the small wetlands next to, are various birdlife, with the then mandatory birdwatchers lined up on the promenade.

Peregrino in painting on wall before the riverside promenade towards Portazgo.

Without having been a spectacular walk, the promise of bad weather and uncertain routefinding has made this day exciting too. Now, with A Coruña almost around the corner and good weather, I loose some of my tension. The river promenade ends, after about 3.5km, chasing me up into Portazgo and nothing but a city walk from here on. The route rises a little, gently, providing views back down to the river.

Ponte do Burgo.

In A Coruña, already starting in the outskirts, I have to follow the directions I had jotted down. Finding the way is not straightforward. Passing by the busstation confirms the way and stir up some memories. Ironically, it is finding the route through the city that proves to be the most difficult. If I were just to go straight to the Santiago church, it would be easy, I know the way there. If I want to follow the Camino properly, it is not.

Ría do Burgo river promenade.

I spend quite some time trying to maneuver myself through the streets, both nrrow and broad, and bustling with people. Always on the lookout for a confirmary waymark, which is not so easy to spot. On the positive sand, I get to see a lot more of the city on the way in than planned. At the large Praza de María Pita, I know that I am close, but still asks for a map at the tourist office (got tired in the end).

John Lennon statue in A Coruña, almost looking like he has grown horns.

A long journey is at its end when I walk up the narrow street to the Igrexa de Santiago, 43 days after I set forth from Lisboa. It is apt that I end up here at the church dedicated to Santiago, when I have not walked to Santiago de Compostela itself. The square in front of the church is far smaller than the Praza do Obraidoiro, but I still need to sit down in the same fashion as there. Only me here though, and no other pilgrims arriving, finishing their Camino. A short and quiet contemplative moment, before I sit down at the café next to the church for a beer. I gratefully arrived under a blue sky.

Igrexa de Santiago in A Coruña. The end of my four Caminos starting from Lisboa in Portugal.

In my mind, I had thought it would be great to walk further, to end my Caminos at the Torre de Hércules. Also a fitting endpoint, but I see the time has been running faster than I had. I consider taking a taxi out, but dismisses the notion. Good thing too, I would not have made it before what little is left of the light would be gone. I have seen the Tower of Hercules before too, so I start walking towards my hotel. It starts to rain. A lot. It makes the Praza de María Pita beautiful.

Rain over the marina in A Coruña.

Reflections are like windows or openings into an alternate version of what you see.

Praza de María Pita.

Luxurygrim the last night, well earned. In the evening, I walk around in the Crystal City as A Coruña is also called. Due to the glass-enclosed galleries on the facades next to the seaport. I like it here. Also in the narrow streets where I look for a pizza parlor for my dinner. A short walk over to the Porta do Sol reveals anything but sun, here a strong wind blows filled with rain.

Concello da Coruña at the Praza de María Pita.

Sitting down, I reminisce of my four Caminos, and become aware that they resembles a cross in a way. Lisboa is the southern end of the cross. The Camino Portugués the lower cross arm. Ponferrada is the eastern end, the Camino Real de Invierno the right cross arm. Muxía / Finisterre the western end and the Camino de Finisterre the left arm. A Coruña is the northern end of the cross, the Camino Inglés the upper cross arm.

The Crystal City in the evening.

I have had a truly varied pilgrimage (or pilgrimages).

<< Hospital de Bruma

Camino Inglés // day 1 // Santiago de Compostela - Hospital de Bruma

Camino Inglés, day 1 (Camino day 42).
Distance: 43.4km (43.4km / 1184.0km).
Weather: Nice, then overcast, then rain.

I wake up feeling uncertain again, in doubt whether to go or not. The idea of spending too much time trying to locate the way in really bad weather is not that tempting. And I am very satisfied with the three Caminos that I have done, maybe it is time to be happy with that and spend the next two days in Santiago and A Coruña. Taking some time off in a(nother) way, a vacation from the walking.

Praza da Inmaculada in the morning.

The Camino Inglés is the way that the pilgrims from the British Isles used to go when they were walking to Santiago de Compostela. Hence the name, the British Way. Of old they were sailing to A Coruña to start their pilgrimage in Spain from that seaport, but in the latter days the pilgrims has changed to use Ferrol as their starting point. This is mostly due to the rules regarding getting the Compostela. In order to be eligible for the Compostela, pilgrims must at least walk 100km (they also need to have at least two stamps in their pilgrims passports too). A Coruña is only about 73km from Santiago, making it less attractive for pilgrims, opting instead to begin from Ferrol (119km).

Walking through Rúa de San Francisco after having begun the Camino Inglés towards A Coruña.

In 2016, I walked the Camino Inglés from Ferrol together with my cousin, so I have done the Camino. It is a short and pleasant one. When I made up my plan for this journey, I wanted to see how the Camino between A Coruña and Hospital de Bruma (where the two routes joins) was. Not wanting to travel too much by bus (especially for such a short Camino, two days), I decided to walk it in the opposite direction if I was to do it. And it would not matter at all regarding the Compostela. The only problem, there would be no waymarking in the direction I would be going, but I considered it to be a nice little challenge.

The Camino goes past this old medieval bridge in Santiago.

And a challenge I have got, I decide to go. The weather outside is not bad at all, in fact, it is rather good. As befits, I start my fourth Camino in a row at the Praza do Obraidoiro. From the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela to the Santiago church in A Coruña.

View of Santiago de Compostela from the entrance to the city on the Camino Inglés (my exit).

Walking through and out of Santiago I have few problems with finding my way. It also helps that I have walked the route before, although there are places that eludes my memory. The walk through the city is also nice, but I know that the boring parts will arrive later on. After passing by the medieval bridge and walking upwards on a road, there is a little sideway that you can take to get a view of Santiago and the cathedral from. There are clouds on the sky, but the morning light from the sun over the city is nice.

A tipping milestone, this one looks even more lopsided than it did when I walked past it a couple of years ago.

The first wrong turn of the day (I assume I will do some more later) I make just before I get to the boring industrial area in the outskirts of Santiago. It was a fifty-fifty chance of taking the correct turn at a junction, I made the wrong choice. Ironically there is moment of walking bliss just after I have passed through the industrial area, where the Camino goes on a gravel track next to the walls of the last buildings of the area. Through the trees hanging over the path, the filtered sunlight is making a magic display of light. And shortly afterwards, the Camino throws you out on next to the busy highway next to a huge factory spewing out smoke, such contrasts.

Cemiterio de Boisaca.

I remember this part from when I walked the Camino Inglés, walking next to the busy road, but I do not remember where we came down to the road from, and no places I pass by sparks any memory in me. Thankfully someone must have been doing the same thing before, as I find a yellow arrow pointing me to where I will find the Camino again. When walking in the opposite direction, I can only use the waymarks and the yellow arrows to confirm that I am on the correct way. Necessitating that I turn my head and look back ever so often.

Filtered sunrays on the Camino Inglés.

Camino Inglés between Sigüero and Santiago has some pleasant wooden paths, but also goes through places next to busy roads. After going underneath the highway, the Camino goes into a forest and the only way I can know where to go, is to follow the map in my guidebook. The scallops and arrows are so few through this forest, that I can do nothing but trust myself. Taking the correct route or not, I find my way into Sigüero, not yet halfway to Hospital de Bruma, my destination for today.

A small bridge in the small park in Sigüero.

The walk here from Santiago has gone fairly flawlessly, with a few exceptions. And the weather has been nothing at all as predicted. I am glad that I made the decision to go. Lunch is taken in a café in Sigüero, before I walk out of the tiny town through a small and nice park. Not many pilgrims has come in the opposite direction, but there are a few when I pass by the short industrial area outside the town.

A tree in a field.

It is from here that the fun begins. If you walk towards Santiago de Compostela, you will walk through this section just before Sigüero. Here the Camino goes in a straight line for 5km, at least that is how it was when I walked it three years ago. At the end, the path turns left and crosses the highway again. Should be easy to find my way. Quite pleasant at the beginning, then you get a little bit tired after walking through the relative same scenery.

The long and not winding road.

After some while I arrive at a junction. Believing it to be where I should leave the straight gravel path, I turn left and continue further on another track. Problem is, there are no more yellow arrows or any other Camino waymarkers to be found any longer. And after walking down a hill to a bridge, with still no waymarkers to see, I am pretty much sure that I have gone the wrong way. So I walk back to the junction and continue on the straight line. Having walked for quite some time, it becomes perfectly clear that this was a wrong choice. I realize that I actually had made the correct decision earlier, and turn back again. In accordance with my now sour mood, dark clouds are gathering rapidly on the sky.

Farmers working.

In fact, I had made the correct decision when I turned left the first time. After crossing the bridge I finally see a yellow arrow again. Where did the trust in myself go? In fact, I should have left the straight path long before I did. Because shortly afterwards I pass by some waymarkers that makes it clear that the Camino either has been rerouted or that my guidebook does not show the correct route on the map. Whatever the reason is, the Camino does not go where the map in my guidebook says it is going.

A chapel seen from the Camino.

Grateful to be on the right way, but still annoyed of the loss of time and spent energy. Another thing I am grateful for, is that there now is only quiet countryside between me and Hospital de Bruma. There are also more pleasant forest paths on this part of the Camino, it soothes my nerves.

Cute mural on the wall of a passageway under a road.

I have no more mishaps in finding the way, but the long distance I have to cover today and the loss of time has made me walk faster than I want. And my serious wrong turn sure did not make the distance any shorter. The result is that I feel my ankles are starting to hurt. At slower speed, I arrive at the curious village of the sculpturer, Cabeza de Lobo. Now the dinosaur is standing out on a lawn, having a mannequin doll for dinner. And there are even more of the strange statues and sculptures standing around. Even a bar has opened here.

Through autumn woods before Buscas.

Rain finally arrives when I walk into Hospital de Bruma and I feel happy to get here. All good things come in threes, but for me, today it is more like all bad things come in threes. You can count my long wrong turn as the first, my hurting ankle the second. The third is that the bar and café here is closed (every Monday). And I do not have anything to eat with me, except for five pieces of churros, but they do not last long as dinner. The hospitalero at the nice albergue is also not present when I arrive.

One of the more grotescue cruceiros.

There are however several other pilgrims here. A German pilgrim tells me that there is a store about 2km away, but I feel too tired to walk there now. Eventually I have to persuade myself that I have to get food, so I wrap myself into my raingear and heads out into the now heavy rain. It has also become dark and I am not sure of the way. Tired I find the place, seeing that there is also a hotel and a café there too. If I had known, I had probably just taken my backpack with me and checked into the hotel. I buy some food, then decide to just have dinner at the café while I am here. They do not serve any food.

A winding forest track.

I try my luck at the restaurant in the hotel, but they do not start serving dinner until later, a little bit crestfallen I return to the tiny store of the gas station and buy some more food. Then I venture out into the dark and rain again. There is however a saying that the Camino provides. And it does. Because the hospitalero had heard news of my arrival and walk to get food, and on the way down he comes driving past me and picks me up. He had taken his car to drive and look out for me. I am so grateful.

Dinosaur and ship in Cabeza de Lobo.

So it all ends very well. I have dinner in the cosy kitchen together with the other pilgrims, all of course walking in the opposite direction. Our dinner is what may be called quite meagre, but we all share what we have got. After walking all the way here against the 'tide' and quite alone, it is nice to spend the evening together with other people. One more day and I am finished with my walk for this time.

In Hospital de Bruma.

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