Really interesting article Hey, great article. I am a former kiwi, living in Australia since '85 (when I came here to go to university and just "hung around"). I walked the Camino Frances in 2016, completed the Del Norte a few months back and I still have at least two on my bucket list. One of which is the Portuguese Camino, the other being the Via de la Plata. There are plenty of Camino articles around but your blog was witty and amusing as well as informative, your photos very creative and you have just increased my yearning to get back and do another!
Get going... Thanks, it's been a while since we did this and we've been back a couple of times since then but I haven't got around to writing it up. All our kids have done their own caminos and it sounds like the French route is mad, pity as it is a lovely walk. Alberuges have improved on the Potuguese Way, especially in the Lisbon section which was pretty empty when we did it, walker numbers are also up. Our favourite remains the Vdlp and we will be doing this again soon, I've recently been reminded how short life is so don't hand around, get going.
" Blisters " Loved reading your feedback and as I am doing the VDLP this sept/oct it was all very relevant . I have walked the Portuguese and Francais caminos which I really enjoyed , however I always have big blister problems even fro day 2 , any advise would be welcome .
Kind Regards
Tom
Camping on la via de la plata Would it be possible to camp, I like the idea but it seems the alburges are more popular? Would you advise bringing something for water filtration?
I begin in September 2013, I can't wait.
Where did you get your maps?
Thank you!
I am departing to Lisbon in 9 days to do the Camino Portugues and this blog has been a great reference to round up all my research on the Camino. Thank you so much for all the descriptive routes that you took and all the hints and tips. I will take this with me \"just in case\"!
Buen camino!!!
We start the plata April 14th I am taking notes on where you staid, how long you walked. thanks for your work our trip will be a little easier. i am impressed you could get your body out there 40KM.
our blog is http://www.caminowalkaboutplata.blogspot.com. buen camino
wonderable way Yes this blog amazing, thanks for it, i am going to go to this way portugese camino next year. I am gathering informations from this way. Your blog make for me very attractiv that and i am looking foward to take it.
Good luck and nice day , all of my respect yours, Ágnes, from Hungary my caminos were 3 this time.
winter walking Sorry to take a while to get back to you on this but I have only just got back, I haven't walked in Europe that time of year - mainly because the weather - I'd expect it to be cold! We where wearing triple layers in the higher sections around Salamanca in late Sept! Check out the advise on the camino forum - www.caminodesantiago
advice for winter walking hi there-this may not be a question you can answer but any opinion would be listened to-i plan to leave mid january from seville- any ideas what climate to expect between then and end feb?
thank you for all the other information
One more for the road Your slide show took me back, we did the same French route in 2004 and it was nice to see the open road again... oddly enough we are off again shortly to complete the English and Portuguese routes (from Ferrol to Lisboa). Good luck with the Via de la Plata, hope you love it as much as we did… we used the excellent Pili Pala guide on our 2008 trip but left it behind in Funte!
Dean & Bec Hey congratulations on your blog and the walk. Bec and I did the route Fances last year and intend to follow you in April next. We recorded our in You tube if you search Dean & Bec Camino.
Are you aware of a reprinted or updated version of the Travel Guide by Pili Pala Press fro this route? We took the Map guide from St Jean-Pied de Port to Finisterre and it was excellent.
Good luck and will you be doing a simlar Camino soon? Dean
Good tips Hi, What a fantastic trip you had thankyou for sharing your tips and comments. We found your report interesting and plan to to do something similar in March 2011. Phil
Thanks! Dear fellow pilgrims,
thank you very much for sharing your experiences und picts! I will start the Via de la Plata Sept.1 and hope to do it in 5 - 6 weeks. So what you write is extremely helpful for me! I am only a bit afraid of the sun and heat in the Extremadura in September...
All the best for you and your next caminos,
Tom
Just do it. Glad it gives you something to think about. While we are not as mature as you, we are also not super fit. Some of those we meet were in late 60s and walked similar distances to us each day. My Dad is due to turn 80 next birthday and one of my great regrets is I haven't been able to get him onto a camino - yet! He's always tramped and we still go on walks with him (some are on my blog).
As you note, early starts and just getting on with it are the key, but you are right over the water issue as it is very isolated. Unlike the French route there also are not the number of towns and places to stop which does lock you in somewhat to the longer days. Still if you carry food and a bed roll you can sleep out safely and theres usually stock water to boil .
We'd love to do it again, and probably will, but this year I'll be trying the Portuguese route (from Lisbon) with my daughter as we can't get away till November and I would only do la Plata in Autumn or early Spring as it's way to high and cold to contemplate a winter trip - or summer for that matter.
I hope you give it a go.
daily distance!! have been trying for two years now to kick start this route and between finance and health havaent made it yet!!
your photos and comments were very helpful but at 72years old am gobsmacked by the distance u do each day. I settled for a leisurely 15 kms on the frances and portuguese routes and it does me nicely. I would prefer to bring my terra nova lite wt tent or bivvy bag than fork out for expensive (to me!) accomodation but it all boils down to water availability more than anything else. as to walking in the temperatures you mentioned that would be a no-no unless very early starts were feasible. i have a kelly kettle and am fairly self-contained so filtering and purifying water not a proble. many thanks.
Ha! Apart from the visit to Tartus and the temps this is pretty much exactly the route i have planned! Except that i'm taking full advantage of the sweet shops in the old Damascus Souq.
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Really interesting article
Hey, great article. I am a former kiwi, living in Australia since '85 (when I came here to go to university and just "hung around"). I walked the Camino Frances in 2016, completed the Del Norte a few months back and I still have at least two on my bucket list. One of which is the Portuguese Camino, the other being the Via de la Plata. There are plenty of Camino articles around but your blog was witty and amusing as well as informative, your photos very creative and you have just increased my yearning to get back and do another!