Camino de Santiago in Summer

[samanthadavies]

Hello! I want to do the Camino de Santiago this summer but I'm debating between redoing the Camino Portugues or try the Via de la Plata. Has anyone done the second? I know the french is the most popular and had no problem in terms of accommodation and paths, but would like to know if the via de la plata is well conditioned too. Any tips will be appreciated, thanks!

 

[Giulia da Urbino]

Hello, never walked Via de la Plata myself but friends say that it's quite a lot less served than the Camino Francés,
Here's a list of Albergues, apparently in Extremadura there's a chain of Hostales "Alba Plata" that are expecially comfortable and reliable.

 

[Dennis]

Hello Samantha:
Age, injury, time and other family priorities caused me to halt my walk at Zamora. With my recently installed new knee I hope to resume my walk in a year or so. Generally the way was well-marked. However, even in early May temperatures were in 30 C range. I found having enough water a problem. I carried 2 litres and sometimes found places to refill at a premium. I enjoyed Extremadura. Entering the meseta in Salamanca province the trail is either the N630 or close to it in many places.

Cautions I have are: 1. the heat, especially in summer, 2. some long stages of over 30 kms, 3. dreary suburban industial wastelands (I suggest bussing it to Santiponce to start). 4. detours because of road building (may not be a problem now).

Have you considered the Camino del Norte as an alternative? It too is a long distance, less travelled route along the Bay of Biscay. We have driven it and done some day hikes in the area. It is very scenic and may be cooler in the summer.

As an experienced perigrina, I'm sure you are aware of the many fora regarding the various Caminos. I've found this site particularly helpful in assessing albergues and providing up-to-date info on the trails: http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/

Buen Camino
Dennis