Your Favourites

[Guy]

Hi,

My first post to this forum...look forward to hearing from you!

I am planning (dreaming) on walking from Constance Germany to Cape Finisterre by following the Via Jacobi, Via Gebenennsis, The Puy, French Way and Finisterre Way routes...a total of appr. 2,400 km.

I am most interested in your experiences on any of the above routes with respect to:

Favourite places for one day rest days - I expect that I will want to include a number of such days on this adventure. Based on your experience what places along the way are special and warrant an additional day to explore...and why?

Favourite overnight accommodation - This could be small inns, hotels, B&B etc. What was special? Good value, hosts, location, good food, other?

Thanks for your input!

Guy

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Guy and welcome to the Forum.

Our Forum regular (Sil), who's most well acquainted with the long distance camino routes will have much good info for you, I'm sure. Within the Camino Frances per se, here are my recommendations of rest days and accommodations, based less on price than ambience:

Parador at Santo Domingo de la Calzada - right on the cathedral square and a good rest after the early ups and downs after St. Jean. Lovely building and a great place to enjoy an overnight and some shopping. Quieter than Logrono or Viana, which would be other options in this stretch. The town doesn't qualify for an extra day for sightseeing, but the Parador is worth an overnight.

Meson El Cid in Burgos - also right on the (upper) cathedral square with charming rooms and good service. Burgos is one of two large towns on the Camino Frances. Lots of shopping and historical sites. Good candidate for an extra night.

Posada Regia in Leon - between the cathedral square and Plaza San Miguel. Leon is my favorite town on the Camino Frances. If you can be here on a weekend night and are willing to stay up late you'll find a very active party scene. The hotel is in an old building full of character. Leon is just so much fun.

Altair Hotel in Santiago - This is a few blocks away from the cathedral but is much simpler and more elegant than the Santiago Parador. Modern style in an older building. A boutique hotel that is always my home in Santiago.

Hotel O Semaforo at Finisterre lighthouse - A very unusual place to stay, but can be very fun. The Finisterre lighthouse is where most pilgrims get their "land's end" experience, but it's about 3 kms from the town of Finisterre itself. The old lighthouse-tenders' quarters right at the Cape have been turned into a 6-room hotel and restaurant so one can actually overnight at the "end of the world" itself. It's a delight to spend the night on this mountainous peninsula that juts out into the sea. My wife and I experienced a 30-minute thundershower during our stay, and the eery sound of the lighthouse's foghorn through the evening. Great seafood at the restaurant. Others choose to stay in Finisterre proper, but O Semaforo is just too unusual to pass up.

Hope this helps. Buen camino.

[Guy]

Hi HuskyNerd (seems a little improper to refer to you this way!),

I appreciate your taking the time to respond to my post...you have provided great feedback which will be very usefull for me. Always a benefit to hear from someone who has actually completed the journey as opposed to me who is currently dreaming/planning.

The Finisterre lighthouse hotel really seems interesting.

Many thanks

Guy