"Must-See" vs. "Missable"

[ThreeWishes]

Which do you consider the "must-see" bits of the camino, and which are "missable"?

I am planning my walk for this summer- while I hate to miss anything, I will have an abbreviated time frame (probably 20 days, give or take!) in which to see as much as possible!

Currently, my intention is to begin in Roncesvalles and end in Finisterre... Where should I plan to take the bus to make up some time??

[geraldkelly]

Hi ThreeWishes

I don't understand why you're going on the Camino to see "as much as possible". The Camino isn't a tour and much of the time there isn't much to see. A fellow I met who does a lot of walking said that the Camino is great if you like flat, featureless landscape. And he's right, people don't go there for the landscape. The Camino is an experience and this experience comes from within yourself, influenced by the people you meet and the adventures you have along the way.

So in a way it doesn't matter which bit you walk and which bit you don't walk because it's all just context or background against which the real action happens.

That said, I'll try and answer your question by telling you which bits I think are ugliest:

Sahagun to Leon and Leon to Astorga. Mostly flat and boring and the outskirts of Leon are horrible. However, Leon itself is beautiful.

However, if you skip a big lump you'll lose all your friends so another possibility would be to start in Pamplona. I think it's a great place to start, you can walk the 4km to Cizor Menor straight off the bus/train and set off up Monte del Perdon first thing the next morning. You'll meet lots of long-distance pilgrims like yourself, who are usually far more interesting than the people who just walk the last 100km, and you'll get a chance to get to know people well over the next weeks (your "Camino Family). That's important when you arrive in Galicia in summer and find yourself surrounded by hoards of people walking in groups.

Well, anyway good luck and Buen Camino! I'd love to hear how it works out so don't forget to report back to us here!

Gerald

[ThreeWishes]

Thank you for your reply, Gerald.

To clarify my original question, by "sights", I mean buildings/monuments/sites of historical, artistic, and/or cultural interest, rather than the strictly literal interpretation of the term. I'm certainly not going to Spain for the scenery!

Your camino guide looks very useful- I will be taking it along!

[geraldkelly]

Hi Threewishes!

I hope you find the guide useful. If you've any updates or corrections please let me know. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

Buen Camino!
Gerald

[PabloElFlamenco]

Hi...Threewishes...

Three? OK, here we go
Burgos: the cathedral
Leon: the cathedral and Casa Botines (Gaudi) and and...
Astorga: the cathedral and the Episcopal Palace (Gaudi)

Some more: the rooster in the church at Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The vineyards of La Rioja.

I know for a fact that there's a lot more. I won't discuss the spiritual side for the simple reason that I have yet to discover that; to me it is as much a subject of worry as one of potential wonderment.

I've always liked the meseta (more of steppes than desert), where the clouds can fly low and fast, the wind cold and constant (don't pee against the wind - and please don't ask me how I know), the cold cracking but also, I understand, the heat intense, the sun blistering, the road endless and loneliness a steady companion.

Pablo

[Pavel]

The three places Pablo mentioned, plus Santiago and Finisterre. And Atapuerca archaeological park, if you are interested in prehistory. From countryside, my three tips would be Montes de Le?n, Cebreiro and Finisterre.

Assuming you won't go more than 30 km per day, you should start in Burgos, so you'll have enough time for Camino de Fisterra and maybe a day of "just sightseeing" before real start of the journey (to visit Santo Domingo de Calzada and Atapuerca park, for example).