pilgrim's registration

[Markeeta]

Hello,
please can anybody help me? I would like to go to Santiago but I have only one week for this pilgrimage. I want to start in Sarria, it is about 110 km from Santiago. Is it possible to make it in 6 or 7 days?
And I have one more questione : Can I get a pilgrim's registration (credencial del peregrino) in Sarria?
Thank you very much for answer.

Marketa

[Leslie]

Hi,

Yes it is possible to walk this part in 6/7 days - that would be about normal for the last part of the camino Frances.

I don't know if you can get a compostela in Sarria I would think you could, but you can get on in Santiago anyway - perhaps someone else will jump in here and help answer.

[Covey]

There is a tourist/pilgrim office which opens most of the year at the top of Sarria in the main street which is on the Camino route. There are a number of albergues within 30m of the office.

The bus stop from Lugo is at the bottom of the hill, so just head up hill toward the church and then turn right on the road/pedestrian way by the church and wander along to the office and a bed for the night!

You can do Sarria to Santiago in 5 days.

If you are starting from Sarria, you must get TWO stamps in your pilgrim passport per day. One must be from the albergue where you sleep and the other can be from a bar/shop. Even fruit stalls at the side of the road will have a stamp!.

For those starting before Sarria, you only need the one stamp from the albergue where you sleep.

In July-Sept the Sarria to Santiago section can resemble a conga dance as there are so many on the trail, but it is a nice walk, and having completed it, you will be planning on returning to start from St Jean next year!!!

[Leslie]

I must admit that this part of the Camino is my least favorite. There is nothing wrong with the Camino, the countryside or the locals - I just find that the tone of my Camino changed here.

I was wearing clothes that I had been hand washing for nearly 4 weeks, I looked like I had been walking for a while, brown and more lean. Then I felt dropped in with people who were wearing new gear, jewelry, make-up in the mornings. Quite a culture shock. Also the albergues were different, maybe because most of them are run by the local government.

But yes I agree covey, I think anyone experiencing this will want to walk the whole route sometime in the future.

[Covey]

You are right about the change in culture from Sarria onwards. Those walking from St Jean are tired after three weeks hard walking on the trail, are looking forward to a decent meal, a decent bed and just have their heads down to walk the last five days in to Santiago.

Those who started in Sarria are fresh and know they only have 5 days to cope with, and quickly pick up the habit of yelling "Ola" and "Buen Camino" at anything that moves. They tend to walk in slow moving groups ( there are many organized tours on this section) and look a bit puzzled at the lean mean scruffy walking machines that are trying to get past the wall of large gortex clad bottoms ambling along.

[Khal]

I'm starting in Sarria and not on a guided tour. I simply have no time to do the whole camino. I really hope it won't be this bad