The ways to Santiago
Camino Inglés
The short one. A whole Camino feeling in a single week.
- Distance
- 116 km
- Time
- 5 to 6 days
- Stages
- 5 to 6 stages
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Starts in Ferrol, Spain
The ways to Santiago
The short one. A whole Camino feeling in a single week.
Starts in Ferrol, Spain
The Inglés is the route that medieval pilgrims from England and Ireland walked after they had sailed to the Galician coast. From Ferrol it clears the 100 km required for the Compostela, and that makes it the most complete short Camino there is.
Short, though, is far from flat. The days roll constantly through eucalyptus forest and farmland, and the arrival in Santiago feels exactly as earned.
The Camino Inglés, the English Route, is also called the Old Royal Route. It is especially known among pilgrims from Britain and Ireland, who once sailed to the Galician port towns and walked the last stretch to Santiago on foot. It is a historic trade route with culture and nature all the way.
It typically starts in one of the two port towns, Ferrol or A Coruña, and it is one of the shortest of the well-known Caminos. From Ferrol it is around 120 kilometres, and with a fine start by the water you get the sea before you head into the green Galician landscape.
The route is becoming more and more popular, but in 2019 it was still only around 4.5 percent of everyone who reached Santiago who had walked it. That makes it a quiet and deeply rewarding alternative to the busiest routes.
A historic naval town by a deep natural harbour. The starting point where the seafaring pilgrims disembarked and began to walk.
A charming town with a medieval bridge and beautiful views over the Eume river. One of the fine early stops on the route.
Known for its historic old town with steep cobbled streets and Gothic churches. A good place to rest after a solid stage.
An important stop after one of the more demanding stages with some climbs. The sense of achievement on arrival is great.
Rolling stages through eucalyptus and pine with the damp, green silence that Galicia is known for.
The last kilometres via Sigüeiro into the cathedral feel just as big as on the long routes. A full Camino in a week.
The Inglés is short, but not at all flat. It offers both flat sections and moderate climbs through eucalyptus forest and farmland, and a couple of the middle stages, including the stretch in towards Hospital de Bruma, take good fitness. The surface changes between forest paths, country roads and cobbles through the towns. If you choose to start in A Coruña rather than Ferrol, the route is only around 75 kilometres. That is too short to give you the Compostela, which requires at least 100 kilometres, so if you want the pilgrim certificate, you have to start in Ferrol. Galicia's weather can bring rain and damp all year round, so bring proper rain gear.
The Inglés is an excellent choice if you only have a week but still want to walk a whole Camino with a real pilgrim certificate at the end. The route can be completed in 5 to 7 days, and it is ideal for you if you do not have time to commit to the long routes. It is also a nice first taste and a good way to experience Galicia's culture and landscape without the big crowds.
Ferrol is easily reached from A Coruña, which has an airport with connections to several European cities, and trains and buses run onward along the coast. From Denmark the way typically goes via Madrid or another Spanish airport and onward to Galicia. Collect your pilgrim passport in Ferrol and start at the harbour, where the seafaring pilgrims once came ashore.
April to October. It is also a fine winter route, Galicia stays mild, but bring proper rain gear all year round.