Camino Inglés

Camino Inglés

Ferrol to Santiago on Spain’s English Way

The Camino Inglés (the English Way) is a pilgrimage route in northwestern Spain beginning in Ferrol or A Coruña and culminating at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. At only 115km from Ferrol to Santiago (or 73km from A Coruña), the Camino Inglés is the shortest of the modern camino routes.

Traditionally, the Camino Inglés was the preferred route of pilgrims traveling from northern Europe, Britain and Ireland—hence the name “English Way.” These pilgrims first sailed to seaports in northwest Spain before continuing on foot to Santiago. Historically, A Coruña was the most popular starting point; however, today most pilgrims start from Ferrol since A Coruña is less than 100km from Santiago and so does not earn the walker a Compostela. As the shortest camino route, the Camino Inglés is a nice options for walkers who are short on time or those who are intimidated by the physical demands of longer camino journeys.

Because the Inglés has fewer pilgrims than some other camino routes, it has fewer improvements and utilizes paved surfaces (69% of the route from Ferrol) more than the Francés. Some towns and stages have inadequate albergue beds to match demand in high seasons, but hotels and guesthouses have stepped in to offer pilgrims rates. The upside of fewer walkers means more solitude and less overcrowding.