Reasons why you should do The English Way

The English Way is the route that pilgrims from the British Isles used to make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, passing through Ferrol and A Coruña. And it was the preferred route for pilgrims of Scandinavian origin, from the Netherlands and Northern France.

There is documentary evidence of landings in the eleventh century, as is the case of an expedition started in Denmark from the English coast. This expedition included some Crusaders who wanted to visit the tomb of the Apostle before arriving in Jerusalem.

The moment of greatest splendor of this route was in the 15th century, due to the important historical and artistic heritage.

The English Way is one of the shortest routes among those recognized as the official Way of St. James. However, it is one of the most fascinating and that is why we are going to detail below the surprises it hides.

Distance.

One advantage is that with a bridge you have enough to start. Because you can be sure that you will want to repeat the experience.
In addition, you do not need great physical preparation. You can take it easy by visiting the taverns along the way.

Relaxation

It is a quiet route, without any problem of overcrowding pilgrims along the way, as there are hostels where to stay, and it is a very favorable point to take into account.

Nature

Here come the surprises. You will go from being on beaches, to see beautiful villages nestled on hillsides leading to the sea. You will be impressed by centuries-old forests, natural passages, as well as medieval buildings.
You will find the most impressive historical centers of northern Spain, modern architecture (Hedjuk, Grassi…) as well as villages where pilgrims like Charles V or Cosimo de Medici slept.

You will cross the landscape of the estuaries of Betanzos, Ferrol; as well as valleys such as the Tambre river.

Museums

To your surprise, you can visit the Museum of Naval Construction in Ferrol, the Museum of the Collegiate Church in A Coruña and, of course, the Museum of the Cathedral of Santiago.

Also, the Provincial Archaeological Museum of A Coruña, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Mariñas in Betanzos and the Museum of Costume in Ordes.

World Heritage Site

A visit to the Tower of Hercules and the historic center of Santiago is a must. Betanzos is the great unknown as a medieval jewel, as well as Pontedeume. In addition to the castles and convents such as O Couto. Do not forget to photograph the medieval aqueduct of Santiago or the Ponte do Porco.

Cuisine

Another attraction of the route is the gastronomy. The famous Betanzos omelette or the Santiago cake are highly recommended. You should not miss the Galician broth in Bruma or the tapa de marrajo (type of empanada) in Ferrol.

Stages:

From Ferrol, the distance to travel is 120 km, with seven stages. Duration: 9 days.

• Stage 1: Ferrol-Neda (15 km)
• Stage 2: Neda-Pontedeume (16 km)
• Stage 3: Pontedeume-Betanzos (21 km)
• Stage 4: Betanzos-Beche (18 km)
• Stage 5: Beche-Uzal (12.5 km)
• Stage 6: Uzal-Sigueiro (21 km)
• Stage 7: Sigueiro-Santiago de Compostela (16.5 km).

Some infrastructures that were key for the passage of pilgrims are preserved in the Camino: the bridges of Pontedeume, at the mouth of the river Eume, and those of Sigueiro, over the river Tambre. Both are of medieval origin and nowadays they are very much renovated for the passage of automobiles.

The English Way can be done at any time of the year. In summer even the temperature is pleasant. The clothes you should wear are the same as you would wear on any other Camino de Santiago.

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Desde Marly Camino, hemos decidido inspeccionar el Camino de Santiago en 2021 para ofrecerles nuevas rutas a nuestros grupos privados. Si te interesa tener más información y reservar tu viaje, escríbenos aquí y te daremos todos los detalles.