The English Way (Camino Inglés) from Ferrol
The English Way is the Camino de Santiago route that starts in Ferrol: about 110–120 km to Santiago de Compostela — enough to earn the compostela certificate. It is a quiet, green and still uncrowded camino.
The route
The classic route from Ferrol divides into five stages — Ferrol – Neda (15.4 km) – Pontedeume – Betanzos – Hospital de Bruma – Sigüeiro – Santiago —, about 112 km in all. You walk beside the rías of Ferrol, Ares and Betanzos before turning inland. The official starting point is the Curuxeiras quay in Ferrol Vello. There is also a variant starting in A Coruña (shorter, about 73 km); both meet halfway, around Hospital de Bruma, and continue together to Santiago.
Why 'English'?
In the Middle Ages, pilgrims from all over Atlantic Europe — Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), the British Isles and Flanders — arrived by sea at the ports of Ferrol and A Coruña and walked on to Santiago: hence the name. English ceramics and coins from the 14th and 15th centuries, found in excavations at the cathedral, confirm it. Henry VIII's break with Rome (16th century) cut this pilgrimage short for centuries. A precious testimony survives in the Cathedral Museum: the portable alabaster altarpiece that the English cleric John Goodyear donated to Santiago in 1456.
The credential
To sleep in public albergues and receive the compostela you need the pilgrim credential, stamped along the way (churches, hostels, bars). In Ferrol you can get it at the tourist office and the co-cathedral.
From Covas: hostel and coastal path
Ferrol's official starting point is the Curuxeiras quay, but there is also a coastal alternative: in 2009, residents of Covas opened the city's first pilgrim hostel and waymarked a coastal path linking Covas with the port of Ferrol, passing by Ponzos beach and never losing sight of the sea. A lovely way to walk in to the Camino's start.
When to go
Spring to autumn is most pleasant; summer adds atmosphere and the camino's romerías. It rains in every season — this is Galicia: always pack a rain layer.