Doing the last 200 kms on the Camino de Santiago
Many pilgrims decide to do the last 200 km of the Camino de Santiago. This distance is suitable to spend between 9 and 10 days on the Camino de Santiago, if you want to complete the tour on foot.
However, those pilgrims who decide to do the Camino de Santiago by bike are the most interested in touring the last 200 kms. This fact is not surprising, since this is the minimum distance that bikegrims must travel, if they want to obtain the Compostela (or wrongly called, Compostelana).
The Pilgrim’s Office of Santiago de Compostela requires pilgrims who make the Camino de Santiago walking to travel a minimum distance of 100 kilometres. In the case of a pilgrimage by bike, the distance increases to 200 kilometres.
That is why, in Santiago Ways we have decided to dedicate this article to the last 200 km of the Camino de Santiago. As you should know, if you have read other articles from our blog, the Camino de Santiago consists of a set of routes. Not all routes reach 200 km in distance.
Below we tell you what are the last 200 km of each of the routes of the Camino de Santiago and what routes you can combine to complete two hundred kilometres. Whether you want to do the Camino de Santiago on foot or if you plan to go by bike, and you want to do the last 200 kms on the Camino de Santiago, this post will interest you.
Camino Frances to Santiago: the last 200 km
If you want to do the last 200 kms on the Camino Frances, you must start your pilgrimage from Ponferrada. From there, you can follow the official path or take the variant known as the Camino de invierno.
If you want to do the Camino de Santiago from Ponferrada, do not wait any longer. Tell us details of the trip you want to make and leave the rest up to us.
The last 200 kms on the Camino Frances on the official route
From Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela, on the official route, there are exactly 204.8 km. Pilgrims on foot can divide the route into 9 stages. Bikers can complete their tour in 4 days.
The first 100 kms of this section of the Camino de Santiago Frances are quieter. In them you can enjoy the El Bierzo region and visit various charming towns such as Portomarín and Arzúa.
From Sarria, you face the last hundred kilometres of the Camino Frances. The most popular stretch. You can learn more about these last kms of the Camino Frances in the article we dedicate to the route from Sarria to Compostela.
The last 200 km on the Camino de Invierno
The Camino de Invierno is a fairly unknown route. This route was used by pilgrims during the Middle Ages, as the name suggests, in the winter season. Thus avoiding the mountain passes of Foncebadón or O Cebreiro, where it was very likely to find the path blocked by snow.
This variant of the Camino Frances is shorter than the official route. The Camino de Invierno has, from Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela, with 180 kilometres.
Therefore, if you want to do the last 200 km of the Camino de Santiago by this route, you must start from some intermediate location on the previous stage of the Camino Frances. A good option is to start the tour from the first town in El Bierzo, El Acebo.
A few kilometres more, and you will reach Ponferrada, from there you can take the detour along the Camino de Invierno. If you want to know more about the stages along this route you can consult the article we dedicate to the Camino de Invierno on the Camino Frances.
The Portuguese routes: the last 200 kilometres
To talk about the last 200 km of the Camino Portugues, it is necessary to talk about both the Central Route and Coastal route. Both routes are considered the simplest pilgrim itineraries and are the most recommended for cycling.
The difference between the two lies basically in their landscapes. While the Central Route gives away inland landscapes, the Coastal Route allows you to enjoy wonderful yellow sandy beaches.
Both plots join up in Redondela and together they run to Santiago de Compostela. If you want to learn more about what to see and what to do on each of the two Portuguese routes, you can consult the article we dedicate to the Camino Portugues.
The last 200 km of the Camino Central Portugues
The last 200 kms of the Camino Portugues to Santiago, by the Central Route, run from the town of Arcos to Santiago de Compostela. To be precise, 208 kilometres of travel.
As on the Camino Frances, the first 100 kilometres of this last section of the Camino Portugues are quieter. In this part of the tour you will have the opportunity to visit Barcelos, one of the most emblematic towns on the Camino Portugues for being the setting of the legend of the rooster and the hen.
From Tui, and after crossing the border that separates Portugal from Spain, you face the most popular stretch of this route, although not as much as the last kms of the Camino de Santiago Frances. In this blog post you can read more about this last section of the Camino Central Portugues.
The last 200 km of the Camino Portugues Coastal Route
If after analyzing the characteristics of both itineraries, you decide to follow the Camino Portugues Coastal Route, you can start your pilgrimage from Castelo do Neiva. From there the route to Compostela has a distance of 201 kilometres.
One of the peculiarities of starting the tour from this small villa is that you can start off your pilgrim credential with one of the most beautiful stamps on the Camino Portugues. In the Church of Sao Tiago de Castelo do Neiva you will be stamped with the year 862, the date on which the temple was built.
The last 200 km on La Vía de la Plata: the Camino Sanabres
As we explained in the article we dedicated to La Via de la Plata, this route is the longest pilgrim path. Its routes link the south with the north of Spain.
Arriving in the town of Granja de Moreruela, the Via de la Plata has two variants. A course to Astorga, to join the Camino Frances. The other heads towards Ourense and is known as the Camino Sanabres.
The last 200 kilometres of La Via de la Plata through Astorga
If you want to complete the last 200 kms of the Via de la Plata, it doesn’t make much sense for you to take the route that goes to Astorga, because in that case, you would be doing the last 200 km of the Camino Frances. Anyway, if you want more information about the stages of this variant you can check out this article in which we talk about the Astorga variant.
The last 200 kilometres on the Camino Sanabres
Wanting to complete the last 200 km of La Via de la Plata means following the path of the Camino Sanabres to Santiago. This route officially begins in the village of Granja de Moreruela. As we tell you in the article we dedicate to the Camino Sanabres, from there, the route is 366 kilometres long.
However, if you start your pilgrimage from the town of A Gudiña, you can shorten the route to the last 200 km of the Camino Sanabres. Keep in mind that in the first few kilometres you will find two variants.
One is the one that veers through Verin. This is the recommended route for pilgrims who go by bike and face 213 kilometres in total.
Following the official route, the one that links A Gudiña with Laza, without deviating through Verín, the route does not reach 200 km. 197 kilometres separate A Gudiña from Santiago de Compostela on the official route of the Camino Sanabres.
Camino del Norte: last 200 km
Unlike the previous routes, the Camino del Norte is much more complicated. To complete the last 200 km of the Camino de Santiago del Norte you can start from the last Asturian village, Tol.
From there, you will head to Ribadeo, the first town in Galicia. In total, the route is 203 kilometres long.
From Arzúa, the Camino del Norte joins the Camino Frances. From there, both routes continue together to Santiago de Compostela.
Camino Primitivo: the last 200 kilometres
The Camino Primitivo is the most difficult pilgrim route. In fact, it is one of the least recommended bike paths, as they pose a great challenge. However, if you like challenges, in this article on our blog, you can learn more about the Camino Primitivo by bike.
To do the last 200 kms of the Camino de Santiago Primitivo you will have to start from the town of Berducedo. In total 200.6 km of travel.
Routes with less than 200 kilometres distance
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, not all the routes of the Camino de Santiago are 200 kilometres long. Two examples are the Camino de Finisterre and the Camino Ingles.
Camino Ingles: last 200 kilometres
The Camino Ingles is the shortest pilgrim route, with only 122.3 kilometres. Therefore, it is impossible to do the last 200 kilometres of the Camino de Santiago, taking this route.
You can extend the route up to 200 km, continuing along by the Camino de Finisterre. From Ferrol to Cape Finisterre there is a total of 209 kilometres.
If you go on foot you will have no problems in getting the Compostela when you arrive in Santiago de Compostela, since you will have completed the minimum 100 km. But all those who go by bike and decide to make this 200 km journey through the interior of Galicia, will have to give up the Compostela.
The Camino de Finisterre: the last 200 kilometres
The most common thing is to do the Camino de Finisterre after arriving in Santiago de Compostela and having completed the minimum distance to request the Compostela. However, if you do the Camino de Finisterre in reverse, that is, from Finisterre to Santiago de Compostela, you can request the Compostela when you arrive at the Cathedral of Santiago.
The problem is that the Camino de Finisterre, from Muxía, is only a total of 114.6 km. Therefore, to complete the last 200 km of the Camino de Santiago by this route you must combine it with the Camino de los Faros.
If you start the journey from the town of Niñóns, following, first, the Camino de los Faros, and then the Camino de Finisterre, you can complete 217 km to Santiago de Compostela. You can find out more about the features of this route in the post we dedicate to the Camino de Santiago in reverse.
The Camino del Salvador: the last 200 kilometres
If your main goal is not to get the Compostela, but to enjoy pilgrim tradition, you can also be encouraged to make the Camino del Salvador. This is the route that joins the cities of Oviedo and León.
The end of this route is not the Cathedral of Santiago, but the Cathedral of Oviedo. Therefore, you will not be able to obtain the Compostela, but you can request the Salvadorana, the certificate of pilgrimage that is issued on this route.
The full route, from León to Oviedo, has a distance of 128.5 kilometres. You can learn more about their stages in the post we dedicate to the Camino de San Salvador.
The above means that if you want to do 200 kms in total, you must start your pilgrimage in the town of Calzadilla de la Cueza. From there, you can complete some stages of the Camino Frances, to León, and then divert along the Camino del Salvador. In total, 206 km of travel.
In this article, we have given you many options to complete the last 200 km on the Camino de Santiago. Most of them will allow you to get the Compostela, whether you are on foot or on a pilgrimage by bike.
The tricky thing now will be to decide which route to choose. We’re lovers of all of them.
Remember that if you have any questions or want us to help you organize the last 200 kms of the Camino de Santiago (transport, accommodation, meal plans, luggage, etc.), at Santiago Ways we will be happy to help you. You can call us, leave us a comment at the end of this post or write to us on Facebook. Our team will get in contact with you!
Buen Camino!
Thank you so much on a wonderful article. I am thinking of going on the trail when I and my wife retire in 2023.
Hi, Larry
Thank you very much for your kind words. We’re so happy to be part of your research for the Camino de Santiago. We love to be as useful as possible for our pilgrims.
Please have in mind we’re always here to help you organizing any route of the Camino de Santiago once you decide when to start walking.
Best regards,
Santiago Ways Team