Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Camino Inglés app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
Get the appFerrol is a proper city, not a quaint pilgrim town, and it makes for a fine starting point. The port has served the Spanish Navy since the 16th century, and the grid-pattern streets of the Barrio da Magdalena — laid out by military engineers in the 18th century — give it a surprisingly elegant feel for an industrial shipyard city. Modernist facades line the streets, designed by architect Rodolfo Ucha in the early 1900s.
Pick up your credencial at the Co-Cathedral of San Julián, a neoclassical church built in 1778 with a dome that dominates the skyline. It's open mornings (10:30-13:00) and evenings (17:30-19:00). The Camino starts at the port, next to Sarga restaurant on the waterfront — look for the route marker.
All services here: supermarkets, pharmacies, ATMs, outdoor shops. The public albergue has 60 beds and opened in 2023. Give yourself a night to explore the Magdalena district, the naval arsenal (visible from outside), and the waterfront. The Jofre Theatre and the old fish market are worth a wander if you've got time.
Ferrol's food is Galician through and through. Pulpo, empanada, and fresh seafood from the ría. You won't go hungry.
Ferrol's harbour has been a strategic military asset since the 16th century. Philip V, Ferdinand VI, and Charles III poured resources into building what became the largest naval arsenal in Europe. The city grew around the shipyards, and that industrial heritage still shapes it today. The 18th-century grid of the Magdalena quarter — six parallel streets crossed by nine perpendicular ones — was a military planning exercise that accidentally created one of Galicia's most attractive neighbourhoods.
The Camino leaves Ferrol through the city streets, heading east toward the Ría de Ferrol. The first few kilometres are urban, passing through the Polígono da Gándara industrial area before the landscape opens up along the estuary. The path follows the ría closely, and on a clear day the views across the water are a fine reward for the unremarkable start.
15. August 2025 - 21:34
I stayed at Hostal Zahara. Upon arrival I spoke to them in their Take Away and they showed me how to use the code to open the doors. Code and room no. received in advance. The room was clean and nice bathroom. It is small but has everything needed. Bonus: the room had aircon. Recommend it.
10. April 2025 - 21:08
I stayed at the Hostel Zahara, part of the Zahara restaurant. I liked the place, and it was only an 8 minute walk from the train station. Good restaurant too, and the hostel host was helpful.
18. July 2023 - 16:25
Where do I start? Very difficult to find, about 3km from Bus station, no signage to guide you from port or signage at property. Brand new albergue but not ready for pilgrims. No clothes washing facilities, no shower dividers - you shower in one big cubicle with 3 others, no WiFi, soap dispensers didn’t work properly, blinds too short for windows letting light in, no blankets. The main problem however was the lighting in the dorm was exceptionally bright, it’s not on a time sensor, there’s no over ride switch accessible to pilgrims and the Hospitallera forgot to turn the light off before she left at 10pm. The light switch was in a locked office, so the entire dorm of almost 20 pilgrims had to endure a full night of bright led lights and no sleep. There was no emergency contact number posted anywhere, and no person on site to help. Potential to be good but nowhere near that yet. I had a 30km walk the next day and it was very difficult with no sleep. Not a great start to the Camino Ingles. This is my 10th camino and by far the worst experience in an albergue. Tired and grumpy Pilgrim
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.
