Bridge out at the Playa de Arena

[peregrina2000]

Playa de Arena is the first beach you come to after Bilbao, and there is a pedestrian bridge that takes you across the river at the edge of the beach and up to the headlands. I just read on the Spanish forum that the bridge is out, a victim of the storms this winter. Pictures here: http://www.deia.com/2014/02/13/bizk...artaciones/pobena-abrira-la-pasarela-en-marzo

and also on the Spanish forum: http://foroperegrinos.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=335387

According to the thread some kind of quick fix will be in place some time in March, until permanent repairs are made (which will probably take much longer because of budget issues).

Advice is given to not even think about walking across the river, there is a strong current and a lot of uneven ground. A detour of several kms is necessary, and markings are going up.

The thread talks about a lot of other damage along the entire coast (pictures show a lot of damage at Laredo, where you hop on that little ferry), not surprising in light of all the stories we heard about storms. Be careful pilgrims!

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[mikevasey]

It had been taken out in the winter of 11/12 as well. When i got there in Mid June they were a month or 2 from fixing it.

The provisional route is a few km more, its worth looking at google earth for this area to see where you can walk along trails that run alongside the road, I was never quite sure if i decended to the lower paths if it would lead to a dead end in some reeds with a fishermans little boat for company.

It was supposed to have been waymarked but it was only at the start. It points the road you had to follow. Also there is couple of turn off points on the lead up to the fallen bridge which would save you a km or two in walking up to the Bridge and finding it is down. I had the feeling these were not indicated because there are few cafes/ hotels on the east side of the bridge that did not want the pilgrims to miss them out.

 

[unadara]

Agree with Mike, in Apr 2012 it was closed for repair, no signs, my fellow pilgrims climbed onto it, up and over a very high fence in the middle and carried on (DO NOT DO IT), I went back, I tried to walk along the river bank and made attempts to cross DO NOT DO IT, eventually went back the kms over the road and followed the roads down to where there is an Alberque and you can pick up signs. I think the walk that day was into Castro? anyways it was a very nice coastal walk and if you KNOW in advance the road is not too bad, but the bridge is a real short-cut, they must have spent sums of money trying to keep it here. We did stop in the Cafe for our first of the day and even they did not tell us!

 

[angulero]

Debido a los temporales, la costa ha quedado dañada, muchas playas sin arena y paseos y muelles rotos, pero supongo que muchos de esos destrozos están reparados para el verano. La verdad es que fueron unos temporales bastante fuertes, que además coincidieron con unas mareas muy grandes.

Os paso unos vídeos.

Because of time, the coast has been damaged, many sand beaches and walks and no broken springs, but I guess that many of these damage are repaired for the summer. The truth is that they were some pretty strong storms, which also coincided with very high tides.

I pass some videos.

Tapia de Casariego

Cudillero. Se ve la parte de muelle que tiró la mar.

Cudillero. He looks the part of the wall that pulled sea.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=684075478302527

Esta foto es de San Esteban de Pravia.

 

[CanPete]

Aiaiai, I hope everyone is safe !

 

[peregrino_tom]

Just to say - the bridge was open last April (2013) but the diversion signs hadn't been taken down from the previous year. I followed the signs for the diversion. At first it looks as if you're going to have to walk all the way into San Julian and out in order to get over the river - an extra ~4km. But actually there's a small bridge before then with some camino markings (as I remember it). Then you have to scramble up a bank onto a small road which takes you nicely into Pobena - the whole thing adding about 30 mins. So it's not a big deal.

 

[mikevasey]

If had been a nice summers day it would have been no big deal, but it was pouring down and the wind was blowing it at me sideways, any prior indication of what was ahead would have been gratefully received. As it was i found out about one of the shortcuts because i had to find a way back to the flyover, where i had left a Spanish grandma and her grandson underneath it who were sheltering from the conditions to tell them what was ahead. Sometimes what doesnt seem a big deal because your experience is quite a pleasurable one, might be the opposite for someone else on not such a good day.

 

[Kanga]

Wow! Looks like a tsunami.

 

[camino07]

Goodness! Hope it's dried up and fixed up before we start in the middle of May

 

[angulero]

Ayer y hoy pasamos de los 20ºC y ya hay gente por las playas. Parece que el buen tiempo seguirá durante unos días. ¿Cómo será mayo?. Quién sabe...

Yesterday and today had a 20 ° C and there are people on the beaches. It seems that the good weather will continue for a few days. How is it May?. Who knows ...