Camino del Norte July 2021

[jeremiahandjulia]

Julia and I are really excited to start the Camino del Norte from Irun on July 26th, aiming to get to Santiago on September 2. We usually hike in the White Mountains in New England, and are excited to see a bit more coastline in our hikes. It'll be the first camino for both of us! Super pumped to eat pintxos, take lots of pictures, and meet some amazing folks!

 

[mspath]

View attachment 102781Julia and I are really excited to start the Camino del Norte from Irun on July 26th, aiming to get to Santiago on September 2. We usually hike in the White Mountains in New England, and are excited to see a bit more coastline in our hikes. It'll be the first camino for both of us! Super pumped to eat pintxos, take lots of pictures, and meet some amazing folks!

jeremiahandjulia,
It is a pleasure to share and see your excitement. Check out the many tips on the Forum to help you plan your camino.

Wherever/whenever you go
Buen camino

 

[Pilgrim_95]

Don't forget to book. We were on the Norte last year in July and it was extremely busy. You walk along the coast full of Spaniards on holiday. A lot of pilgrims as well, so be ready for some busy towns and beaches Buen Camino

 

[natefaith]

Welcome to the Forum, and Buen Camino!

 

[jeremiahandjulia]

Don't forget to book. We were on the Norte last year in July and it was extremely busy. You walk along the coast full of Spaniards on holiday. A lot of pilgrims as well, so be ready for some busy towns and beaches Buen Camino

Thanks for the feedback! I'm really excited about the beaches We've gotten everything booked--nice diversity of places as well!

 

[lt56ny]

You are going to love it!!!! Do a little research here on the many variants that will keep you on the coast more and off the roads. Yes do book now ahead of time as it will probably be crowded with tourists and who knows how many albergues will be open. I would also recommend that if you are going to walk to Santiago to do some research to see if you want to switch too the Primitivo. When I walked in 2018 virtually everyone but me split to the Primitivo. They said it was just as beautiful and I know it is tougher than the Norte. I was happy on the Norte being virtually alone after the split until I was close to Santiago. Buen Camino..

 

[Caminogoat]

View attachment 102781Julia and I are really excited to start the Camino del Norte from Irun on July 26th, aiming to get to Santiago on September 2. We usually hike in the White Mountains in New England, and are excited to see a bit more coastline in our hikes. It'll be the first camino for both of us! Super pumped to eat pintxos, take lots of pictures, and meet some amazing folks!

It's my favorite route. So beautiful! Good sea foods. I constantly dream of being there. I will also be walking in October. Buen camino!

 

[WalkingLester]

The Wise pilgrim app contains many of the costal variants discussed in this forum. These variants can help you avoid some of the road walking that many do not enjoy! Also following some GR trails can keep you close to the coast but not necessarily on the official Camino. The Norte is an incredibly beautiful Camino !! The Primitivo is spectacular. There is very little road walking and the trail is consistently more on dirt paths and hence a little more “wild”. I walked the entire Norte and then went from Santiago to the Primitivo. Whether or not you branch off the Norte to walk on the Primitivo, or continue on the Norte, you will not be disappointed.

 

[Paul J W]

It’s likely to be hot, yes, so the less you carry the better, other than water.
I say this because without compromising on safety I tend towards minimalism - for the most part you’ll not be far from and even pass through “civilisation” which will allow you to buy any additional items required.
Stay safe and have a great Camino!

 

[JerryStroebele]

Take a half day off your Camino and walk 2km south from Santillana del Mar and visit Museo Altamira. You will see the exact reproduction of the Cueva Altamira next door, with 16,000 year old cave art. You will be in awe of our ancestors.

 

[backpack45]

View attachment 102781Julia and I are really excited to start the Camino del Norte from Irun on July 26th, aiming to get to Santiago on September 2. We usually hike in the White Mountains in New England, and are excited to see a bit more coastline in our hikes. It'll be the first camino for both of us! Super pumped to eat pintxos, take lots of pictures, and meet some amazing folks!

Perhaps my favorite route (they are all different). Hanging out at the pintxos bars, small pours of wine to accompany, in the Basque country at happy hour is just the greatest! And when you get to Asturias, you can try the sidra (nothing like our apple cider) that is a specialty of the region. And you will be seeing amazingly beautiful coastline and fishing villages. Buen Camino!

 

[jeremiahandjulia]

Thanks so much! The other time I was in Basque Country, it was raining the entire time. Hoping for better weather to enjoy pintxos and wine. Thanks for the heads up about sidra as well--super pumped to try that out! Please let us know if there are other recommendations

 

[jeremiahandjulia]

You are going to love it!!!! Do a little research here on the many variants that will keep you on the coast more and off the roads. Yes do book now ahead of time as it will probably be crowded with tourists and who knows how many albergues will be open. I would also recommend that if you are going to walk to Santiago to do some research to see if you want to switch too the Primitivo. When I walked in 2018 virtually everyone but me split to the Primitivo. They said it was just as beautiful and I know it is tougher than the Norte. I was happy on the Norte being virtually alone after the split until I was close to Santiago. Buen Camino..

Thanks so much! I think we're going to do the Primitivo another year, so I'm hoping to also be virtually alone after the split Fewer albergues open, but we reserved quite a few cute hotels and a couple Airbnbs as well. Thanks for the reminder about the coastal variants!

 

[jeremiahandjulia]

Take a half day off your Camino and walk 2km south from Santillana del Mar and visit Museo Altamira. You will see the exact reproduction of the Cueva Altamira next door, with 16,000 year old cave art. You will be in awe of our ancestors.

Brilliant idea! Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[yulkapics]

Hey @jeremiahandjulia - firstly Buen Camino!!! I am planning to do the Irun - Bilbao section Form July 5. Would it be cheeky to ask you for your list of bookings? I am getting a bit disheartened by low availability and big prices, so definitely can do with some ideas no worries if not!

 

[jeremiahandjulia]

Hey @jeremiahandjulia - firstly Buen Camino!!! I am planning to do the Irun - Bilbao section Form July 5. Would it be cheeky to ask you for your list of bookings? I am getting a bit disheartened by low availability and big prices, so definitely can do with some ideas no worries if not!

Sure can! We booked a couple of somewhat pricey places throughout that stretch, but I can totally send over my recs. Buen camino to you too!

 

[yulkapics]

Sure can! We booked a couple of somewhat pricey places throughout that stretch, but I can totally send over my recs. Buen camino to you too!

This would be amazing! It is not doable without a few pricier stops anyway this summer, so we are ok with that. I private messaged you to make it easy to just reply. Thank you

 

[trecile]

This would be amazing! It is not doable without a few pricier stops anyway this summer, so we are ok with that. My email is @gmail.co (hope this is allowed!)

It's allowed, but not wise. This forum has a feature that allows members to send private messages to each other away from the prying eyes of spam bots. I suggest that you edit your post to remove your email address.

 

[yulkapics]

It's allowed, but not wise. This forum has a feature that allows members to send private messages to each other away from the prying eyes of spam bots. I suggest that you edit your post to remove your email address.

Ok, good point, just did that!

 

[Sloy921]

View attachment 102781Julia and I are really excited to start the Camino del Norte from Irun on July 26th, aiming to get to Santiago on September 2. We usually hike in the White Mountains in New England, and are excited to see a bit more coastline in our hikes. It'll be the first camino for both of us! Super pumped to eat pintxos, take lots of pictures, and meet some amazing folks!

Would love to hear updates of your experience on the del Norte. We plan to start in Irun on September 17.