Camino del Norte - June 23, 2015 start date

[jemitch65]

Hello everyone. The clock is ticking; only 9 months until I fly out of Boston for my second great adventure walking the Camino del Norte. The Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela and then to Finisterre and Muxia changed my life and I cannot wait to go back and do the Norte this time. If anyone would be so kind as to give me some specific advice on the Norte that would be useful, I would appreciate it. I understand the CSJ guide is being updated this fall, but I would love to hear unique experiences from pilgrims who have recently walked this camino. Thank you so much in advance. John

 

[lettinggo]

Hola John

You are doing the same as I did; Frances first, then Norte.
Norte is, as I am sure you know, along the coast which is stunning and many things are similar to Frances, such as Albergues, pilgrims, friendly local people and good food.
The Norte is lesser traveled so you may meet fewer pilgrims on route, but as there also are fewer Albergues, you may also end up spending the night with them regardless.
Norte may require a little bit more planning, or experience as you have from your previous Camino, to be able to cope with the longer distances and fewer lodging possibilities.
That said, I found easily a cheap place to spend the night on my entire Norte/Primitivo walk.
On Frances you pass Albergues all day, and this is not so on Norte, so knowing your capabilities, how many km you can walk and how long it will take, helps to not get stressed by unforeseen challenges.
Also, you may have to stay a few nights at Youth Hostels or private lodging, which I found a bit more expensive, so maybe plan to spend a few Euros more on your entire walk.

As on Frances, a way to see the walk is my weeks.
First week is hard on the body to adjust to the physical demands, but on Norte this is a bit more demanding as there are many ups and downs the first week. Nowhere on Frances there is a similar week.
Second and third week, you will be walking on more leveled terrain and also quiet a bit on paved automobile road.
Bringing a 'traffic vest' may come in handy as well as many pilgrims report that they find it hard on the feet, due to the hard surface.
As you are walking in summer, I would recommend you to bring some swimming shorts to cool off in the ocean.

A few gems on the Norte would be the Albergue in Güemes, owned by Ernesto, as the cave paintings Altamira at Santillana del Mar.
The actual cave is closed to public, but there is a museum with copies of the 18500 years old depictings.
The town itself is like a small time travel back centuries ago.

I would recommend you to read up on Camino Primitivo.
Once you get to Ribadesella you are at the fork to either continue along the coast on Norte, or go inland up through the mountains, which can be hard, and pass Oviedo and Lugo to finally join up with Frances for the last few days.
You don't have to decide what to do now, but just wait until you get there.
Then other pilgrims, your physical situation, time will tell you what to do.

One other thing along Norte which I found a nice detour was to spend a few days at Picos de Europa.
On Norte, when you get to Unquera, you can take a bus up to Potes, which takes a few hours and there is an Albergue there.
Actually, you can walk the way also, as it is yet another Camino route, but when I visited most was closed due to the season.

So. The Camino is calling and you are already on your way.
Buen Camino
Lettinggo

Link to advices on Norte ( Primarily March through May)
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/norte-in-april-advice-and-stories-welcome.24307/

 

[WandererJolie]

I'll be ten days behind you, John, and I can't wait!
Thanks, Lettinggo, for your advice - I was going to ask about swimming gear (do people typically bring it? (I guess so!)).

 

[jemitch65]

Hola John

You are doing the same as I did; Frances first, then Norte.
Norte is, as I am sure you know, along the coast which is stunning and many things are similar to Frances, such as Albergues, pilgrims, friendly local people and good food.
The Norte is lesser traveled so you may meet fewer pilgrims on route, but as there also are fewer Albergues, you may also end up spending the night with them regardless.
Norte may require a little bit more planning, or experience as you have from your previous Camino, to be able to cope with the longer distances and fewer lodging possibilities.
That said, I found easily a cheap place to spend the night on my entire Norte/Primitivo walk.
On Frances you pass Albergues all day, and this is not so on Norte, so knowing your capabilities, how many km you can walk and how long it will take, helps to not get stressed by unforeseen challenges.
Also, you may have to stay a few nights at Youth Hostels or private lodging, which I found a bit more expensive, so maybe plan to spend a few Euros more on your entire walk.

As on Frances, a way to see the walk is my weeks.
First week is hard on the body to adjust to the physical demands, but on Norte this is a bit more demanding as there are many ups and downs the first week. Nowhere on Frances there is a similar week.
Second and third week, you will be walking on more leveled terrain and also quiet a bit on paved automobile road.
Bringing a 'traffic vest' may come in handy as well as many pilgrims report that they find it hard on the feet, due to the hard surface.
As you are walking in summer, I would recommend you to bring some swimming shorts to cool off in the ocean.

A few gems on the Norte would be the Albergue in Güemes, owned by Ernesto, as the cave paintings Altamira at Santillana del Mar.
The actual cave is closed to public, but there is a museum with copies of the 18500 years old depictings.
The town itself is like a small time travel back centuries ago.

I would recommend you to read up on Camino Primitivo.
Once you get to Ribadesella you are at the fork to either continue along the coast on Norte, or go inland up through the mountains, which can be hard, and pass Oviedo and Lugo to finally join up with Frances for the last few days.
You don't have to decide what to do now, but just wait until you get there.
Then other pilgrims, your physical situation, time will tell you what to do.

One other thing along Norte which I found a nice detour was to spend a few days at Picos de Europa.
On Norte, when you get to Unquera, you can take a bus up to Potes, which takes a few hours and there is an Albergue there.
Actually, you can walk the way also, as it is yet another Camino route, but when I visited most was closed due to the season.

So. The Camino is calling and you are already on your way.
Buen Camino
Lettinggo

Link to advices on Norte ( Primarily March through May)
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/norte-in-april-advice-and-stories-welcome.24307/

Hi Lettingo: Thank you very much for the advice and especially about the swimming trunks. The water looks remarkable and I will definitely be using the beaches from time to time. I appreciate your advice also on the albergues and the distances between them so planning will definitely be more on the Norte than the Frances. All the best and thanks again. John

 

[jemitch65]

I'll be ten days behind you, John, and I can't wait!
Thanks, Lettinggo, for your advice - I was going to ask about swimming gear (do people typically bring it? (I guess so!)).

Hi Wanderer: I'll keep an eye out for you just the same. Buen Camino! John

 

[NadineMc]

Hello everyone. The clock is ticking; only 9 months until I fly out of Boston for my second great adventure walking the Camino del Norte. The Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela and then to Finisterre and Muxia changed my life and I cannot wait to go back and do the Norte this time. If anyone would be so kind as to give me some specific advice on the Norte that would be useful, I would appreciate it. I understand the CSJ guide is being updated this fall, but I would love to hear unique experiences from pilgrims who have recently walked this camino. Thank you so much in advance. John

Me too...Me too!!!! The Frances and Portuguese routes have also changed my life and I can't wait to go back. Anxious to do the Camino Norte about 8 days ahead of you. Best of luck to you!!! Nadine

 

[jemitch65]

Me too...Me too!!!! The Frances and Portuguese routes have also changed my life and I can't wait to go back. Anxious to do the Camino Norte about 8 days ahead of you. Best of luck to you!!! Nadine

Thank you Nadine. Now it is only 7 months and counting. June will be here before you know it! Best to you on your journey as well. John

 

[MKalcolm M]

The Norte is a wonderful walk, I did it as my first camino. If you have walked the Frances already, it is important to see this as a totally different experience. When I started in Irun, I met two guys the first night in the alberge, one of whom had done the Frances twice, the other had done it four times. When we talked about the Norte over the next few days , one of them kept complaining that it was not like the Frances, too far between cafes and alberges, too much up and down hill, etc, and after a week or so he gave up and caught a bus south to the Frances. The other walker saw the beauty in the scenery, mountains, beaches, etc. and really enjoyed it, telling me one night that this had been the best camino ever. See it through fresh eyes and you can really enjoy it. I had a great walk and hope you do too. Buen Camino!

 

[jemitch65]

The Norte is a wonderful walk, I did it as my first camino. If you have walked the Frances already, it is important to see this as a totally different experience. When I started in Irun, I met two guys the first night in the alberge, one of whom had done the Frances twice, the other had done it four times. When we talked about the Norte over the next few days , one of them kept complaining that it was not like the Frances, too far between cafes and alberges, too much up and down hill, etc, and after a week or so he gave up and caught a bus south to the Frances. The other walker saw the beauty in the scenery, mountains, beaches, etc. and really enjoyed it, telling me one night that this had been the best camino ever. See it through fresh eyes and you can really enjoy it. I had a great walk and hope you do too. Buen Camino!

Hi MKalcolm:

Thank you for the response. I have heard that the Norte is a vastly different experience than the Frances. Admittedly, I did enjoy the camaraderie and the 'camino family' experience of the Frances and I loved the social and cultural exchanges experienced along the way. I stayed in Santiago a couple of days before walking out to Finisterre and Muxia alone. I wanted to decompress and gain greater perspective of my experience on the Frances and this time alone allowed me to do that. I met people during that single week whose company I enjoyed very much and left as deep a communal experience as the family I walked a month with along the Frances. If the Norte offers more of the natural and scenic beauty, I will have no problems walking it. One question though, do you find most people that walk it, do it alone or do pairs and groups form up like the Frances? Thank you. John

 

[MKalcolm M]

There will be no shortage of people to walk with and to form a camino family if you want. I met some lovely people who have become life long friends, one of whom I fell in love with, (see the thread "Love on the camino") another of whom has just come to visit from Switzerland. The ratio of pilgrims on the Frances to the Norte is about seven to one, but the bond between them seems tighter. Because there are fewer albergs you all tend to meet up in the the evenings, and then it is a matter of choice if you want to walk alone, in pairs or in a group the next day. For me the camraderie and fun and laughter with the other pilgrims was one of the best aspects of the camino, and when I look at my photos now they are primarily of my friends, rather than of scenery. My only regret is that I did not get mote email addresses of some fellow pilgrims, as I would like to send them some of the pictures.

 

[jemitch65]

There will be no shortage of people to walk with and to form a camino family if you want. I met some lovely people who have become life long friends, one of whom I fell in love with, (see the thread "Love on the camino") another of whom has just come to visit from Switzerland. The ratio of pilgrims on the Frances to the Norte is about seven to one, but the bond between them seems tighter. Because there are fewer albergs you all tend to meet up in the the evenings, and then it is a matter of choice if you want to walk alone, in pairs or in a group the next day. For me the camraderie and fun and laughter with the other pilgrims was one of the best aspects of the camino, and when I look at my photos now they are primarily of my friends, rather than of scenery. My only regret is that I did not get mote email addresses of some fellow pilgrims, as I would like to send them some of the pictures.

Thank you for the response. I think then the Norte in many respects will be like the Frances but with a lot less traffic which is something that would appeal to me.

 

[angeliki louk]

Ha

Hello everyone. The clock is ticking; only 9 months until I fly out of Boston for my second great adventure walking the Camino del Norte. The Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela and then to Finisterre and Muxia changed my life and I cannot wait to go back and do the Norte this time. If anyone would be so kind as to give me some specific advice on the Norte that would be useful, I would appreciate it. I understand the CSJ guide is being updated this fall, but I would love to hear unique experiences from pilgrims who have recently walked this camino. Thank you so much in advance. John

hallo JOHN!
It's been 4 months since i returned for my first camino(Frances) and already thinking of going back in June 2015 to do the north way!
I understand Excatly your feelings and I think everyone that has walked the way.....
Have u found any good guide books for the north way?
Where are you flying to?
I am wishing you,your next camino to be as great as the first one! And who knows maybe we will meet along the way.
I just started thinking of doing another way so soon so I haven't planned anything yet.
I am a kindergarten teacher and school closes at 15/6/15 so I am thinking of leaving after that.
Angeliki from Greece!!!

 

[jemitch65]

Ha

hallo JOHN!
It's been 4 months since i returned for my first camino(Frances) and already thinking of going back in June 2015 to do the north way!
I understand Excatly your feelings and I think everyone that has walked the way.....
Have u found any good guide books for the north way?
Where are you flying to?
I am wishing you,your next camino to be as great as the first one! And who knows maybe we will meet along the way.
I just started thinking of doing another way so soon so I haven't planned anything yet.
I am a kindergarten teacher and school closes at 15/6/15 so I am thinking of leaving after that.
Angeliki from Greece!!!

Hi Angeliki: The Confraternity of Saint James has a volume 1 (first half) and volume 2 (second half) guide to the Camino del Norte. I believe that each can be purchased from their store for 5 Euros. There is another book out there as well that I think is called the Northern Caminos which includes the Primativo as well if you divert halfway through the Norte and then head inland. My thought was to fly to Madrid with a connection to Bilbao and then take a bus and tram to Irun for the start, but I will also check going from Paris to Bordeau with trains to Bayonne and then Irun too. I am also a teacher and our last day of school is also 6/15 so I am thinking that a 6/21 flight out of Boston works best. Buen Camino and I hope to see you out there! John

 

[angeliki louk]

Hi Angeliki: The Confraternity of Saint James has a volume 1 (first half) and volume 2 (second half) guide to the Camino del Norte. I believe that each can be purchased from their store for 5 Euros. There is another book out there as well that I think is called the Northern Caminos which includes the Primativo as well if you divert halfway through the Norte and then head inland. My thought was to fly to Madrid with a connection to Bilbao and then take a bus and tram to Irun for the start, but I will also check going from Paris to Bordeau with trains to Bayonne and then Irun too. I am also a teacher and our last day of school is also 6/15 so I am thinking that a 6/21 flight out of Boston works best. Buen Camino and I hope to see you out there! John

Thank you for your reply. In July when I walked most of the people where teachers we are lucky that we have the summer holidays that give us the time to do such great things for us as the camino.
Thank you for the advice of the books I will search them through Internet.
Buen camino and maybe we will meet on the way! After all the north way is not so crowded so if our dates match we will meet for sure!

 

[rickster]

In my opinion, the Norte also has a broader range of alternative routes to take that might get you closer to the sea, off the pavement, maybe longer, more secluded, some not as well marked and some much more difficult, more picturesque, etc. For instance, on the first day out of Irun, you will see a sign that offers you to take the route for "alpinists" and another next to it that says "all others". If you take the "alpinist" route you will still be faced with a number of options, the toughest of which will be to go to the mountain crest, which will take longer, is not as well marked, you will not see any towns or water, fewer pilgrims, but it is spectacularly beautiful. For me, once I got on the "alpinist" route, it was difficult to determine what each option was getting me in to. If in doubt on this option, just stay with the yellow arrows and it will be much more forgiving and better marked. It seems that I have to learn it over and over every year that the first few days, my pack is heavier (because like an idiot I'm bringing back the same stuff that I always end up posting forward after a few days) and I'm getting physically used to the long days and greater km's than I failed to train for. You will find this to be a great but different type of experience from the Frances. Buen Camino, Rick

 

[jemitch65]

In my opinion, the Norte also has a broader range of alternative routes to take that might get you closer to the sea, off the pavement, maybe longer, more secluded, some not as well marked and some much more difficult, more picturesque, etc. For instance, on the first day out of Irun, you will see a sign that offers you to take the route for "alpinists" and another next to it that says "all others". If you take the "alpinist" route you will still be faced with a number of options, the toughest of which will be to go to the mountain crest, which will take longer, is not as well marked, you will not see any towns or water, fewer pilgrims, but it is spectacularly beautiful. For me, once I got on the "alpinist" route, it was difficult to determine what each option was getting me in to. If in doubt on this option, just stay with the yellow arrows and it will be much more forgiving and better marked. It seems that I have to learn it over and over every year that the first few days, my pack is heavier (because like an idiot I'm bringing back the same stuff that I always end up posting forward after a few days) and I'm getting physically used to the long days and greater km's than I failed to train for. You will find this to be a great but different type of experience from the Frances. Buen Camino, Rick

Hi Rick: Thank you for your guidance. Your last few sentences rung a bell with me. Things like "posting home" articles you don't need and "getting physically used to the long days and greater km's that I failed to train for." It reminds me of my first week on the Camino Frances. I am looking forward to a different type of experience as you say, and I am looking forward to coming home to the Camino I love so much. The not knowing part is what I find so exciting about the experience. Life's experiences, learning and sharing. Buen Camino, John