Roncesvalles or Burguete?

[vkimble]

Roncesvalles or push to Burguete? I prefer to avoid the recommended stages to avoid the race for albergues. Do you suggest Burguete? Is Roncesvalles too busy?

 

[J Willhaus]

Roncesvalles or push to Burguete? I prefer to avoid the recommended stages to avoid the race for albergues. Do you suggest Burguete? Is Roncesvalles too busy?

When? Roncesvalles is usually pretty busy, but kind of cool with group dinners and Mass. Burgette is also nice. Are you thinking of reserving? There are a certain number of beds that are not reservable. After the May rush, things will slow a little in June and July.

 

[auburnfive]

We were very happy with our stay in Burguete, but I will always walk further for a less busy place.

 

[KiwiJohn]

Roncesvalles or push to Burguete? I prefer to avoid the recommended stages to avoid the race for albergues. Do you suggest Burguete? Is Roncesvalles too busy?

Last year my brother and I did St Jean-Pied-de-Port - Orisson - Burguete, then always between the so called Brierley stages to Compostella de Santiago. No accommodation problems at all.
Buen Camino

 

[Sarge63]

If you do go to Burguete I recommend staying at Lorentx Aterpea which is where I stayed in October. Very nice and not much further…

 

[vkimble]

When? Roncesvalles is usually pretty busy, but kind of cool with group dinners and Mass. Burgette is also nice. Are you thinking of reserving? There are a certain number of beds that are not reservable. After the May rush, things will slow a little in June and July.

May 20th

 

[J Willhaus]

Think about getting a reservation for May 20 whether in Roncesvalles or Burgete. The month of May and September are the two busiest months to start from St Jean pied de Port.

 

[dougfitz]

I have done both, but when my wife and I pushed on to Auritz/Burguette, we had stayed the previous night in Valcarlos. I wouldn't have done it leaving from SJPP. We didn't have bookings until we arrived at Roncevalles, where we checked what was available before setting off on that last leg of the day. It was getting crowded at Roncesvalles, although there were still beds available at the time we arrived. This was in early May 2018, when we found it relatively easy to book just a day or so ahead for most of the time.

 

[Roland49]

just my 2 cents: if you never been to Roncesvalles: do it! Experience it!

I walked the CF in 2019 and I do think that i had missed something, if I didn't stayed there.
Exceptional Mass, exceptional meal at the Hotel (you will be asked by the Hospitaleros).

 

[nycwalking]

just my 2 cents: if you never been to Roncesvalles: do it! Experience it!

I walked the CF in 2019 and I do think that i had missed something, if I didn't stayed there.
Exceptional Mass, exceptional meal at the Hotel (you will be asked bei the Hospitaleros).

I second that emotion!

 

[Anhalter]

I'll chime in with the motion to stay in Roncesvalles for a first camino just because of experiencing this place. (and contrary to Roland i don't have very fond memories of the food)

 

[trecile]

just my 2 cents: if you never been to Roncesvalles: do it! Experience it!

I agree. I've stayed in Roncesvalles albergue two out of my three times on that stretch, and rather missed it the other two times.

As far as dinner goes, the food was nothing special, but the company of other pilgrims was.

 

[Grousedoctor]

On my first Camino, I stayed in Roncesvalles and very much enjoyed the camaraderie like @trecile mentions. It was a great day hiking over the mountain and a nice cold beer with new pilgrim friends at Casa Sabina as a great start to my CF. My second time across the Pyrenees via Valcarlos, we walked on to Burguete. Partly, our intention was to stay at the Hostel Burguete where Hemingway had frequented nearly a century earlier. The hostel turned out to be lovely with wonderful food, but, not many pilgrims to interact with and share the accomplishment of crossing the mountains together on Day 1. The next day we didn’t have quite as many kilometers into Zubiri which was nice. But, if I were recommending a destination for one’s first Camino, it would be Roncesvalles for all those reasons mentioned in earlier posts. Buen Camino!

 

[Kathy F.]

If you have the energy, go as far as you want. I suspect most pilgrims stop at Roncevalles at the end of that day because they are simply exhausted.

 

[jsalt]

I agree with the others who say Roncesvalles if this is your first camino. But make a booking. Easy to do via their website.

 

[motero99]

I agree with Roland49 and the others who recommended Roncesvalles. No one seemed to mention waking up to the chanting (Gregorian?) piped into the sleeping area in the morning. It was probably Memorex, but it was a very nice touch and made a great start to the day. If you make a reservation, order dinner and breakfast at the same time. Last year there was a big discussion on this site about the meals. I found them good and as others mentioned in this thread, the camaraderie was a wonderful beginning to my Camino in 2019. Many of the people I met there, I encountered at various times on the way to Santiago.

 

[vkimble]

Thank you all for the input! I don't wish to reserve in advance but I guess that is the reality of the Camino at this time of year.

 

[J Willhaus]

Thank you all for the input! I don't wish to reserve in advance but I guess that is the reality of the Camino at this time of year.

You certainly don't have to. You are beginning on a Monday which is probably better than beginning on a weekend. You just have to be willing to take what comes. Some people get really wigged out about not knowing where they will sleep, but if it does not bother you, then go for it. It is just a busy a time of year. No doubt wherever you land will be fine and will be a good story to tell.

 

[MassNative]

My wife and I stayed in Burgette at a nice Pension (Pedroarena Rural House). We broke up the Napolean route into two stages using the Mountain Shuttle, so the extra 3 Kms were no problem.

And we found a collection of fellow pilgrims for dinner at Bar Fronton.

A nice little town!

 

[Roland49]

I'll chime in with the motion to stay in Roncesvalles for a first camino just because of experiencing this place. (and contrary to Roland i don't have very fond memories of the food)

As far as dinner goes, the food was nothing special, but the company of other pilgrims was.

Did I got so lucky? Maybe yes, the waiter that served us, told us that they got a new chef a few weeks before. The meals were excellent, not outstanding, but excellent. In fact I did eat in my life far more expensive and far less good than in Roncesvalles.

We sat at a round table, 10 person, 7 nations. A very good start of the journey! Most of the pilgrims I met again walking out of Pamplona, I did stay in Larrasoaña (instead of Zubiri) and in Pamplona in the Casa Paderborn (instead of the Municipal), so no chance of meeting. But it was too early in the pilgrimage to built a camino-family.

 

[Alechnowicz]

Roncesvalles or push to Burguete? I prefer to avoid the recommended stages to avoid the race for albergues. Do you suggest Burguete? Is Roncesvalles too busy?

Roncevalles too good to miss.

 

[DwainS]

If you do go to Burguete I recommend staying at Lorentx Aterpea which is where I stayed in October. Very nice and not much further…

Yes, very nice and a restaurant just down the road where I had dinner and breakfast the next morning

 

[Dmonti7]

Roncesvalles or push to Burguete? I prefer to avoid the recommended stages to avoid the race for albergues. Do you suggest Burguete? Is Roncesvalles too busy?

It wasn’t for us.