Starting in Irun

[opepper21]

Hi,

I’m hoping to start my walk from irun on Saturday and looking for an albergue to stay in Friday night but the majority see to be closed. Can anyone recommend anywhere or let me know if this is going to be an issue for much of the northern Camino route due to COVID? Would greatly appreciate some help as never attempted a trip like tho before!

thanks,
Olivia

 

[camino07]

We stayed Pension Lizaso ,near train station

 

[WalkingLester]

The gronze.com website will be very useful. Open it using google chrome and you can translate to English

 

[Former member 98118]

The first week of the Camino from Irun will be challenging (or expensive) because the Basque Association of Pilgrims doesn't think the pandemic is good time to walk and closed all the albergues they are in charge of.
There are some private albergues open: in Orio (about 40 km from Irun), one in Getaria, one a few km out of Deba up the mountains, one in Markina. None of them are close to the beaches. You can maybe find a hostel in San Sebastian on booking.com, reserve a bed for Friday and Saturday nights, on Saturday morning take a bus to Irun and walk back to San Sebastian, and on Sunday you could walk from San Sebastian to Orio or Zarautz.

Once you leave Basque country and enter Cantabria, hopefully there should be more albergues open. But not many, due to this pandemic year.
You can find a lot better accommodation options on a Camino parallel to the coast, called Camino Frances. If you find a lot of accommodation issues along the coast, you can get a bus to Pamplona and start walking the Camino Frances from there. This is the most traditional pilgrimage path. You may even like it more then the coastal one.

Buen Camino!

 

[Donny Camino]

We stayed at the Hotel Aitana in Irun.

 

[SabsP]

Hi,

I’m hoping to start my walk from irun on Saturday and looking for an albergue to stay in Friday night but the majority see to be closed. Can anyone recommend anywhere or let me know if this is going to be an issue for much of the northern Camino route due to COVID? Would greatly appreciate some help as never attempted a trip like tho before!

thanks,
Olivia

Hi Olivia,

Here is the link to the Gronze website and the Camino del Norte.
The information from Gronze is most of the times very well updated.

Camino del Norte | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

I too recommend pension Lizaso. Conveniently close to bus/trainstation.

Servicio de alojamiento en Irún con Pensión Lizaso

Somos Pensión Lizaso, estamos especializados en ofrecer excelente calidad en servicio de alojamiento. Nos puede encontrar en la localidad de Irún. Le esperamos.

www.pensionlizaso.es

 

[nathanael]

Hi,

I’m hoping to start my walk from irun on Saturday and looking for an albergue to stay in Friday night but the majority see to be closed. Can anyone recommend anywhere or let me know if this is going to be an issue for much of the northern Camino route due to COVID? Would greatly appreciate some help as never attempted a trip like tho before!

thanks,
Olivia

what happened to the great Pilgrim auberge that was there?

 

[SabsP]

what happened to the great Pilgrim auberge that was there?

Closed for the whole year 2021.

Albergue de peregrinos Jakobi | Albergue de Peregrinos en Irún | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue de peregrinos Jakobi, en Irún: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

 

[VNwalking]

too recommend pension Lizaso.

I concur. If you arrive late in the day, as I did, It's a godsend not to have to go very far.

 

[Former member 56625]

Hi there, we are Santillana del Mar tonight, started August 29 in Irun, as said earlier municipales in País Vasco are closed. We stayed in a mixture of private albergues and pensiones but did find we needed to book ahead a day or two at a time. Cantabria so far is much better (and cheaper). Use gronze.com but look between stages and you will find something. The wonderful Albergue Cabaña del Abuelo Peuto in Güemes is open, it’s a must on the Norte.
Buen camino!

 

[Donny Camino]

In Markina Xeimen, I think there is only one place...we stayed there a few weeks back. You should book now: Casa Intxauspe

 

[nathanael]

Closed for the whole year 2021.

Albergue de peregrinos Jakobi | Albergue de Peregrinos en Irún | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue de peregrinos Jakobi, en Irún: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

I stayed there on my second Camino del Norte it was an excellent place and many restaurants in the area.

 

[Kimmzie]

Hi,

I’m hoping to start my walk from irun on Saturday and looking for an albergue to stay in Friday night but the majority see to be closed. Can anyone recommend anywhere or let me know if this is going to be an issue for much of the northern Camino route due to COVID? Would greatly appreciate some help as never attempted a trip like tho before!

thanks,
Olivia

We stayed at “Room in the City”. Great place with a court yard to relax in. We were there Aug 23, 2021

 

[keith duke scott]

Hi,

I’m hoping to start my walk from irun on Saturday and looking for an albergue to stay in Friday night but the majority see to be closed. Can anyone recommend anywhere or let me know if this is going to be an issue for much of the northern Camino route due to COVID? Would greatly appreciate some help as never attempted a trip like tho before!

thanks,
Olivia

Hi Olivia
I'm sorry I don't know the status of places to stay up in irun. It's a lovely little town tucked away but I think you should be able to find a bed.
You picked a great walk for your " never done this before" moment. If you like beautiful scenery, friendly people, lots of farm animals, time for good solitude oh yes great delicious food and beautiful coastline for weeks you have found an amazing hike that delivers on all these points.
Enjoy your camino and remember the "camino always provides"

 

[morgus]

Hi,

I’m hoping to start my walk from irun on Saturday and looking for an albergue to stay in Friday night but the majority see to be closed. Can anyone recommend anywhere or let me know if this is going to be an issue for much of the northern Camino route due to COVID? Would greatly appreciate some help as never attempted a trip like tho before!

thanks,
Olivia

I am in Irun right now. I have a room at the pension Lizao. There are several more in the area to stay at. This is my 9th camino and 2nd North. I find it best for someone my age (73) to have peace of mind with a booking or two ahead of the walk day. You will see the camino direction 20 meters outside the station. Stay well

 

[opepper21]

The first week of the Camino from Irun will be challenging (or expensive) because the Basque Association of Pilgrims doesn't think the pandemic is good time to walk and closed all the albergues they are in charge of.
There are some private albergues open: in Orio (about 40 km from Irun), one in Getaria, one a few km out of Deba up the mountains, one in Markina. None of them are close to the beaches. You can maybe find a hostel in San Sebastian on booking.com, reserve a bed for Friday and Saturday nights, on Saturday morning take a bus to Irun and walk back to San Sebastian, and on Sunday you could walk from San Sebastian to Orio or Zarautz.

Once you leave Basque country and enter Cantabria, hopefully there should be more albergues open. But not many, due to this pandemic year.
You can find a lot better accommodation options on a Camino parallel to the coast, called Camino Frances. If you find a lot of accommodation issues along the coast, you can get a bus to Pamplona and start walking the Camino Frances from there. This is the most traditional pilgrimage path. You may even like it more then the coastal one.

Buen Camino!

Thank you so so much for your detailed reply! I’m feeling quite nervous now as I had many people tell me that I shouldn’t worry to much about booking things in advance and I shldnt struggle too much to find accommodation in September. But all the accommodation in irun seems very expensive! I was really really keen to do the northern route and am now thinking of heading straight to San Sebastián tomorrow but do you think I should change to the the more traditional route?

 

[Former member 98118]

I wish more people who are on the Norte at this moment shared what is going on there now. I admit I got scared myself and decided to walk the French Camino instead of the Norte in July this year. But it doesn't mean others should do the same. It also depends on your budget. On the 800 km of Camino Frances I paid 8 to 15 euro every night except for 2 nights when I chose to have a private room. I am looking at booking com now and I see that the cheapest bunkbed for tomorrow night in San Sebastian is 27 euro. I think if I arrived early to San S. I would just take a 13 km walk to Orio, there is a nice albergue for 12 euro

 

[opepper21]

I wish more people who are on the Norte at this moment shared what is going on there now. I admit I got scared myself and decided to walk the French Camino instead of the Norte in July this year. But it doesn't mean others should do the same. It also depends on your budget. On the 800 km of Camino Frances I paid 8 to 15 euro every night except for 2 nights when I chose to have a private room. I am looking at booking com now and I see that the cheapest bunkbed for tomorrow night in San Sebastian is 27 euro. I think if I arrived early to San S. I would just take a 13 km walk to Orio, there is a nice albergue for 12 euro

Hi, yes thank you! I’m on a bit of a budget as I’m a student and nervous about setting out on a route that will be too expensive for me even though it’s the one I want to do!

 

[opepper21]

Hi Olivia
I'm sorry I don't know the status of places to stay up in irun. It's a lovely little town tucked away but I think you should be able to find a bed.
You picked a great walk for your " never done this before" moment. If you like beautiful scenery, friendly people, lots of farm animals, time for good solitude oh yes great delicious food and beautiful coastline for weeks you have found an amazing hike that delivers on all these points.
Enjoy your camino and remember the "camino always provides"

Hi, thank you it looks like a gorgeous route but I’m just a b nervous as I’m a soli student travelling on a bit of a budget and a bit scared off by all the apparent closures- will it get cheaper after San Sebastián do you think?

 

[camino07]

Hi there, we are Santillana del Mar tonight, started August 29 in Irun, as said earlier municipales in País Vasco are closed. We stayed in a mixture of private albergues and pensiones but did find we needed to book ahead a day or two at a time. Cantabria so far is much better (and cheaper). Use gronze.com but look between stages and you will find something. The wonderful Albergue Cabaña del Abuelo Peuto in Güemes is open, it’s a must on the Norte.
Buen camino!

In Markina Xeimen, I think there is only one place...we stayed there a few weeks back. You should book now: Casa Intxauspe

In Markina try Bar Pitis .They had an albergue and Pension which we stayed in, in 2019

 

[trecile]

In Markina Xeimen, I think there is only one place...we stayed there a few weeks back. You should book now: Casa Intxauspe

One of my favorites on the Norte

 

[Maggie Y]

Hi, thank you it looks like a gorgeous route but I’m just a b nervous as I’m a soli student travelling on a bit of a budget and a bit scared off by all the apparent closures- will it get cheaper after San Sebastián do you think?

It will be a long way to walk from Irun to San Sebastian without stopping at the half way point. El Norte is definitely worth it but don't want you to take on too many risks as a sole traveller

 

[opepper21]

It will be a long way to walk from Irun to San Sebastian without stopping at the half way point. El Norte is definitely worth it but don't want you to take on too many risks as a sole traveller

Thanks Maggie, managed it ok though and was a beautiful walk!!

 

[keith duke scott]

Hi, thank you it looks like a gorgeous route but I’m just a b nervous as I’m a soli student travelling on a bit of a budget and a bit scared off by all the apparent closures- will it get cheaper after San Sebastián do you think?

Hey opepper21
Buen camino. It's true the rate can fluctuate from place to place but I believe if you average it out of the course of your camino it will be pretty affordable. Be frugal but enjoy the camino most of all. I saved money eating from super mercados frequently on my camino. Hoping it all works out for you splendidly.