Suggestions for Camino del Norte in June?

[MarieKa]

Hello!
Thank you for your exciting forum entries! I (35 y.) am thinking quite spontaneously about hiking part of the Camino de Norte in mid to late June (June 18-27). I would fly to and from Bilbao starting from either Irun or Bilbao and see how far I can get in 10 days.

I like hiking, even several days in a row and in the (high) mountains. But I have no experience with the camino de santiago and really long hikes (> than 6 days). So far, my personal limit has been around 20 km on individual days in the mountains. That's why I was a bit worried about the length of the daily hikes (up to 22-25km), the maybe too "exhausting way" from Irun and the possibly fully booked accommodations. Can you give me any tips or alternatives?

I wonder which route would be better for me Irun - Bilbao or Bilbao towards Oviedo. I really like nature and mountains. I'm not a fan of places getting super crowded or very touristy. Too much intense heat and long hikes in the blazing sun are not really my thing. I also read that in Spain starting from 24.6. the summer holidays are beginning, so I was afraid that I might not be able to find any (cheaper) accommodation (if possible less than 30€/night). Booking accommodation 1-2 days in advance should be fine for me. What are your experiences with hiking on concrete roads on the north route, I would like to avoid lots of roads - if possible...

Despite all my doubts, I'm looking forward to it!
I would appreciate tips and recommendations!

Thank you Marie

 

[dgwatts22]

I’m currently on the Norte in Galicia and I 100% recommend doing the first part from Irún to Bilbao. These first days or so were beautiful with very little road walking (except for the day from San Sebastián to Zarautz). The walk into San Sebastián was a bit crowded with tourists, but I chalk that up to it being the weekend and people wanting to get out and about into nature. The way from Bilbao to Santander was my least favorite. It had its moments, don’t get me wrong, but there was a TON of road walking which was pretty awful and I found it less beautiful overall. Obviously, this is just my opinion. There were some good parts from Bilbao but the first part felt more like a true Camino experience. This is just my opinion though, others may disagree!

 

[MarieKa]

Hi, thank you for the great informativ reply! What do think about the first part Irún - Bilbao in terms of it being too strenous for a women? As I wrote, I am overall quite fit and I figured out lenghts of daily hikes with max. 20 km, mostly max. 17 km., but altimeters of 500 m, walking for 9-10 days. I hope it would work out with these hiking lengths, if I could sleep in Ibiri and Mexika/Morgan.

 

[Dennis Pack]

Check out the Editorial Buen Camino app ... there are many options for accommodation so you can adjust your walking distances to whatever suites you ... even on the day. I walked it at 72 with very little in the way of training, but as an experienced walker, I knew what to expect and had no problems. Essentially, it's an "urban trek" ... everything is provided at the end of each day, or along the way. The Camino Provides
A couple times I booked a day ahead when I thought I might arrive late, otherwise I just decided how far I'd walk each day and try to finish my day by about 1 pm, which left me plenty of time to acquire a bed for the night. My average day was probably around 15 km.

 

[MarieKa]

Great, thank you for the excellent advice and answer! Buen Camino!

 

[poogeyejr]

What do think about the first part Irún - Bilbao in terms of it being too strenous for a women?

Thousands of Women have done it - if safety is your concern - that wasn't something I had any issues with. You can always shorten your days - I didn't walk more than 20km on any of my days. I wanted time to tour the village I slept in once I got settled.

Buen Camino!

 

[MarieKa]

Thousands of Women have done it - if safety is your concern - that wasn't something I had any issues with. You can always shorten your days - I didn't walk more than 20km on any of my days. I wanted time to tour the village I slept in once I got settled.

Buen Camino!

Great, thank you! No not safety, but the length of the hikes was my concern…

 

[TsafiK]

I’m currently on the Norte in Galicia and I 100% recommend doing the first part from Irún to Bilbao. These first days or so were beautiful with very little road walking (except for the day from San Sebastián to Zarautz). The walk into San Sebastián was a bit crowded with tourists, but I chalk that up to it being the weekend and people wanting to get out and about into nature. The way from Bilbao to Santander was my least favorite. It had its moments, don’t get me wrong, but there was a TON of road walking which was pretty awful and I found it less beautiful overall. Obviously, this is just my opinion. There were some good parts from Bilbao but the first part felt more like a true Camino experience. This is just my opinion though, others may disagree!

Hi, could you tell me if were you walking the "official" trail, or did you take the side roads near the sea?
And are all the roads sunny, or is it - sometimes at least - shaded?

 

[poogeyejr]

Great, thank you! No not safety, but the length of the hikes was my concern…

Then it would depend on the type of woman you are . . . . If you want shorter days there are alot of ways to make each day 15-20km. I am working on a pamphlet with shortened days. I loved the shorter days so I could really explore the town I stayed in at the end of each day. Meet people, share a drink at the pub and ask about their life. I found the longer days didn't give me enough local interaction.