Start from Pamplona

[Givesome]

Hi My name is Berto from Cape Town, South Africa. My Wife and I will start our first camino from Pamplona on 27 March 2017. We only have 35 days to complete the way and we decided to start in Pamplona instead of SJPdP.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You will have the time, and Pamplona is a great place to start. Have some pinxtos and hit the road. Buen Camino.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Hi Berto. How will you be arriving in Pamplona? Bus? Train? Plane? And what time of day? Will you be spending a night there before walking or leaving pretty quickly?

I'm slowly working on a resource "Pamplona for Pilgrims" and my next part of the project can be made to be something that might help you out.

 

[Mark Lee]

Sounds great. You will love it.
ultreia

 

[Mike Savage]

Pamplona is a great place to start!

Buen Camino!

 

[HedaP]

A very sensible and well reasearched option. Buen camino to you and your wife.

 

[nycwalking]

Another: Buen camino. Enjoy.

 

[Givesome]

Hi Berto. How will you be arriving in Pamplona? Bus? Train? Plane? And what time of day? Will you be spending a night there before walking or leaving pretty quickly?

I'm slowly working on a resource "Pamplona for Pilgrims" and my next part of the project can be made to be something that might help you out.

Hi Rick of Rick and Peg, we are flying to Madrid via Dubai and will arrive in Madrid Saturday 25 March 2017 at 19:50. For the next leg we are taking the ALSA bus the next morning at 01:00 am to Pamplona. The bus only goes as far as Soria and from there we are taking a connecting bus to Pamplona. The time of arrival in Pamplona is 06:00 am. The ASLA bus departs from AV.America in Madrid but it seems that it also stops at the airport. Hopefully we can hang around at the airport take the bus from the airport instead of going into the city and back to the airport.
The Sunday evening we are staying at the Aloha Hostel which is in walking distance from the bus stop and the Cathedral de Santa Maria. On Monday we will start the camino.
Our journey to Spain is going to be long. The flight from Cape Town to Dubai is 9 hours, 7 hour layover in Dubai, 8 hour flight from Dubai to Madrid, 5 hour layover at Madrid airport and a 5 hour bus ride to Pamplona. At least we have the whole Sunday to get some sleep in Pamplona.

 

[Givesome]

Pamplona is a great place to start!

Buen Camino!

Hi Mike It was very tempting to start in SJPdP but with the Napoleon road closed and possible bad weather we decided to be more realistic and start in Pamplona. From reading the advice on this forum we realised that it is about the journey and not the destination and you don't have to start at a specific point. As someone said rather experience the camino then race to the end.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I started in Pamplona last week. Pilgrims who started in SJPdP walked in snow. About half defied the signs saying the Napoleon Route was closed. Of course, neither route had views of anything but the snow! Was the risk worth it? An Italian on the Valcarlos route collapsed and was helped by two Germans. Had he chosen the Napoleon the outcome could have been worse. Pamplona is a great start!!!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Here is my suggestion for the start of your camino. With just a little bit of extra walking you will see a good bit more of Pamplona. Walk from the Aloha up to the bullring and then out of the old city to the old Roman bridge over the Rio Agra, Puente de la Magdalena. Personally, I would walk over it to the other side, take a few photos and then walk over it again. It is on the camino. Walk past the impressive old walls of the city and through the French Gate into the old city. Take the first left (Calle Navarreria) to leave the camino and go to the cathedral. Near the cathedral are two albergues (Albergue Plaza Catedral and Albergue "Jesus y Maria") where you may be able to pick up a credential. Also nearby is Caminoteca, a store geared for pilgrims where you could get a shell and things that might have been confiscated at the airport like knives or hiking poles. Head back to the camino by Calle Curia.

The camino is fairly easy to follow but in the city look for bronze plaques in the sidewalks more than yellow arrows. Peg and I took a wrong turn once due to a cultural difference. At home crosswalk are right on the corner but in Spain they are set back from the intersection a bit. We saw the plaque to turn right down a street but then assumed the camino went down that street. We missed the indicator telling us to take the crosswalk to cross the street. A local turned us around in no time.

The URLs below will take you to interactive maps I'm working on for my "Pamplona for Pilgrims" project. One was tweaked for you showing you how to get from the Aloha to Puente de la Magdalena. That and the detour to the cathedral are tracks in the red color. The camino is the yellow track. Another map shows the path of the running of the bulls and some Hemingway sights and statues. Note that these are on or just a bit off the red track heading to the bridge. You can do some sightseeing getting there.

The maps are interactive. Zooming is done by buttons on the upper left. The Google streetmap stick figure will be there for some displays. You can drag the map (but clicks bring up stupid error message popup that can be dismissed. Sorry.) Over in the upper right corner you can change the display of the map to streets, satellite, hybrid and more.

Buen camino.

The start of your camino

Hemingway and bull sites

 

[DurhamParish]

Hi Berto. I'll be arriving in Pamplona on the 27th of March. If you see an old guy in a big hat in Pamplona or beyond, please say "hello".

 

[VNwalking]

If you see an old guy in a big hat in Pamplona or beyond, please say "hello".

(Psst, Berto? A heads-up. He's not so old. And a really nice guy. )

A very Buen Camino to you both!

 

[DurhamParish]

Gracias.

 

[marbuck]

No matter where you start, you will have a great time, enjoy!

 

[Derek Booth]

As you leave Pamplona (probably the last building before countryside) you will pass the University of Navarra.
It was there in March 2019 that I realised that I had not obtained a stamp on my first night's accommodation in Pamplona.
Feeling decidedly scruffy and somewhat underdressed (and undereducated as well) I went into the buildings and after one false start entered the hallowed portals where my unsullied credencial was Very formally stamped by the two House Porters.

Marching on, I felt at last like a genuine Perigrino.

 

[henrythedog]

As you leave Pamplona (probably the last building before countryside) you will pass the University of Navarra.
It was there in March 2019 that I realised that I had not obtained a stamp on my first night's accommodation in Pamplona.
Feeling decidedly scruffy and somewhat underdressed (and undereducated as well) I went into the buildings and after one false start entered the hallowed portals where my unsullied credencial was Very formally stamped by the two House Porters.

Marching on, I felt at last like a genuine Perigrino.

Good decision - and a great sello to start with. It takes a bit of wandering around to find the porters’ lodge in the main reception building, but it’s worth it.