In May 2023, my wife and I took the route from Boimorto that ends up meeting the Frances at Lavacolla. The first 10k were along a narrow, newly paved highway with lots of eucalyptus farms. It was uneventful and mostly boring. (My wife disliked it...
My wife and I enjoyed the cosmopolitan feel of Bilbao (although we weren't crazy about the non-pilgrim hostel we booked). If you can carve out extra time in Santillana del Mar, the Caves of Altamira are worth a visit for both the museum and the...
I can't speak to the mountain route, but I did the coastal variation almost exactly a year ago. We walked close to the coast whenever possible and it included some of my favorite vistas of the whole trip.
The article refers to the albergue at the convent. It would be interesting to know about the Albergue Intxauspe, a very hospitable and welcoming spot across the highway from the town center.
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