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As the others have said, good work on your packing discipline!
A few suggestions of things I found helpful:
Triple antibiotic ointment (you need a prescription to get it in Spain and the blisters are gnarly)
Journal and pen (I tried to journal each evening to reflect on the day, and I found...
Oh and in terms of earphones—I had some issues sleeping with all of the snoring, but earplugs weren’t comfortable and were too silent for me.
Although i didn’t use earphones on the trail, I’d typically listen to music or a sleep podcast while falling asleep, which drowned out the snorers for me!
Just two quick additional notes:
I loved to leave early most days as one of my favorite parts of the Camino was watching the sun come up on the trail.
If you are intending to leave at 5 or 6:
I highly recommend bring your Apple Watch. I used my Fitbit for the vibrating alarm so that I could...
Hi all,
I just bought my ticket for my next Camino this summer (yay!).
I wanted to walk in France—I loved the Norte and primitivo last year, and I thought it would be cool to explore another country.
I’m flying into Geneva in mid July because I found a cheap flight.
I think I’ve got just...
I had the cicerone guide, which I’d really recommend. I liked reading ahead the night before about which towns or sights I’d pass through.
Looking back at my itinerary, I made it from Irun to cobreces in 11 days. Everywhere I stayed on that section was great—some small towns, a monastery, and...
I walked the Norte into the primitivo last year and I stayed in two monasteries:
1. The monetary at zenarrutz after markina. Absolutely beautiful, the monks are so friendly and invited us to attend mass if we wanted. We had an amazing communal meal outside overlooking the sunset. Be warned that...
I walked from Irún last year from July to August. After a challenging first two days (San Sebastián and zarautz), I ended up booking ahead for the remainder. I would just find a place the night before and call ahead to make a reservation. I really liked that system because there typically wasn’t...
I did this stretch in 6 days last summer, it is certainly doable (disclaimer: I am a decently fast walker).
Day 1: Irún to San Sebastián
highly recommend the ridge route out of San Sebastián for the views!
Day 2: Irún to zarautz (I wanted to stay by the beautiful beaches)
Day 3: zarautz to...
Awesome, thanks all for the information! I think I’ll just stick with the poncho. I did end up throwing a pair of sweat pants and a fleece in, and I can always send them back if I end up being too hot
Awesome, thanks all for the information! I’m definitely hoping to stay in albergues as much as possible, the price and availability of pensiones is bit shocking 😳 I’m going to try and avoid staying in the big coastal cities as much as I can, but it seems like some places are unavoidable
Hi all,
I’m leaving for the Norte this week, and I’ve seen a few concerning things about bed racing and availability of beds on the Norte. I’m planning to reserve a few places-zarautz, gernika, Bilbao-but for the most part, I’m trying to stay in albergues. I was just wondering what the climate...
Hi all,
I’m starting my Camino del Norte this week (7th) and I’m a bit surprised that it looks cooler and rainier than I was anticipating. I tend to run very cold generally, so I was wondering if I’m bringing enough warm clothes. Specifically, I was going to bring a poncho, but now I’m wondering...
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