My first El Camino

[Romanian Pilgrim]

Hello to all the community of "pilgrims" and many thanks to the forum's administrator and all those that contributed to its content!

I want to walk my first El Camino and, since I admire the northern part of Spain, my choice is El Camino del Norte (and, if the experience will be a pleasant and rewarding one, walk all of them, one or two each year). I read a few threads here, I have an idea about what to expect, but I still have questions to ask.

So:
my plan is to start at the beginning of May, but it will depend a lot on the volume of work during that time, or, if not in May, then no later than July and I don't want to spend more than 30 days. Usually I walk around 10 km/day, but, I can easily do 25-30 km/day with no special training, having an average of 6km/hour. Sure, El Camino is different, since I have to do it for app. 30 consecutive days with a backpack. Do I need a special training? Maybe start walking 10km/day with a backpack one month before El Camino?

Budget: 150 EUR/day would be enough for food and accommodation or do I need more? I intend to have a diverse experience, from lodging in villages to staying in some nice hotels in some cities and visit some museums. I don't eat meat, but sometimes I can have some fish and, in the northern part of Spain, that would be a real treat. Also, I don't drink alcohol.

Luggage: what is best to take? What kind of shoes? Any special socks? Walking sticks? 8 kg for a backpack would be very tiring?

Accommodation: I know that there are plenty of places to lodge on the Camino Frances, but will that be a problem on del Norte?

Best times to walk: a friend of mine did CF last year in July-August and told me she was starting to walk at 5-6 AM since it was very hot from 11AM to 6PM and couldn't walk. Honestly, at 5-6 AM I prefer to sleep. I don't mind walking at 30-32 degrees (Celsius), but is weather a real problem on the del Norte?

Safety: is it safe to walk alone? Any cases of robberies, thieves?

Any advice is welcome!

Thanks for help and, if I have more questions, I will ask.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Welcome to the forum and the Camino.

First thing first, most people walking those routes will do so with under 30€ a day: 10 for a bed in an albergue, 10 for a menu del dia or pilgrim menu and 3 on cafe con leche and then a bocadillo, some fruit, what have you for food outside of than main meal. Even when staying in a pension your budget will only go up bt 10 or 15€ more. Yes you could stay in hotels, but outside of largish cities like San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santander the hotels you are most likely to find on the Camino will be of the more simple kind not costing you 100€ plus.

And speaking of the menu del dia: on the norte always opt for that rather than an evening meal: that is the main meal of the day in Spain and the quality will be much better than any evening meal you would be able to find. On the Frances you woulf have a bocadillo or ensalada mixta for lunch and a very repetitive pilgrim menu or soso quality.

Walking distances: walking 10km a day on the Frances will not be a problem except in a fre places where there are no other options than to walk 15 or 20km between any sort of accomodation or place to call a taxi. But on the Norte distances will be greater. Things have greatly improved in terms of pilgrim accomadations since I had first wanted to walk the Norte and 2007 but passed because I knew I would not be able to walk the 30+km needed back then, but still 20km a day is likely to be the minimum average between albergues. Take a look at the Eroski website to see the route, suggested stages, and albergues along the way. Groze website lists other types of accomodations as well.

July and Augusr are a bad idea in my opinion to walk Caminos due to the heat. I walked part of the Norte in Sept-Oct.and still got 34C days! It was unusual but it can happen. This being said there is no bed race on the Norte so no need to get up in the middle of the nignt and walk in the dark missing all you came to see.

35 or 40 litter backpack max, you should be able to carry all you will need in a maximum of 8kg, yes to 2 walking sticks, ues safe for women which is not a license not to take normal precautions as you would at home, yes to keeping your valuables on you for safe keeping. Most importantly: good shoes you are comfortable in and you have tested to ensure they do not cause you blisters, to be worn with either merino whool or double layer synthetic sox, but again with the socks, try them at home as some wick moisture more than others.

Enough from me, many others will chime in my their tips. Hope this is helpful.

 

[HeidiL]

Welcome!

If you're walking for the beautyful landscape, Norte is lovely, but requires stamina. Many stretches are quite long, and there are climbs after climbs and "only recommended for people who are already in great shape," my friends said when they phoned me from that Camino to get advice about switching to Francais instead, after four days of suffering. I found a bus to Sarria for them, and they had five lovely days walking that stretch instead... But if you walk 10 km a day now, at a speed of 6 km per hour, you will probably do fine.

Walking in July will be much hotter than walking in May. How are you with heat, and can you carry enough water?

Your budget is enormous. You will be able to live at Paradores (luxury hotels in old monasteries and castles) and eat like a king. There is a lot of good seafood in Spain!

Luggage: only you can know what kind of backpack to take. Go to a shop with a big selection, get someone in the shop to help you find some good possibilities and adjust them properly, then put something heavy (a couple of tents and some free weights should do it) in the packs and march around the shop, feeling very silly, until you find the best choice for you. Think about size first, though, some of us are micro-packers and make do with 30 l or less, some bring everything but the kitchen sink and need 70 l or more.

There are many kinds of lodging on the Norte. Please read this forum. There you will also find people who have different opinions about temperatures - personally, I start slowing down at around 20 C and refuse to move at 30... If you're staying at hotels instead of albergues, you will be allowed to sleep later, but in the summer heat, it is common to get up very early indeed.

The Camino is generally very safe. There are reports of a flasher once in a while, but thousands of people, many of them women, walk alone every year. If you would like more company, Francais is much more populated.

 

[Kanga]

Hi @Romanian Pilgrim and welcome to the forum. I walked the Norte last year with my husband and part of the way with some rriends. We stayed in various forms of accommodation. We walked in May and that is a good time, although it was early in the season and sometimes a bit cold and rainy. Our friend who walked the Norte the previous year at exactly the same time had warmer weather. The flowers are stunning on the Norte in spring.

Taking your questions in turn:

1. Sounds like you are fairly fit but I do not think you would be able to walk from Irun to Santiago in 30 days; or at least I would not advise it. We do have some very fast and athletic walkers on this forum who might differ, but 840km is a long way. If you want to get all the way to Santiago perhaps you could plan to start further along. Alternatively start in Irun but plan to finish the trek in two stages.

2. €50 a day will see you living in luxury.

3. Get a comfortable backpack. See the "tag" cloud on the forum front page - just hit the word "backpack" and you will get more information than you need. The Norte is no different to the Francés - a 40 litre pack, with total weight kept as far under 8kg as you can. Search the forum for advice on shoes (I wore sandals, my husband shoes, my friend wore boots - it depends on what suits you) . Good hiking socks. Yes to sticks for me.

4. There is plenty of accommodation of every sort.

5. It is as safe for a woman to walk as anywhere. I have not heard of any problems with thieves although I would take the usual precautions and always keep my passport and wallet secure.

 

[Romanian Pilgrim]

Welcome to the forum and the Camino.

First thing first, most people walking those routes will do so with under 30€ a day: 10 for a bed in an albergue, 10 for a menu del dia or pilgrim menu and 3 on cafe con leche and then a bocadillo, some fruit, what have you for food outside of than main meal. Even when staying in a pension your budget will only go up bt 10 or 15€ more. Yes you could stay in hotels, but outside of largish cities like San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santander the hotels you are most likely to find on the Camino will be of the more simple kind not costing you 100€ plus.

And speaking of the menu del dia: on the norte always opt for that rather than an evening meal: that is the main meal of the day in Spain and the quality will be much better than any evening meal you would be able to find.
Walking distances: walking 10km a day on the Frances will not be a problem except in a fre places where there are no other options than to walk 15 or 20km between any sort of accomodation or place to call a taxi. But on the Norte distances will be greater. Things have greatly improved in terms of pilgrim accomadations since I had first wanted to walk the Norte and 2007 but passed because I knew I would not be able to walk the 30+km needed back then, but still 20km a day is likely to be the minimum average between albergues. Take a look at the Eroski website to see the route, suggested stages, and albergues along the way. Groze website lists other types of accomodations as well.

July and Augusr are a bad idea in my opinion to walk Caminos due to the heat. I walked part of the Norte in Sept-Oct.and still got 34C days! It was unusual but it can happen. This being said there is no bed race on the Norte so no need to get up in the middle of the nignt and walk in the dark missing all you came to see.

35 or 40 litter backpack max, you should be able to carry all you will need in a maximum of 8kg, yes to 2 walking sticks, ues safe for women which is not a license not to take normal precautions as you would at home, yes to keeping your valuables on you for safe keeping. Most importantly: good shoes you are comfortable in and you have tested to ensure they do not cause you blisters, to be worn with either merino whool or double layer synthetic sox, but again with the socks, try them at home as some wick moisture more than others.

Enough from me, many others will chime in my their tips. Hope this is helpful.

Anemone, thanks for your reply. I will definitely choose del Norte.
I asked about budget since last October I visited San Sebastian, Pamplona and Zaragoza and the northern part of Spain can get quite expensive. But it seems I was worried for nothing. Food is one of my concerns since, as I mentioned, I am vegetarian, but I eat fish and in Spain you are served way too much pork.

I will try to go in May, it would be great if I could do it then.

Welcome!

If you're walking for the beautyful landscape, Norte is lovely, but requires stamina.
Walking in July will be much hotter than walking in May. How are you with heat, and can you carry enough water?

Your budget is enormous. You will be able to live at Paradores (luxury hotels in old monasteries and castles) and eat like a king. There is a lot of good seafood in Spain!

Luggage: only you can know what kind of backpack to take. Go to a shop with a big selection, get someone in the shop to help you find some good possibilities and adjust them properly, then put something heavy (a couple of tents and some free weights should do it) in the packs and march around the shop, feeling very silly, until you find the best choice for you. Think about size first, though, some of us are micro-packers and make do with 30 l or less, some bring everything but the kitchen sink and need 70 l or more.

There are many kinds of lodging on the Norte. Please read this forum. There you will also find people who have different opinions about temperatures - personally, I start slowing down at around 20 C and refuse to move at 30... If you're staying at hotels instead of albergues, you will be allowed to sleep later, but in the summer heat, it is common to get up very early indeed.

The Camino is generally very safe. There are reports of a flasher once in a while, but thousands of people, many of them women, walk alone every year. If you would like more company, Francais is much more populated.

HeidiL, thanks for your answer.

I don't mind walking long distances and I think (at least now ) ) I can do it . I intend to start a sort of "training" in March-April: take a back pack of 4-5 kilos and walk with it around the city (which is not flat, so can be helpful), starting with 1-2 km, then stop, then again 1-2 km, progressively increasing the distance up to 3-4 km without stop, thus getting in shape.
Great idea with walking around a store with a back pack fully loaded just to see how it feels!
Heat is not a problem, I never had sunstroke, and I can carry 2l of water.

Hi @Romanian Pilgrim and welcome to the forum. I walked the Norte last year with my husband and part of the way with some rriends. We stayed in various forms of accommodation. We walked in May and that is a good time, although it was early in the season and sometimes a bit cold and rainy. Our friend who walked the Norte the previous year at exactly the same time had warmer weather. The flowers are stunning on the Norte in spring.

Taking your questions in turn:

1. Sounds like you are fairly fit but I do not think you would be able to walk from Irun to Santiago in 30 days; or at least I would not advise it. We do have some very fast and athletic walkers on this forum who might differ, but 840km is a long way. If you want to get all the way to Santiago perhaps you could plan to start further along. Alternatively start in Irun but plan to finish the trek in two stages.

2. €50 a day will see you living in luxury.

3. Get a comfortable backpack. See the "tag" cloud on the forum front page - just hit the word "backpack" and you will get more information than you need. The Norte is no different to the Francés - a 40 litre pack, with total weight kept as far under 8kg as you can. Search the forum for advice on shoes (I wore sandals, my husband shoes, my friend wore boots - it depends on what suits you) . Good hiking socks. Yes to sticks for me.

4. There is plenty of accommodation of every sort.

5. It is as safe for a woman to walk as anywhere. I have not heard of any problems with thieves although I would take the usual precautions and always keep my passport and wallet secure.

Kanga, thanks for your reply!
I want del Norte especially for sightseeing, I have no religious motivation for being a "pilgrim" and I looooove the northern part of Spain.
840 km in 30 days means an average of app. 28km/day, around 7hrs of walking if I get an average of 4km/h. Sounds doable to me (now, in front of the computer). But, a few days extra would not be a huge problem.

Ladies, thank you so much for your advice! I am 36 yrs old man eager for this adventure and you helped a lot. I will make sure I will open a blog to share pictures and thoughts during my trip.
One more question: from what age would you advise to have children on the road? 9? 10? Of course, different conditions, shorter distances etc.

Thanks!

 

[HeidiL]

My son was 8 1/2 and did well. There are several threads about children on the camino; time for you to explore the search function! Good luck!

 

[Romanian Pilgrim]

It's the final countdown! After a hectic period (that will be resumed after the end of my first Camino), I finally decided to start my "adventure". So, on the 15th of September I will land in Zaragoza heading to Irun in order to start del Norte. I plan to arrive in Santiago on the 10th of October, and I am still pondering the idea of a mix between del Norte and Primitivo.
Hope to meet some others on the way.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Romanian Pilgrim,
Wishing you a great Camino del Norte. Your decision on whether to dip down and get on the Primitivo after Villaviciosa or to stay on the Norte may seem like a difficult decision now, but in my experience, the decision usually makes itself once you're on the way. It will probably depend on what your "camino family" is thinking, on the weather, and on your gut and what it tells you at that time. There are lots of threads describing the differences, but my advice would be to just forget about it now, and I'll bet you have an easy choice when you are a couple of days away from the split. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Kanga]

Yes, I'm with Laurie on this. We set out on the Norte with the intension of turning onto the Primitivo, but when we got there it was not right for our companions so we stayed on the Norte. And had never a regret!

 

[Romanian Pilgrim]

Hi, Romanian Pilgrim,
Wishing you a great Camino del Norte. Your decision on whether to dip down and get on the Primitivo after Villaviciosa or to stay on the Norte may seem like a difficult decision now, but in my experience, the decision usually makes itself once you're on the way. It will probably depend on what your "camino family" is thinking, on the weather, and on your gut and what it tells you at that time. There are lots of threads describing the differences, but my advice would be to just forget about it now, and I'll bet you have an easy choice when you are a couple of days away from the split. Buen camino, Laurie

Dear Laurie, thanks for your advice and for your kind thoughts. I will start without any plan regarding the switch of routes and make up my mind on the spot. The only detour I want is a day in Picos de Europa.

Yes, I'm with Laurie on this. We set out on the Norte with the intension of turning onto the Primitivo, but when we got there it was not right for our companions so we stayed on the Norte. And had never a regret!

Dear Kanga, I will be alone on the way (officialy alone, of course not refusing the company of other fellow pilgrims/travellers), so I will decide there what to do. And, if any regrets appear, I will do the Primitivo/rest of del Norte next time.

Time is ticking... in less than 24hrs I will land in Zaragoza and I hope to be in Irun by 18:00...

Many thanks to this community for providing information and support!

 

[peregrina2000]

The only detour I want is a day in Picos de Europa.

Hi, Romanian Pilgrim,
If you want some time in the Picos, I can recommend a few extra days walking -- the Camino Lebaniego leaves from San Vicente de la Barquera and goes to Potes, and from there you could take another day, starting the Camino Vadiniense, and make it to Fuente De, where there is spectacular hiking. I had a blog, which is linked in my signature below, and here are some more nuts and bolts details: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-caminos-lebaniego-and-vadiniense.14649/.

You can get information both in Guemes and San Vicente, the hospitaleros there know a fair amount about the route. And there are some more threads here in the forum as well.

Another reason to be flexible and see what happens! Buen camino to you.

And if you have some time to see Zaragoza, I'd highly recommend it -- great tapas in the Tubo section as well. Enjoy the journey and Buen Camino, Laurie

 

[Romanian Pilgrim]

Dear Laurie,

I visited Zaragoza (and I don't like it too much ). What I liked was the Cathedral and a very good vegetarian restaurant called Baobab.

Thank you for the information provided!

Time to go to bed... last sleep before El Camino!

P.S.: my backpack is only 5.6kg!!!

 

[Romanian Pilgrim]

So, back home after an amazing well deserved holiday!

I left my country on the 15th of September, hoping to start walking on the very first day. Well, I couldn't since I reached Irun after 7PM . I planned to arrive in Santiago on the 10th of October, and had in mind just a little bit on how much I should walk each day, plus a little fear that I will have to push hard in order to arrive in Santiago on the date planned.

After arrival, I decided to forget anything and just enjoy the experience. And, boy, I did enjoy it!!!

So:
Sep 15: Irun - slept in the municipal albergue; very nice and helpful hospitalero

Sep 16: Irun - (almost) San Sebastian, taking the "ruta alpinista". I started about 7:15AM, but around noon it started to rain quite a lot, so I decided to stop at what seemed to be a little restaurant, maybe one kilometer before San Sebastian, for a drink and something warm to eat. It proved to be an excellent choice, since the "restaurant" proved to be the home and albergue of a little community that functions similar to a kibbutz. They worship on Sabbath, so the dinner they provided that Friday evening was amazing, not to mention the family atmosphere. I highly recommend the place which is called "The Way". Keep in mind that they have only two rooms, one for women with six beds, and one for men with only four, so you may need to make a reservation or be there before 4 or 5 PM. While it is true that everything is donativo, I strongly suggest not to donate just a few euros...

Sep 17: San Sebastian - Askizu. I slept in a rural house called Agote Haundi.

Sep 18: Askizu - Olatz. Well, in Olatz it was quite an experience, since I slept on a table in a semi-covered terrace of a restaurant.

Sep 19: Olatz - Gernika, where I slept in a pension

Sep 20: Visited Gernika and its Museo Euskal Herria, then went to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (a place I recommend from the bottom of my heart) and from there to Bilbao

Sep 21: Visited a lot of Bilbao, eating some great pintxos, enjoying museums and, in the evening, decided to go further, so I took a train to Muskiz, and then walked to Pobena. I slept in an albergue... a very unfriendly hospitalero, a very dirty bathroom...

Sep 22: Pobena - Laredo. It was the worst day of my journey: a loooot of asphalt!!! I decided to sleep in the monastery and the conditions provided were very good. Plus, they let me sing in the church.

Sep 23: Laredo - Santander

Sep 24: Walked through Santander and headed to Santillana del Mar, where I slept in the albergue.

Sep 25: Santillana del Mar - San Vicente de la Barquera

Sep 26: San Vicente de la Barquera - Llanes

Sep 27: Llanes - Ribadesella

Sep 28: Ribadesella - Villaviciosa

Sep 29: Villaviciosa - Oviedo - Gijon. Well, I decided to skip the stage to Gijon and visit Oviedo so I left from Villaviciosa directly to the capital of Asturias (a very beautiful city, very, very, very clean and with some really nice churches), and, late in the evening, went by train to Gijon.

Sep 30: Gijon - Cudillero

Oct 1: Cudillero - Luarca

Oct 2: Luarca - Tapia de Casariego

Oct 3: Tapia de Casariego - A Rochela (after Ribadeo, on the way to Foz), where I slept because I wanted to see Playa de las Catedrales. In my opinion, this place is a MUST!

Oct 4: A Rochela - Abadin

Oct 5: Abadin - Baamonde

Oct 6: Baamonde - Sobrado dos Monxes (app. 42km in 7hrs and 5 mins). Well, here I had very mixed feelings. While I admired the church, I felt so sorry for its state. I sang in the church and the acoustics was state of the art.

Oct 7: Sobrado dos Monxes - Arzua. I slept in a new albergue (it was 6 or 7 days old)

Oct 8: Arzua - Pedrouzo (20km in 3hrs 2 mins and 37 seconds)

Oct 9: Pedrouzo - Santiago

A few thoughts and (unasked) piece of advice:

a. Camino del Norte is neither difficult, nor easy, it is according to your level of fitness. While I read a lot of opinions regarding some stages considered tough, I found none, except the one from Pobena to Laredo (but it was my fault, because it was long and I missed a sign so, instead of going through villages, I walked too much on asphalt).
b. Walk in your own rhythm. It is not a competition, it is a walk to enjoy and you cannot do it unless you are healthy. Try to "listen" to your body, take care of it, and it will help you.
c. STRETCH!!! Before start, and after you stop. Stretch, stretch, stretch!
d. Use sticks! But use them correctly. At least 90% of the people I met/saw on the Camino didn't know how to walk with them.
e. Buy good equipment! From backpack to t-shirts, sleeping bag and socks, everything matters for a comfortable hike. If you think they are expensive, postpone your Camino, but still buy them.
f. Respect the environment! I have seen sooo many people throwing garbage on the road... and most of them were from countries considered civilized.
g. There is no need for walking boots, hiking shoes are better, but try to find ones with Gore-tex.
h. If you want to enjoy solitude, walk del Norte. If I will ever walk the Frances, I think I will make a vow of complete silence. )

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Romanian Pilgrim,

I am had you enjoyed this route.

This being said, you had some extremely long etapas, sometimes equivalent two 1.5 or even 2 full typical etapas. For anyone considering this route, please know that at no point is it necessary to walk such distances to walk this route. But of course some are very fast walkers and can do it with no problem, but if it is not your case, know that you can break up your stages differently.

 

[MaryAnneS]

@Romanian Pilgrim - if you can remember the name of the albergue in Pobena to avoid, I would appreciate the information. Also - is there any way to avoid the asphalt from Pobena to Loredo? Your information and recommendations have been very helpful. I arrive in Bilbao in 4 days!

 

[Romanian Pilgrim]

MaryAnneS, you can take a look at the albergue in Pobena here .
After checking info regarding its availability I realized that it is open until the end of September, so, even if you want to go there, you can't.
I suggest you take a look here and here to find information on (suggested) stages and places to sleep.

Please let me know if you need more info and I will gladly provide.

 

[MaryAnneS]

Thank you once again, Romanian Pilgrim - yes, I'm finding quite a few of the albergues closed in November, and sometimes there is conflicting information as to whether they'll be open (which - from what I've read - was to be expected). But to be honest I really don't sleep well with others in the room (even ones I love! lol) so I plan to avail myself of those random albergues that are open so as to not miss the experience and then get a private room on other nights so that I can get some solid sleep. 2 more days and then I depart!

 

[Romanian Pilgrim]

MaryAnneS, I am not very comfortable sleeping with others in the same room and I care about my intimacy, so I stayed a lot in hotels and pensions. If you want, I can send you the list of the places I used.

 

[MaryAnneS]

Romanian Pilgrim - absolutely! I would welcome any input into accommodations you would like to recommend. I would like to keep the cost down as much as possible but then I also need sleep. Thanks so much!