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You can walk whatever distance/day works for you. In the first week from Irun to Bilbao, the trek can require a certain degree of vigour, and there are few albergues. You should being with short stages (well, I would) and realize that you may have vary albergue accommodation with private...
I am vertigo-sensitive, but the only two spots which concerned me was climbing El Brusco, east of Noja-- just take the road instead; and the bridge over the Rio Eo on the Galicia/Asturias frontier-- I have always taken a taxi. Everything else was fine.
Others have made useful contributions. I have done the del Norte several times (good mix of pilgrims, good seafood, the occasional beach, etc) and would suggest that you take very seriously the challenges of the first week-- the first day, and the stretches from Deba, are very demanding. A...
There are quite a few places; here are just a few I know of. In Zarautz, the Carmelite sisters: www.carmelitasdescalzasbuenpastor.es/horarios/ --no sign of an albergue ; the Cistercian monks of Abbey of Vicaceli in Cobrecese (with albergue-- service times at...
Aside from the splendid beach at Zarautz (take a right through the camping and descend to the beach by a well-graded path), I would also suggest the Bolivar Museum in Bolibar and, a km afterward, the Monasterio de Zenarruza, which also has an albergue and a hospederia. It is only 8km out of...
Irun to Pasajes is a stiff climb-- give yourself the entire day and take it slowly. As well, take snacks as there is nothing until Pasajes. The first steps out of Pasajes once you cross the fjord involves an impressive staircase-like climb to the heights. Again, take your time. Most small...
As well as La Haya, there is Hotel Muskiz, a small hotel about 100 metres before it, on the northern side of the A-634 where I think I stayed about 12 years ago. IIRC there was no restaurant, so you would need to schlep a bith further to La Haya for dinner, or there is a restaurant (Saavedra)...
It really depends where you are. The del Norte has many more towns and cities than the village-dominant Francese, and so you will always be able to find a café open from 7.00 am. Or not at all, and you may need to hoof it for an hour until you find one. While a coffee-drinker, I am also a...
Very few facilities put up their availability until 3-4 months before the date. Try again in early 2024 or, as others suggest, get in touch directly with them.
It might well be helpful for the person just beginning to research possibilities. A strapping redheaded roller derbista of my acquaintance has from time to time trained RCAF cadets and reminds me that there are no stupid questions except the ones which weren't asked.
And for my two centimos--...
If August is your possibility, then the Primitivo would be less hectic than the del Norte. It is a more rigorous Camino and distances and accommodation need to be carefully guaged, but the scenery is extraordinary and the locals very supportive.
Surely your thesis supervisor could not but be...
September is much less busy. I would underline that the north coast is a holiday spot for Spanish from inland cities and prices and pressure for accommodation increase greatly in August-- as of September 6 or thereabouts, they shoot down dramatically. Albergue accommodation is less than half...
On a first day, that hill is remarkable. Drop into a tienda the day before and pick up an orange or two, and perhaps a sports drink. The walk to San Juan de Pasaia is great, and arriving there is even better. It is a lovely stop to end a first day.
There are two pensions close to the railway station, Gema at Estacion Kalea 5, Bidasoa on Estacion Kalea 14, both in the mid 30€ range; and Hotel Lizaso on Kalea Aduna 5, a 2-star hotel over the railway bridge on Colon Ibaldibea at double the price. From their profiles, the pensions look fairly...
Bilbao gives you the chance to visit the Bellas Artes and look at the outside of the Guggenheim, surely one of the most impressive buildings of the century, and just hang about this interesting (if expensive!) city. Deba and Markina are pleasant places for a few hours with a vermut...
In the thread about staying in paradors, my comments led to a paragraph on the Posada, about which I share @Nikandtony's sentiments; I reproduce it here for readers:
I remember walking into Liendo with two German nurses and directed them to the albergue and told them I was going off to the Old...
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