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  1. barryfr

    Walking Poles

    My wife went from reluctant to bringing poles, to thinking she would use one (not two) occasionally, to using them constantly from the first hill out of Irun until we arrived in Santiago. If you were to ask her now, she would tell you she would not have been able to do the Camino without poles...
  2. barryfr

    On the Norte and want to avoid the Frances until last possible moment into SdC

    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 and said if we do it again, she'd probably take...
  3. barryfr

    Interesting places to stay over night on the Camino Del Norte

    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 re-creation of the prehistoric cave art found...
  4. barryfr

    Norte Mountain Route - Soto to Cadevedo

    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.
  5. barryfr

    Markina albergue reporting very high numbers

    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.
  6. barryfr

    Salinas on the Camino Norte - when was route changed?

    We discovered the changed route when we walked the Norte last spring. At one particular intersection, my map said turn right to go toward Salinas but the the arrows pointed ahead. We opted to go to Salinas anyway because it looked like the next best place for coffee. (We left from Aviles before...
  7. barryfr

    Start of season?

    My wife and I started our camino from Irun on April 14 last year and I don't remember encountering any facilities that had not yet opened. If there were any, they were very rare.
  8. barryfr

    Norte albergue

    I can't recommend the place we stayed in San Sebastian, but we enjoyed Blai Blai Hostel in Zarautz. It's not a pilgrims-only hostel, but I believe everyone who was there the night we stayed there in mid-April this year was a pilgrim. The built-in bunks were comfortable and I seem to recall they...
  9. barryfr

    Second "Half" of the Norte

    I haven't done the Primitivo though I hope to do so in the future. But my wife and I really enjoyed the second half of the Norte this past spring. We took several coastal variations and enjoyed exploring the castos that once held large settlements. I also hope to someday do the coastal route...
  10. barryfr

    Pavement!!!

    Check mapping apps for alternative routes. On our Camino last spring, my wife and I took several coastal alternatives past Aviles. We met a young man who frequently used the Mapy.cz app to find coastal alternatives. (We actually first met him when we took an alternative route through Salinas...
  11. barryfr

    Accommodation on the Norte

    My wife and I walked del Norte this past April and had no problem finding accommodations. We did not book in advance for nearly a week after San Sebastian. We started booking a day in advance after seeing some people not get into the municipal albergue at Castro Urdiales even though they had...
  12. barryfr

    place to sleep

    As Tom says, it differs for every individual. In my own case, my wife and I walked the Norte in April/May, so another "shoulder" season. We did no pre-booking the first week other than San Sebastian, and ran into no issues finding a place to stay. However, we witnessed people getting turned away...
  13. barryfr

    Accommodations on Camino Norte ( and other questions!)

    My wife and I walked the Norte in April and May, starting from Irun. We did not prebook for the first week and had no problem finding accommodation. We started booking when we saw several people who were not able to get into the municipal albergue in Castro Urdiales despite having waited longer...
  14. barryfr

    Looking for a Path-Focused App for Walking Camino Norte

    During my Camino in April-March, I met a very adventurous pilgrim who used mapy.cz to find interesting alternate routes, many of them along beaches. (My wife and I actually met him when we walked a bit out of our way to walk a beachfront promenade.) In retrospect, I wish I had used mapy.cz more...
  15. barryfr

    LIVE from the Camino Primitivo or Finishing el Norte

    I haven't done the Primativo, but I found some of the prettiest coastal walks on the Norte occurred after the Primitivo split.
  16. barryfr

    Alternate route after Castro Urdiales

    After my recent Camino, I learned of a coastal route from Liendo to Laredo. It is shown on Buen Camino, which I did not check that day; it is not shown on the apps/maps that I did check. A video that I saw after I returned home discussed it but didn't mention any dangers. I am very curious about...
  17. barryfr

    Which route after Soto de Luiña

    i would appreciate advice on the mountain vs. “coastal” routes after Soto de Luiña. Can anybody who has done the mountain route lately comment on the conditions of the trail and the markings? Will the recent rains make it more difficult? We generally appreciate good views, i.e, we chose the...
  18. barryfr

    Has del Norte been crowded lately (April 2023)?

    We are on the jet about to take off for Madrid and plan to start Camino del Norte on Friday. Has the Camino been crowded lately? Will it be necessary to reserve lodging in advance?

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