Matt Wright
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances (2015), Finisterre-Muxia (2015), Portuguese (2016)
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As a Norte aficionado, I have always been surprised at how often it is put down. I walked it and loved it. Here are 5 more reasons.
1) The coastline is superb, and allows you to walk along beaches which are several kilometers long, clifftops with incredible views out to sea, harbours teeming with activity to sit and enjoy a drink at, and fantastic pic-nick spots.
2) The camaraderie with other pilgrims is more intense, as there are fewer pilgrims, but you are more likely to meet up in the alberges or en-route. I made some great friendships on the Norte, and have both visited and hosted several people from other countries whom I met on this walk. I really enjoyed the interaction with my fellow pilgrims.
3) The variation each day, between sea, mountains, valleys, ridge tops, clifftops, beaches, small villages and big cities means no two days are the same. Often when reaching a viewpoint over a panorama of scenery we would play a game, trying to guess the route of the camino, we were rarely correct.
4) The peace and tranquility, within the forests and hills on days when I wanted solitude. There were ample opportunities for being alone and reflection, Sometimes I could walk for hours without seeing other pilgrims.
5) Much more opportunities to meet and interact with locals, as pilgrims are fewer, and there are less tourists when away from the seaside towns. I had a great time at a festival in Deba, learning how to dance like a Basque and in return attempting to teach some Scottish dances to the locals.
The Norte is a fantastic camino, and its differences with the Frances can be seen positively, just be open to what comes along, walking this route was one of the best experiences of my life!
So useful, thanks. Have been to many of those places visiting people so wondered if it there would be no need to walk it, but now I have read your post it's on my list!There was a very thought-provoking post a while back about 'Why you should not walk the Camino del Norte (or at least not until you have read this post'.
To be fair, we were already committed to walking CDN by this point, and the post did make a number of valid points, namely:
* Hills - yup, plenty of those!
* Limited cafe & bar stops - yup, especially in the earlier stages
* Albergues - yup, not as numerous or cheap as on the CF (there again, where is?)
So, we figured that having already walked the Camino Frances and the Camino Portugues, we could handle the lack of infrastructure and occasional hardship for the reward of spectacular walking.....and so it proved, many times over...many many times over.
Reasons why you SHOULD walk the Camino del Norte
1. The views are awe-inspiring - have a decent-sized memory card on your phone, because almost every day there are jaw-dropping vistas (OK, the industrial walking on the day out of Santander might not have been the best, but hey, it makes you appreciate the other days!)
2. You get to take really cool foot ferries - waiting on the boardwalk in Laredo with the other pilgrims for the ferry over to Santona and the subsequent ride across must be one of the best ways to start a day's walking...ever!
3. You love walking - yes, there are tough long days without many of the 'comfort' stops on the CF, so if you've just bought your first pair of walking shoes/boots, then this probably isn't for you. However, if you love nature, forests, seascapes, and don't mind a variety of elements (the weather can change quickly!), then this is the walk for you.
4. You love seafood - bit obvious really, but the menus del dia by the coast (and inland too) were fantastic; the usual 3 courses with wine, but with fresh langoustines, mussels, anchovies, sardines, seafood paella....etc. Yes, it's more expensive than CF (around €10-14 usually, depending upon the size of the town) but you're not eating 'Menu Pellegrino' (chicken & chips...etc), you're eating what the locals eat...and they eat very well indeed!
5. You're not on a highly restrictive budget - if you want to walk a Camino as cheaply as possible, go for the CF - it's highly populated, hence has the volume and is set up as such. There was a notable lack of the young college/uni students (<25 yrs old) on the CDN, no doubt in part due to this fact. And yes, there aren't always albergues conveniently located....but if you hook up/travel as a pair, and go out of season (high season is generally 1 July - 15 Sep), then a decent pension will often cost not much different (+€5-10 or so) compared to 2 dorm beds in an albergue.
Context: we walked from San Sebastian to Gijon (460km) in 18 days between 23 May - 9 June 2017.
Blog: we kept a blog of our daily walks complete with pictures - please feel free to check it out and comment:
http://www.jackiemattadventures.com/walks/camino-del-norte/
Restaurants & Accommodation: are referred to in the blog, but I'm working on a separate page to collate where we ate & stayed and roughly how much it cost....I'll add this shortly (in the next couple of days), so if interested in that, please bear with....or ask me directly and if I can help, I will.
Enjoy....but don't tell everybody about the CDN - some things are best kept a secret!!!
I walked the Norte/Primitivo combo April/May 2016 and loved it. Thank you for taking the time to "sing its praises". I totally agree. I just returned recently from walking the Frances route a second time and feel I am done with it. I found I was missing the Norte.There was a very thought-provoking post a while back about 'Why you should not walk the Camino del Norte (or at least not until you have read this post'.
To be fair, we were already committed to walking CDN by this point, and the post did make a number of valid points, namely:
* Hills - yup, plenty of those!
* Limited cafe & bar stops - yup, especially in the earlier stages
* Albergues - yup, not as numerous or cheap as on the CF (there again, where is?)
So, we figured that having already walked the Camino Frances and the Camino Portugues, we could handle the lack of infrastructure and occasional hardship for the reward of spectacular walking.....and so it proved, many times over...many many times over.
Reasons why you SHOULD walk the Camino del Norte
1. The views are awe-inspiring - have a decent-sized memory card on your phone, because almost every day there are jaw-dropping vistas (OK, the industrial walking on the day out of Santander might not have been the best, but hey, it makes you appreciate the other days!)
2. You get to take really cool foot ferries - waiting on the boardwalk in Laredo with the other pilgrims for the ferry over to Santona and the subsequent ride across must be one of the best ways to start a day's walking...ever!
3. You love walking - yes, there are tough long days without many of the 'comfort' stops on the CF, so if you've just bought your first pair of walking shoes/boots, then this probably isn't for you. However, if you love nature, forests, seascapes, and don't mind a variety of elements (the weather can change quickly!), then this is the walk for you.
4. You love seafood - bit obvious really, but the menus del dia by the coast (and inland too) were fantastic; the usual 3 courses with wine, but with fresh langoustines, mussels, anchovies, sardines, seafood paella....etc. Yes, it's more expensive than CF (around €10-14 usually, depending upon the size of the town) but you're not eating 'Menu Pellegrino' (chicken & chips...etc), you're eating what the locals eat...and they eat very well indeed!
5. You're not on a highly restrictive budget - if you want to walk a Camino as cheaply as possible, go for the CF - it's highly populated, hence has the volume and is set up as such. There was a notable lack of the young college/uni students (<25 yrs old) on the CDN, no doubt in part due to this fact. And yes, there aren't always albergues conveniently located....but if you hook up/travel as a pair, and go out of season (high season is generally 1 July - 15 Sep), then a decent pension will often cost not much different (+€5-10 or so) compared to 2 dorm beds in an albergue.
Context: we walked from San Sebastian to Gijon (460km) in 18 days between 23 May - 9 June 2017.
Blog: we kept a blog of our daily walks complete with pictures - please feel free to check it out and comment:
http://www.jackiemattadventures.com/walks/camino-del-norte/
Restaurants & Accommodation: are referred to in the blog, but I'm working on a separate page to collate where we ate & stayed and roughly how much it cost....I'll add this shortly (in the next couple of days), so if interested in that, please bear with....or ask me directly and if I can help, I will.
Enjoy....but don't tell everybody about the CDN - some things are best kept a secret!!!
There was a very thought-provoking post a while back about 'Why you should not walk the Camino del Norte (or at least not until you have read this post'.
To be fair, we were already committed to walking CDN by this point, and the post did make a number of valid points, namely:
* Hills - yup, plenty of those!
* Limited cafe & bar stops - yup, especially in the earlier stages
* Albergues - yup, not as numerous or cheap as on the CF (there again, where is?)
So, we figured that having already walked the Camino Frances and the Camino Portugues, we could handle the lack of infrastructure and occasional hardship for the reward of spectacular walking.....and so it proved, many times over...many many times over.
Reasons why you SHOULD walk the Camino del Norte
1. The views are awe-inspiring - have a decent-sized memory card on your phone, because almost every day there are jaw-dropping vistas (OK, the industrial walking on the day out of Santander might not have been the best, but hey, it makes you appreciate the other days!)
2. You get to take really cool foot ferries - waiting on the boardwalk in Laredo with the other pilgrims for the ferry over to Santona and the subsequent ride across must be one of the best ways to start a day's walking...ever!
3. You love walking - yes, there are tough long days without many of the 'comfort' stops on the CF, so if you've just bought your first pair of walking shoes/boots, then this probably isn't for you. However, if you love nature, forests, seascapes, and don't mind a variety of elements (the weather can change quickly!), then this is the walk for you.
4. You love seafood - bit obvious really, but the menus del dia by the coast (and inland too) were fantastic; the usual 3 courses with wine, but with fresh langoustines, mussels, anchovies, sardines, seafood paella....etc. Yes, it's more expensive than CF (around €10-14 usually, depending upon the size of the town) but you're not eating 'Menu Pellegrino' (chicken & chips...etc), you're eating what the locals eat...and they eat very well indeed!
5. You're not on a highly restrictive budget - if you want to walk a Camino as cheaply as possible, go for the CF - it's highly populated, hence has the volume and is set up as such. There was a notable lack of the young college/uni students (<25 yrs old) on the CDN, no doubt in part due to this fact. And yes, there aren't always albergues conveniently located....but if you hook up/travel as a pair, and go out of season (high season is generally 1 July - 15 Sep), then a decent pension will often cost not much different (+€5-10 or so) compared to 2 dorm beds in an albergue.
Context: we walked from San Sebastian to Gijon (460km) in 18 days between 23 May - 9 June 2017.
Blog: we kept a blog of our daily walks complete with pictures - please feel free to check it out and comment:
http://www.jackiemattadventures.com/walks/camino-del-norte/
Restaurants & Accommodation: are referred to in the blog, but I'm working on a separate page to collate where we ate & stayed and roughly how much it cost....I'll add this shortly (in the next couple of days), so if interested in that, please bear with....or ask me directly and if I can help, I will.
Enjoy....but don't tell everybody about the CDN - some things are best kept a secret!!!
Well done Bodet. We did the same thing. Bought our food for snacks and lunch at supermercados and drank water during the day and enjoyed cervassas and vino tinto at night! May there be many more Caminos!I just finished 2 days ago and loved it! I actually switched from the Frances to the Norte (Bilbao) in early May after having walked from St. Jean to Logroño. It was just crazy busy there and the race for a new was too stressful for me. It was my first Camino and my first time tracking and I was fine.
I have not found the Norte to be expensive at all. I didn't feel like the Albergues were more expensive and because there are fewer facilities along the way I mostly just bought lunch at a supermercado. Saves a lot of money
I'm taking two weeks there from 5th July. Really looking forward. I walked the CF earlier this year from San Jean to Pamplona. It was the first day that Col de Leopoder was open after winter and it was really busy. By the time we arrived at Zubiri all the hostels were full. I hope the CDN is less populated. Glad to hear your input.There was a very thought-provoking post a while back about 'Why you should not walk the Camino del Norte (or at least not until you have read this post'.
To be fair, we were already committed to walking CDN by this point, and the post did make a number of valid points, namely:
* Hills - yup, plenty of those!
* Limited cafe & bar stops - yup, especially in the earlier stages
* Albergues - yup, not as numerous or cheap as on the CF (there again, where is?)
So, we figured that having already walked the Camino Frances and the Camino Portugues, we could handle the lack of infrastructure and occasional hardship for the reward of spectacular walking.....and so it proved, many times over...many many times over.
Reasons why you SHOULD walk the Camino del Norte
1. The views are awe-inspiring - have a decent-sized memory card on your phone, because almost every day there are jaw-dropping vistas (OK, the industrial walking on the day out of Santander might not have been the best, but hey, it makes you appreciate the other days!)
2. You get to take really cool foot ferries - waiting on the boardwalk in Laredo with the other pilgrims for the ferry over to Santona and the subsequent ride across must be one of the best ways to start a day's walking...ever!
3. You love walking - yes, there are tough long days without many of the 'comfort' stops on the CF, so if you've just bought your first pair of walking shoes/boots, then this probably isn't for you. However, if you love nature, forests, seascapes, and don't mind a variety of elements (the weather can change quickly!), then this is the walk for you.
4. You love seafood - bit obvious really, but the menus del dia by the coast (and inland too) were fantastic; the usual 3 courses with wine, but with fresh langoustines, mussels, anchovies, sardines, seafood paella....etc. Yes, it's more expensive than CF (around €10-14 usually, depending upon the size of the town) but you're not eating 'Menu Pellegrino' (chicken & chips...etc), you're eating what the locals eat...and they eat very well indeed!
5. You're not on a highly restrictive budget - if you want to walk a Camino as cheaply as possible, go for the CF - it's highly populated, hence has the volume and is set up as such. There was a notable lack of the young college/uni students (<25 yrs old) on the CDN, no doubt in part due to this fact. And yes, there aren't always albergues conveniently located....but if you hook up/travel as a pair, and go out of season (high season is generally 1 July - 15 Sep), then a decent pension will often cost not much different (+€5-10 or so) compared to 2 dorm beds in an albergue.
Context: we walked from San Sebastian to Gijon (460km) in 18 days between 23 May - 9 June 2017.
Blog: we kept a blog of our daily walks complete with pictures - please feel free to check it out and comment:
http://www.jackiemattadventures.com/walks/camino-del-norte/
Restaurants & Accommodation: are referred to in the blog, but I'm working on a separate page to collate where we ate & stayed and roughly how much it cost....I'll add this shortly (in the next couple of days), so if interested in that, please bear with....or ask me directly and if I can help, I will.
Enjoy....but don't tell everybody about the CDN - some things are best kept a secret!!!
Are you starting from Irun? I am, on the 5th of July!I'm taking two weeks there from 5th July. Really looking forward. I walked the CF earlier this year from San Jean to Pamplona. It was the first day that Col de Leopoder was open after winter and it was really busy. By the time we arrived at Zubiri all the hostels were full. I hope the CDN is less populated. Glad to hear your input.
After reading about the Norte, the question I'm wondering-- is it possible to break this into shorter than traditional stages, and find accommodations and food? Does anyone have suggestions on how they'd split this up?
Yes Luka I am starting on the 5th July from Irun. I'm staying at Pension Gema near the station on 4th of July and leaving for San Sebastian on the 5th. Maybe our paths will cross.Are you starting from Irun? I am, on the 5th of July!
Try Gronze.com Camino del Norte. It lists stops, distances and hostelries.Great post! I just completed my first Camino-- the Frances-- a couple weeks ago. I'm still in Spain (Madrid now) visiting friends and deciding on what's next. One thought that's intriguing is to walk the stretch between San Sebastian and Bilbao (or Santander, or...)
After reading about the Norte, the question I'm wondering-- is it possible to break this into shorter than traditional stages, and find accommodations and food? Does anyone have suggestions on how they'd split this up?
I'd love to see these views, and am pretty confident I can handle the climbing. I just know I'm a slow walker, and will enjoy walk more knowing I have a room at day's end. Thanks!
Blog: we kept a blog of our daily walks complete with pictures - please feel free to check it out and comment:
http://www.jackiemattadventures.com/walks/camino-del-norte/
As a Norte aficionado, I have always been surprised at how often it is put down. I walked it and loved it. Here are 5 more reasons.
1) The coastline is superb, and allows you to walk along beaches which are several kilometers long, clifftops with incredible views out to sea, harbours teeming with activity to sit and enjoy a drink at, and fantastic pic-nick spots.
2) The camaraderie with other pilgrims is more intense, as there are fewer pilgrims, but you are more likely to meet up in the alberges or en-route. I made some great friendships on the Norte, and have both visited and hosted several people from other countries whom I met on this walk. I really enjoyed the interaction with my fellow pilgrims.
3) The variation each day, between sea, mountains, valleys, ridge tops, clifftops, beaches, small villages and big cities means no two days are the same. Often when reaching a viewpoint over a panorama of scenery we would play a game, trying to guess the route of the camino, we were rarely correct.
4) The peace and tranquility, within the forests and hills on days when I wanted solitude. There were ample opportunities for being alone and reflection, Sometimes I could walk for hours without seeing other pilgrims.
5) Much more opportunities to meet and interact with locals, as pilgrims are fewer, and there are less tourists when away from the seaside towns. I had a great time at a festival in Deba, learning how to dance like a Basque and in return attempting to teach some Scottish dances to the locals.
The Norte is a fantastic camino, and its differences with the Frances can be seen positively, just be open to what comes along, walking this route was one of the best experiences of my life!
Just finished the Del Norte, 37 days and you are spot on with everything you said. It’s not for everyone. It is the first Camino for me So I didn’t have anything to compare it to. All I can say is you should be prepared/somewhat fit. I wasn’t as fit as I should of been, the first week I wondered what I got myself into, but in a week I had my Camino legs. If you can make it from Hundarrabia/Irun toSan Sebastián, you can make it to the endThere was a very thought-provoking post a while back about 'Why you should not walk the Camino del Norte (or at least not until you have read this post'.
To be fair, we were already committed to walking CDN by this point, and the post did make a number of valid points, namely:
* Hills - yup, plenty of those!
* Limited cafe & bar stops - yup, especially in the earlier stages
* Albergues - yup, not as numerous or cheap as on the CF (there again, where is?)
So, we figured that having already walked the Camino Frances and the Camino Portugues, we could handle the lack of infrastructure and occasional hardship for the reward of spectacular walking.....and so it proved, many times over...many many times over.
Reasons why you SHOULD walk the Camino del Norte
1. The views are awe-inspiring - have a decent-sized memory card on your phone, because almost every day there are jaw-dropping vistas (OK, the industrial walking on the day out of Santander might not have been the best, but hey, it makes you appreciate the other days!)
2. You get to take really cool foot ferries - waiting on the boardwalk in Laredo with the other pilgrims for the ferry over to Santona and the subsequent ride across must be one of the best ways to start a day's walking...ever!
3. You love walking - yes, there are tough long days without many of the 'comfort' stops on the CF, so if you've just bought your first pair of walking shoes/boots, then this probably isn't for you. However, if you love nature, forests, seascapes, and don't mind a variety of elements (the weather can change quickly!), then this is the walk for you.
4. You love seafood - bit obvious really, but the menus del dia by the coast (and inland too) were fantastic; the usual 3 courses with wine, but with fresh langoustines, mussels, anchovies, sardines, seafood paella....etc. Yes, it's more expensive than CF (around €10-14 usually, depending upon the size of the town) but you're not eating 'Menu Pellegrino' (chicken & chips...etc), you're eating what the locals eat...and they eat very well indeed!
5. You're not on a highly restrictive budget - if you want to walk a Camino as cheaply as possible, go for the CF - it's highly populated, hence has the volume and is set up as such. There was a notable lack of the young college/uni students (<25 yrs old) on the CDN, no doubt in part due to this fact. And yes, there aren't always albergues conveniently located....but if you hook up/travel as a pair, and go out of season (high season is generally 1 July - 15 Sep), then a decent pension will often cost not much different (+€5-10 or so) compared to 2 dorm beds in an albergue.
Context: we walked from San Sebastian to Gijon (460km) in 18 days between 23 May - 9 June 2017.
Blog: we kept a blog of our daily walks complete with pictures - please feel free to check it out and comment:
http://www.jackiemattadventures.com/walks/camino-del-norte/
Restaurants & Accommodation: are referred to in the blog, but I'm working on a separate page to collate where we ate & stayed and roughly how much it cost....I'll add this shortly (in the next couple of days), so if interested in that, please bear with....or ask me directly and if I can help, I will.
Enjoy....but don't tell everybody about the CDN - some things are best kept a secret!!!
Just finished the Del Norte, 37 days and you are spot on with everything you said. It’s not for everyone. It is the first Camino for me So I didn’t have anything to compare it to. All I can say is you should be prepared/somewhat fit. I wasn’t as fit as I should of been, the first week I wondered what I got myself into, but in a week I had my Camino legs. If you can make it from Hundarrabia/Irun toSan Sebastián, you can make it to the end
@Annelienel , you can't avoid the tar and asphalt parts altogether, but you can avoid a lot of them by looking for coastal alternatives. There's plenty of posts covering those alternatives, which are just superb.Can you avoid the tar and asphalt parts? We did the Portuguese last and that was tough. I am just worried about the tar and asphalt parts. Is it not possible to cut that out altogether?
If you do plan to hit the pavement bring along good comfy shoes to change into, otherwise you’re going to feel the fatigue of asphalt walking@Annelienel , you can't avoid the tar and asphalt parts altogether, but you can avoid a lot of them by looking for coastal alternatives. There's plenty of posts covering those alternatives, which are just superb.
We have just returned from the Norte (and a bit more), and we used the Buen Camino app, as well as the Wise Pilgrim app to guide us, and as these display maps, we often found parallel paths that took us off tar and asphalt.
My advice: don't blindly follow the Camino markings (unless you are a purist), and look for GR paths.
Buen Camino
Andrew
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