• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

A good place to leave for Norte

susan1971

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2016
This is my second Francés. I would like to leave the Francés in either Burgos or Leon and travel to the Norte and walk for a while or possibly finish. What is the best city to join the Norte ?
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
A selection of Camino Jewellery
If you have the time yes start in San Sebastián but then you will have about
780 kilometers to get to Santiago. I think there is a Camino from Burgos north to the coast. If you start in Oviedo you will miss some of the best parts of the Norte.
 
If you start in Oviedo you will miss some of the best parts of the Norte.

True. You'll miss the amazing landscapes and food/culture of the Basque country, the gorgeous medieval towns (Santillana, San Vicente) of Cantabria...

On the plus side, the Norte gets very quiet after Aviles, as many pilgrims change to the Primitivo in Oviedo. So there'll be less of a bed race from here onwards. The Camino del Salvador in itself is stunning (although quite challenging, as it's through the mountains). And the western part of Asturias also has its charms: I'm thinking fishing villages like Cudillero, charming towns like Luarca, and the famous albergue on the cliffs in Tapia de Casariego. Not to mention some lovely stops in Galicia after that!

(But yes, I also wondered why you weren't considering the whole of the Norte for Camino #2?)
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
True. You'll miss the amazing landscapes and food/culture of the Basque country, the gorgeous medieval towns (Santillana, San Vicente) of Cantabria...

On the plus side, the Norte gets very quiet after Aviles, as many pilgrims change to the Primitivo in Oviedo. So there'll be less of a bed race from here onwards. The Camino del Salvador in itself is stunning (although quite challenging, as it's through the mountains). And the western part of Asturias also has its charms: I'm thinking fishing villages like Cudillero, charming towns like Luarca, and the famous albergue on the cliffs in Tapia de Casariego. Not to mention some lovely stops in Galicia after that!

(But yes, I also wondered why you weren't considering the whole of the Norte for Camino #2?)
You might have convinced me.
 
Hands down San Sebastián/Donostia a beautiful little town with the best pintxos/tapas in Spain!

Several good sellos can be acquired here! and the stretch out of St Sebastian is very nice walking, if one doesn't mind a hill or two. However, I would not call it a little town (186,665 pop)! Given Susan1917's possible points of departure, Bilbao or Santander could be easily reached from Burgos or Leon.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Several good sellos can be acquired here! and the stretch out of St Sebastian is very nice walking, if one doesn't mind a hill or two. However, I would not call it a little town (186,665 pop)! Given Susan1917's possible points of departure, Bilbao or Santander could be easily reached from Burgos or Leon.
Bilbao? Must see the Guggenheim/Gehry museum no need to go in the walk along the river is enough but the best view is from the bridge with all the trucks roaring by, close by is the Fine Arts Museum which should be entered for the Basque art.
 
I have finished the Norte several times in Ribadeo - oh, how exciting it is to get over the long bridge if it is windy! ;)o_O:p Then I got on the bus to Lugo and from there continued the Camino to Santiago.
 
I have finished the Portuguese and Francés and had no problem with lodging. I read much about racing for beds on The Norte. Is that true? I want to relax not stress.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
I had a real problem with beds only once in Villaviciosa probably because they had a fiesta that time and even the hotels were full. I also had the feeling that they didn't like pilgrims in the hotels....

But it is true that on the Norte sometimes it's not easy to find a bed.
 
I have finished the Portuguese and Francés and had no problem with lodging. I read much about racing for beds on The Norte. Is that true? I want to relax not stress.

When are you thinking of going? I'm afraid it can be quite bad in the summer months (especially as much of the alternative accommodation is booked up by Spanish holidaymakers...)
 
I started just across the border in France in Hendaye, crossing the bridge of Santiago, named for its ancient link to the pilgrimage. I wouldn't miss those first weeks for anything! The food, the beauty, the coast, the cobbles, the Basques! But be ready for a lot of elevation gain and lost each day.

57057
 
Last edited:
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Hands down San Sebastián/Donostia a beautiful little town with the best pintxos/tapas in Spain!
Ja Ja Ja... Hey Scruffy, I am the guy who was just asking you about this. I just now came across your comment here. It seems as if my homework is pointing me in the right direction.
 
You can walk from Leon to Oviedo - this is the "Camino del Salvador". It's a really beautiful walk (on completion you can even get the "Salvadorana" certificate from the cathedral!) From Oviedo you walk straight up to Aviles to join the Norte.
I was thinking of doing the opposite, leaving Aviles and dropping down to the Francis to be able to experience both. I will be leaving San Sebastián May 27th this month
 
I have walked the El Salvador twice, once in glorious sunshine. That time I rate it as the best views I have encountered. Then again I have not walked the Primitivo, which many rate highly. Why not the El Salvador then the Primitivo? Then save the Norte for a walk from Irun?
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
If you have the time yes start in San Sebastián but then you will have about
780 kilometers to get to Santiago. I think there is a Camino from Burgos north to the coast. If you start in Oviedo you will miss some of the best parts of the Norte.
I’m on the Norte right now and started in San Sebastián and I can tell you it is BRUTAL and also beautiful but it is not for any person that is not in good shape. I trained every day with a full pack up and down a mountain close to my home for at least a month but it did not prepare me for this trek.
I don’t speak Spanish so I would recommend learning a little (Google Translator) has been a real gift. The people are so wonderful and helpful. The Camino, in my opinion, is more about the people you meet than the walking and sightseeing. I’m planning on learning Spanish and then coming back.😊
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

Most read last week in this forum

My name is Henrik and I will be coming down to SJPdP from Sweden on March 26 and start walking on March 27. I don't really have any experience and I'm not the best at planning and I'm a little...
When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...
Hi! I’m a first time pilgrim. Is it possible to take a taxi from Astorga to Foncebadon? Thanks, Felicia

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top