Big Camino from Barcelona - June 2024

[waldoponddive]

Hi peregrinos,

I’m wanting to hear your thoughts on my plans for 2024. I’ll be finishing my Masters and will also be wrapping up a (very stressful) job early next year, so think it’s time for a big trip.

For context, I did the Camino Frances in 2017 and have been wanting to go again but couldn’t (thanks to COVID, my studies, and my own excuses lol).

I’ve always been keen to do a big Camino rather than just a few weeks - this is for various reasons, but mainly because it’s so expensive to go to Europe from Australia, and because I believe for myself to truely deeply engage with it I can’t constantly have an upcoming deadline at the back of my mind.

I’ve just bought a flight to Barcelona, and am thinking of walking from there three months to Santiago de Compostela from early June to early September.

From Barcelona, I’m planning on doing the Catalan and the Aragonés routes to join the Frances, and then walking to Leon.

Since I’ve done Leon to SDC, I’m tempted to walk up to Oviedo then join the Primitivo route instead.

Three months seems plenty of time to do this, with some meandering and side quests along the way and not too much of a rush on either ends.

Any advice or hints or feedback would be really appreciated

Muchas gracias!

 

[David Tallan]

I can't speak to the Catalan and Aragones parts of your plan but I did the Salvador and Primitivo earlier this summer and they were great! My advice is to stay at Bendueños on the Salvador portion if your itinerary.

 

[Former member 104756]

@waldoponddive All I can say is - how wonderful - and lucky you to have three months.

Like @David Tallan I can't speak of the Catalan (others will chime in) but the Aragones and Primitivo are two of my favoutite paths, and the Salvador is also something special. I agree about Bendueños - a wonderful place.

 

[J Willhaus]

We had pilgrims who joined the Aragones last year at Santa Cilia when we served at Arres. Only three hardy souls in 2 weeks. The Catalan is a demanding and solitary route.

 

[peregrina2000]

Great way to celebrate your achievements!

I walked this route years ago, and met @LTfit in Montserrat. She had walked from Barcelona (two or three days, there are plenty of forum posts about how to walk this stretch). I walked from Llançà on the coast close to the French border. Those weeks were absolutely beautiful, one of my favorite caminos. So if you have a few more weeks, I’d consider adding those days.

LT and I met in Montserrat in mid-June. We definitely missed spring wildflowers and green fields. By the time we were walking through, fields were brown. Things definitely picked up after the dusty fields of Cataluña and Aragón. We did long stages to coincide with albergues, but I think there is a fair amount of non-albergue accommodation to fill in the gaps for shorter stages.

I’m going to move your thread to the Camino Catalán sub-forum, and you’ll see there are more than 2,500 posts!

Good luck and know that there‘s a small group of us who have walked and really loved this route, so ask away.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I walked from Barcelona to the CF on the Catalan via Huesca and the Aragonese (left Huesca four years ago this morning). I was disappointed with the autumn landscape of the Catalan, the fields had already been plowed up and brown. The scenery past Huesca and on the Aragonese though was quite nice. I think the Catalan in spring would be gorgeous though with green fields and blooming orchards. Anyway, you're going in the summer and can't change it.

The Catalan gets few walkers so it can be lonely. If you do meet up with someone though the sparse lodgings may have you ending up at the same end stage town. You will need Spanish (or Catalan). I only remember two conversations with locals in English (on both routes) but I got by fine with what I think is B1 level Spanish.

The Gronze guide has La Peña as an end stage but I didn't find any lodging there so I had to tweak the last stages and it added a day to its schedule. If you have a few days to play with once you reach Santa Cilia on the Aragonese you could take transportation to Somport to do the whole Spanish portion of the Aragonese. That should be nice but I couldn't fit it into my schedule.

If you want GPS tracks I recommend rocjumper's tracks on Wikiloc. He has one for the entire Catalan but also ones for stages.

 

[gollygolly]

From Barcelona, I’m planning on doing the Catalan and the Aragonés routes to join the Frances, and then walking to Leon.

Any advice or hints or feedback would be really appreciated

Muchas gracias!

This previous post of mine covers the route out of Barcelona, and might be of interest :

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...cing-from-barcelona-day-1.76163/#post-1054835

 

[Larry OHeron]

Just did it this summer from Barcelona to Zaragoza.
Check out my blog for details along the way.

Camino Cataluna Aragon 2023

A journey through the historic autonomous communities of Cataluna and Aragon in northeast Spain ... And then the "end of the world"

camino-cataluna-aragon-2023.blogspot.com

 

[oursonpolaire]

@peregrina2000 has moved your query to the Catalan sub-forum a nd you can spend many happy hours there. My only concern is that June may be very hot on some of the longer stretches on the Catalan plains-- starting at the Crack of Dawn and no later will help, as will taking extra water. I hope that you are satisfied with your own company as it is not a frequently travelled route--- I have done it three times, and the number of other pilgrims I met can be counted on one hand.

Still, the history of it is extraordinary, and the first and last weeks are over incredible scenery and architecture. San Juan de la Pena is one of my top ten travel experiences and I cannot recommend it too hightly. As well, check out the diocesan museum in Huesca with its breathtaking collection of mediaeval art. You will become a lifelong fan of gazpacho.

 

[lindam]

I have walked the route from Barcelona via the Cami Catalan and Aragonés followed by the Frances to Santiago. It was a wonderful walk with beautiful and varied scenery along the way and took a total of 52 days of walking. However, as mentioned by @oursonpolaire, I would be concerned about the heat and open/unsheltered stretches along the way if starting in early June. We began in Barcelona in early May and I recall being grateful that it was a relatively cool spring which is certainly not always the case. As you begin your research, you will note that there have recently been several new albergues open along the Cami Catalan. However, there may still be stretches where you will need to carry food and water for the day as you will not be likely to find anything en route. Happy planning and feel free to ask any questions you might have.

 

[MaineSally]

I have walked the route from Barcelona via the Cami Catalan and Aragonés followed by the Frances to Santiago. It was a wonderful walk with beautiful and varied scenery along the way and took a total of 52 days of walking. However, as mentioned by @oursonpolaire, I would be concerned about the heat and open/unsheltered stretches along the way if starting in early June. We began in Barcelona in early May and I recall being grateful that it was a relatively cool spring which is certainly not always the case. As you begin your research, you will note that there have recently been several new albergues open along the Cami Catalan. However, there may still be stretches where you will need to carry food and water for the day as you will not be likely to find anything en route. Happy planning and feel free to ask any questions you might have.

Is there a guidebook that outlines this route that you can recommend, and might you be willing to share your itinerary and where you enjoyed staying?

 

[lindam]

Is there a guidebook that outlines this route that you can recommend, and might you be willing to share your itinerary and where you enjoyed staying?

While walking this route, I have relied on the most up-to-date PDF found on this site: http://amicsdelspelegrins.org/ca/cami-catala-per-san-juan-de-la-pena-2/. There you will find a list of albergues and services available to pilgrims along the way. The last time I walked this route there was no guidebook available. In the last few years there has been a book published but I have yet to use it: https://www.amazon.com/Catalan-Tranquil-towards-Santiago-Compostela/dp/8412188055?tag=casaivar02-20.

You asked about places that I have enjoyed staying. To be honest, often there is only one choice of a place to stay on any given stage. While somewhat dated now, if you look at threads within this subsection of the forum, you will find a review of this route that I posted back in 2018. Some of the details will remain as useful but, fortunately, there has been more pilgrim infrastructure added since then. There I describe briefly places where I stayed along the way.

Happy planning and I hope you will consider walking this little known but very special Camino.

 

[rainforestgirl]

Hi peregrinos,

I’m wanting to hear your thoughts on my plans for 2024. I’ll be finishing my Masters and will also be wrapping up a (very stressful) job early next year, so think it’s time for a big trip.

For context, I did the Camino Frances in 2017 and have been wanting to go again but couldn’t (thanks to COVID, my studies, and my own excuses lol).

I’ve always been keen to do a big Camino rather than just a few weeks - this is for various reasons, but mainly because it’s so expensive to go to Europe from Australia, and because I believe for myself to truely deeply engage with it I can’t constantly have an upcoming deadline at the back of my mind.

I’ve just bought a flight to Barcelona, and am thinking of walking from there three months to Santiago de Compostela from early June to early September.

From Barcelona, I’m planning on doing the Catalan and the Aragonés routes to join the Frances, and then walking to Leon.

Since I’ve done Leon to SDC, I’m tempted to walk up to Oviedo then join the Primitivo route instead.

Three months seems plenty of time to do this, with some meandering and side quests along the way and not too much of a rush on either ends.

Any advice or hints or feedback would be really appreciated

Muchas gracias!

Hi, I've just posted this to another forum member, it may be some help.

Hi, In 2012 I walked from Barcelona to Monserrat then followed the Catalan Camino through Huesca and San Juan de la Peña to join with the Camino Aragonese and then the Camino Francés at Puente la Reina.
I was a 55 at the time and walked solo until i met a friend in Logrono. The route was quite isolated and I only met 4 others along the way. As a woman walking alone, I didn't encounter any problems. Before the Camino Frances, accommodation was a mix of small town hotels, school gymnasiums and the occasional albergue. It took me 43 days with a couple of days off along the way and a couple of days in SdC before carrying on to Finistere. It was a great adventure and experience. Mind you, I had walked various Caminos so was well prepared. You say you have done some short walks . There's lots to consider if you are going to venture along the Way...buon camino.