Camino Aragones 2013

[tg_australia]

Hello Everyone -
I walked the Camino Frances in 2011 and so thoroughly enjoyed it that I am planning to depart Australia again, this time to do the Camino Aragones in 2013. Aragones starts in Oloron Sainte Marie.
I have two questions.
Is there somewhere that I can obtain a credencial in Oloron Sainte Marie?
Is there a guide book (English) available to cover the route of Camino Aragones?
Thank you in anticipation.

 

[colinPeter]

Hi tg_australia,
Welcome to the forum.
I used the Rother Walking Guide (English translated from German) Camino de Santiago Way of St. James from the Pyrenees to Santiago.
However, there are two issues with it.
1) Although it was a 2011 edition it was quite out of date in a number of things (Maybe it was translated in 2011) but the maps were OK.
2) It only starts at Somport (So you would need some guidelines for Oloron Sainte Marie to Somport).
On a positive note, it also includes material from SDC to Muxia.
Regarding the credential, I picked mine up from the Australian friends of the Camino http://afotc.org/
Buen Camino
Col

 

[Anniesantiago]

I loved loved LOVED the Aragones route!
I've done it twice and would love to do it again!!

FYI. There is a bus from Jaca to the Monastery and back. Highly worth the fare.
See my blog May 2012 for more info.

 

[camino07]

Hi tg
When do you start? I am walking from Somport,hopefully from 5th May and it would be good to know someone else was on the path.
Heather

 

[jennysa]

Hello Everyone -
I walked the Camino Frances in 2011 and so thoroughly enjoyed it that I am planning to depart Australia again, this time to do the Camino Aragones in 2013. Aragones starts in Oloron Sainte Marie.
I have two questions.
Is there somewhere that I can obtain a credencial in Oloron Sainte Marie?
Is there a guide book (English) available to cover the route of Camino Aragones?
Thank you in anticipation.

I walked the Camino Aragones in September, starting off from Somport, but I wished I had started at Oloron Saint Marie. It is stunning, isolated and remote, but you need to be aware, however, that it is far more challenging than the CF and there are not many pilgrims on it. I walked the entire route on my own, and managed to get myself lost twice because parts of it are not very well marked. I would love to do it again, but would definitely not do it on my own again.

 

[oursonpolaire]

I found the Confraternity's guide to the Aragones (covered in their Toulouse to Puente la Reina guide) helpful-- if barebones, and takes up little room. You will like the Aragones, which is a marvellous route. But it is not heavily populated, and so you should take care to have enough water with you as there are fewer pueblos (and fewer cafes for your cortado!). As well, take a day to see the monastery at San Juan de la Pena, in the heights out of Jaca-- this is one of the most extraordinary sights in Spain.

 

[mikemee]

Hi tg
When do you start? I am walking from Somport,hopefully from 5th May and it would be good to know someone else was on the path.
Heather

Hi Heather. I plan to catch the train from Bordeaux to Pau on 4th May, and either start the walk from Lescar or Oloron-Sainte-Marie. I am travelling alone, but it would be great to walk with someone for at least the first few days. I have the CSJ guide covering Tolouse to Puente la Reina. It's fairly basic, but it has detailed descriptions of each section of the walk and of accommodation available along the way. This is my first time on the Camino.
Mike

 

[camino07]

Hi Mike
Good to know you will also be on the trail in early May. I will be starting in Somport on the 5th so may be ahead of you. I am relieved that a previous camino buddy from US will walk the Aragones with me before returning to Roncesvalles to walk with her sister. Hope we do meet you along the way.
I am so looking forward to walking a new route. Exciting!!
Buen Camino

 

[Alan Pearce]

Hi Mike

When I walked the Aragonese in 2008 I flew to Pau from Paris. From Pau airport I walked the 10km [beside the road] from Pau to Lescar, where the tourist office provided me with my credential and arranged for the albergue accommodation [the hospitaleros do not live on site and the tourist office rang them at home] and gave me directions on how to find it and also the key to get in.

The walk from Lescar the next day was as hard a walk as I have done on any camino,, with lots of ups and downs and plenty of mud. In 2008 there was no water or coffee/meals available on the 32km stage [that may have changed by now] and that did not help either!

Buen camino!

Alan

Be brave.Life is joyous.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The walk from Lescar the next day was as hard a walk as I have done on any camino,, with lots of ups and downs and plenty of mud. In 2008 there was no water or coffee/meals available on the 32km stage

There are two stopping points between Lescar and Oloron; La Commande and Estaialescq. Contact the mairie in advance for La Commande, and bring some food. The availability of food at the butcher is a bit casual.