WanderlustingLawyer
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Aragones (2021); Camino Frances (2018)
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Arres my favorite after 4 different CaminosDid it in June 2019 as part of a longer trek from Toulouse to Santiago. Very few pilgrims and compared to Frances is going to feel very lonely . . . when you are walking. However, there was never a night where there weren't people at the albergue - either pilgrims, hikers or bicylists. There is an opportunity to join/make a camino family and you could arrange to walk together I was part of three and we could have walked together but never did because we had very different styles of walking. One guy started at 5 am and didn't stop until he reached the albergue for the day. Another took long breaks including naps along the way. So, we all walked by ourselves and met at the albergue and had dinner together. None of this was arranged or discussed ahead of time, no exchanging of numbers. It just happened. July should have more people. There aren't many choices on where to stop but one place that I would highly recommend is the albergue in Arres. Also, you'll have to carry your lunch/snacks. There aren't many options along the way.
I'm not aware of a compostela specific to Aragones.
BTW, the Oloron albergue is very popular as it is on the crossroads of multiple paths. It was full. I made reservations in June and would strongly recommend it for July.
edit: I forgot to mention, I would not let the fewer pilgrims deter you. It is a beautiful camino and highly recommend it.
I endorse the recommendation for the Lumbier Gorge. It starts just after Sangüesa and you can rejoin the Aragonés shortly after. Spectacular scenery and birds.Walked it forward in Spring 2018 and then reverse in Spring 2019 and loved it each way. Fewer pilgrims than the CF, but enough to not feel lonely. Carry water (especially in the summer) and a lunch - while food is available, the timing never worked out for us. July will be very hot in the Valley, so definitely take a hat and sunscreen (I got sunburned in Jaca in late April, than snowed on over the Somport pass the very next day!)
Consider detours to the Lumbier Gorge, Castle Javier, and SJdlP since they do not add many miles but certainly are historically interesting enough for the effort.
It is a bit longer than the standard route. The woman who checked us into the Sangüesa albergue told us that there was an early morning bus that could be taken to make the two routes closer in length. I stuck with the standard route.I endorse the recommendation for the Lumbier Gorge. It starts just after Sangüesa and you can rejoin the Aragonés shortly after. Spectacular scenery and birds.
I agree with Joe. Eunate and San Juan de la Pena are both very special. Do visit them.I walked the Caminos Catalan and Aragonese for three weeks in late October and early November 2019. These were described as having few pilgrims. That was especially true at that time of year. I met only one on the Catalan going my way and that was just for a night but several days later we met again on the Aragones and with another spent the nights at the same places. The log books showed walkers spaced apart by days. With sparse accomodations if you meet up with someone it will likely be for a couple days.
I did walk from Puente de Reina to Pamplona to finish my camino. It was fun seeing a good number of pilgrims again and coming toward me. The majority were Korean. Also fun was that it was snowing at the Alto de Perdon. Around Cizor Minor I had to walk besides the trail because it had become a deep and fast moving stream. There were a lot of floods in Spain at the time.
Definitely carry more water with you in the summer. Extra snacks is a good idea too.
I'm not aware of any "compostela" or stamp for the camino.
Do stop for the church at Eunate. Check for the hours that it is open. Also detour to see the old monastery of San Juan de la Peña. I walked two weeks to get there and it was worth it. The "new" monastery (1600) had its interests too.
Beautiful videos and music. Thank you.There was never a night when there weren't other pilgrims around, but we'd rarely meet them on the way. On the French section - the French way outdo the Spanish in their odd business (or non-business) hours. No one would take a lunch order after 1 pm, and in the evening, only formal restaurants were open. Everything is closed on Sundays (everything). The good news is that the gites (similar to private albergues) have the great system of the 'épicerie de coin', literally grocer's in the corner, a cabinet where they sell basic foods - cans, rice, pasta, and, of course, wine. But on the French section you will need to think ahead about tomorrow's lunch and having emergency food to cook. You will mainly navigate by the GR system - a red and a white horizontal line. It actually works better than the yellow arrows, so harder to get lost. The people were delightful, kind and helpful all the way - forget every snarky comment you have heard about the French. July will be hot, but the gites all have 3 ft thick walls so are very cool in the day.
Try to spend some time exploring the churches in Oloron, Jaca and Sangüesa. The side trips to Leyre and San Juan de la Peña are really worth doing if you have time, and yes, Arrés is not to be missed.
The Aragonés is a bit more like a typical Spanish camino. There may be sections with fewer facilities but it is more pilgrim oriented than the Chemin D'Arles.
Both sections are beautiful. Here are a couple of links to youtube videos I made to whet your appetite.
Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions, and buen camino.
I walked The Aragones i the end of may/ start june 2018. I did not meet very many pilgrims on the caminopath, but there were always many people at the albergues in the evening.Hola a tod@s! I am planning/hoping to walk the Camino Aragonés, starting in Pau/Oloron Sainte-Marie, in early July. I've read that this is not a very highly trafficked Camino route, but I'm hoping to hear first-hand from those who have done this Camino in recent years whether you met other pilgrims while walking. I enjoyed having a lot of time alone while walking the Francés in 2018, but I also loved chatting with different people to break up the long days - and I especially loved the community feeling at the albergues. I'm not sure I'd love spending 8-9 days walking totally by myself. I'm also a bit concerned about the infrastructure, in terms of having places to stop to fill up water, grab a snack, etc. I watched (and loved) Nadine Walks' YouTube videos about this route, and it seemed like there were several times she went without seeing any place to stop for hours.
Also, is there any type of certificate of completion or special stamp to mark the completion of this route? Finally, has anyone walked backward from Puente La Reina to Pamplona at the end of this route? I was thinking this could be a super fun way to see the Alto del Perdon one more time - approaching from the other side! Thanks in advance.
Hola a tod@s! I am planning/hoping to walk the Camino Aragonés, starting in Pau/Oloron Sainte-Marie, in early July.
I'm planning on walking the Aragones from Maruzabel to Somport (and on to the Piedmont) in September.
It's my understanding from checking Gronze and another Spanish federation website that Sanguesa albergue is closed at least temporarily "pending new concession" and that the Arres albergue is closed but may open back later this summer or fall. The albergue in Artieda (based on email correspondence) is open but very limited due to COVID restrictions. I'm seeing albergues in Canfranc Estacion, Canfranc, Jaca, Santa Cilia de Jaca, Ruesta, Undues de Lerda, and Monreal open (but possible limited capacity).
Buena suerte y buen Camino!
Here's the Spanish federation website I've been checking (in addition to Gronze): https://albergueslot.appcamino.com/inic
There are a couple of nights when I'm planning on staying in fairly inexpensive hotels for detours through Foz de Lumbier and San Juan de la Pena monasteries. But I'm fairly confident that as of September I'll be able to find some place to stay.Thanks to you both for the really helpful answers. I'm quite okay with staying in cheap (ie. sub 40 euro) hotels for some of the nights if that's what it takes. I'm really just scared to be stranded with nothing one night, and no way to get away to the nearest large town, but not knowing the route well I don't know if that's a realistic concern or not!
Thanks John for the link to the albergue federation. That's extremely useful! Do I understand that these are live figures for how many beds available tonight or is it just in general?
Maps.me shows a pedestrian route from Tiebas to Alto de Perdon via the eastern end of that mountain.I would be interested also in learning a route to go up to Alto de Perdon, either backwards on the Camino or from the eastern end of the mountain.
These are some great ideas of ways to enjoy what the Camino Aragones can offer. The Monastery Leyre “sounds” wonderful. I might be following in your footsteps in a few weeks, so this was very helpful.I can echo most of what has been written here! I took 11 days in early October 2019 to walk from Somport to Puente la Reina which allowed me time for a couple of extra stops. The Monastery Leyre has a nice hosteria with great views of Embalse Yesa from the terrace. The office gave me a key to the crypt and told me "to lock myself in"! Mass in the evening has lovely gregorian chant. One thing I did that very few pilgrims do, especially old lady pilgrims walking alone, was to stop at Santa Cilia aerodrome and go soaring over the foothills. Wonderful!
I had three days in a row when I saw no other pilgrins, not even in my chosen lodging. I speak reasonably good castellano.
I would be interested also in learning a route to go up to Alto de Perdon, either backwards on the Camino or from the eastern end of the mountain.
I’m interested in this option. I might be walking the Aragones in a few weeks and I haven’t decided about if I will go to Pamplona to not miss that city, or just join up with the Frances at Obanos. Does the route go through Subiza or Biurrun? (I can see the roads on the Google satellite map, and would ask the locals regardless.). Just as likely that I might decide that is not a hill that I need to climb, but planning from the couch I still have lots of energy! And that ridge walk would be amazing.There is a route from Tiebas (on the Aragones) that requires a long climb up, but then you follow the ridge line past the wind turbines to the Perrigrino monument at Alto de Perdon! Beautiful views over 15km.
After finishing the Aragonese in Puente de Reina I really enjoyed walking "backwards" for a day to Pamplona. Even in cold, wet November weather. It was fun seeing familiar places in an unfamiliar order.Perhaps finish the Aragon and then bus to Pamplona to restart walking there?
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