LIVE from the Camino Camino Aragonés - April 2023

[eamann]

I arrived in Canfranc Estación on Tuesday evening 11 April.

I started my walk from Somport on Wednesday morning 12th April.

The path was rocky, muddy in parts and sometimes resembled more a little stream, as the snow melted and flowed down the slopes.

To avoid a catastrophic slip or fall on my first day, I quickly moved to the road. That enabled me to admire the views instead of keeping my eyes focused on where I was putting my feet. The road was wide and there was very little traffic.

In Canfranc, I spent a few pleasant minutes chatting with the hopitalera in the albergue there .

The path down to Jaca was still quite rocky and a succession of little slopes up and down. It was relatively slow going for me.

It was 2h30 in the afternoon by the time I reached Villanua. By the time I had a little meal , it was already 3:30. The sky was grey and rain was forecast. I did not feel up to doing the 15 km into Jaca and I took a bus instead.

When I left Jaca this morning, Thursday 14th, it was bitterly cold and from 11 o’clock onwards it began to rain on and off and did not stop until the evening.

There are very few other pilgrims on the road. In Somport I met briefly two men who were starting off for Santiago and in Canfranc Estación I briefly met a young lady. In the Canfranc albergue I met a young Israeli girl who is also heading for Santiago. I have not seen any of them since.

Today, Thursday, I have met no other pilgrims.

I confirm what has already been said concerning restaurants, hotels and even shops, been closed this week.

Luckily, warmer and sunny weather is forecast from Sunday onwards.

 

[lt56ny]

I arrived in Canfranc Estación on Tuesday evening 11 April.

I started my walk from Somport on Wednesday morning 12th April.

The path was rocky, muddy in parts and sometimes resembled more a little stream, as the snow melted and flowed down the slopes.

To avoid a catastrophic slip or fall on my first day, I quickly moved to the road. That enabled me to admire the views instead of keeping my eyes focused on where I was putting my feet. The road was wide and there was very little traffic.

In Canfranc, I spent a few pleasant minutes chatting with the hopitalera in the albergue there .

The path down to Jaca was still quite rocky and a succession of little slopes up and down. It was relatively slow going for me.

It was 2h30 in the afternoon by the time I reached Villanua. By the time I had a little meal , it was already 3:30. The sky was grey and rain was forecast. I did not feel up to doing the 15 km into Jaca and I took a bus instead.

When I left Jaca this morning, Thursday 14th, it was bitterly cold and from 11 o’clock onwards it began to rain on and off and did not stop until the evening.

There are very few other pilgrims on the road. In Somport I met briefly two men who were starting off for Santiago and in Canfranc Estación I briefly met a young lady. In the Canfranc albergue I met a young Israeli girl who is also heading for Santiago. I have not seen any of them since.

Today, Thursday, I have met no other pilgrims.

I confirm what has already been said concerning restaurants, hotels and even shops, been closed this week.

Luckily, warmer and sunny weather is forecast from Sunday onwards.

I walked last October on the Aragones. It is now one of my favorite caminos. I only met two other pilgrims when I walked. Are you going to the monastery? I couldn't go and it was a big disappointment for me. It was a festival day in Jaca on Sunday. I arrived in the afternoon on Saturday and no bus was running on Sunday. I was told a taxi would cost be between 50-60 Euros just to get up there. I passed on that price and walked on.

 

[mspath]

Do not miss San Juan de la Pena.

As an architectural historian it was my professional privilege/ personal pleasure to visit many special places in this world, but the old monastery at San Juan de la Pena belongs in that unique category of sublime timeless perfection.
....Please do not rush. The site is unforgettable. Carpe diem!

 

[eamann]

Thank you for your comments.

I am sorry to disappoint you guys, but I did not visit the Monasterio de San Juan de Pena.

My primary reason for not going, is that I have a tight schedule to arrive in Santiago and I could not afford to take a full day to visit one monument.

I took this decision all the more easily since I had already visited a few years ago the monasteries of Yuso and Suso in San Millán de la Cogolla.

Finally, the day on which I would have visited the monasteries turned out to be cold, grey and wet.

 

[eamann]

I now have a better but not necessarily complete idea of how many people are on the Camino at present in addition to myself.

Six Spaniards
One Catalan
One French lady
Two German ladies
A Lithuanian family of parents and child

Of the above, four of the Spaniards are only walking as far as Logroño.

I did not like the reception I received in the albergue in Artieda.

On the other hand, I was very favorably impressed by the friendly reception in Ruesta.

I can recommend the little bar in Undués de L. It is clean, modern and the food is home-made.

Contrary to what was announced some weeks ago, the albergue in Sangüesa is open.

 

[Vacajoe]

Very happy to hear that Sanguesa has reopened! Please let us know if Monreal has reopened, too.

 

[WalkingInGers]

Super duper..Sanguesa and Monreal on my agenda and planning...

ANYONE walked from TIEBAS to PAMPLONA?

 

[ksam]

I walked last October on the Aragones. It is now one of my favorite caminos. I only met two other pilgrims when I walked. Are you going to the monastery? I couldn't go and it was a big disappointment for me. It was a festival day in Jaca on Sunday. I arrived in the afternoon on Saturday and no bus was running on Sunday. I was told a taxi would cost be between 50-60 Euros just to get up there. I passed on that price and walked on.

If you can find another pilgrim you can split the cost we had three of us so it was only 20€ each. Not cheap but totally worth it.

 

[J Willhaus]

Artieda has been revitalized by a group of young adults who have a camping venue, an albergue, and a vacation apartment rental business. They also use "work away" help. Last summer we enjoyed our stay there, but some of the "help" were experiencing some personal issues which was a little distracting.

The remote hill town town has no store, no bakery, bank, etc. But our cab driver who lives there told us that all services are brought in one or 2 times per week by van even banking. Sorry you had a bad experience there.

 

[lt56ny]

If you can find another pilgrim you can split the cost we had three of us so it was only 20€ each. Not cheap but totally worth it.

I would have definitely done that. In fact I left my cell number with the tourist office in case another pilgrim came in asking about transportation. The problem was there was no other pilgrim in town that I knew of. At the municipal it was just me and the hospitalario. We did share a nice spaghetti dinner together. Very simple but nice

 

[eamann]

I regret to announce that the albergue in Monreal is closed…

I am staying in Etxartenea casa rural which I can recommend warmly.

 

[Vacajoe]

You skipped Arres?

 

[Vacajoe]

FIREDRAGON: I walked Pamplona to Lumbier, but I’m sure it’s similar to Tiebas (but shorter!). In fact, the local Pamplona bus heads out that way so you don’t even have to walk the entire distance.

 

[WalkingInGers]

FIREDRAGON: I walked Pamplona to Lumbier, but I’m sure it’s similar to Tiebas (but shorter!). In fact, the local Pamplona bus heads out that way so you don’t even have to walk the entire distance.

Appreciate your input. Thanks...can't wait to pass the SOMPORT Pass next Monday.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Thank you for your comments.

I am sorry to disappoint you guys, but I did not visit the Monasterio de San Juan de Pena.

My primary reason for not going, is that I have a tight schedule to arrive in Santiago and I could not afford to take a full day to visit one monument.

I took this decision all the more easily since I had already visited a few years ago the monasteries of Yuso and Suso in San Millán de la Cogolla.

Finally, the day on which I would have visited the monasteries turned out to be cold, grey and wet.

What a shame (to me). It's such a spectacular monastery - both the old and the newer one - you'll see nothing like it anywhere else in the world. It's one of my main reasons for walking that route. Arres also is a wonderful place! Oh well, to each his/her own.

 

[Flog]

I keep reading of buses and taxis..

..but what about just walking the stage?Jaca to Santa Cilia by way of the monasteries is quite doable, I did it first time I walked the Aragonês in early May 2019. Not an easy day, a long climb up and a very steep descent on broken ground but for me, worth it. And I ate, drank and slept well that night..

 

[J Willhaus]

At one point there was a hospederia at the new monastery, but we were told they were not able to hire enough help to keep it open. It has not been open for several years.

 

[Vacajoe]

You can also stay in Santa Cruz at the base of the mountains, about five miles from the monastery.

 

[J Willhaus]

Yes we stayed at a luxury place in Santa Cruz de los Seros. No albergue there though. I don't recommend the Camino route down from the monastery if you are old, fat, and afraid of heights like me. Won't do that again! Take the road!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I keep reading of buses and taxis..

..but what about just walking the stage?Jaca to Santa Cilia by way of the monasteries is quite doable, I did it first time I walked the Aragonês in early May 2019. Not an easy day, a long climb up and a very steep descent on broken ground but for me, worth it. And I ate, drank and slept well that night..

Was the Jaca to San Juan section well marked or was it doable only if you were following a GPS track? What was the walkability like? You said long so that may mean not so steep. Was the trail rocky, gravel, dirt, or what? Was it wide enough or over grown?

I walked down to Santa Cilia while following the Camino Catalan. Yes, steep and rocky but I didn't think it terribly bad since it was like many trails I've hiked in New England (US version).

 

[Flog]

From memory, the detour off the main road a few km out of Jaca was very clearly marked and for most of the way after that, reasonably so. I don't remember the terrain so well, but I do remember having to back-track a couple of times on a steep part that was overgrown and the paths diverged a couple of times. I had maps.me offline on my phone and made use of it, I would recommend. Also, it was exceptionally warm so we took and drank plenty of water.. we set out from Jaca early, around 7:30 to escape the heat and arrived up at the 'new' monastery around I:30pm. TBH, I recall the way back down after the monasteries was more difficult. The worry was the possibility of slipping and getting injured or cut . As I said, not the easiest of days.

 

[Anniesantiago]

You can also stay in Santa Cruz at the base of the mountains, about five miles from the monastery.

Yes, I stayed there one year.

 

[UnniElisabeth]

I now have a better but not necessarily complete idea of how many people are on the Camino at present in addition to myself.

Six Spaniards
One Catalan
One French lady
Two German ladies
A Lithuanian family of parents and child

Of the above, four of the Spaniards are only walking as far as Logroño.

I did not like the reception I received in the albergue in Artieda.

On the other hand, I was very favorably impressed by the friendly reception in Ruesta.

I can recommend the little bar in Undués de L. It is clean, modern and the food is home-made.

Contrary to what was announced some weeks ago, the albergue in Sangüesa is open.

Thank you for your posts live from the camino Aragones.My plan is to start in Oloron in June.

 

[Vacajoe]

So we walked to the “new” monastery five years ago on the supposed trail through Atares…ugh! It was more of a horse trail and the rain turned it into water-filled gulleys. When it flattened out, it was very rocky and poorly trailmarked. When snow started falling (second week of April!), we abandoned that route, walked over to the Santa Cruz, and took the road up to the parador at the monastery.

That old route (different from the one through Santa Cruz) has supposedly been improved and marked since then, but I would still take an offline gps map (maps.me) and only do it in fair weather. The path would lead you to the summit road about a mile east of the monastery, then you can walk the road to those sites and back down into Santa Cruz for a very long, yet fulfilling day.

Santa Cilia used to (and may still) offer a second night’s stay if you visit the monastery from there. That would be a 30km round trip day with a lot of elevation change.

 

[WalkingInGers]

Received from AYSA- Puerto de Somport:
Hello, we are sorry, until mid-May the hostel will be closed during the week, it will only be open on Friday and Saturday night.

You can go to Canfranc where you have several accommodations, shelters and hotels...

Bye

Aysa

 

[docpam]

I regret to announce that the albergue in Monreal is closed…

I am staying in Etxartenea casa rural which I can recommend warmly.

I stayed at Monreal 30 July 2022. It was a good place. Full.

 

[docpam]

Super duper..Sanguesa and Monreal on my agenda and planning...

ANYONE walked from TIEBAS to PAMPLONA?

Yes, I walked it in July 2022.
Last week I completed my blog walking from Jacabto Pamplona. Please have a look. https://docpamaragonesecaminojaca.blogspot.com
A challenging route where I became lost almost every day.

 

[WalkingInGers]

The SANGUESA albergue is full tonight.

 

[NorthernLight]

Sanguesa albergue was only half full Sunday night.

Monreal albergue is open but you have to call for them to open it. Technically the same is true for Sanguesa.

 

[Vacajoe]

So happy to hear that both Sanguesa and Monreal have reopened for the season! If you are reading this later in 2023, please continue to update about what is open on this route.

 

[NorthernLight]

I did not like the reception I received in the albergue in Artieda.

I also was surprised by the attitude of the staff there.

I keep reading of buses and taxis..

..but what about just walking the stage?Jaca to Santa Cilia by way of the monasteries is quite doable, I did it first time I walked the Aragonês in early May 2019. Not an easy day, a long climb up and a very steep descent on broken ground but for me, worth it.

It’s too far for some of us to manage to walk in one day. There was a Frenchman who started to walk the path from Jaca to San Juan de la Pena, but he abandonned that attempt because of the pathway and turned around, ending at Santa Celia. He tried again the next day from Santa Celia.

FYI for those planning: the bus to the monasteries does not operate outside of summer months.

 

[Amigos caminando]

9th May, Sanguesa was open for us, 5 pilgrims. The tourist office there said Monreal was not " officially" open. We walked there 10th May and were welcomed, had a good night there. One bar closed at 3pm and was closed following day. Other bar Cipri was open in the evening. Good puzzas served. Also open at 7am for breakfast.

 

[UnniElisabeth]

9th May, Sanguesa was open for us, 5 pilgrims. The tourist office there said Monreal was not " officially" open. We walked there 10th May and were welcomed, had a good night there. One bar closed at 3pm and was closed following day. Other bar Cipri was open in the evening. Good puzzas served. Also open at 7am for breakfast.

Thank you for info from the Camino Live! I
am planning for my Camino in June

 

[Amigos caminando]

I enjoyed the quiet days walking with just enough pilgrims ahead or behind and to meet lin the evenings. Never more than 6/8. I would repeat this camino, esp from Oloran Sainte Marie, scenery wise.

 

[WalkingInGers]

I am thinking of walking it again from Auch to Santiago in April 2024

 

[Vacajoe]

April is a great time for this route - not crowded and still cool enough to enjoy the open areas. Weather over the Pyrenees can be a bit dicey, so definitely have a Plan B if snow closes that crossing.