Camino De norde social ?

[scubajunky]

HI All,
I did the Camino Frances last easter and loved it. I'm thinking about doing the camino de norde in July / August. Is the Norde still a good way to meet people. Will there be lots doing it ?

 

[peregrino_tom]

I did the second half in August last year. Yes, lots of people around without being mad-busy, until you hit the Frances. Different crowd to what I was used to when doing caminos out of the peak season. More teenagers and students walking on the cheap and lots of people from Italy and Spain in particular whose employers close for three weeks in August for the annual holiday. That was very interesting.

 

[MKalcolm M]

According to the official statistics there is something like a ratio of 7 pilgrims on the Frances to every 1 pilgrim on the Norte. I wondered about the social aspect before I walked, but read on this forum that though there are less pilgrims, the bond between them seems stronger. This certainly seemed to be the case, and the camaraderie between myself and my fellow walkers became one of the most enjoyable aspects of the camino. I had a great time socially while walking the Norte, but also the opportunity to walk alone when I wanted time to myself or to be reflective. There will be an eclectic mix of nationalities and ages. I made some great friends on this route, and you will too.

 

[AlanB]

A lot more people who have previous Camino experience. A great walk

 

[jpflavin1]

HI All,
I did the Camino Frances last easter and loved it. I'm thinking about doing the camino de norde in July / August. Is the Norde still a good way to meet people. Will there be lots doing it ?

I walked this Spring and there were always other Pilgrims but never crowded. There was a mixture of first timers and those who have walked other Camino's. One interesting aspect of the Norte is that a number of Pilgrims switch to the Primitivo right after Villaviciosa.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[AngeloLanzaro]

I'll start my cammino on the 31 of July from Irun, just me and my feet.I belong to the category of " students, from Italy, walking on the cheap"..! hope to meet great people and have a great experience!

 

[CanPete]

You'll have a blast !

 

[ksam]

Ahh..only 90 days to go. I really try not to think about it too much.

 

[zialucia]

My husband and I are starting around 28 Sept and are having trouble deciding between Frances and Norte. Can anyone point out some things that might help us decide? We like the social aspects but not huge crowds which I presume will not be present this late in the year.

 

[jpflavin1]

Zialucia:

The major differences, imo, are the Norte is hilly coastal walking versus mountain, vineyard and farmland on the Frances. There is also more road walking on the Norte than Frances. The Norte is a little tougher day in and day out than the Frances. There are no thousand meter climbs on the Norte, such as the Napoleon route out of SJPdP. That said, there are many 500 meters steep up and downs. The Norte gets a bit easier the longer you walk with the last third being the easiest, imo.

There is plenty of accommodation on each route. That said, you will probably be staying in a hotel or private Albergue more often on the Norte.

Both these routes are well way-marked. The Norte does offer a lot of alternate routes almost daily. The Norte, if you find hard pan walking not to your liking, offers an option to switch to the Primitivo after Villviciosa.

The Norte is less crowded than the Frances but still well populated.

Hope this helps. My experiences have all been in the Spring (March/April) not the Fall.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[zialucia]

Thanks Joe....I'll do some more research but this helps.