Camino del Norte in reverse

[Gerry Callaghan]

In April/May 2015 I'll be cycling various caminos. From Clonmacnoise, in the Irish midlands, to Cork, ferry to Roscoff, down the west coast of France, then Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostello.

For the trip home I'll follow the Camino del Norte in reverse to Santander, take the ferry to Plymouth and come home via Bristol, Cardiff and Fishguard to Rosslare.

There are fewer auberges on Del Norte, but having greater distances between them is not a great difficulty to a cyclist. I appreciate that the signage on Del Norte will be a bit sparse, everything points towards Santiago de Compostello and nothing points away from it!

Has anyone done it or have any wonderful thoughts or suggestions on the trip? (The Camino provides but only if you ask!)

 

[Anemone del Camino]

For the trip home I'll follow the Camino del Norte in reverse to Santander, take the ferry to Plymouth and come home via Bristol, Cardiff and Fishguard to Rosslare!)

Since so much of that Camino is by road, I can't imagine it would be that difficult. And no, on that route there isn't much that points to Santiago, just to the nest town or city.

 

[MKalcolm M]

I met a wonderful couple walking the Camino Norte in reverse, between them they had 150 years of age (he was 82) and had walked from their home in France to Santiago and were now walking back. They found the arrows had to find and follow in reverse, so were navigating using a GPS system and a local map, which made it workable.

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Gerry, just one tip I can give you is for the home leg in Devon. I think the boat docks at around 4ish at Plymouth. About 25 miles away is Buckfast Abbey, if you contact them in advance they might let you stay there, its on your way to Bristol.

 

[mikevasey]

And one more tip, if you are following the coast then you can travel on the Voie Littorale when you cross the Gironde before Bordeaux. It is waymarked and has alternative cycle tracks when foot pilgrims wander off into the forests, the various associations give updated lists for pilgrim accommodation every year, there is some pilgrim refuges but mainly you are on camp sites in a static unit for 10 euros a night. They vary in quality but all have cooking facilities, toilet and shower.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hi Gerry, just one tip I can give you is for the home leg in Devon. I think the boat docks at around 4ish at Plymouth. About 25 miles away is Buckfast Abbey, if you contact them in advance they might let you stay there, its on your way to Bristol.

Hola Gerry,
If you let them know that you are a returning pilgrim you might be given a room in the abbey rather than the guest-house. Terry was there on his way to Plymouth and Santiago in 2009 and had a very warm welcome. If you would like more details (contact etc) then PM @TerryB .

 

[jpflavin1]

In April/May 2015 I'll be cycling various caminos. From Clonmacnoise, in the Irish midlands, to Cork, ferry to Roscoff, down the west coast of France, then Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostello.

For the trip home I'll follow the Camino del Norte in reverse to Santander, take the ferry to Plymouth and come home via Bristol, Cardiff and Fishguard to Rosslare.

There are fewer auberges on Del Norte, but having greater distances between them is not a great difficulty to a cyclist. I appreciate that the signage on Del Norte will be a bit sparse, everything points towards Santiago de Compostello and nothing points away from it!

Has anyone done it or have any wonderful thoughts or suggestions on the trip? (The Camino provides but only if you ask!)

Gerry:

I saw a young German girl walking the route backwards last year. She was walking the route backwards to Germany because it was cold at home. So she started in Santiago in April and was walking back to Germany. I spoke with her for awhile and she said; she had some trouble deciding which way to go at times.

I do not think it would be too difficult with the exception of a few rural areas. Once you leave Galacia and are on the coast, if you get lost, you can follow the N-634 and the E-9 which intersect the Camino frequently.

I did not have any trouble finding accommodations every night.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Anemone del Camino]

The German Rother Guides have excellent maps, very detailed, that show you the roads, highways, and camino, so you can see where things intersect and split again, as well as various alternatives. The most recent version is only available in German, but since I bought it for the maps, I really didn't care. Plus you can always guess what the Albergue info is: number of beds, phone number, price ;0)

 

[Gerry Callaghan]

Hola Gerry,
If you let them know that you are a returning pilgrim you might be given a room in the abbey rather than the guest-house. Terry was there on his way to Plymouth and Santiago in 2009 and had a very warm welcome. If you would like more details (contact etc) then PM @TerryB .

I dropped Buckfast Abbey an email and got a reply from the guestmaster welcoming me inside an hour. It's highly recommended!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Buckfast Abbey

Many people in today’s world feel the need to “get away from it all”. Work, stress, feverish activity to make ends meet and keep others happy: it’s not unusual for this to be a description of our daily existence. And when we are too busy, we often let our spiritual life suffer: we find that we do not devote enough time to prayer, the reading of the Scriptures. We neglect our friendship with the Lord.

St Benedict tells us that “guests are to be welcomed as Christ” (Rule, 53,1), so Buckfast Abbey, like all Benedictine monasteries, offers people the chance to have time with the Lord; to take a little time out, to spend a few days away from everyday cares. Above all, the Abbey is a place where people can pray. Guests are invited to come to the church for the Divine Office which is celebrated by the monks six times a day and to participate in the daily Mass. The Abbey is also open for private prayer.

Guests are normally welcome to stay for private retreats, for not more than a week. The Abbey is not usually able to offer guided retreats.

Men are able to stay in the guest-house which is an integral part of the monastery building. They join the monks for meals and are asked to come to the Divine Office and to Mass; they spend the rest of the day as they wish, reading, relaxing, praying, walking.

 

[Tia Valeria]

There is also an 'external' guest house where I believe women can stay. Terry was in the abbey itself where the men (retreat guests and pilgrims) are lodged. He brought them back a shell from Santiago to join the shells they already had from pilgrims in the past.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

women can stay

In the same way, women and men are welcomed, either singly or as couples or larger groups, in Southgate, an ancient building close to the monastery which was completely renovated for use as a guest house in 1992. This renovation enabled some provision to be made for the accommodation of wheelchair users.

 

[mspath]

Gerry,

If by chance you will be biking near Reims in France on you way towards Vezelay please send me a pm. It would be a pleasure to meet/greet/and host you at our farm in Champagne overlooking the Marne River.

Bon chemin and Buen camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[Gerry Callaghan]

Reims

Many thanks for the invitation but this time I'll be cycling down the west coast of France. Reims is a bit off my road! Maybe next year!

 

[Jason Blackmore]

Hi Gerry (and all pilgrims),

I'm considering a similar cycle route to yourself, albeit a truncated one, as I live near Plymouth.. So it'd be Plymouth - Roscoff by ferry, then by bicycle from Roscoff - Santiago picking up route Frances at first opportunity then Santiago to Santander by route Norte and on the ferry back to Plymouth.

I'm wondering how long this part of your journey took you, and how you found the going? I've got a road/touring bike. Any advice, insights and links to online stuff you found useful would be most gratefully received.

Warm regards,

Jason

 

[Gerry Callaghan]

Hi Gerry (and all pilgrims),

I'm considering a similar cycle route to yourself, albeit a truncated one, as I live near Plymouth.. So it'd be Plymouth - Roscoff by ferry, then by bicycle from Roscoff - Santiago picking up route Frances at first opportunity then Santiago to Santander by route Norte and on the ferry back to Plymouth.

I'm wondering how long this part of your journey took you, and how you found the going? I've got a road/touring bike. Any advice, insights and links to online stuff you found useful would be most gratefully received.

Warm regards,

Jason

Hi Jason (and anyone else interested)
I'm just back after a wonderful five-week trip. It did not go exactly as planned but was very enjoyable.

I've got a Koga randoneur, a really great bike for this sort of trip. I had no problems whatever, if you don't count two punctures.

I cycled from Clonmacnoise to Cork, staying with warmshowers hosts along the way. Cork to Roscoff by Brittany Ferries. Cycle across Brittany and La Vendee almost as far as La Rochelle staying in hostels and with WS hosts along the way. I followed the Velodyssee most of the way. The Nantes-Brest canal is very good, though don't attempt to do it all in one day! (Do what I say not what I do!)

At this stage I decided that I was supposed to be on the Camino instead of doddling down west France! Not to mention that France is much more expensive than Camino-oriented Spain.

Took the train to Dax, outside Bayonne and started the camino proper from there. A day cycling to SJPdP and then set out on the Camino Frances on 29th April.

The first day I pushed and carried my bike across the Via Napoleon to the great amusement of the walkers! After that I followed the tarmac when the walkers path was of too poor a quality. The N - routes in Spain have almost all been by-passed by motorways so there is little or no traffic on them.

I followed Brierley's Camino Frances guide to Santiago de Compostello. I found that I could do the distance of two or three walking days in each cycling day. Never had any problems getting accommodation in albergues but then this was early May. It might be different from Sarria in July or August.

I was a bit anxious about the Meseta but, apart from one mildly windy day, it was fine. La Cruz de Ferro was spectacular, with mountains and ragged mist. When I got over O'Cebrerio into Gallecia it was like coming home into the west of Ireland.

Things got a little busy on the Camino after Sarria with people doing their 100km trip. SdeC was very interesting but very touristy. After a two-day break I continued to Finnistere. This was a much more satisfactory end to the Camino.

For family reasons I had to cut the trip short by a week so I did not do the Camino del Norte. I did take the bus back to Santander which took me over some spectacular mountains. I think Camino del Norte is on my list for next year. Ferry back to Plymouth and then back to Ireland.

All in all a wonderful trip, great places, great people and great scenery. If I was doing it again I think I would skip most of France, possibly start cycling from Bayonne. I would go slower too, stop and investigate villages and churches rather then pushing on to meed a target distance each day.

Buen Camino!

 

[Jason Blackmore]

What a fantastic sounding trip Gerry, and I'm pleased it went smoothly.

It's looking like I'll be taking the Eurovelo Atlantic route down, and picking up the camino after Irun (I'm hoping with the mountains behind me? From what I've gathered, the paved version ala Higginson guide seems to be all my bike will be suited to for the most part, though I will hope to get on the trails where possible.

So many other things to consider too.. I've just got myself a BOB cycle trailer, which I'm thinking of loading with tent and things, so I can camp down through France and economize a bit, but that in itself carries a host of other considerations (getting lower grearing than at present for a start!).
It was also good to read you were able to get a bicycle on the bus to Santander, I'd been wondering whether they take bike-laden peregrinos..

I guess I'll figure a lot out as I go, but your sharing advice and experience has been both helpful and appreciated.


Muchos gracias Senor,

Jason

 

[Gerry Callaghan]

Hi Jason,
Alsa bus is fine but they insist that you take the front wheel off your bike and package it for transport. It's an additional 10 EUR for the bike.
They will sell you a good quality bike bag for 12 EUR so you don't have to bring one with you. I don't know how they will respond to having a BOB trailer, they might charge you for two bikes!
I'll pm you my email address if you want to chat further without annoying everyone else on the forum!

 

[Diggeratpctcd]

Hi Jason,
Alsa bus is fine but they insist that you take the front wheel off your bike and package it for transport. It's an additional 10 EUR for the bike.
They will sell you a good quality bike bag for 12 EUR so you don't have to bring one with you. I don't know how they will respond to having a BOB trailer, they might charge you for two bikes!
I'll pm you my email address if you want to chat

 

[Diggeratpctcd]

Thanks for the inspiration all! I think I may loop my Camino in September . Now reading this i might just walk Camino frances to Santiago de Compestella and then go reverse back to France on Camino del Norte in October. I'll start my feasibility study!

 

[elaz]

In April/May 2015 I'll be cycling various caminos. From Clonmacnoise, in the Irish midlands, to Cork, ferry to Roscoff, down the west coast of France, then Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostello.

For the trip home I'll follow the Camino del Norte in reverse to Santander, take the ferry to Plymouth and come home via Bristol, Cardiff and Fishguard to Rosslare.

There are fewer auberges on Del Norte, but having greater distances between them is not a great difficulty to a cyclist. I appreciate that the signage on Del Norte will be a bit sparse, everything points towards Santiago de Compostello and nothing points away from it!

Has anyone done it or have any wonderful thoughts or suggestions on the trip? (The Camino provides but only if you ask!)

Hi Gerry - I wonder if you can share your experience walking the Camino del Norte in reverse - specifically Santander > Bilbao, was it easy enough to navigate? And, enjoyable?