Camino Del Norte Planning Stages

[Jacquie Cattanach]

Flights are booked! My husband and I are flying into Bilbao on April 15, 2016 for our journey along the Camino del Norte. Last year we went through a company who organized our walk from Tui (border of Portugal and Spain) to Santiago. It only created a much greater desire to walk and see more of the Camino. This next time around, we are doing all the planning ourselves, so I wanted to throw some of our thoughts and plans out there with the hopes of guidance from the more experienced pilgrims.

We are planning on staying in more budget friendly hotels, hostals, pensions as opposed to albergues. We do value some privacy and a good night's sleep. However, I have been reading about some "do not miss" albergues that we might like to stay in and possibly some of the more smaller, private albergues too. If we go this route, then is it mandatory that we carry our own sleeping bag? I'm not sure if it is worth it to each carry a sleeping bag if we only need it for a few nights. However, we also don't want to miss out on some of these experiences.

We have a month on the trail, will arrive in Bilbao, bus to Irun and walk from Irun to Oviedo. We will take a rest day here and there at places that we would like to see and explore, or maybe just to take a day off. We would also like to visit the Picos de Europa and do some walks in there, so current plans have us leaving the Camino at Unquera and going into the Potes area for a few days. Returning to Unquera and continuing onto Oviedo, where we will go into Cangas de Onis for another few days to walk and explore the other side of the Picos. However, not knowing the area, I have no idea how logical this sounds. Then we will bus/train? back to Bilbao. Our hopes are to leave a suitcase with extra gear in Bilbao to continue on an extended trip in Europe.

We had also thought of walking into Potes on the Camino Lebaniego but it doesn't appear that there are many places for accommodations on that route, so would be worried that we might not find a place to stay.

Apologies for a bit of a brain dump, but would love advise or comments on:

• bedding and albergues - do we need to bring sleeping bags? Do private albergues offer bedding?
• easiest and most logical way to get into the Picos from the Camino?
• advise from anybody with experience on the Camino Leganiego from San Vicente de la Barquera to Potes?
• luggage storage options in Bilbao?

Thanks!!!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I'll just adress the bedding issue. Start by identifying the albergues you want to stay at, and find out if they offer bedding or not. Some offer all you need, including a duvet, but the vast majority do not. On the Eroski site you Will find e-mail addresses for most albergues so you can e-mail and ask directly. What I would also suggest is finding out if the albergues you want to stay at are open this early In the year. They may well be closed.

 

[Jacquie Cattanach]

Thank you - good advise. I have a list of the albergues. One of them being the one in Guemes, but I just read about bed bugs there???

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thank you - good advise. I have a list of the albergues. One of them being the one in Guemes, but I just read about bed bugs there???

Ahhhhh, Guemes. I stayed there. Came in mid-day and they offered lunch, a wonderful sopa de ajo. Mattresses are super thin, but the place is clean. Has a summer camp feel. Then there is the session in the evening when you hear about the founder's work, past and present, and what they do with current Prisoners. Some take it at face value for the meal and bed, others like the story, others doubt it and think it's a hoax so people give more than they would have otherwise.

I got lunch and dinner, a hot shower, a bed with an adjoining loo. It was worth my 20€. Was the local "health thérapist" treating people with bacon fat for a donation also worth the donation? Was the story a way to get people to give more? I guess I will never know. Others might. I was fine with it.

As for a sleeping bag, On this rainier route, and at that time of the year, I would bring one.

 

[spursfan]

For me, there's really no such thing as "do not miss" albergues - given a choice, I would pick a room of my own any night - though at the end of April you might not need a sleeping bag but instead bring just a silk sleeping bag liner (mine weighs just 130g) and supplement it with a blanket from the albergue

 

[TerryB]

I / We have been through Santander in April 6 times in the past 7 years. IMO if you want to stay in albergues you will need a medium weight sleeping bag. There is always the possibility of cold wet weather and even a touch of frost and snow on the higher ground. However if you do book ahead as suggested into private albergues, then you can ask about bedding. We stayed here the first week of May 2013 ;- http://www.gronze.com/asturias/pendueles/albergue-castiellu and bedding was provided. That year we walked from Barreda to Llanes, train (FEVE) to Arriondas and then walked in to Cangas de Onis and Covadonga. The weather was so wet that we used the train rather than walk the montoneros route from Llanes to Covadonga through the Picos: the river would have been waist deep over the stepping stones!
My advice would be like that give by Anemone del Camino, ask and book ahead and don't bother with sleeping bags.
Between Bilbao and Oviedo you will never be far from a bus / train route, so even if you get delayed you will be able to get to a pre-booked accommodation.

In April / May on the Norte / Primitivo / Ingles, we have never seen any bedbugs . They are more of a problem from June through the summer months.

If you need our itinary into Covadonga please PM me (start a conversation).

Blessings on your planning
Tio Tel

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Jacquie,
I have walked the Lebaniego from San Vicente de la Barquera to the monastery at Liebana and then continued on the Vadiniense from Potes to Mansilla de las Mulas/Leon. The walk from Potes to Fuente De has a few roadside kms at the beginning but has some very nice kms. However, if I were going to spend a few days just walking in that area, I'd park myself at Fuente De, probably in the parador, and do some of the walks in the cirque just heading out the door and then from up high after riding the cable car. My blog from that year (in my signature below) might have some things to help out. The stage from Fuente De on the Vadiniense walks part of the Senda de Remona, and there are lots of connecting trails that would lead you back to Fuente De instead out of the mountains and down to Portilla de la Reina.

I remembered and found a WSJ article on the topic, hope it's not blocked to you.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303908804579566310546254896

As far as transportation goes, when I walked, there were several people who walked from San Vicente to Potes/Liebana and then wanted to head back to the Norte, and they took a bus to Unquera, so that's probably the best way, as you have suggested.

I know that several forum members have walked in the Cangas de Onis/Covadonga area also, but you might have better luck posting a thread with those words in the title to catch their attention.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Tia Valeria]

As Terry says above we have our itinerary from 2013 adn a list of where we stayed (hotels/pensions etc). There is some info here on the forum (Cangas de Onis) plus posts both before and after and in our blog 'Walking Around' - starting again with this link in Cangas de Onis with more before and after.

 

[peregrina2000]

Some pics from the days near Fuente De. Sorry about the sizing, I will have to work on my photo skills again.

 

[Bianca]

Hi,

I cannot really say how easy this will be to do (but I don't think it would be too hard either) but I would actually like to give a hotel tip. A few years ago we were on a holiday in Asturias and went to Posada del Valle in Arriondas. I cannot recommend this place enough! It is run by a British couple who have been living in Spain for ages. They have their own organic farm with local produce and native breeds of sheep etc. surrounding the hotel. Everything they serve in their restaurant (the food is really nice too) is home made and most of it is home produced (sorry bad expression) as well. Apart from that they close in winter and go hiking around the Picos all the time, and they have tons of maps / routes they made themselves, which are very good.
Ok, that was it for the promo talk, I promise I'm not affiliated with them in any way, it was just a great experience!

Oh and by the way, I'm doing the Norte right now, and I have to say that it can always be slightly chilly sleeping next to open windows. (And I've had almost a month of 25-35 Celsius weather!) There usually are some blankets, but I really don't know if you would want to use these...

 

[Jacquie Cattanach]

Hi, Jacquie,
I have walked the Lebaniego from San Vicente de la Barquera to the monastery at Liebana and then continued on the Vadiniense from Potes to Mansilla de las Mulas/Leon. The walk from Potes to Fuente De has a few roadside kms at the beginning but has some very nice kms. However, if I were going to spend a few days just walking in that area, I'd park myself at Fuente De, probably in the parador, and do some of the walks in the cirque just heading out the door and then from up high after riding the cable car. My blog from that year (in my signature below) might have some things to help out. The stage from Fuente De on the Vadiniense walks part of the Senda de Remona, and there are lots of connecting trails that would lead you back to Fuente De instead out of the mountains and down to Portilla de la Reina.

I remembered and found a WSJ article on the topic, hope it's not blocked to you.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303908804579566310546254896

As far as transportation goes, when I walked, there were several people who walked from San Vicente to Potes/Liebana and then wanted to head back to the Norte, and they took a bus to Unquera, so that's probably the best way, as you have suggested.

I know that several forum members have walked in the Cangas de Onis/Covadonga area also, but you might have better luck posting a thread with those words in the title to catch their attention.

Buen camino, Laurie

Thanks Laurie for the info. I've read and enjoyed the article you referred to. We have considered walking the Lebaniego route. Are there many choices for accommodation along that way? The information I was looking at indicated that there wasn't much to choose from. Where did you stay on your way in to the monestary?

Thank you!

 

[Jacquie Cattanach]

Hi,

I cannot really say how easy this will be to do (but I don't think it would be too hard either) but I would actually like to give a hotel tip. A few years ago we were on a holiday in Asturias and went to Posada del Valle in Arriondas. I cannot recommend this place enough! It is run by a British couple who have been living in Spain for ages. They have their own organic farm with local produce and native breeds of sheep etc. surrounding the hotel. Everything they serve in their restaurant (the food is really nice too) is home made and most of it is home produced (sorry bad expression) as well. Apart from that they close in winter and go hiking around the Picos all the time, and they have tons of maps / routes they made themselves, which are very good.
Ok, that was it for the promo talk, I promise I'm not affiliated with them in any way, it was just a great experience!

Oh and by the way, I'm doing the Norte right now, and I have to say that it can always be slightly chilly sleeping next to open windows. (And I've had almost a month of 25-35 Celsius weather!) There usually are some blankets, but I really don't know if you would want to use these...

I have had a look at this hotel before - looks lovely. It's great to get a recommendation. Thank you - I'm going back to look at it more in depth. Lucky you being on the Camino right now - and sounds like great weather.

Buen Camino Bianca!

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks Laurie for the info. I've read and enjoyed the article you referred to. We have considered walking the Lebaniego route. Are there many choices for accommodation along that way? The information I was looking at indicated that there wasn't much to choose from. Where did you stay on your way in to the monestary?

Thank you!

Hi, Jackie,

The Lebaniego is short, a two day walk (at most three) into Potes. My only hesitation about doing it again would be that it is essentially all asphalt except for a portion between Cicera and Lebena. I posted some details on the walk here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-caminos-lebaniego-and-vadiniense.14649/ You can stay two nights in the albergue in Potes (which is very nice, located in an old jail right next to the river) so that you have a day to walk out and back to the monastery. The monastery used to have an albergue but I think it's closed. I stayed in the albergue in LaFuente on the first night and then walked into Potes the next. I had wanted to break the second day up into two but the only alternative is several kms off Camino and it is a youth hostel that was full that day.

If you look at econodan's blog, you can see his notes as well (he has several years combined, but one of them included the Lebaniego). http://camino-our-way.blogspot.com You can find other tidbits in the Vadiniense section of the forum, since the Lebaniego is often added to the Vadiniense. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/camino-vadiniense.100/

Buen camino, Laurie