Camino Del Norte starting 3rd September 2021

[MadFrank]

Hi. All being well and subject to restrictions I fly to Biarritz on Thursday 2nd September and start my Camino the next day. My last Camino was SJPP to Santiago completed in early May 2019. Looking forward to getting back out.

 

[Kimmzie]

Hello!! With fingers and toes crossed... starting Camino Del Norte in mid August!! This will be my fourth Camino.

 

[Coverbid]

Hello!! With fingers and toes crossed... starting Camino Del Norte in mid August!! This will be my fourth Camino.

Hi, i am hoping for Camino Del Norte soon as well. coming from America so still watching for a safe opening window and news. Did the Frances in 2018 didn't have any issues. As i research the Del Norte I am finding a differing of opinions, from tough at the beginning and walking on lots of pavement and then i am concerned about the last 100 or so kms. I am wondering about how rural and isolated that part is. Just wondering if you have the same concerns or other concerns i might not be aware of about the Del Norte.
Wish you luck, Mike

 

[Caminogoat]

Buen Camino! I am hoping to do it in October. I already postponed twice. El Norte is my favorite. BTY, there is a great Vietnamese restaurant within a block from the Biarritz Train Station, that is if you enjoy Vietnamese food.

 

[Judy's Way]

My husband and I are planning on walking from Bilbao on the del Norte to continue where we left off in 2019. We took the bus from Bilbao to Oviedo to walk the Primitivo. The views from the bus window were spectacular so we’ve got to go back. We’ll leave Bilbao on September 3rd.

 

[The Kolbist]

we might bump into each other as we plan to start in Irun around that time

 

[Frank1963]

I will start in Irun 1 september .

 

[Allyson Hughes]

Hi. All being well and subject to restrictions I fly to Biarritz on Thursday 2nd September and start my Camino the next day. My last Camino was SJPP to Santiago completed in early May 2019. Looking forward to getting back out.

Buen Camino. I want to do this one too but waiting to see how it goes. I did the LPEV and CF in 2019 and want to do another French one tying to the Norte.

 

[Little Flower]

Buen Camino!
I planned for del Norte last spring in 2020 from California, but it's postponed to next spring, middle of April in 2022. I will start from Irun.
Good wishes and blessings for everyone who will do del Norte this year!

 

[lt56ny]

Hi, i am hoping for Camino Del Norte soon as well. coming from America so still watching for a safe opening window and news. Did the Frances in 2018 didn't have any issues. As i research the Del Norte I am finding a differing of opinions, from tough at the beginning and walking on lots of pavement and then i am concerned about the last 100 or so kms. I am wondering about how rural and isolated that part is. Just wondering if you have the same concerns or other concerns i might not be aware of about the Del Norte.
Wish you luck, Mike

I walked the Norte in October to early November 2018. I found the first couple of weeks tough (I was 64 when I did it) lots of ups and downs, similar to walking out of Le Puy in France. Picture leaving St. Jean every morning except the uphills are not as long but more of them. Lots of downhills also. In my mind the Norte is spectacular. In terms of scenery I believe it is prettier than the CF. I do not know when you will be walking but when I walked it was never very crowded. I found that as you reached the cities people would leave the camino who were only doing a week or two but there would not really be people who were starting, unlike the Frances. When I got to Villaviciosa almost everyone who was still walking went to walk the Primitivo. After the split there were just a few days that I saw anyone In albergues there were many nights I was alone. It was weird because in Vilalba the albergue I stayed in was empty. It was a really nice albergue. I don't remember if the municipal was closed or I spaced out and walked by it. But the place I stayed was really clean and nice. I do remember only seeing the two people that shared one of the best albergues anywhere with me the night before. The Albergue O Xistral. Not to be missed. The next night I was in Baamonde in the Muni. That night it started to get more crowded with pilgrims. It continued to get more crowded the closer to Santiago I got. Crowded is relative as compared to walking from Sarria it was pretty quiet indeed.
It all comes down to what you like. I enjoy the solitude. I guess walking earlier will afford more pilgrims. I am pretty sure the Primitivo will have more pilgrims if you choose to split off. I met some friends in Arzua who walked the Norte and then did the Primitivo. They said it was really beautiful. Easily as beautiful as the Norte but different scenery. They also said it was much tougher. They were all younger then me in their 20's and 30's and they did not find the Norte all that hard. It is all relative

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[MadFrank]

Hi, i am hoping for Camino Del Norte soon as well. coming from America so still watching for a safe opening window and news. Did the Frances in 2018 didn't have any issues. As i research the Del Norte I am finding a differing of opinions, from tough at the beginning and walking on lots of pavement and then i am concerned about the last 100 or so kms. I am wondering about how rural and isolated that part is. Just wondering if you have the same concerns or other concerns i might not be aware of about the Del Norte.
Wish you luck, Mike

Hi. I share all your concerns. i think I have watched every You Tube on the Camino del Norte and no one seems to have any issues. I like trying to find vlogs that are in the same month as when I’m going to get an idea of the weather conditions. I do a mixture of Albergue and Hotels I find the hotels I get a much better nights sleep. However if there is not many people on the Camino you might have the Albergue to yourself.
I wish you luck if finding that window of opportunity to cross the pond to start you Camino. If I’m honest I don’t think I’ll be able to start with borders being closed.

 

[trecile]

In that last 100 km check out Albergue Rural Witericus between Baamonde and Sobrado dos Monxes.

Carballedo (Santa Leocadia), Lugo | Albergues y Hoteles | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

I did these stages in that section

 

[lt56ny]

In that last 100 km check out Albergue Rural Witericus between Baamonde and Sobrado dos Monxes.

Carballedo (Santa Leocadia), Lugo | Albergues y Hoteles | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

I did these stages in that section
View attachment 101774

I can't believe you would recommend this place and have pilgrims miss the experience of the Pilgrim albergue in Baamonde. I have the fondest memories of laughing instead of crying with my new German friend that shared a small room with me where we realized it was much colder in our room than out in the garden, where there was a dripping leak, we could see our own breath and we slept in all our clothes!!
He and I did have fun that night. Eating across the street where our dinner was as bad as our room. Of course nothing was open when I left the next morning, still raining.
I am about 99.9% sure I had coffee and bought two bocadillos and had a tortilla at the albergue you recommended. It was the first place open that morning. It was a vivid camino memory. Cant believe I walked in November with just a sleep sack that year.

 

[JerryStroebele]

I agree on the Albergue Rural Witericus. Delightful. Coverbird, here are some suggestions for your first del Norte. Likely it will not be your last. My preferred guide book is the Village to Village map guide (small and very light). Next is the Wise Pilgrim guide. And have ALL the apps.

Yes, the beginning has a lot of steep up and down. Clip your toenails back as far as you can because you will be pounding your toes into your boots on the downhills.

Learn some Basque greetings.

Visit the supermercado near the albergue in Irun the day before you start. When you walk out of town -- you are out of town. Almost. About half a km beyond the river, where you turn off the road, is a bakery with food and drink, opens early. You just have to backtrack to the camino the half km. But carry one euro coins. If you need a cold drink at the first "stop", the church at Santuario de Gualdalupe, 4 km UP from Irun, there is a bar, but it is not always open, but there is a vending machine in front. If the bar is open, in 2103 the soup was great.

If you take the high route, very steep at first, but great scenery, when you get to the radio building, the route continues at the bottom of the fence on the right. In 2017 the yellow arrow here was so faded I missed it and learned never again to try to bushwhack in gorse.

In San Sebastian you can eat the best bowl of chili ever at the Yellow Deli, just a block or so north of the Camino in old town.

6 km before Zarautz is the private albergue Orio. Worth stopping early and be sure to buy the dinner.

In Guernica spend a few minutes at the outdoor depiction of Picasso's famous Civil War painting. The camino goes right by the famous Basque oak tree.

In Laredo stay at Albergue Trinidad, run by the nuns.

Spend an extra half day to divert 2 km off the camino at Santillana del Mar to visit the Museo Altamira. Lifesize EXACT reproduction of the Cuevo de Altamira right next door. Stunning cave art from 16,000 years ago. Also a nice cafe. Few pilgrims bother, to their great loss. But the medieval town of Santillana del Mar is also worth an hour or two. Also, nice albergue in the old horse stable.

In Comillas spend 3 euros to walk through one of the first houses designed by Gaudi. Awsome! Not even half a km off the camino.

Do yourself a huge favor, take the bus from downtown Gijon to Aviles. Way too much industry and traffic walking. So, you will likely get to Aviles early in the day. Continue on 6 km to Salinas, buy some groceries for your dinner, walk another km up to the albergue San Martin de Laspra, right on the camino. Most hospitable hospitalero.

9 km past Soto de Luina is Bar Gayo, on the right. Best menu del dia ever. If you drink too much wine they run the Pension Prada across the street with a reasonable pilgrim rate. FRIENDLY PEOPLE.

Just before Canero and right on the camino, is a new albergue owned and run by an American, Richard Millner. Castellito Ricardo. +34 611 099 658. Unfortunately he opened it just before the Covid shut him down.

Tapia de Casariego's municipal albergue is just before town, on the camino, right on the sea cliffs. Delightful.

At Sobrado do Monxes I prefer the private Albergue Lecer. Directly across the street (but slightly hidden) is my favorite Camino restaurant. I am not a foodie but if I ate there two nights in a row I probably would become one.

At Miraz is the delightful albergue San Martin, run by the English Confraternity of Saint James. Wood stove to dry your boots! But take your pick, San Martin or Wistericus, just 5 km before Miraz.

16 km from Arzua is the private Albergue Santa Irene. (There is a muni albergue just down the highway.)
Like Orio, opt for the dinner. And breakfast.

In Santiago I stay at albergue Roots and Boots. 1.2 km from the Praza do Obradoiro. DON'T MISS THE PILGRIMS MASS, no matter your religious preferences. Listen to the La Tuna minstrels around the Praza. Buen Camino

 

[Tom Hunter]

Hi, i am hoping for Camino Del Norte soon as well. coming from America so still watching for a safe opening window and news. Did the Frances in 2018 didn't have any issues. As i research the Del Norte I am finding a differing of opinions, from tough at the beginning and walking on lots of pavement and then i am concerned about the last 100 or so kms. I am wondering about how rural and isolated that part is. Just wondering if you have the same concerns or other concerns i might not be aware of about the Del Norte.
Wish you luck, Mike

I walked Irun to the Primitivo turnoff at Villaviciosa in 2019 and had walked through France from Geneva prior to this. Del Norte has a lot of asphalt and some walking on very busy roads. Some areas of the del Norte go through highly populated areas so there’s a lot of concrete around. Gets better after Santander but overall I found the French experience aesthetically better. There is a lack of public land in Spain so the path takes you primarily next or on roads. but I did enjoy the experience!