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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.Hello!! With fingers and toes crossed... starting Camino Del Norte in mid August!! This will be my fourth Camino.
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.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.
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.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.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 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!!In that last 100 km check out Albergue Rural Witericus between Baamonde and Sobrado dos Monxes.
I did these stages in that section
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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!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