Camino del Norte starting in Hondaribia in April

[Niels]

Well, flight tickets booked to Biarritz April 19th and back from Santiago June 6th. So, the journey goes via del Norte to San Vicente de Barquera, where I'll join the Camino Lebaniego to Fuente De and cross the Picos to Sotres, Las Arenas, the lakes and Covadunga and walk to Arriondas. From there on a train back to San Vicente and del Norte; continue walking to Oviedo and start the Camino Primitivo to Santiago. If I still have any feet left, I just might continue to Muxia and Fisterra. Hope to meet some of you on the way.

 

[Dave]

Congrats, Niels! Sounds like an awesome adventure. I wonder how much snow you'll face in the Picos in early May. Please share some of your experiences on this route as you proceed!

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, flight tickets booked to Biarritz April 19th and back from Santiago June 6th. So, the journey goes via del Norte to San Vicente de Barquera, where I'll join the Camino Lebaniego to Fuente De and cross the Picos to Sotres, Las Arenas, the lakes and Covadunga and walk to Arriondas. From there on a train back to San Vicente and del Norte; continue walking to Oviedo and start the Camino Primitivo to Santiago. If I still have any feet left, I just might continue to Muxia and Fisterra. Hope to meet some of you on the way.

Wow, I agree with Dave that this is an amazing itinerary. I walked the Lebaniego a few years ago, but continued on the Vadiniense after the gorgeous mountain hike from Fuente De on the Senda de Remona (may not have the name right), which then goes from there to Portilla de la Reina and south to Mansilla de las Mulas and the Frances. Your walk sounds stunning and filled with mountain beauty.

Do you have a good guide, Niels, or are you one of these people who can just find your way with a compass and a map?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Wow! A word to the wise: avoid the albergue in San Vicente, but do not miss the church just behind it. It's a national cultural monument, they do charge a small fee to visit but give you a tour and how else can these monuments be conserved if we don't help out.

 

[Castilian]

Enjoy every step and every stop of your camino(s).

Senda de Remona (may not have the name right),

Don't worry, you have the right name: Senda de Remoña.

 

[Niels]

Congrats, Niels! Sounds like an awesome adventure. I wonder how much snow you'll face in the Picos in early May. Please share some of your experiences on this route as you proceed!

Thanks, I will do my best to share, Dave. Your book was in fact the first, I bought for this trip. It's been a great help. And as for the snow in the Picos: well, i will have my fingers crossed for an early springtime, but if I have to skip a stage, I won't be lying sleepless ...

 

[Niels]

Wow, I agree with Dave that this is an amazing itinerary. I walked the Lebaniego a few years ago, but continued on the Vadiniense after the gorgeous mountain hike from Fuente De on the Senda de Remona (may not have the name right), which then goes from there to Portilla de la Reina and south to Mansilla de las Mulas and the Frances. Your walk sounds stunning and filled with mountain beauty.

Do you have a good guide, Niels, or are you one of these people who can just find your way with a compass and a map?

Thanks for your post. I did think about continuing on the Vadiniense as well, but my priority was to return to the del Norte and Primitivo. So I had to leave that out. As for a guide. I do have bought a couple of books writing about trails in the Picos, but I've had to serach the internet as well - and will have both compass and GPS as well.

 

[peregrina2000]

Wow! A word to the wise: avoid the albergue in San Vicente.

Anemone, it sounds like we had similar experiences here, though I went back for round two after my first beating. I had a very negative experience there in 2006, on my first Norte, and I wrote about it on another thread about difficult hospitaleros: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...a-from-hell-another-tale-from-a-pilgrim.2572/

When I walked the Lebaniego/Vadiniense, though, I knew I would have to stay there because of my lack of information about the Caminos. The hospitalero has a lot of information on the route, which is (or was at that time) very unknown. I was hoping he didn't remember me (I don't think he did), and the night was uneventful. Unfortunately the next morning, he very aggressively insisted that I stay to translate into English the after-breakfast advice he gives every morning with updates about construction, marking, etc. As a result, I didn't get started on my Lebaniego till at least 9:30. If I were to go back, I would probably sleep in a pension, there are loads of them since San Vicente is a tourist town. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Niels]

Wow! A word to the wise: avoid the albergue in San Vicente, but do not miss the church just behind it. It's a national cultural monument, they do charge a small fee to visit but give you a tour and how else can these monuments be conserved if we don't help out.

Thanks, Anemone. I don't plan to stay in San Vicente. But I will try to visit the church there. Being a pilgrimage means for me to visit both the great churches and monasteries on the way, but even then I'll send you a thought when being to the church in San Vicente.

 

[Niels]

Anemone, it sounds like we had similar experiences here, though I went back for round two after my first beating. I had a very negative experience there in 2006, on my first Norte, and I wrote about it on another thread about difficult hospitaleros: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...a-from-hell-another-tale-from-a-pilgrim.2572/

When I walked the Lebaniego/Vadiniense, though, I knew I would have to stay there because of my lack of information about the Caminos. The hospitalero has a lot of information on the route, which is (or was at that time) very unknown. I was hoping he didn't remember me (I don't think he did), and the night was uneventful. Unfortunately the next morning, he very aggressively insisted that I stay to translate into English the after-breakfast advice he gives every morning with updates about construction, marking, etc. As a result, I didn't get started on my Lebaniego till at least 9:30. If I were to go back, I would probably sleep in a pension, there are loads of them since San Vicente is a tourist town. Buen camino, Laurie

It's always hard to comment on matters like these, where you're not able to hear the other part tell his side of the story. But even then, I'm glad, I probably won't have to stay in San Vicente. Jobbing as a volunteer is no excuse for a behaviour like the mentioned. I hope, he didn't spoil your day back then. You just have to leave him behind.

 

[peregrina2000]

It's always hard to comment on matters like these, where you're not able to hear the other part tell his side of the story. But even then, I'm glad, I probably won't have to stay in San Vicente. Jobbing as a volunteer is no excuse for a behaviour like the mentioned. I hope, he didn't spoil your day back then. You just have to leave him behind.

You know, Niels, one of the great things about my many caminos is that I have developed the ability to put all of this behind me -- I could never have written about that incident today with the same strength of emotion and hurt as I did then, and not just because of the passage of years. Becoming less judgmental and being able to shrug things off without harboring resentment are some of the many many things we can learn from the camino.

 

[Castilian]

I did think about continuing on the Vadiniense as well, but my priority was to return to the del Norte and Primitivo. So I had to leave that out.

You can go to the Primitivo starting point (Oviedo) making Vadiniense plus a short stage on the Francés (Mansilla de las Mulas to León) plus the Camino del Salvador.

As you plan to walk the Primitivo, that means you'll miss part of the Norte anyway so I don't think there's a big difference if you miss all the way from San Vicente de la Barquera onwards or just from the split between the Norte and the liaison with the Primitivo after Villaviciosa.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thanks, Anemone. I don't plan to stay in San Vicente. But I will try to visit the church there. Being a pilgrimage means for me to visit both the great churches and monasteries on the way, but even then I'll send you a thought when being to the church in San Vicente.

That is so kind of you. Thank you. It is a simple bulding, but its volumes/propotions give a bery speacial vibe, very comforting. Also, each of the large planks that make up the floor is the top of a casket/tomb. Gives the place a very speacial feeling.

If you enjoy churches' architecture, I bought in Santiago a translation to Spanish by Denis McNamara, How to Read Churches. Had actually seen in Santiago on a previous Camino and regreted not buying it. So happy to have found there again.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

You know, Niels, one of the great things about my many caminos is that I have developed the ability to put all of this behind me -- I could never have written about that incident today with the same strength of emotion and hurt as I did then, and not just because of the passage of years. Becoming less judgmental and being able to shrug things off without harboring resentment are some of the many many things we can learn from the camino.

Hi Laurie,

As much as I understand what you are conveying, judgement is what makes us better as a society. Not mean, petty jugement, but applying the brains we have been given to strive towards discovery, inovation and yes, self improvement.

I keep reading on this forum "don't judge or you will be judged" as if being juged is a bad think. It may not always be fun, but a bad thing when it is coming from those with more experience, people one respects, etc.? If it is coming from fools, or is a one-of then just go, but if it's constant and repetitive, then allow red flags to pop up and pay attention.

Everything that has been invested by the community in this albergue is being delapidated. It is such a pity. And why?

The community not taking control of this albergue again to clean it, repair it, and also tweak attitudes, will only decrease the number of people paying to visit Santa Maria de los Angeles and the castle, eating is some of the town's restaurants in the evenings.

That's why it's important to excerice jugement, raise a flag... At least in my opinion.

And again, when meeting the }>{+]€£!!! crowds of ^}*}]+€| and >£+{'@&: after Melide this spring I thought back to what I have learned in meditation and wrote here about it being a lesson in observance, not letting myself being carried away in though, etc., because that is something that really is harder to do anything about, but letting an albergue fall into such a poor state is a whole other thing.

Friends? ;0)

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Laurie,

As much as I understand what you are conveying, judgement is what makes us better as a society. Not mean, petty jugement, but applying the brains we have been given to strive towards discovery, inovation and yes, self improvement.

I keep reading on this forum "don't judge or you will be judged" as if being juged is a bad think. It may not always be fun, but a bad thing when it is coming from those with more experience, people one respects, etc.? If it is coming from fools, or is a one-of then just go, but if it's constant and repetitive, then allow red flags to pop up and pay attention.

Everything that has been invested by the community in this albergue is being delapidated. It is such a pity. And why?

The community not taking control of this albergue again to clean it, repair it, and also tweak attitudes, will only decrease the number of people paying to visit Santa Maria de los Angeles and the castle, eating is some of the town's restaurants in the evenings.

That's why it's important to excerice jugement, raise a flag... At least in my opinion.

And again, when meeting the }>{+]€£!!! crowds of ^}*}]+€| and >£+{'@&: after Melide this spring I thought back to what I have learned in meditation and wrote here about it being a lesson in observance, not letting myself being carried away in though, etc., because that is something that really is harder to do anything about, but letting an albergue fall into such a poor state is a whole other thing.

Friends? ;0)

Friends? Of course! I don't disagree with what you say, and I think we are talking about very different things - I was describing my own personal umbrage at what I thought was his rude and demeaning treatment. At the time it happened to me, I was upset for a long time, rehashing all his insults, being self-righteous about his lack of camino spirit, etc etc. That was corrosive and not productive. If it were to happen now, it wouldn't get under my skin like that. That's a good thing, for me anyway. I agree that making noise and voicing honest opinions (and yes, even making a judgment) is a good thing, so no disagreement from me on that! Maybe when I said that I had become less "judgmental" I didn't use the correct term -- what I meant was that I have found it easier to not get bent out of shape by others' actions. And I agree with you completely about the church and castle in San Vicente -- well worth a visit for anyone walking the Norte!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Yeah to not let bad hospitality eat you up while still call on poorly managed conditions and takinng "adavantage " of walkers.

 

[Jacquie Cattanach]

Well, flight tickets booked to Biarritz April 19th and back from Santiago June 6th. So, the journey goes via del Norte to San Vicente de Barquera, where I'll join the Camino Lebaniego to Fuente De and cross the Picos to Sotres, Las Arenas, the lakes and Covadunga and walk to Arriondas. From there on a train back to San Vicente and del Norte; continue walking to Oviedo and start the Camino Primitivo to Santiago. If I still have any feet left, I just might continue to Muxia and Fisterra. Hope to meet some of you on the way.

Hi Niels, your itinerary sounds very close to ours. We will be starting in Hondarribia on April 18th, then walking to San Vicente, where we think that we will take the bus into Potes, do a couple valley walks, see the area, then bus back to San Vicente, walk to Olviedo and bus into Cangas de Onis. The information that I have found seemed to indicate that it is a big of a dangerous walk into Potes from San Vicente, then also difficult and could be dangerous to get to the other side (Arriondas). Is this what you have found too? Maybe our paths will cross.

Jacquie

 

[Niels]

Hi Niels, your itinerary sounds very close to ours. We will be starting in Hondarribia on April 18th, then walking to San Vicente, where we think that we will take the bus into Potes, do a couple valley walks, see the area, then bus back to San Vicente, walk to Olviedo and bus into Cangas de Onis. The information that I have found seemed to indicate that it is a big of a dangerous walk into Potes from San Vicente, then also difficult and could be dangerous to get to the other side (Arriondas). Is this what you have found too? Maybe our paths will cross.

Jacquie

Hi Jacquie. Yeah, that's right, we seem to be walking on the same ground. The rout outside of San Vicente to Potes - and Fuente Dé - is a waymarked Camino, called Camino Lebaniego. In fact next year, it's going to be the Camino of the year. It's abit low on albergues though, even casa rurales are few in this area. But I won't consider it dangerous, The most dangerous part is from what I've read the part on the highway, which can be avoided. In fact, the waymarks travel another route. If you want to read more, the official site is here, http://www.caminolebaniego.com/ruta-lebaniega/descripcion. The more dangerous part might come from Fuente Dé across the Picos. The Ruta de Conquista is the obvious one, of course, but I'm not sure, if I want to do that. Playing it safe would be to go Tielve - maybe via Sotres - to Poncebos. That's the first part of Ruta de Conquista as well. There, In Poncebos, sure would like to walk the Ruta del Cares. From Poncebos you could walk more or less along the road to Covadunga. But of course, there'll be a lot of asphalt. First, that was my choice, but it's definitely a detour. The last part of Ruta de Conquista's the obvious route to choose, and it'a a path. No cliff climbing. It's 11 hours of mountain walking, and using GPS should do it. But I haven't decided yet. Check this page out. https://translate.google.dk/transla...padarural.com/blog/la-ruta-de-la-reconquista/ The original site is It's a google translation of the original Spanish site. The original is http://www.escapadarural.com/blog/la-ruta-de-la-reconquista/ If you choose to return to San Vicente from Potes, and from San Vicente go to Arriondas, at best you'll have to spend a complete day. In worst case, two days. .... Oh, and I've found this on youtube,

The complete route ... See you later, Niels.
Ruta de Conquistada
Ruta de Conquistada

 

[Jacquie Cattanach]

That sounds like quite the journey Niels. Thanks for all the info! We have done some more thinking and searching on this and thinking that we will walk from San Vicente to Unquera, where we will take a bus to Potes. Spend a couple days walking in the Picos, bus back to Unquera and continue walking to Olviedo, where we can easily get into Cangas de Onis. If nothing else, it'll provide variety. Hope that we run into you on your Camino!