Camino del Norte - Starting point

[evanlow]

Hi All,

I'll be walking Camino del Norte (after a break 4 years) in later April/early May. I have few questions:

1. Any reason to start from Irun instead of San Sebastian?

2. Guides. There isn't really many English guides out there for Camino del Norte that is also small/lightweight and can be shipped internationally. In any case, I am planning to just grab information available on the web and compiled it into both a PDF (printing) and eBook (on my mobile). Any good updated links to help prepare for this doc? I suppose elevation maps are not really important for this route, or am I wrong?

 

[sillydoll]

When my Spanish friend visited me recently she brought me 10 copies of a little guide called THE NORTHERN WAYS TO SANTIAGO. It covers the Norte, Primitivo, Inland route, Baztanés Way and the Lebaniego Way. It has daily stage maps, a profile map, route descriptions and a pull out map in the back of the book with a complete map of the northern routes. It is accompanied by a multilingual booklet called The Northern Ways to Santiago ACCOMMODATION.[/] which lists all the accommodation on those routes including hotels, camping etc. in 2011/2012.

I'm sure you'll be able to pick on up in a tourist office or from the Amigos office in Irun or San Sebastian.

 

[evanlow]

Wow SIl,

This is great news. Will certainly pay the tourist office a visit in San Sebastian.

 

[mikevasey]

Any reason to start from Irun instead of San Sebastian?

Hi

It depends on how you feel about mountains, especially walking up them and down againhttp://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaizkibel, there is a good youtube clip of the route http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZYpZSkTotk. When you walk from Irun you will eventually come to a sign which offers you to go the normal camino or the 'Alpinsta' route, if you do go the high way the day can be made shorter by staying in Pasajes de San Juan http://www.caminodesantiago.Consumer.es/hospital-de-peregrinos-santa-ana.


Mike

p.s While there are no real elevation climbs like the Camino Frances, it is known as a 'saw tooth' type route, going up and down very sharply, at least as far as Bilbao

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Evan,
Glad to see you're going back! Your advice on the Vdlp was very helpful to me, thanks for that.

The main attraction of the first day is the chance to see the little old (and now touristy) fishing villages of Pasajes de San Juan and Pasajes de San Pedro. They are charming, especially if the weather cooperates. After taking the boat across from one Pasajes to the other, there's your first ascent, up to a ridge that takes you through a park-like trail, some alone the coast, then down to San Sebastian. Google images gives you a good idea: http://www.google.es/search?tbm=isch&hl ... 21l0.7l7l0

As Mike says, the ascents on the Norte tend to be short and steep, maybe 400-500 feet. There's very little in the way of sustained elevation gain over thousands of feet. The Norte is filled with these little jaunts, down to the beaches, up to the headlands.

I used the Confraternity guides (there's one from Irun to Villaviciosa; part 2 for the rest -- I think that's so if you decide to drop down to the Primitivo near Oviedo, you don't need part 2). I see they have been totally updated in 2010, so I think they would meet your requirements in terms of weight and language.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Erik Staffeldt]

Hi All,

I'll be walking Camino del Norte (after a break 4 years) in later April/early May. I have few questions:

1. Any reason to start from Irun instead of San Sebastian?

2. Guides. There isn't really many English guides out there for Camino del Norte that is also small/lightweight and can be shipped internationally. In any case, I am planning to just grab information available on the web and compiled it into both a PDF (printing) and eBook (on my mobile). Any good updated links to help prepare for this doc? I suppose elevation maps are not really important for this route, or am I wrong?

1. Irun is close to the San Sebastian airport, end the first move from Irun is beautiful.
2. Did you checked out Eroski Consumer, who has an app as well with the caminos...

 

[Paulus]

Evan,

Maybe this will help you: http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/mapas-generales.htm
and .......... The Norte starts at Irun (not in San Sebastian) at the bridge between Hendaya and Irun!

First track to SS is great!!

Paul

 

[evanlow]

Wow. Lot's of information here. I will probably be flying into Madrid and onto a train or bus to San Sebastian.

Sil - Thanks for the information on the guides.

Mike - Lovely video on the 1st day. Definitely worth going back and walk.

Laurie - Have done the Primitivo from Oviedo so I will probably go along the coast instead.

Erik - Thanks for the Eroski site. I found it via Google.

Since there is still time, I would still like to assemble the Norte document, not only for myself but also future Norte walkers. In fact, just some ideas at the top of my head, I would like for the guide to be collaborative, and maybe in the future not only for the Norte but also for the other routes. Just thinking.......

 

[mikevasey]

Since there is still time, I would still like to assemble the Norte document, not only for myself but also future Norte walkers. In fact, just some ideas at the top of my head, I would like for the guide to be collaborative, and maybe in the future not only for the Norte but also for the other routes. Just thinking.......

.

This is the right place to be asking that question. So many people on here with extensive knowledge of the various routes. Several Individuals walking any one route at different times of the year, notes can made up and then passed on to the next person to be checked. CSJ do this and people on this forum are very active in producing guides for them, but there is a lot of people from around the globe who come on here and have very little to do with CSJ. The guides do not have to stay in English, they can be translated into Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch etc etc.

We may be a little late for the Norte and Primitivo, there is a guide for them coming out later in the year from Cicerone Press compiled by a North American couple see this topic thread http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/el-camino-del-norte/topic11859.html.

 

[evanlow]

Sil,

I've found the guide you mentioned online on the Basque Country Web Site.

http://tourism.euskadi.net/x65-19143/en/

GUIDE TO THE NORTHERN WAYS OF ST. JAMES
Two PDFs.
1. The guide (direct link -> http://tourism.euskadi.net/contenid...os/2011/santiago/Caminos del Norte INGLES.pdf )
2. The pullout map. (direct link -> http://tourism.euskadi.net/contenid.../2011/santiago/Mapa desplegable 2011_INGL.pdf )

Can't seems to locate the Accommodations guide.

So for anyone planning to walk the Camino Norte, here's you guide in English on PDF. Free, courtesy of of the Euskadi Tourism Board.

 

[mikevasey]

Its a good idea what your doing Evan, it does not need to be obsolete because of the handout, rather complimentary with pilgrims observations and notes about the etapas and albergues. There is possibly a new albergue on the way in Polanco and a private one coming on the coast after Guemes, details can be given on your lists which you probably wont find anywhere else this year.

A Big Thanks for what you have done.

Mike

 

[evanlow]

Accommodation and distance guide.

I just scanned them into a PDF.

http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/el-camino-del-norte/topic13001.html#p89141

 

[Sue Kranz]

Sil,

I've found the guide you mentioned online on the Basque Country Web Site.

http://tourism.euskadi.net/x65-19143/en/

GUIDE TO THE NORTHERN WAYS OF ST. JAMES
Two PDFs.
1. The guide (direct link -> http://tourism.euskadi.net/contenidos/informacion/x65_folletos/en_x65/folletos/2011/santiago/Caminos del Norte INGLES.pdf )
2. The pullout map. (direct link -> http://tourism.euskadi.net/contenidos/informacion/x65_folletos/en_x65/folletos/2011/santiago/Mapa desplegable 2011_INGL.pdf )

Can't seems to locate the Accommodations guide.

So for anyone planning to walk the Camino Norte, here's you guide in English on PDF. Free, courtesy of of the Euskadi Tourism Board.

A few years later! The links to the Northern routes must be outdated. I tried, but all I got was black background!

I'm excited to walk el Norte!
Sue