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Many thanks for this. I am considering walking the Norte next year and had read there are many coastal alternatives. Earlier I have tried to find a summary of all possibilities but have not found it yet. Your action sure fills in a gap for me. Is there anything you can tell me about extra distances?Muchas Gracias otravez
Hi, Antonious, if you look at my live posts in connection with this document, https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/a-few-tips-from-the-camino-del-norte.48291/
I think you will see where the alternatives add on the most kms. If you think some of them would be too long, I'm happy to try to help you split them up. Buen camino, Laurie
Thanks again. Next Tuesday I will be starting the Salvador. In the next months I will start making plans for next year. I'll be studying your descriptions in more detail, looking at maps and so on. I fear I will contact you than to make use of your generous offer of providing more information. Probably my wife will be walking with me at least for 3 weeks or so. She will not be able to walk more than 15 km/ 10 miles per day. That will of course have a major influence on the planning possibilities.Hi, Antonious, if you look at my live posts in connection with this document, https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/a-few-tips-from-the-camino-del-norte.48291/
I think you will see where the alternatives add on the most kms. If you think some of them would be too long, I'm happy to try to help you split them up. Buen camino, Laurie
Hi, Antonius,Thanks again. Next Tuesday I will be starting the Salvador. In the next months I will start making plans for next year. I'll be studying your descriptions in more detail, looking at maps and so on. I fear I will contact you than to make use of your generous offer of providing more information. Probably my wife will be walking with me at least for 3 weeks or so. She will not be able to walk more than 15 km/ 10 miles per day. That will of course have a major influence on the planning possibilities.
So you will hear from me, in the meantime I'll be reading your many valuable contributions on this forum
Awesome posts!!!
Much gratitude!
For #9 and #10, where is the download link?
Sorry...
Thanks so much for this. The Norte is on my shortlist of future Caminos as I'd love to see san Sebastien, Guernica, Bilbao and the coast. (I'd switch to The Primitive at Gijon, hopefully that would be a bit quieter?) But I didn't realise that there's so much pavement. I'll refer to your new info trove and maybe check with you for updates.To explain -- I walked the Norte in 2007 and suffered mightily with all the pavement. In fact, I found my foot in a walking cast for about 4 months afterwards due to the pounding. Tarsal tunnel is what they called it.
I went back to the Norte this year and got a lot of forum help in finding coastal alternatives. For me one of the biggest Norte frustrations was that it is a Camino that is frequently within a few kms of beautiful coastlines but the arrows keep you pounding the pavement on the side of the national highway.
I'm attaching a document that contains descriptions of my "Camino detours" and a few other stretches where the standard route has an alternative. Most are coastal, but a couple are not and have been added just for the heck of it. Here is a list of what the document describes:
1. Ruta Alpinista (Irún to Pasajes)
2. Pasajes to San Sebastián
3. Zumaia to Deba
4. Castro Urdiales to Laredo
5. Santander to Boo via the coast
6. La Franca to Llanes
7. Llanes to Playa del Poo (and beyond)
8. After La Nueva to Ribadesella
9. Dipping down to Oviedo from Villaviciosa
10. A Detour to Cudillero
11. Soto to Cadavedo
12. La Caridad to Ribadeo
13. Mondoñedo to Gontán
14. Baamonde to Sobrado
15. Sobrado to Pedrouzo/Arca
And at the suggestion of another forum member, I am going to add posts with a few pictures to illustrate most of these alternatives -- I think that once people see what they are missing, these coastal options will become more popular!
Buen camino, Laurie
I'm not sure the Primitivo is quieter. We found most people turned off onto the Primitivo, and we saw very few people on the Norte after that.
Thanks for tracks. Is the Ruta del Flysch into Deba shorter in time taken than the normal route ? Visually it looks like it is on Google Earth but ...............3. Zumaia to Deba
GPS tracks for this route (called Ruta del Flysch or GR 121) here: https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=14764882
The Flysch route is longer and harder, but apparently beautiful. It would have been too much for me, so I passed and went the regular way.Thanks for tracks. Is the Ruta del Flysch into Deba shorter in time taken than the normal route ? Visually it looks like it is on Google Earth but ...............
It may be shorter in distance, but I can't imgine it is shorter in time. I don't know what the Camino is like on this route, but I do remember that there is a rest stop (picnic tables and a food truck, I think) where the GR coincides with the Camino. If I were you, I would hunt on wikiloc.com and compare tracks to see which one looks like the best approximation. None of these wikiloc tracks are perfect, but always good enough to get me where I was going. If you are more tech savvy than I, the time comparing on wikiloc will be time well spent.
And as an aside, I didn't stop in Deba but carried on to the private albergue up in the hills about four km away. It was, for me, a great stop. Deba is a small city, Izarbide is out in the fields in an old cow barn (nicely renovated) and has the former pasture for pilgrims with covered picnic table, lounge chairs and gorgeous views. Yes, it was a long day, but totally doable for this 67 year old.
Barayo - Navia (Travesia Costa Naviega)
https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=1795893
https://danieleleoz.com/2016/06/25/travesia-de-la-costa-naviega/
To explain -- I walked the Norte in 2007 and suffered mightily with all the pavement. In fact, I found my foot in a walking cast for about 4 months afterwards due to the pounding. Tarsal tunnel is what they called it.
I went back to the Norte this year and got a lot of forum help in finding coastal alternatives. For me one of the biggest Norte frustrations was that it is a Camino that is frequently within a few kms of beautiful coastlines but the arrows keep you pounding the pavement on the side of the national highway.
Buen camino, Laurie
Hi Laurie
I started thinking about the Camino a year and a half ago, and, like you, didn't fancy pounding asphalt. The Primitivo sounded like a good bet, and I sent for the Editorial Buen Camino Guide, which is contained in their 'Camino del Norte' book.
However, when we looked at the various options in the book, we began to prefer the look of the 'Camino Costa' (also covered in the same guide), and have just completed a small section, starting just east of Santillana del Mar, and finishing up in Colombres. It really is a most beautiful route (although still quite a lot of it on tarmac), and not busy in terms of the number of pilgrims; but what we found challenging was not accommodation (we booked 'posadas' in advance) but places to eat.
On my return home, I thought I'd check out the experience of others on this route - and am beginning to think that I dreamt it. Where is the 'Camino Costa' section on this Forum?
Your route seems to pick up from where ours stopped. So it's maybe one for next year.
Buen camino,
Quiterio
Hi, Quiterio, welcome to the forum! I think, though I have never seen the Editorial Buen Camino, that the route that he names "Camino Costa" is actually what most of us would just call the Camino del Norte. It is confusing to me that he would include the Camino Primitivo in a book titled Camino del Norte, but I checked it out and indeed his book is entitled ¨Camino del Norte (Costa y Primitivo). If you compare the route you walked with the same sections of gronze.com, you can tell me if I'm right or not.
https://www.gronze.com/etapa/santillana-mar/comillas
https://www.gronze.com/etapa/comillas/colombres
So this is a longwinded way of saying that I think that his "Camino Costa" is our "Camino del Norte." And this thread, the "coastal alternatives," shows ways in which you can get off the tarmac of the Camino Costa aka Camino del Norte and hug the coast.
CSJ has 2 guide books called Los Caminos del Norte - Camino de la Costa (A&B), for the Camino del Norte It also has one that includes part of the Norte with the Primitivo (F) Villaviciosa to Oviedo and the Primitivo.
I think that the name 'Norte' is used rather than just 'de la Costa' to avoid confusion with the Portuguese coastal route.
I presume that the thinking is the same as in @Dave 's book. They are all 'Caminos del Norte' (guide titles are plural) and then distinguished by their own names/locations. They are all 'Northern' and historically predate the Frances, and other caminos, which are just named individually and not part of the 'Norte' systems.Thanks, Tia, I didn't know that. This is so unnecessarily confusing!!! I don't know why anyone would use "de la costa" when talking about what is always referred to as the Camino del Norte! Nor do I understand why anyone would use "Camino del Norte" to refer to the Camino Primitivo! I guess in some ways @Dave also promotes the confusion by calling his book the Northern Caminos and then including the Norte, Primitivo and Ingles. But at least the fact that it's in English keeps us from assuming that it is a guidebook only about the Camino del Norte. Now I am really confused.
So now I have wikiloc tracks for another coastal alternative. The official camino from Luarca to La Caridad has maybe one or two glimpses of the ocean, but no coastal stretches. Kosmos, who sent in information about a coastal alternative after Otur, just sent me wikiloc tracks that show the entire route from Luarca to Navia.
https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=20202357 If you look at the tracks, every little flag you see is to alert you to the fact that Kosmos has put a picture there. GORGEOUS.
Here are the possible options I see. Luarca to La Caridad using the coastal alternative would be around 40. Very little elevation gain, but probably more than most people enjoy. But there are several ways to break it up.
Sleep at Otur, which is 6.4 km past Luarca. There is a family run pilgrim friendly hotel, La Casa Consuelo. I slept there last summer. That would make 34 from Otur to La Caridad, OR Otur to Navia, about 24. Navia has a highly recommended albergue and is a very bustling town. I remember thinking it would be a fun place to stay when we had a rest there. Also, Luarca to Navia with the coastal option is 30.
No doubt that taking these coastal alternatives makes your camino del Norte much longer, but at the same time it makes it oh so much more beautiful. I have gotten some PMs and emails from people who have taken one or another of these routes. Just so you know, I am not the only one who thinks they are a great idea! Buen camino, Laurie
And p.s. for those who want to be creative in planning, there are beach hotels on this alternative as well. E.g., https://www.hotelpleamar.com/
Thank you Laurie and Kosmos! This is awesome info. We've reworked our stages between Soto de Luina and La Caridad. It now looks like: Soto de Luina to Ballota (we aim to walk short stages on Sundays), Ballota to Barcia, Barcia to Puerto de Vega (on the coastal stretch suggested by Kosmos), Puerto de Vega to La Caridad.
A much better alternative to what we had using data from Bronze or the Buen Camino app.
Cheers
Andrew
I am just back from the Norte, these are my two cents on these proposed alternatives (see text in italics)
6. La Franca to Llanes
Beautiful part to walk by the coast!!! HOWEVER, please notice the Guardia Civil "recommended" to remove any yellow arrows recommending this part over the grass covered cliffs, so the first arrows have been replaced with patches of black paint. I do not think it is dangerous at all, and after the Cantabria tarmac and concrete nightmare, it is just paradise. On a foggy day, it might not be such a good idea to follow this part. The natural stone bridge in Buelna, Salto del Caballo, is just UNBELIEVEABLE. And the blowholes in Arenillas between Pendueles and Llanes are just magical at sunrise.
Love it!!! Thanks, Amancio
About your comments on alternative number 6: I take it that the "natural stone bridge" is that terribly uneven rocky arch about a meter wide for which there is no alternative but taking a HUGE detour down to the beach and up? I have to admit I had a bit of an elevated heartbeat for this part, but it was wide enough that even if I had tripped fallen down, I would probably not have fallen down to the beach.
Where did you see the Guardia Civil recommendations? I really don't see how it is any different than any of the other coastal paths that so many day hikers in Spain frequent.
We should also point out that you will go by the blowholes whether you take the coastal route or not, because from Pendueles the coastal route merges into the regular camino (I think).
Hi, Andrew, I assume you know that by going through Ballota, you won't be able to take the higher route with the sea views from Soto. But there is really nowhere to sleep after Soto on that route till you get to Cadavedo, at least that's how I remember it.
Where is Barcia?
Hello Laurie,
Soto to Cadavedo in a day would be too long for our liking. In particular as it is a Sunday, and we would aim to make it a short walking day. So with nowhere to sleep on the higher route, we may have to give this a miss.
Barcia is 2.4km before Luarca, and Gronze indicates that there is a Casa Rural available. https://www.gronze.com/etapa/cadavedo/luarca
Cheers
Andrew
Indeed, it is that terribly uneven rocky arch, it should be safe enough, but if you are so unlucky to fall, you are very likely to find an awful death. I would not imagine middle age pilgrims would take that route! Still, a refreshing experience.
The Guardia Civil recommendations were given to a local hospitalero who might or not have somehow been involved in painting the yellow arrows before Buelna. You are probaly thinking about the same person as I am
48 hours after my return, still trying to integrate into the daily grinding routine, a long Camino is pure medicine for the soul and for the body (I lost weight and noticeably lowered my blood pressure too!)
Sounds like a good plan! You can also get information about a possible short detour from the low route from Soto out to the Playa del Silencio. It's supposed to be less than a km, I believe. I have been to that beach, not walking, and it is one of the gems in that part of the coast. None of the pilgrims I met who had taken the low route had taken the detour, so it may not be well marked, I don't know.
Luarca is quite a nice place for a stop -- if you can, make sure to at least walk over to the right when you get to the top of the village, towards the lighthouse, because the views down to town and the harbor are really pretty.
Puerto de Vega looks like a very nice place to stop, based on Kosmos' pictures. Some of the shots of the fishing boats in the harbor look like places like Luarca looked decades ago before tourism invasions.
So, are you planning on some of the coastal options on other stages as well? I think some of the stages I posted are too long for some people, and if you had shorter stages incorporating the coastal options it could be really helpful. Buen camino, Laurie
Hi Laurie,So now I have wikiloc tracks for another coastal alternative. The official camino from Luarca to La Caridad has maybe one or two glimpses of the ocean, but no coastal stretches. Kosmos, who sent in information about a coastal alternative after Otur, just sent me wikiloc tracks that show the entire route from Luarca to Navia.
https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=20202357 If you look at the tracks, every little flag you see is to alert you to the fact that Kosmos has put a picture there. GORGEOUS.
Here are the possible options I see. Luarca to La Caridad using the coastal alternative would be around 40. Very little elevation gain, but probably more than most people enjoy. But there are several ways to break it up.
Sleep at Otur, which is 6.4 km past Luarca. There is a family run pilgrim friendly hotel, La Casa Consuelo. I slept there last summer. That would make 34 from Otur to La Caridad, OR Otur to Navia, about 24. Navia has a highly recommended albergue and is a very bustling town. I remember thinking it would be a fun place to stay when we had a rest there. Also, Luarca to Navia with the coastal option is 30.
No doubt that taking these coastal alternatives makes your camino del Norte much longer, but at the same time it makes it oh so much more beautiful. I have gotten some PMs and emails from people who have taken one or another of these routes. Just so you know, I am not the only one who thinks they are a great idea! Buen camino, Laurie
And p.s. for those who want to be creative in planning, there are beach hotels on this alternative as well. E.g., https://www.hotelpleamar.com/
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for all the CdN info you've provided in this and other threads.
I walked the CF last year with my son after he got out of the military. I will be going back alone for a new Camino in Sept 2018, and am currently focusing on the CdN. I recently bought the new Wise Pilgrim CdN guide from Ivar to start planning. I have a few questions for you:
1) How many days are needed to walk the CdN (estimate, of course), assuming I take all of the alternate routes you've provided? For reference, I followed the typical CF stages last year.
2) Regarding budget: in your experience, how much more €/day are needed for lodging on the CdN vs the CF?
3) What model of GPS tracker did you use on the CdN?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the info!Hi, Phoenix,
I broke up my Norte this year with a quick trip to NYC, so I don't have exact days. I will count them on my blog, when I have time, but I followed the pretty standard stages. I didn't really adjust the stages to take account of the coastal alternatives, so I wound up with some very long days. If I were to do it again, I would probably break up and add coastal options that I have learned about since walking, but I found that it was perfectly doable, but long, to just swing out to the coast.
I think the Norte is definitely more expensive, but kind of counter-intuitively, if you walk off-season you will be able to get a lot of good deals that you can't get on other caminos that have less infrastructure. I walked in May-June, still low tourist season, but all the tourist places were up and running. I found that four of us were frequently able to rent an apartment for a night for 60-70 euros total, but that would be unavailable in the high summer months.
I use an old Garmin Dakota GPS. Many say I should just switch to my phone, but I am one of those people who suffers great psychological trauma when I have to learn new technology,so I just stick with the Garmin and the few things I know how to do on it.
My blog is linked below this post, so you can see my stages if you click on it. Happy to answer questions you may have, buen camino, Laurie
Thanks for the info!
I've been looking at other Camino routes, and am now considering a CdN/Primitivo combo.
Hi, lindam,The time has now come to start thinking about what Camino to walk in 2018. My husband is keen to walk either the Primitivo or El Norte. From posts I have recently been reading, the Invierno has captured my interest as a possible starting point. In any event, I thank you for the information about "off road" alternatives along the Norte as I had already been growing concerned about the amount of tarmac/road walking along this route. We do not have a GPS device or Smartphone, we rely solely on maps and printed information (and occasionally pestering the locals) while walking. Do you think it would be possible to follow your alternate routes without the aid of technology? Thanks for any ideas you might have.
The time has now come to start thinking about what Camino to walk in 2018. My husband is keen to walk either the Primitivo or El Norte. From posts I have recently been reading, the Invierno has captured my interest as a possible starting point. In any event, I thank you for the information about "off road" alternatives along the Norte as I had already been growing concerned about the amount of tarmac/road walking along this route. We do not have a GPS device or Smartphone, we rely solely on maps and printed information (and occasionally pestering the locals) while walking. Do you think it would be possible to follow your alternate routes without the aid of technology? Thanks for any ideas you might have.
Wow, Liz! I was traveling when you posted this and didn't see it till now. So good to hear from you again. I will PM you to talk more about this retirement thing. I retired at the end of AY 2016 and am still sorting it out. I can tell you one thing -- there is no shortage of need and opportunity for things for people like us to do given what's going on on the home front!I have been absent from the forum for quite a while -- most recently I had to have a total ankle replacement. Ugh! But hopefully I will be walking again by this summer. Tom and I are planning to walk from Le Puy to Santiago in 2020 to celebrate our retirement. I would really like to walk the Norte but I am worried about the hard surfaces! I'm sitting here today with my foot up dreaming about our 2020 walk. I clicked into the forum on the Norte and your post was right at the top! I think its a message. Thanks. Liz
Laurie this is fantastic. You are a "feet-saver" extraordinaire. Muchos GraciasI have heard from several people who do not use GPS and are interested in these alternatives. I am a very low tech and a very cartographically challenged person, but Here are my thoughts:
1. Alpinista route from Irún to Pasajes. So long as you find the turnoff after the sanctuario, which I did without a GPS, there is no problem. Very well marked.
2. Pasajes to San Sebastián. There is a spot along the coast where the Camino tells you to ascend, and there is a sign for the GR 121. Stay on the GR121, absolutely. The Camino, I've been told, is asphalt on that stretch, while the GR is lovely and dirt. Well marked.
3. Zumaia to Deba. This is a very well known route, called Ruta del Flysch. It is gorgeous, a bit strenuous, and well worth it. Everyone in Zumaia can get you to the starting point and from there the marking is good into Deba. I continued on to Izarbide and stayed with Nerea in her great albergue (has had some problems recently but that was only because she had sublet the place to someone while she cared for her dying brother and she is back). Some may find that too long a stage and can easily shorten it by staying in Deba.
4. Castro Urdiales to Laredo. This alternative is well described in the document, I think, and it is for the most part the official camino. It's just that a lot of people decide to take the "straight shot" along the highway. I get why you would do that if the weather is bad or you are in bad shape, but otherwise, the coastal route is the way to go, IMO.
5. Santander to Boo. This route hugs the coast out of Santander. It involves a loop, so you may think you are headed in the wrong direction. This route has been extremely well described by Dave (author of Northern Caminos) both online and soon in the new version of his Northern Caminos book. So I am fairly confident you can do it without GPS if you are good with maps and directions. It was as long day to Boo, I think I arrived around 4. 38 maybe? @Nuala recommends breaking it up at a point in the middle, in the very nice hotel rural that is there. Contact them ahead of time if you plan to stay there. And it's likely to be easier to get a room there in off-season.
6. La Franca to Llanes. Without a GPS, I think it might be hard to find the trail right at the place where I started. But as WisePilgrim explained to me, and his guide describes, there is a point on the main national highway soon after leaving La Franca, where you will see very clearly a trail off to the right. It will take you straight out to the coast, and I THINK may involve crossing the FEVE tracks. This is the stretch where the "natural stone bridge" that Amancio described. It is not a terribly long crossing, and it is plenty wide, but the rocks are extremely, well, rocky. If this may be an issue for you, you can stay on the highway till Buelna and from there make your way straight north to the coast. It will be obvious, because I could see Buelna nearby from my coastal path. This is also a long day, and could be shortened by stopping in Pendueles. This was probably my latest arrival time, I think it was around 3 or was it 4.
7. Llanes to Playa del Poo and beyond. It's easy to start out of town on the coast, both Dave and WisePilgrim tell you how. I confess that I am a little confused about where Play del Poo is and where I actually walked, but it was a really nice coastal walk that must have been the E-9. That means that locals will be able to help you. This was a route with lots of people out walking dogs and waking with friends early in the morning. Not the most spectacular, IMO, but very pretty.
8. After La Nueva to Ribadesella. I walked Llanes to Ribadesella with options 7 and 8 in the same day. Others might want to break it up, and La Nueva is one good place to do it. There is a nice little two star family owned hotel there. This was one section where I was glad I didn't have to figure out how to get to the coast. My GPS had a direct route from the Camino someplace after La Nueva. Talking with the people in the hotel where I had my coffee break, it would be very easy to get to the coastal route directly from La Nueva. Without a GPS, this might make the most sense, but of course it would add kms. There is a sign in La Nueva directing you to the "playa." I would probably do this if there is a next time for me. Adding a few more coastal kms and spending the night in La Nueva would make a good day into Ribadesella.
9. and 10. are not coastal routes at all, but they are both alternatives that I HIGHLY recommend.
11. Soto to Cadavedo. The higher route is well marked as an alternative on the Camino. Another highly recommended option, and no GPS would be necessary.
11A. Barayo to Navia. I learned of this option only after @Kosmos posted about it. There is a lot of information earlier in this thread. Leaving from either Luarca or Otur in the morning should make for a nice coastal day into Navia, which is a big town and must have a lot of places to stay. I have no idea about the feasibility without a GPS though.
12. La Caridad to Ribadeo. This is another one where the official camino markings give you a "coastal option" through Tapia or a shorter shot that stays on the road. What I found, though, was that my GPS tracks actually took us to beaches along the coast that the Camino did not pass. I note the spot at which the Camino does merge with my coastal GPS tracks, but there were some stunning spots before the merge that we thoroughly enjoyed, actually getting down and into to the water several times. I suppose it is easy to find the trail by just forging north to hit the coast after Tapia, though, so this would be one where you could add the coastal kms without worrying or needing a GPS.
Rest of the suggestions are not coastal at all, and all are marked. If you can find the higher route out of Mondoñedo, you are smarter than I, because I tried three times and kept finding myself on the old camino route. Ignore what the hospitalera in Lourenzá says, this logging road out of Mondoñedo is reported to be fine and well marked.
Hope this helps some of you. I think that the coastal options are going to become more and more popular, especially as people find that all the road walking is killing their feet! Buen camino Laurie
I have heard from several people who do not use GPS and are interested in these alternatives. I am a very low tech and a very cartographically challenged person, but Here are my thoughts:
(snip)
Hope this helps some of you. I think that the coastal options are going to become more and more popular, especially as people find that all the road walking is killing their feet! Buen camino Laurie
8. After La Nueva to Ribadesella
GPS tracks showing the coastal alternative after La Nueva. https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=9999603
GPS tracks for coastal alternative from La Nueva to the intersection with the coastal alternative above (I did not walk this part). With a night in the little hotel in La Nueva, the next day to Ribadesella could be all along the coast. BUT be sure to see that this track does not continue along the coast after Cuerres. Use the first tracks posted here for the "second half" of that coastal route, that is from Cuerres onward. Sorry if this is confusing, but someone with better tech skills should be able to combine the first half of the coastal route from Nueva to Cuerres (below) with the second half of the coastal route from Cuerres to Ribadesella (above).
https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=8763164
I did finish in Santiago, but via the Primitivo, with some complicated bus jiggling to appease my partner, so I'm afraid my schedule is of no use to anyone. What I can say is that the Primitivo was something of a disappointment after all the glorious coastal alternatives on the first half of the Norte!Thanks so much Sesame 1, for your thoughtful suggestions. I have now received my new guidebook in the mail and have begun to consider our route for this Camino. By the way, did you stay on El Norte all the way to Santiago? How many stages did this require?
Linda
La Nueva to San Esteban Coastal Route Report
Hi Peregrina!
Just to let you know that I followed your suggestion here, and broke the journey up in La Nueva. I followed the wikiloc GPS tracks down from La Nueva to Playa de Cuevas del Mar with its wonderful rock arch and towards VillaNueva. As we passed through the village we found signs to "Bufones de Pria" for both bike and walker. I followed the bike signs as I was chatting with a cyclist. At some point we got enjoyably lost, but eventually found our way to Bufones de Pria, which is much better than Bufones de Arenillas! Perhaps another pilgrim could try the signposted walking path?
At Bufones de Pria I again picked up the wikiloc GPS tracks, which involved an unexpected wade of the river to get me to the other side of the Bufones river (marked on Google Maps as Area Recreativa de Guadamia). From here I completely ad-libbed my route and followed tiny footpaths along the cliff edge. These led me almost all the way to Ribadesella! A truly gorgeous section of coastline. Arches, bufones, all sorts! Thanks so much for the inspiration!
I finished my day in San Esteban, this seemed a fairly reasonable day. San Esteban was a very lovely Alburgue too.
The Flysch route is longer and harder, but apparently beautiful. It would have been too much for me, so I passed and went the regular way.
Yes, the Ruta del Flysch is one of the most spectacular of these alternatives. Lots of huffing and puffing, but well worth it, IMO. Just to put people’s mind at ease, I do not do well with heights, but had not one moment of panic. The path is wide and well traveled, in fact the day I walked there were several groups with kids, some as young as 9 or 10 and they were fine.I just did it with a couple of friends this week, certainly difficult (very steep inclines and declines), but the views are absolutely breathtaking. You are quite literally walking along cliffs the whole way. Awesome workout, and tons of cows
Thank you so much!To explain -- I walked the Norte in 2007 and suffered mightily with all the pavement. In fact, I found my foot in a walking cast for about 4 months afterwards due to the pounding. Tarsal tunnel is what they called it.
I went back to the Norte this year and got a lot of forum help in finding coastal alternatives. For me one of the biggest Norte frustrations was that it is a Camino that is frequently within a few kms of beautiful coastlines but the arrows keep you pounding the pavement on the side of the national highway.
I'm attaching a document that contains descriptions of my "Camino detours" and a few other stretches where the standard route has an alternative. Most are coastal, but a couple are not and have been added just for the heck of it. Here is a list of what the document describes:
1. Ruta Alpinista (Irún to Pasajes)
2. Pasajes to San Sebastián
3. Zumaia to Deba
4. Castro Urdiales to Laredo
5. Santander to Boo via the coast
6. La Franca to Llanes
7. Llanes to Playa del Poo (and beyond)
8. After La Nueva to Ribadesella
9. Dipping down to Oviedo from Villaviciosa
10. A Detour to Cudillero
11. Soto to Cadavedo
12. La Caridad to Ribadeo
13. Mondoñedo to Gontán
14. Baamonde to Sobrado
15. Sobrado to Pedrouzo/Arca
And at the suggestion of another forum member, I am going to add posts with a few pictures to illustrate most of these alternatives -- I think that once people see what they are missing, these coastal options will become more popular!
Buen camino, Laurie
I have done an update of that routeThank you Laurie and Kosmos! This is awesome info. We've reworked our stages between Soto de Luina and La Caridad. It now looks like: Soto de Luina to Ballota (we aim to walk short stages on Sundays), Ballota to Barcia, Barcia to Puerto de Vega (on the coastal stretch suggested by Kosmos), Puerto de Vega to La Caridad.
A much better alternative to what we had using data from Bronze or the Buen Camino app.
Cheers
Andrew
I have done an update of that route because the small wooden bridge that crosses the Rio Barayo is no longer there.
The new route goes on the left side of Barayo, where the coastal path officially begins, there is a very large sign that indicates it, in fact on google maps it is also marked the beginning of the coastal path. It's called "Senda costa Naviega".
There is less than one kilometer from the Camino de Santiago (from EL Bao) to the start of the coastal path (Senda Costa Naviega).
This is the link with the new route
Luarca - Navia (G.R.E9 Coastal path)
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...te-por-la-senda-costa-naviega-gr-e-9-26490483
I have also done all the G.R. E9 coastal paths that are approved, and perfectly signposted from Luarca to Ridadeo.
Navia - Tapia (G.R. E9 Coastal path)
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...del-norte-por-la-senda-costera-gr-e9-25871414
Tapia - Ribadeo (G.R. E9 Coastal Path)
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...del-norte-por-la-senda-costera-gr-e9-25881836
The 3 stages in 1
Luarca - Ribadeo (79 kilometers) GR E9 Coastal path
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...el-norte-por-la-senda-costera-g-r-e9-26729565
Finally I have put together the 3 stages in one, from Luarca to Ribadeo and back to Luarca along the Camino de Santiago, and so you can easily see where the coastal path goes and where the route of the Camino de Santiago goes.
Luarca-Ribadeo-Luarca
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...-y-regreso-por-el-camino-de-santiago-27400707
On the official tourism website of Asturias You can see all the coastal paths that are approved in Asturias.
https://www.turismoasturias.es/descubre/naturaleza/rutas/sendas-costeras
Buen camino.
Thank you for putting this together and for the updates. It is my hope and plan to walk the last 350km of the Chemin du Puy in April 2019 (walked the first half in April, 2018) and then to make plans for walking the Camino Norte in 2020, at least until I make the turn to get on the Primitivo (I have a couple years before I must decide). One thing putting me off of the Norte is all the hard pavement.
You've provided a great resource which cinches it for me. The Camino Norte it is, the good Lord and my pies willing! Thanks again.
Hi Laurie,Hello Laurie,
This is what we love about this forum, there is so much information...
We are still working through all the alternatives, and we will be trying to include coastal options.
What we will do, hopefully in the next few days, is upload our planned itinerary for comments/opinions/advice to this forum.
Buen camino, Andrew
Hi Laurie,
I am trying to locate the alternative coastal tracks for the Norte on wikilocs. My husband and I are planning to walk the Norte for about 10-12 days from Santander. Do you have a link to yours?
Thanks,
Judy
Rereading thru this thread, I want to do the del Norte again! I can subtract significant sections of highway from my camino last year and add more spectacular and solitary seafront time!
Amazing thread and a real resource for anyone who really is interested in the best possible Camino del Norte experience!
Buen Camino to all!
Yes, the Ruta del Flysch is one of the most spectacular of these alternatives. Lots of huffing and puffing, but well worth it, IMO. Just to put people’s mind at ease, I do not do well with heights, but had not one moment of panic. The path is wide and well traveled, in fact the day I walked there were several groups with kids, some as young as 9 or 10 and they were fine.
And your post on this thread reminded me I had meant to post a bunch of photos @Kosmos sent to me. It shows pictures from the route he described in post number 35 of this thread. That is one stretch I did not walk, but it looks to be as gorgeous as the rest of them! It begins after Luarca, near Barayo and goes into Navia. Navia looked to me like it would be a nice stopover.
http://cort.as/-7G2R
Does anyone have any photos of this section? I am also afraid of heights but I don't want to miss spectacular coast walking where possible. The "rock bridge" section sounds like I would need too much ativan to cross LOL!
Hi, Elizabeth,
Which section are you referring to? My posts 2-13 have pictures of the alternatives I took. Kosmos posted pictures in post 30 of this thread. Are you talking about a different section?
And btw, the rock bridge was a bit outside my comfort zone, but there are ways to stay on the road a bit longer to pass it, so that when you dip down to the coast, that section will be behind you. I can look at my tracks and help you figure that out if you would want to give it a try.
Ruta del Flysc into Deba. I went back and you have a few photos but I was curious what the trial is like as far as heights. I am ok walking along the cliffside like in the UK on the SW Coast Path but I don't want to be walking rocky cliffs like I did sometimes on the Lycian Way. Good to know I can divert to avoid the rock bridge!
Thanks for all your good work (as usual). I'm planning to finally walk the Norte late May and June after looking at it twice previously. The rain typical to this coast has usually led me to walk elsewhere, but I had so much rain and snow walking in late October and November this year that I've developed webbed feet and am feeling pretty much immune! That said, I'm still hoping for sunny ways, coastal trails, good company and great photography as I cross.There were kids on the Ruta del Flysch, and no scary narrow paths that I can remember. The path is on the strenuous side, but it is oh so worth it. You can see the profile here:https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/ruta-flysch-deba-zumaia-zarautz-2810918
And if you put “ruta del flysch” into google images, you will see lots of photos. Many focus on the crazy rock formations but there are some pictures of the actual trail. IMO, it is a trail that is accessible for people in good, but not necessarily great, shape. Three people from the albergue the night before came with me and they all survived (and were gobsmacked by the beauty) and were not very experienced.
And there are so many coastal paths to discover.
For example, Asturias has the least urbanized coast in Spain, only 6% of the Asturias Coast is urbanized, you could cross Asturias along the coast almost without stepping on the asphalt.
There is a blog called JFcamina. They have walked 575 kms crossing Asturias from Bustio to Ribadeo walking along the coastal paths as close to the coast as possible.
http://www.jfcamina.es/caminoscosteros/index.htm
Buen Camino!
Hey! It's me again! Now that I've read more on the Norte I am getting a much better sense of what is being covered here. Excited to do these alternatives. I have the Wise Pilgrim app and I think it shows these coastal alternatives. Is that correct? Also, the rock bridge - does anyone have any photos of it? I keep picturing this narrow strip of shitty uneven rock high above some abyss of certain death if I fall.
Hey! It's me again! Now that I've read more on the Norte I am getting a much better sense of what is being covered here. Excited to do these alternatives. I have the Wise Pilgrim app and I think it shows these coastal alternatives. Is that correct? Also, the rock bridge - does anyone have any photos of it? I keep picturing this narrow strip of shitty uneven rock high above some abyss of certain death if I fall.
Yes, I think WisePilgrim has all or most these alternatives.
I WISH I had taken a picture of it. It is not so narrow, just extremely uneven. Like someone threw a bunch of stones together and then melded it all together. I think Amancio has been there, so I will contact him. I am bad with distance estimates, so I can’t give you a good sense of how high it was.
If you zoom in on the wikiloc tracks, you can clearly see it. It is the only spot on the tracks where you can see water on both sides. https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/senda-costera-la-franca-pendueles-por-la-costa-10189855
It looks like you would have to miss all of the coastal part from La Franca to Buelna if you didn’t want to cross it. But maybe Wise Pilgrim or Amancio can help here. I have PM-ed them. Buen camino, Laurie
P.s, if you look at my pictures in post number 7, this is exactly the kind of rock that it is. I would say the bridge itself is at least 3’ wide, but very uneven and jagged.
EUREKA, if you put puente natural buelna into google images, you will see it. None that I see are taken FROM the bridge, just of it. But you can see people walking on top. The best one I saw was picture number six on this website. https://mapio.net/pic/p-1043883/
Awesome ! Thank youHola compañeros!
I think you are talking about the Salto del Caballo, the Horse's Leap, which Google translates as Horse Jumping.
This would be the view from above
View attachment 52409
It is about 20 feet wide, not levelled or smooth at all, very rocky and has nasty looking drops on both sides, but it is worth it, you can sort of crawl on all fours if you do not feel comfortable (I did). It maybe 50 feet long. I personally enjoyed it, although I would have preferred being less tired. Very uneven surface.
This is what it looks like when you look back, people with give you an idea of the scale
View attachment 52410
and also a broader view; amazingly, on your right you will find a beach inland, quite amazing
View attachment 52411
Below you can see the track of my GPS. Red marks the route I followed, along the beautiful prairies, near the cliffs, it is not dangerous at all, unless it is very wet and foggy, of course. The single track is on and off, just follow the coastline as you see, there is lots of grass and low brush.
Where the green arrow is pointing is a spot where yellow arrows have been covered with black paint to discourage people from taking that path, but you can safely ignore it you feel confident.
View attachment 52412
as you walk along the hard shoulder, you will see camino marks (red circle below), but you want to keep your eyes on the tarmac untill you find a single track on your right, and some traces of black/yellow paint (the green arrow in the photo below marks the approximate spot for the detour)
View attachment 52413
In google maps, that precise spot is marked with Acceso a Bufones de Santiuste
View attachment 52414
I hope that helps you, please let me know if you need any further information, it is one the magical stretches of the camino, particularly after the Cantabria tarmac hell, I needed green Asturias, and this is where I found it first!!!
In Pendueles you find an excellent albergue, Aves de paso, with dinner in common, and you also find a fantastic restaurant with a BBQ and all the sexiest Asturias dishes you can dream of, washed down with zesty cider.
Thanks a lot. I've walked over some of then, thre years ago.To explain -- I walked the Norte in 2007 and suffered mightily with all the pavement. In fact, I found my foot in a walking cast for about 4 months afterwards due to the pounding. Tarsal tunnel is what they called it.
I went back to the Norte this year and got a lot of forum help in finding coastal alternatives. For me one of the biggest Norte frustrations was that it is a Camino that is frequently within a few kms of beautiful coastlines but the arrows keep you pounding the pavement on the side of the national highway.
I'm attaching a document that contains descriptions of my "Camino detours" and a few other stretches where the standard route has an alternative. Most are coastal, but a couple are not and have been added just for the heck of it. Here is a list of what the document describes:
1. Ruta Alpinista (Irún to Pasajes)
2. Pasajes to San Sebastián
3. Zumaia to Deba
4. Castro Urdiales to Laredo
5. Santander to Boo via the coast
6. La Franca to Llanes
7. Llanes to Playa del Poo (and beyond)
8. After La Nueva to Ribadesella
9. Dipping down to Oviedo from Villaviciosa
10. A Detour to Cudillero
11. Soto to Cadavedo
12. La Caridad to Ribadeo
13. Mondoñedo to Gontán
14. Baamonde to Sobrado
15. Sobrado to Pedrouzo/Arca
And at the suggestion of another forum member, I am going to add posts with a few pictures to illustrate most of these alternatives -- I think that once people see what they are missing, these coastal options will become more popular!
Buen camino, Laurie
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