El Camino Frances or El Camino del Norte in April/May

[Emma Squire]

Hi there,

I am planning my first camino in starting on April 10th 2017 but I can't decided if I should travel the El Camino Frances or El Camino del Norte.

I am 32 and will be travelling on my own. I am well travelled and quite adventurous so I thought the Camino del Norte would be better as I've heard the scenery and views are more spectacular and the walk is more challenging at times. However, I am worried that in April and May the weather will be very wet which doesn't appeal so much. I don't mind a some rainy days but from reading reviews it can be days upon days of heavy rain.

Camino Frances is appealing as it seems more simple to plan and the weather will be better at this time of year but the crowds don't appeal so much.

Has anyone else walked the Camino del Norte in April/May? I would love to hear any advice from the forum!

Thank you!

 

[poogeyejr]

I did the Norte in May 2011, and I only had a few days of rain in 5 weeks. The weather was very warm earlier that year, 28-30 degrees Celsius on the Norte on April 1, 2011. I watched the weather quite closely as my Camino was approaching. My second Norte was Sept-Oct 2013, also beautiful dry weather, and I am going back for a third time Feb 1st.

The one thing I didn't think about when I went the first time, is that you are not locked into anything, if the weather is bad in the North when you arrive, you can change your mind and walk the Frances.

 

[Jim Michie]

Emma:

There are a lot of posts on the forum comparing the two Caminos my experience and highlights may be different than the others, I suggest you look at some of the older posts. From my experience the two are different walks, having walked both, I found the Frances to be more spiritual, and the Norte to be more cultural. By spiritual I mean, on the Frances I found more direct contact with the church, monasteries, convents, and churches all with special pilgrim programs which make the walk very special, I found this is missing on the Norte. On the Norte, I found myself interacting more with the local people, watching the men play cards and children's birthday parties in the "bars", having people walk up to me and teach (or try to teach) me to say simple phrases in Basque, and many more small but memorable experiences. As you are planning, I walked alone and noted on the Frances I rarely met the same pilgrims twice, there are a lot of accommodations and the people walk at different paces and would walk different distances. On the Norte there are far fewer accommodations and though you would walk alone and at a different pace you would meet the same people at the next accommodation because there were no other choices. Both have there good and not so good points. I do not believe walking alone on either would present a problem, both are considered safe and well supported and I do not believe you can make a wrong decision on which ever you choose.

Jim Michie

PS. There are more and sweeter blackberries on the Norte, but more grapes, chestnuts and figs on the Frances, just in case you are wondering.

 

[superleggera]

Hi,

I thought about this, the idea of doing the less popular/less traveled route is appealing....I googled it, as you do, found this on this forum.....

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...east-not-until-you-have-read-this-post.37007/

...after reading it I decided that the Frances was the way to go. I'm doing it in March, I'm not expecting crowds like after Easter that people complain about but I'll have to tolerate the possibly poorer weather and dress accordingly- I'm fine with that.

BC!

 

[Emma Squire]

Thank you all for your replies, and yes, I will do some more research on this forum!

Emma

 

[dgallen]

I walked the first 19 stages from Irun to Ribadesella on the Norte in April of 2014. I had brilliant weather for the first 14 days with only the odd shower but almost mostly all sunshine. You just never know on the Norte, and you certainly cannot predict weather on what others experienced in the past. For the most part I loved it, with views to kill for and a sense of what the Camino Frances must have been like before the crowds came. By stage 15 the rains started coming and when forecasts suggested another 2 weeks of the wet stuff, I reluctantly decided to head down to dryer walking on the Frances after Ribadesella, since I could get the train direct to Leon. And quite frankly, even though the Camino Frances has become a bit of a gong show with packed albergues and busier paths, I do enjoy some of the esprit de corps and social aspects that the Frances offers and that the Norte sometimes lacks. On the Norte I could go days without seeing another pilgrim and in 2014 although there was generally at least one Albergue every stage, in April some of these were closed so I often had to find hostel or similar accommodation.

Last year in April/May I walked the first 14 stages of the Frances from SJPP to Burgos, then took the train to Oviedo and walked the Primitivo (loved the Primitivo!) to Santiago. After a couple of days rest I then decided to grab a train to Astorga to walk another 5 days to O'Cebriero for some fun walking. I was pleased with my decision since it allowed me to decide at Burgos whether to continue on the Frances or to try something different. The diversion to the Primitivo gave me a break from the busy Frances (and 2016 was very crowded even in April). I've done 4+ caminos on the Frances so I didn't feel I missed out and I believe the Primitivo still has the spirit of the Camino that the Frances is losing due to its popularity and as it becomes more of a business. After Santiago, the 5 stages I backtracked from Astorga to O'Cebriero, was more of a celebration of some of my favorite parts of the Frances without getting to caught up freaking out about the full albergues and bed racing (early May!).

This year I'm seriously considering giving the Norte another chance and starting in Irun on April 6th. If after a week or two I'm not feeling it, or the weather is too miserable, I'll just hop a bus or train and go to another route. The moral of my story is that if one route isn't working for me for whatever reason, then there are lots of great options... just pick another route.

 

[Kanga]

For a first camino, I always recommend the Camino Frances. And in April it will not be crowded. (PS I've walked both, plus others).