Good section for a five-day walk on the camino

[Anders Bjørkheim]

Hi, this is my first post here, thanks for a good forum!

I would like to walk a smaller part of the camino now as part of my vacation (hopefully walking it in full later). I am however torn as to which section and which trail to follow. Maybe someone here could help? My goal is to walk as little as possible on paved roads, but also to have access to places to stay in not too big a distance from each other.

My alternatives are either to walk the first part of the camino frances to Pamplona, to walk it for five days from Pamplona and on, or to walk the camino del norte from its starting point to San Sebastian (and maybe a little further towards Bilbao).

I am not experienced, but I am 30 and decently fit. Some changes in altitude are just a positive, although my backpack is quite heavy (9 kgs) due to backpacking up until now.

Anyone have a suggestion? Hoping for some beautiful scenery in any case!

Thanks!

 

[SabsP]

Hi Anders and welcome.

Is it necessary for you to walk a part of the Camino Frances/ Norte or are you open for other routes? In that case I can highly recommend the Camino Ingles, doable for a fit young man in five days. You will find for sure beautiful scenery and the places to stay also increased in the last year. When I walked last year in April it was a very quiet route but I hear that this year the summerperiod was rather busy.

 

[tyrrek]

Hi Anders. The walk from Pamplona to Logrono sounds like it would suit you well. Both cities are relatively easy to get to/from, and you'll see a few of the classic Camino sites such as the Pilgrim Monument and the Fountain of Wine. Buen Camino!

 

[Anders Bjørkheim]

Hi Anders. The walk from Pamplona to Logrono sounds like it would suit you well. Both cities are relatively easy to get to/from, and you'll see a few of the classic Camino sites such as the Pilgrim Monument and the Fountain of Wine. Buen Camino!

Thanks for the answer! Sounds like it may be good for me, yeah. Is it very flat, however, or is it just my impression from the map? And do you know if that is one of the parts that doesn't go close to where cars are driving?

 

[Anders Bjørkheim]

Hi Anders and welcome.

Is it necessary for you to walk a part of the Camino Frances/ Norte or are you open for other routes? In that case I can highly recommend the Camino Ingles, doable for a fit young man in five days. You will find for sure beautiful scenery and the places to stay also increased in the last year. When I walked last year in April it was a very quiet route but I hear that this year the summerperiod was rather busy.

Thanks for replying! The Inglés seems nice too for sure, but as I am ending up in Bilbao anyway it simply seems better at this point to choose between portions of the frances or norte.

 

[SabsP]

Of course Anders...From Bilbao to Ferrol would be a long trip...Good luck.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

if that is one of the parts that doesn't go close to where cars are driving?

Virtually all of the caminos are along routes that were traveled for centuries. The ox path was made a Roman road, the Roman road was paved over for automobiles. There are very few stretches that are not near road. Sorry.

 

[Jan_D]

There's nothing quite like starting in Saint Jean Pied de Port; the place has an incredible energy with all the pilgrims arriving from all over the world; and from there you get to walk over the Pyrenees, with some spectacular scenery, winding mountain paths, and a sense of adventure as you cross over the border into Spain... For a relatively fit person it should take 3 days to walk to Pamplona, so you might even get further (maybe to Estella), and then you can just catch a local bus from there back to Pamplona or onwards to Logrono for further travel connections.

Anyway that's what I'd do - although you really can't go wrong, wherever you start!

 

[mountaingoat999]

quote / Anyway that's what I'd do - although you really can't go wrong, wherever you start!

or lost, but some do

yes great energy as you leave Saint Jean Pied de Port.

 

[Anders Bjørkheim]

Sp

There's nothing quite like starting in Saint Jean Pied de Port; the place has an incredible energy with all the pilgrims arriving from all over the world; and from there you get to walk over the Pyrenees, with some spectacular scenery, winding mountain paths, and a sense of adventure as you cross over the border into Spain... For a relatively fit person it should take 3 days to walk to Pamplona, so you might even get further (maybe to Estella), and then you can just catch a local bus from there back to Pamplona or onwards to Logrono for further travel connections.

Anyway that's what I'd do - although you really can't go wrong, wherever you start!

This sounds very nice for sure, and think I want to do this. Anyone know the best way to actually get to St. Jean pied de port? In my case from Barcelona!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Anyone know the best way to actually get to St. Jean pied de port? In my case from Barcelona!

Bus or train from Barcelona to Pamplona, then bus to SJPdP. Bus service from Pamplona is down to three runs, then one ceases at the end of September. The remaining two end on November 2.

 

[Jan_D]

Yeah you should just check on the Alsa website - journey costs €22 and takes 1h45 from Pamplona. When are you travelling? If after 2 November, you might need to reconsider, as it might be quite difficult (and expensive) getting to SJPP in such a limited time.

Alternatively Vueling does very cheap flights Barcelona-San Sebastian, so you could also walk this beautiful section of the Camino del Norte over 5 days, which will get you very close to Bilbao for your flight back - and you can 'save' the Frances for next time...

 

[Anders Bjørkheim]

Yeah you should just check on the Alsa website - journey costs €22 and takes 1h45 from Pamplona. When are you travelling? If after 2 November, you might need to reconsider, as it might be quite difficult (and expensive) getting to SJPP in such a limited time.

Alternatively Vueling does very cheap flights Barcelona-San Sebastian, so you could also walk this beautiful section of the Camino del Norte over 5 days, which will get you very close to Bilbao for your flight back - and you can 'save' the Frances for next time...

Absolutely, and that is my alternative to what you first suggested now. It is either going to be the walk towards Pamplona, going north to San S. from there afterwards (by bus or hitchhiking), or I will simply do that part of the Camino del Norte, as you say.

The northern route seems better in the sense of having less traffic in the near proximity, and maybe a somewhat higher sense of solitude. The only concerns for me is that my quite heavy backpack may make it a bit tough, and that accommodation is harder to find. Don't know if those are relevant concerns though (or whether my impression of the difference between the two routes is actually correct)

 

[Anders Bjørkheim]

And by the way, I am actually thinking of going to Pamplona and further from there (either to S.S or to SJPP) tomorrow and starting directly. So yeah, very soon

 

[Jan_D]

Oh wow! That IS soon! But spontaneity is always best when it comes to the Camino!

The Camino del Norte is a beautiful walk, and the section you're thinking of doing through the Basque country is wonderful, although it's quite physically challenging: my memories of this section are 'rain and mountains, rain and mountains...' ha ha - and of course wonderful views, the sea, great Basque culture, surfing town, pintxos...

I think the major difference is that the Camino del Norte is a beautiful walk between towns and cities that weren't necessarily 'built' for the Camino (a lot of the places you'll stay in are seaside tourist resorts, and then of course the big cities like Bilbao, where there's also a fair bit of industry), whereas many of the towns along the Camino Frances developed because of the Camino, which means that there's a lot of symbolism and history, and most of the time it's just that iconic path stretching out in front of you, and you're surrounded by a miscellany of characters like something out of Chaucer - there really is something quite 'magical' about the whole experience!

However, there is also something about waiting until you have more time, as the first five days tend to be quite a slog, both physically and psychologically, and it can take a while before you really 'let go' and really appreciate the freedom of life on the camino...

After all that: my hippy-drippy advice is: just go with your heart - whatever makes you feel a sense of joy and excitement - that's where you need to be!

 

[Jan_D]

p.s. practicalities: accommodation isn't hard to find on either route. This site has up-to-date accommodation information, just click on the link for each 'stage' (this is for the del Norte but you can follow the links to the Frances):

http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-del-camino-del-norte

p.p.s. 9kg isn't that bad for a backpack, you'll be ok... otherwise I think there are luggage lockers in the bus station at Pamplona, probably also in the train station, so if you go to SJPP you can collect your stuff when you get to Pamplona.

As for solitude: I have actually had more success with this on the Frances: there are so many people, it's actually a bit easier to stay 'anonymous', ha ha... But whichever route you choose, it depends on the type of person you are: I think most pilgrims are sensitive to your 'vibes' when you want to be alone, if not, it's just a case of being honest - after all it's a pilgrimage, so needing time for solitude and reflection is hardly unexpected!

 

[mountaingoat999]

p.s. practicalities: accommodation isn't hard to find on either route. This site has up-to-date accommodation information, just click on the link for each 'stage' (this is for the del Norte but you can follow the links to the Frances):

http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-del-camino-del-norte

p.p.s. 9kg isn't that bad for a backpack, you'll be ok... otherwise I think there are luggage lockers in the bus station at Pamplona, probably also in the train station, so if you go to SJPP you can collect your stuff when you get to Pamplona.

As for solitude: I have actually had more success with this on the Frances: there are so many people, it's actually a bit easier to stay 'anonymous', ha ha... But whichever route you choose, it depends on the type of person you are: I think most pilgrims are sensitive to your 'vibes' when you want to be alone, if not, it's just a case of being honest - after all it's a pilgrimage, so needing time for solitude and reflection is hardly unexpected!

well said Jan
nothing like a bit of solitude in beautiful terrain......when you need/want it/
Happy Days

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi, this is my first post here, thanks for a good forum!

I would like to walk a smaller part of the camino now as part of my vacation (hopefully walking it in full later). I am however torn as to which section and which trail to follow. Maybe someone here could help? My goal is to walk as little as possible on paved roads, but also to have access to places to stay in not too big a distance from each other.

My alternatives are either to walk the first part of the camino frances to Pamplona, to walk it for five days from Pamplona and on, or to walk the camino del norte from its starting point to San Sebastian (and maybe a little further towards Bilbao).

I am not experienced, but I am 30 and decently fit. Some changes in altitude are just a positive, although my backpack is quite heavy (9 kgs) due to backpacking up until now.

Anyone have a suggestion? Hoping for some beautiful scenery in any case!

Thanks!

Hola, Anders!

If you haven't decided yet here's another option:
http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-del-camino-vasco-del-interior

More info you can find either on this forum or:
http://mundicamino.com/rutas.cfm?id=59
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/vasco/

Don't worry about the weight of your bacpack. You'll learn it soon how much is in your comfort zone I'm 180cm/90kg and usually carry 3kg in front (photo kit + water) & up to 12kg on my back. I'm good with that. Some aren't. But they are not me

Anyway - Ultreia!!!

 

[Anders Bjørkheim]

Hola, Anders!

If you haven't decided yet here's another option:
http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-del-camino-vasco-del-interior

More info you can find either on this forum or:
http://mundicamino.com/rutas.cfm?id=59
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/vasco/

Don't worry about the weight of your bacpack. You'll learn it soon how much is in your comfort zone I'm 180cm/90kg and usually carry 3kg in front (photo kit + water) & up to 12kg on my back. I'm good with that. Some aren't. But they are not me

Anyway - Ultreia!!!

Thanks a bunch! It seems nice too, but am I right in that it is about 200 kilometres long? That would be too much with my time available. But guess I could do parts of it? How would you describe the terrain and availability of accomodation?

 

[Anders Bjørkheim]

Than

p.s. practicalities: accommodation isn't hard to find on either route. This site has up-to-date accommodation information, just click on the link for each 'stage' (this is for the del Norte but you can follow the links to the Frances):

http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-del-camino-del-norte

p.p.s. 9kg isn't that bad for a backpack, you'll be ok... otherwise I think there are luggage lockers in the bus station at Pamplona, probably also in the train station, so if you go to SJPP you can collect your stuff when you get to Pamplona.

As for solitude: I have actually had more success with this on the Frances: there are so many people, it's actually a bit easier to stay 'anonymous', ha ha... But whichever route you choose, it depends on the type of person you are: I think most pilgrims are sensitive to your 'vibes' when you want to be alone, if not, it's just a case of being honest - after all it's a pilgrimage, so needing time for solitude and reflection is hardly unexpected!

thanks so much for all this information. Lots of great options that are all positive, just have to choose one. Guess I'll see where the wind takes me!

 

[Anders Bjørkheim]

Having done even more research now, It seems that as I prioritize beautiful scenery over spirituality per se (because, in its way, scenery and solitude on nature is spiritual to me), the Camino del Norte may be more suited for me than the Frances. Manu posters here and elsewhere emphasize that te Camino (Frances) is about spirituality And not scenery/hiking and so on.

Please tell me if I'm wrong though! And if the first part of the Frances, over the Pyrenees, actually has ups and downs and beautiful scenery, contrary to the critique from the experienced hiker Francis Tapon, then I am definitely wrong anyhow

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Please tell me if I'm wrong though!

All the caminos have scenery. Some of it is mountains, some of it is green valleys, some of it is desert.

 

[KinkyOne]

Thanks a bunch! It seems nice too, but am I right in that it is about 200 kilometres long? That would be too much with my time available. But guess I could do parts of it? How would you describe the terrain and availability of accomodation?

I sent it to you exactly because of the lenght (a bit more than 200km) / time constrains. You can do whatever Camino you choose in parts
You can see the profile etc at the links I've sent you because I didn't walked that route yet. I was fortunate enough to have had the time to walk much longer Caminos.
Wish you a nice one for yourself !