Help an ignorant wannabe pilgrim

[Bopfast]

Ok. Sooooo.... ive never done this before and to be honest dont even know where to start myself and a friend have an interest in walking the camino del Norte in May we have maybe a week to do it (or at least a stage of it) and need to do it on a shoestring for it to be achievable so i need some help where would anyone recommend to start. Irun i hear is simply beautiful and not to be missed? but then we would love to actually arrive at the santiago de compostela also.... i have been doing some research but this is really a spur of the moment decision and im hoping some experienced pilgrims might help us out!!

Thanks in advance!
Bopfast

 

[SYates]

If you have set your heart on the Camino del Norte (there are others also ;-) and you want to arrive in Santiago and you only have a week and you are on a shoestring budget your most likely starting point would be Lugo. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Welcome to the Forum.

Let me ask what it is about the Norte that appeals to you. Then do,a bit of research and see if that you are hopoing for is available in the last week of the Norte.

I have only walked the Norte to Llanes, but if it's the ocean you would like to walk with, alas the last week or so of the Norte is inland.

You decide. Santiago vs ocean?

 

[Trude]

Start in Irun and walk to Bilbao then next time you walk, and there will be a next time as you will have the Camino bug by then, pick up from Bilbao.

 

[Tincatinker]

@Bopfast, welcome to the forum. There is a wealth of information, opinion (and down-right nonsense) here that should help to inform your decisions. If you have limited time and limited budget you will want to think hard about how, and where, you can get to Spain. You haven't said where you are travelling from. Bilbao, Santander and Oviedo are all reasonably accessible from UK airports or via Madrid and all on the Norte. A Coruna would give you access to the Camino Ingles which is a classic 5 day walk ending in Santiago. And you might like to define 'shoe-string': €30 / day will suffice unless you are planning some hard-core partying but getting there & getting home is going to be what costs you.

Happy planning