Hugging the Coast on del Norte

[_zoro_]

I thought I was a one and done-er with the Camino Frances last year, alas, nope. Camino del Norte has beckoned my sweetheart’s corazón so we’ve set aside February 2024 for this route.





Perusing the threads on the topic I spied one from @peregrina2000 from 2007 - 2021 regarding keeping off the asphalt and hugging the coast. My primary objective is to stay off the pavement. I only imagine that what was once a less identified route is now a lot more used and therefore better marked - can anyone confirm or deny?





@trecile I looked at the gronze.com you posted on another thread for the North Route and I couldn’t ascertain if it has the alternative paths by the sea on it, so I sure would like to know if it’s easy or if I need to hunker down with a magnifying glass.





I know that the answer will stare me in the face as soon as I submit, but I come for the advice and stay for the community.

 

[dick bird]

There are routes, but they are not really Camino variants. Quite often the Camino goes along the road but there is a parallel GR footpath along the coast. Much more picturesque but you won’t find them via Camino sources.

 

[peregrina2000]

My primary objective is to stay off the pavement. I only imagine that what was once a less identified route is now a lot more used and therefore better marked - can anyone confirm or deny?

Hi, zoro,

I don’t think those off-pavement routes have been marked as camino alternatives. But they are all local hiking trails. The thread I did years ago has links to my wikiloc trails that took me from the camino to coast. More searching on wikiloc will get you more recent trails, I think. The GPS is necessary, IMHO, not for following the coastal trail once you get there, but from getting from the camino to the coastal trail. This will require a connection that is not marked at all. Some of the connections are obvious (like the one to the Ruta del Flysch), but others are not. Good luck, making the effort to get off the pavement and the national highway is well worth it!

 

[Old Hillwalker]

Go To Windy.com and zoom into the Northern Spain Coast. The Camino del Norte is shown and also the E9 route. I used the E9 as much as I could when it stayed near the coast. E9 and CdN are together much of the time.

 

[_zoro_]

Go To Windy.com and zoom into the Northern Spain Coast. The Camino del Norte is shown and also the E9 route. I used the E9 as much as I could when it stayed near the coast. E9 and CdN are together much of the time.

Thank you very much for that cool tip. I did exactly what you said and there it was. Much thanks!

 

[_zoro_]

Hi, zoro,

I don’t think those off-pavement routes have been marked as camino alternatives. But they are all local hiking trails. The thread I did years ago has links to my wikiloc trails that took me from the camino to coast. More searching on wikiloc will get you more recent trails, I think. The GPS is necessary, IMHO, not for following the coastal trail once you get there, but from getting from the camino to the coastal trail. This will require a connection that is not marked at all. Some of the connections are obvious (like the one to the Ruta del Flysch), but others are not. Good luck, making the effort to get off the pavement and the national highway is well worth it!

Thats great. Thanks. The work you did putting it together is so appreciated and I know that once I arrive it will all make more sense. I suppose as long as I'm walking west for a month I'm going the right direction!

 

[trecile]

Go To Windy.com and zoom into the Northern Spain Coast. The Camino del Norte is shown and also the E9 route. I used the E9 as much as I could when it stayed near the coast. E9 and CdN are together much of the time.

The app for Windy Maps is now mapy.cz

 

[_zoro_]

There are routes, but they are not really Camino variants. Quite often the Camino goes along the road but there is a parallel GR footpath along the coast. Much more picturesque but you won’t find them via Camino sources.

At the risk of sounding super dumb - what's a GR footpath?

I'm highly motivated by picturesque!

A bit of a bummer there are no Camino sources, but I'm a big girl and so many of you have gone before me and done it, so I'm hopeful I will too.

 

[trecile]

At the risk of sounding super dumb - what's a GR footpath?

Grande Randonnée in French and Gran Recorrido in Spanish.

GR footpath - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Elro]

I have just done the Norte and often taken the alternate coastal routes. They are picturesque and so, so worth it. They take you off the pavement but can be difficult in other ways. Some are very hilly, repeated steep ascents and descents, windy, rugged terrain and can add hours and kms to your journey. I personally loved it.

 

[_zoro_]

I have just done the Norte and often taken the alternate coastal routes. They are picturesque and so, so worth it. They take you off the pavement but can be difficult in other ways. Some are very hilly, repeated steep ascents and descents, windy, rugged terrain and can add hours and kms to your journey. I personally loved it.

Thank you @Elro steep and rugged with a dollop of picturesque is my recipe.

 

[dick bird]

Another suggestion: the Ruta Histórica from A Caridad. It loops inland away from Ribadello through Ribadeo and Vegadeo then rejoins the Norte at Mondoñedo. A less used but beautiful variant.

 

[_zoro_]

Another suggestion: the Ruta Histórica from A Caridad. It loops inland away from Ribadello through Ribadeo and Vegadeo then rejoins the Norte at Mondoñedo. A less used but beautiful variant.

Excellent - thank you for the suggestion. I've made the note and will execute. I'm a fan of less used and variants.