Irun to gernika

[Stephen Hayes]

Hi guys my wife and I are walking the northern camino from irun to gernika in late august /early Sept our accommodation is booked. any advice, reviews, photos or tips anyone would like to share with us would be a great help

 

[QuailHiker]

You can take a look at my blog: fredsnortherncaminos.wordpress.com. My wife and I walked this stretch in April. Don't know how our stages compare to yours, but some of the info may help.

 

[jpflavin1]

Beautiful Camino with many seascapes
lots of 500 meter climbs (especially in the beginning)
better variety of food than most Camino's, imo, (more fish)
offers route alternatives (Gronze website good online guide)
accommodations good but not as frequent

Enjoy,
Joe

 

[Stephen Hayes]

You can take a look at my blog: fredsnortherncaminos.wordpress.com. My wife and I walked this stretch in April. Don't know how our stages compare to yours, but some of the info may help.

That's great thanks.your blog is very helpful altough I'm a bit worried about the inclines thanks again

 

[Stephen Hayes]

Beautiful Camino with many seascapes
lots of 500 meter climbs (especially in the beginning)
better variety of food than most Camino's, imo, (more fish)
offers route alternatives (Gronze website good online guide)
accommodations good but not as frequent

Enjoy,
Joe

Great stuff thanks is it hard going?

 

[gloria lowe]

I found the inclines very difficult because I don’t go up hills well at all, walk 100ft and stop to breath. The walk is beautiful unless it rains. We started 14 May and the mud was so thick it sucked your shoes off. It would be great with no mud and I wouldn’t do more than 20km a day.

 

[trecile]

That's great thanks.your blog is very helpful altough I'm a bit worried about the inclines thanks again

If you're going to walk the Norte you better get used to steep inclines! Especially from Irun to Bilbao.

 

[jpflavin1]

Great stuff thanks is it hard going?

Everything depends on an individuals condition and hiking experience. I walked it at 64 and did not have a problem. That said, while it does not have any 1500 meter climbs, it does have several 500 meter climbs. The first third is the most difficult.

I liked this route very much. Many complain that it has too much hard surface but you can always walk on the roadside. Most of the road walking is also very rural and there are alternatives many days.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[NualaOC]

I walked this stretch twice last year and absolutely loved it. As your accommodation is booked, you can take things nice and slowly and stop as often as you need to.

@peregrina2000 started this very useful thread about some coastal alternatives to the road-walking.

From what I recall, the most straightforward ones that don't add extra difficulty on your section are probably:

• Following the GR markers (red and white) on the approach to San Sebastián
• The beach walk between Camping Zarautz and Zarautz/Getaria (follow the GR marker and turn right) after the campsite. This takes you along the side of the campsite and down a little road towards the beach. It's a much nicer walk than the road - and you can paddle your tired feet in the water.

Gernika is a very interesting town with two museums. The Peace Museum and the assembly house are definitely worth a visit, as is the market if you happen to be there on a Monday morning.

My other tip would be bring your bathing suit. Sea swimming is a great cure for aching joints!

And finally -I'd recommend learning a few Basque phrases so that you can at least say hello and thank you to the friendly and helpful people you'll meet.

 

[Redvespablur]

I loved that part of Norte when we walked in May 2016. Our blog link is attached to profile if you would like a look.

We walked too long stages and probably compromised the experience a bit. We had terrific weather that mitigated my bad planning.

On the list to redo the Basque and Cantabrian secretions again.

 

[Scarlet Fez]

I did a short trip from Irun to Blbao starting on the 1st of May. Having previously done the Frances and Portuguese. I found this section very hard probably not helped that it was so wet and muddy. What was just as challenging was the unsurety of knowing whether cafes etc were actually going to be open as it was early season. It got to the point that I nearly always carried sufficient food to keep the energy levels up. The scenery was stunning I will admit and yes I maybe tempted to return to Bilbao in September and press on further.

 

[valevenga]

I’m 57 and barely trained for my first Camino—The Norte——it was challenging but I completed it with weekly rest days....started on June 1 and entered Santiago on July 12.....I loved it and am hooked!!! I am already planning my next one—-Primitivo....The scenery provided much inspiration and motivation to persevere during the first week....after that, I was good to go......the weather was nearly perfect the entire time—-many cloudy days with drizzle and light rain (perfect), some hard rainy days (mud was difficult), and thankfully only a few sunny days (brutal).....had no issues with food availability....plenty of bars except from Deba to Markina.....menu del dia was one of the best things....food and wine is delicious and inexpensive......just look ahead in whatever guide book you are using to double check the route details—-including difficulty of terrain, availability of food, lodging, etc.....I walked with people of all ages—-from a young couple with a toddler and a 5 year old to a 70 something year old man and everything in between—-from all over the world..... an experience like no other....beaches and ocean cliffs were beautiful—-and empty but for a few surfers here and there.....churches are gorgeous...Ultrea!