Is there an 'easy' section on the Camino del Norte?

[davosity]

Hi Everyone,

I am walking this path in June and an old camino companion of mine (from Camino Frances and also from Le Puy) wishes to join me for a few days. He has had serious health challenges over the past few years but is determined to join me. Is there a section with less ups and downs or with more albergues allowing some short (10-15 km) stages? I guess it also needs to be accessable by transport so he can get in and out.... and beautiful too! Can anyone think of anything that would suit?

Thanks,

David

 

[peregrino_tom]

I'd plump for the stages approaching Galicia - anywhere along the 90km from Soto de Luina to Ribadeo, but particularly the last bit that includes the coastal alternative to Tapia. There are not many hills - it's generally flat coastal plain interspersed with some great beaches and coastal fishing villages. Accommodation (not always albergues) is quite plentiful too. You might start a bit before, at Soto del Barco and detour off the camino to the fishing village of Cudillero if your friend wanted to make a full 100km! I'm pretty sure there's a good bus service along the coast and you are following the course of the narrow gauge Feve too. As it happens Asturias airport is close to the start as well.

 

[mikevasey]

I go for what Tom says and add the section from Santillana del Mar to Unquerra, its not outstandingly beautiful but more gently rolling and some pleasant walking. You have an albergue in SdM then about 13km one in the monastery in Cobreces then another 13km on in Comillas then 13km in San Vincente de la Barquerra and then about 17km in Unquerra. There is decent bus services to Santillana d M and you can get the Feve out of Unquerra. If you want to continue with him then the next section includes the hardest 100m ascent i have walked, up to Colombres, i walked it twice and it certainly gets my blood pumping. It would be better for him if he took the Feve to Pendules and he stayed at the private albergue there and then you could walk the very beautiful E9/camino route to Llanes the next day, you would obviously have to walk an extra 8-9 km to get to Pendules and you would have the option of the two other albergues of the three there.

Hope this gives you something to think about.

Mike

 

[davosity]

Thanks Tom and Mike for the suggestions. It's good to have a few alternatives because I'm not sure of his condition and perhaps only being on the camino will tell. The Feve train looks very handy for adapting to circumstances.

David

 

[peregrina2000]

The only caution I would give is that nearly every step between Santander and Comillas is on asphalt. That can be a real killer. In general there is a lot of road walking on the Norte, but this stretch is particularly painful. IMO.

I think I'd start somewhere near where peregrinoTom suggests, because it's just as pretty and probably a little less harsh on the feet.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Taking the FEVE (cercania every half hour) from Santander to Barreda cuts out the industrial section and gives a shortish day to Santillana del Mar. The walking then is possible as short days but there was a diversion last year which added distance near La Franca. It would have been better to keep to the road, which we cam eback onto anyway about 2kms from where we had left it having walked about 5km. Also approaching Llanes the route now follows the E9 which added to the distance. Again the final section might have been better on the road, turning right when the track crossed it.
A guide book and map are really helpful for these, especially in the places where there are temporary diversion arrows.
The advantage of being on the road is that if needed you could send for a taxi. There are only 2 FEVE trains per day until after Llanes when there are 4 between Llanes and Oviedo

 

[Hephsi]

I'd plump for the stages approaching Galicia - anywhere along the 90km from Soto de Luina to Ribadeo, but particularly the last bit that includes the coastal alternative to Tapia. There are not many hills - it's generally flat coastal plain interspersed with some great beaches and coastal fishing villages. Accommodation (not always albergues) is quite plentiful too. You might start a bit before, at Soto del Barco and detour off the camino to the fishing village of Cudillero if your friend wanted to make a full 100km! I'm pretty sure there's a good bus service along the coast and you are following the course of the narrow gauge Feve too. As it happens Asturias airport is close to the start as well.

David, Tom and all
I am glad David asked the question as I have been vaguely wondering about doing 100kms on the Norte and about distances between over-night places,nearness to public transport in case I get stuck etc. My first camino ,age 70, was Sarria to Santiago in Oct.2013. I am not sure whether it was just a gift for that special year or if I might actually manage another. Except for the last stage I walked only 12 to 18 kms a day and would not attempt more than that again. You are so helpful here and I hope David's friend really enjoys his return to the Camino.

 

[mikevasey]

There is sections from SdM which do go of road on the way to Comillas, im trying to remember where but there is . I looked at the Eroski site and they gave a distance of 14.8 from Pendules to Llanes along the E9 taking the high ascent a few Km before it which gives the stunning views. 2nd time round i followed the road hoping to connect with the cliff trails i had seen 1st time from on high, you do eventually connect with them but have to be careful along the road and going through a little village.

Every section on the Norte has large stretches of asphalt in some form (apart from Deba to Markina).

 

[davosity]

Wow, thanks for all the helpful suggestions! There's certainly alot of expertise here on what seems to be a fairly complex camino in terms of variants. I guess it's more of a 'walk in progress' (pun intented) compared to the Camino Frances and the Le Puy route where we pretty much followed our noses (and the arrows/balises of course). I've read for years about road walking and the Camino del Norte. I guess my hope is that each year, a little more of the route finds its way off roads and onto paths. It seems like there is a lot of scope for pioneering off road options though personally, I love the carefree element of walking the Camino.

 

[mikevasey]

The Cicerone book for the Northern Caminos might be your answer. It was first published last year but I believe that the author/ lecturer has walked it again with some of his students/minions and they have between them walked the main routes and variants for a lot of the etapes. It has had mainly very good reviews on here, there has been a few bad ones, but i bet even the German conrad stein guide had it critics to begin with before it came the holy grail of guides to the Norte.

 

[peregrino_tom]

I guess my hope is that each year, a little more of the route finds its way off roads and onto paths

David, be careful what you wish for - in Cantabria at least, the way off the road and onto the paths can be a little frustrating at times.
Typically it'll take you up a steep muddy track, entangle you in brambles, give you an unwaymarked fork in the path to consider, leaving you guessing as you negotiate a steep and slippery track back onto the road - about 400 metres further on from where you left it twenty minutes earlier... OK - I exaggerate a little, but it certainly tried my patience a few times on wet days.
The good news is that you can find and take parts of the E9 European long distance coastal path. The path has not been completed yet but pops up in a couple of places where it's easy to take as an alternative to the more road-bound camino. You'll find it between Colombres and Llanes (from La Franca I think). Much later on I found it shortly after La Caridad and followed it all the way to Ribadeo (via Tapia), a gorgeous section.
The Cicerone guide is quite useful for devising your own minor detours as there's just about enough of a map for you to try your own variations. It's very useful for the coastal section after Guemes, which is lovely, but which I don't remember being waymarked at all.