My stages on camino Norte (from Bayonne) 24 days

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

I started in Bayonne instead of Irún as my flight landed there and there was a marked route from Bayonne.

The distances are what my GPS-watch showed in the end of the day sometimes I got lost took a detour or took a shorter option. 3 ferries and 1 train ride is also included so some long days are really some km shorter. I walked on the Norte for 23 days

Day 1, Biarritz (airport) - Irún 41 km 11:27:19 (38 degrees that day so a lot of stops for water and ice cream or just rest in the shadow). Stayed in the municipal albergue. Ok! Kitchen.

Day 2 Irún - Gran Camping Zarauts 44 km (approx 11,5 h my watch died after 40 k) A rainy day, pouring down half of the day. I was supposed to stop in Orio but the albergue was full. Albergue at the camping is on top of an garage, it's a place to sleep nothing more. Microwave. Bar with ok food.

Day 3 Gran Camping Zarautz - Eremita del Calvario 31,55 km, 07:51:33 Stayed in a cozy small private albergue and they cooked a nice meal.

Day 4 Eremita del Calvario - Mendata , 38,95 km, 09:15:05 Stayed in this of route municipal albergue. No kitchen, bar has ok food. This is a biking stop for several routes so they had a lot of infrastructure for bikes. No need to backtrack to get back to the camino just following the road and you are back on the camino again.

Day 5 Mandata-Bilbao 37,87 km, 08:33:21 stayed in the municipal albergue, boring place.

Day 6 Bilbao - Castro Urdiales 45,2 km, 09:20:56 stayed in the municipal albergue that was overfilled slept on the stone floor in the kitchen on a 5 mm sleeping pad. People stepped on me.

Day 7 Castro-Urdiales - Noja 38,32 km, 08:07:52 Stayed in Noja Aventura Turistico Albergue, got food poisoned eating there but the room was ok. No kitchen.

Day 8 Noja - Santander 37,88 km, 09:35:59, stayed in the municipal albergue where you were not allowed to take your backpack into the room. It was ok. Microwave kitchen.

Day 9 Santander - Cóbreces 45,05 km, 08:58:42 I thought the albergue should be in the monastery but I was so wrong. It was in a soul less bunker with just beds and showers and WC. Quite dirty, footprints on the mattress in my bed.

Day 10 Cóbreces - Colombres 38,81 km, 08:23:26 Stayed in a albergue turistico that was good. Had a lovely meal in the Mexican restaurant in the village don't miss it!

Day 11 Colombres - Poo 29,19 km, 06:24:31, stayed in Albergue Llanes in Playa Poo. Nice place with lovely people. Kitchen you can use. Free tea and coffee. Huge garden. Loved it.

Day 12 Poo - San Esteban de Leces 34,76 km 08:03:10 Stayed in the municipal albergue that was nice with take-away food.

Day 13 San Esteban de Leces - Villaviciosa 35,96 km, 07:19:23 Stayed in Albergue Villaviscosia that was good. Small kitchen.

Day 14 Villaviciosa - Gijón 31,54 km, 06:53:35 Stayed in a pension, i had first thought of staying in Albergue El Peregrin but they had bad reviews and looked really shabby when I passed by.

Day 15 Gijón - San Martín de Laspra 32,77 km, 06:07:00 Stayed in a newly opened albergue (25th July) that was really nice. Private and donotivo. Good kitchen and nice rooms.

Day 16 San Martín de Laspra - Soto de Luiña 31,68 km, 05:39:13 Stayed in the municipal albergue that was quite booring place. no kitchen. Really boring food in the restaurant. Good burger in the bar.

Day 17, Soto de Luiña - Luarca 35,98 km, 06:59:03 Shared a room in a hotel with an amerikan girl who was also without albergue. Hotel Balticó. It was good, really good shower.

Day 18 Luarca - Tapia de Casariego 41,93 km, 08:10:29 stayed in the municipal albergue there, lovely place, small albergue. The camino was only pointing to Tapia now not inland at all. from being an of route albergue everyone seams to pass it now making it more crowded. Microwave.

Day 19 Tapia de Casariego - Lourenzá, 40,49 km, 07:45:43 Stayed in the municipal albergue and it was ok with a kitchen.

Day 20 Lourenzá - Vilalba, 46,71 km, 09:19:31 Stayed in Albergue Turistico Castelos that was nice with kitchen.

Day 21 Vilalba - Carbadello, 31,34 km, 06:56:05 Stayed in the off route albergue Witericus that is really nice. Worth 100 meter off route Nice cafe with food.

Day 22 Carbadello - Sobrado dos Monxes - 31,72 km 05:44:30 stayed in the monasterio albergue and the room was ok, the kitchen really dirty.

Day 23 Sobrado dos Monxes - Pedrouzo - 41,24 km, 07:32:13 I took the O Pino route and roadwork and some old arrows led me on a approx 6 km detour. Stayed in a pension Una Estrella Dorada and it was really nice the owner fixed gluten free breakfast to me.

Day 24 Pedrouzo - Santiago de Compostela - 19,92 km 03:15:48 passing 326 pilgrims.

 

[Davey Boyd]

Wow, your distances are incredible!

 

[Magwood]

I can't imagine many will be able to emulate your stages. I can walk a few 35 km stages in a row but couldn't keep it up over a full Camino. Very concise and useful assessment of albergues that will be helpful to others.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

I can't imagine many will be able to emulate your stages. I can walk a few 35 km stages in a row but couldn't keep it up over a full Camino. Very concise and useful assessment of albergues that will be helpful to others.

But hey I had 2 under 30 and one of them under 20 ;-) really short days. But I call anything under 35 a short day Some days were longer than my guide book said. I did plan some 29's

 

[spursfan]

For me, the most impressive bit is the average speed of 5km/hr - I tend to walk a little slower (say 4.8 km/hr) but walk for longer each day - certainly it refutes the idea that all must start slowly and gradually increase the distance each day - if you're a seasoned walker, you can certainly repeat long days though I might have a shorter walk on Sundays as a treat

 

[jpflavin1]

Beatrice:

I am curious, considering the temperature, what time you started each day. Does your daily time reflect stops or just actual walking time.

Joe

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

Beatrice:

I am curious, considering the temperature, what time you started each day. Does your daily time reflect stops or just actual walking time.

Joe

It is the time from I started from the albergue to the time I remembered to turn of the watch so sometimes there is an extra 30 minutes or so. I usually start around 6:30 (wake up at 6) but have started both earlier (woken up by people and couldn't get back to sleep) and later. I think 7:30 was the latest (my Instagram account have all the starting times). I have no problem with neither rain or heat (well the first day to Irùn was a little bit to hot). I do take breaks but they are quite short 30-60 minutes and I stop for a lot if photos.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

For me, the most impressive bit is the average speed of 5km/hr - I tend to walk a little slower (say 4.8 km/hr) but walk for longer each day - certainly it refutes the idea that all must start slowly and gradually increase the distance each day - if you're a seasoned walker, you can certainly repeat long days though I might have a shorter walk on Sundays as a treat

I guess my body is made for walking. Haven't trained anything between February and the time I left for the camino due to illness but it was no problem at all. I just walked. The average is with stops as well so when actually walking it is faster. A little bit slower going up. And you go up a lot on Norte.