Suggestions and info on the Ruta del Besaya

[@Ditts]

Hiya, I'm interested in recent info on the Besaya camino. There is an old thread but nothing very new. Anyone done it or part of it recently? I'm arriving by ferry in Santander in April and was going to walk some of the Norte then drop down onto the Primitivo. I've been looking at hostels on the Norte and they seem expensive, so wondering if I should try the Besaya then maybe, Leon to Oviedo and then some or all of the primitivo. I don't need to got to Santiago again. Any suggestions welcome. Thank you
(I will hopefully have around a month)

 

[trecile]

There's not much info on the forum, but there is a subforum for this route:

Ruta del Besaya

 

[@Ditts]

Thanks, I did see that. Just wondered if anyone had any more recent information. The last post was 2020.

 

[Tincatinker]

I'm not sure that the Besaya will solve your cost/benefit issue. This https://www.rayyrosa.com/ruta-del-besaya/mapa-y-track provides the route but no suggestions on accommodations. There are unlikely to be any pilgrim style Albergues. My half-an-hour on Godgle.maps and Berking didn't come up with much under €50 a night.

When are you planning on walking? A lot of the accommodations on the Norte get expensive in the Spanish holiday seasons - Easter and July-August. And, could you clarify what you mean by Hostels? Pilgrim Albergues remain providers of remarkably inexpensive accommodation. Small, family run hotels, Hostales, charge what the market will bear.

Edit: I see you've seen rayyrosa's website.

 

[@Ditts]

I'm not sure that the Besaya will solve your cost/benefit issue. This https://www.rayyrosa.com/ruta-del-besaya/mapa-y-track provides the route but no suggestions on accommodations. There are unlikely to be any pilgrim style Albergues. My half-an-hour on Godgle.maps and Berking didn't come up with much under €50 a night.

When are you planning on walking? A lot of the accommodations on the Norte get expensive in the Spanish holiday seasons - Easter and July-August. And, could you clarify what you mean by Hostels? Pilgrim Albergues remain providers of remarkably inexpensive accommodation. Small, family run hotels, Hostales, charge what the market will bear.

Edit: I see you've seen rayyrosa's website.

 

[@Ditts]

I’ll be going around the second week of April. I do know about albergues that one can’t book but I walked the Frances last year and spent the night sitting on a bench in Pamplona and am a bit reluctant to repeat.

 

[Tincatinker]

I’ll be going around the second week of April. I do know about albergues that one can’t book but I walked the Frances last year and spent the night sitting on a bench in Pamplona and am a bit reluctant to repeat.

Hmm, sorry about Pamplona. Was it not worth walking on? I’ve spent nights on benches, in church porches and the like but mostly by choice.

If you’re heading for the Primitivo from Santander I’d opine that the Norte is your best and most well accommodated route. There is a reasonable provision of Albergue and mid-April is still off-season for the small private providers.

The surfing I’ve done has suggested that accommodation prices are up on last year and up considerably on, say, five years ago. Hardly surprising even if unwelcome.
I’ve walked west out of Santander on and off for the last fifty years. I’d do it again tomorrow if I could

 

[@Ditts]

Hmm, sorry about Pamplona. Was it not worth walking on? I’ve spent nights on benches, in church porches and the like but mostly by choice.

If you’re heading for the Primitivo from Santander I’d opine that the Norte is your best and most well accommodated route. There is a reasonable provision of Albergue and mid-April is still off-season for the small private providers.

The surfing I’ve done has suggested that accommodation prices are up on last year and up considerably on, say, five years ago. Hardly surprising even if unwelcome.
I’ve walked west out of Santander on and off for the last fifty years. I’d do it again tomorrow if I could

I did walk on. At 4 in the morning. I’d come from much further down the line with 5 others. It’s a much longer story which I won’t bore you with but believe me we explored every single avenue and I’d already walked a very long way that day. I even asked the police to arrest us but they very kindly showed us the benches we could sleep? on but let us use their loo all night.
The private accommodation on the Norte is way too much for me and the hostels im obviously looking in the wrong place. I think you’re possibly a lot younger than me and I’ve had many adventures but really am not keen on being outside for an evening again.

 

[Tincatinker]

I think you’re possibly a lot younger than me

My first meander, as pilgrim/vagrant/hiker whatever, was as a spunky teenager in 1969. I don't know where that puts us on the comparative wrinkly scale

About the only thing thats stopping me from walking at the moment is the weight of my meds - but I'm working on that

 

[@Ditts]

My first meander, as pilgrim/vagrant/hiker whatever, was as a spunky teenager in 1969. I don't know where that puts us on the comparative wrinkly scale

About the only thing thats stopping me from walking at the moment is the weight of my meds - but I'm working on that

Hehe seems I’ve misread you. I imagined a sort of 30 something blond surfer. Maybe you were ? I wasn’t quite a teenager in 69 but early seventies I was. I’ve got fibromyalgia and various other groans so walking does help but I think perhaps we should compare meds?

 

[Tincatinker]

I’ve been that spunky teenager most of my life. For a bit of it I was a collector and performer of traditional (folk) song. For a while I was an auditor and a public servant (40 years in service of the public and not one of them ever said thank you). But mostly I remain that spunky teenager. Unfortunately my body and some of its crucial organs have decided that I’m old and battered and should go lie down for a bit. We are negotiating

I took a couple of 40 (note 40 not 14) year olds for a walk to the pub last Thursday. We’d only done 3 miles before the “are we there yet” started.

If your budget is very tight you may find that it’s worth risking another night on a bench because there is a lot of accommodation, certainly in the major towns along the Norte, which will never appear on Berking or Gronze. The Guardia will always know where, or at least point you to a bench where you won’t get hassled (and a toilet? Wow)

 

[@Ditts]

I’ve been that spunky teenager most of my life. For a bit of it I was a collector and performer of traditional (folk) song. For a while I was an auditor and a public servant (40 years in service of the public and not one of them ever said thank you). But mostly I remain that spunky teenager. Unfortunately my body and some of its crucial organs have decided that I’m old and battered and should go lie down for a bit. We are negotiating

I took a couple of 40 (note 40 not 14) year olds for a walk to the pub last Thursday. We’d only done 3 miles before the “are we there yet” started.

If your budget is very tight you may find that it’s worth risking another night on a bench because there is a lot of accommodation, certainly in the major towns along the Norte, which will never appear on Berking or Gronze. The Guardia will always know where, or at least point you to a bench where you won’t get hassled (and a toilet? Wow)

Ok I’m starting to believe you, thousands wouldn’t. I might give it a go. It’s what I originally thought to do. I may not start in Santander though I might start sort of a few miles up the road. Any suggestions as to where is a good place ? I’ve got two nights in an albergue after the ferry lands at about 3.30pm so I just wanted to get my bearings. I found a hostel to book for not too bad a price.

 

[Tincatinker]

@Ditts I’ll rummage my memories and try and help. Tomorrow. It’s getting late for this old wrinkly

 

[@Ditts]

@Ditts I’ll rummage my memories and try and help. Tomorrow. It’s getting late for this old wrinkly

No worries from a slightly younger wrinkly

 

[dick bird]

I've been looking at hostels on the Norte and they seem expensive

They are probably average for Spain and in April they won´t have put up their prices for the high season yet. There are good public and private albergues along the Norte whereas albergue accommodation would be very limited. I´d be inclined to stick to the Norte.

 

[Tincatinker]

No worries from a slightly younger wrinkly

You may have found this already https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/donativos-on-the-norte-primitivo.65856/ there are bound to be some changes since 2020 but there is base for exploration, cross referencing with Gronze should help in establishing where current beds.

One thing to possibly carry to mind is that there is a fair spread of fairly large and industrial cities and ports along the Norte as well as all those pretty, prettified and touristic honeypots like Santillana del Mar, Llanes. Non-pilgrim communal lodgings exist in most of those larger places and will likely come in cheaper than some of the "pilgrim" offerings.

That said I am seeing plenty of beds priced around €15 and I think that is the reality of 2024.

Buen Camino

 

[Tincatinker]

I imagined a sort of 30 something blond surfer.

Oh mate, thanks for that. The Beloved laughed so hard I started to worry..... She's ok now

 

[@Ditts]

Oh mate, thanks for that. The Beloved laughed so hard I started to worry..... She's ok now

Pleased to make someone laugh