terrain of Camino del Norte

[Susan B Johnson]

I was planning to walk the Camino Primitivo this summer, however, my physical therapist advised against doing a lot of inclines and declines. Has anyone here walked del Norte? Is it less up and down than the Primitivo? Any other route recommendations? Thanks!

 

[SabsP]

I was planning to walk the Camino Primitivo this summer, however, my physical therapist advised against doing a lot of inclines and declines. Has anyone here walked del Norte? Is it less up and down than the Primitivo? Any other route recommendations? Thanks!

I did not walk the Camino del Norte but I read enough about it to know that it is a rather demanding Camino with lots of ups and downs.

See " perfil " of this etapa for example.

Irún - San Sebastián | Camino del Norte | Gronze.com

Etapa bellísima y dura, que podemos dividir en dos partes: la primera, el ascenso al santuario de Guadalupe y la larga travesía por el monte Jaizkibel hasta Pasajes de San Juan, donde disponemos de un albergue; tras cruzar la ría en barca arranca el segundo tramo, que atraviesa el monte Ulía y...

www.gronze.com

Did you consider the Camino Portugues? Less strenuous IMO.

 

[donalomahony]

I was planning to walk the Camino Primitivo this summer, however, my physical therapist advised against doing a lot of inclines and declines. Has anyone here walked del Norte? Is it less up and down than the Primitivo? Any other route recommendations? Thanks!

The Camino del Norte has a serious amount of inclines and declines. Day 1 in photo attached via Gronze which also shows the elevation of each day... If you open Gronze in Chrome you can translate it into English, or indeed many other languages

 

[David with new Kit!]

We completed the Norte last September 2022. The first week from Irún to Bilbao is very strenuous. After Bilbao it's still hard. Lots of ups and downs.

We did the Frances the year before and we consider the Norte to be a harder challenge due to the terrain.

 

[LTfit]

I've done both the Primitivo and the Norte and found the Norte less strenuous with fewer ups and downs but that's not to say it's flat. From Bilbao on it's easier. Maybe take a look at the stages on www.gronze.com.

 

[KimR]

I was planning to walk the Camino Primitivo this summer, however, my physical therapist advised against doing a lot of inclines and declines. Has anyone here walked del Norte? Is it less up and down than the Primitivo? Any other route recommendations? Thanks!

The Norte is known for its ‘ups & down’- especially in the Basque region (up to Bilbao) Would suggest you check on website gronze.com which shows the routes and the elevation profiles to do the comparison.

 

[WayWalker]

I was planning to walk the Camino Primitivo this summer, however, my physical therapist advised against doing a lot of inclines and declines. Has anyone here walked del Norte? Is it less up and down than the Primitivo? Any other route recommendations? Thanks!

Didn't walk the Primitivo but did walk the Camino del Norte from Irun. It is many steep inclines and declines. Being on the rugged northern coast of Spain most towns are on inlets and where rivers and tributaries dump into the ocean. So descending into and climbing up out of every town, city and village is the rule of the day on the Norte. It's a spectacular Camino.

 

[Rachel from Seattle]

Up up up up up up, down down down down down. Repeat. Especially the first week. Very steep, in my opinion.

 

[lt56ny]

I too have only walked the Norte in its entirety. Friends I walked with on the Norte split to the Primitivo. When I got to Santiago I met them again and they said that the Primitivo was more difficult. But as every other Norte walker will tell you there are some really steep up and downs virtually every day for the first few weeks. Maybe you should look at a combination of some other caminos to do. I have done the Aragones and although short it is lovely and not too tough at all. This year I will do the Vasco Interior to Burgos. There is one stage I may skip as it is a really intense day. I have read it is a really lovely camino and if you start in Bayonne and pick up the Camino in Irun it is about the same distance as the Primitivo if you skip one or two of the really tough stages early on. I have read it can be a very solitary camino also when I walk starting in October. The Aragones was solitary last year when I started in mid October. Walking earlier in the year finds more pilgrims on the Aragones. I am not sure about the Vasco.

 

[JerryStroebele]

On the del Norte the first day out of Irun is the hardest climb if you take the upper route, and still hard if you take the around the mountain route. Both are beautiful. After that, it is well described above, up and down, up and down from the coastal plain down into the former tiny fishing villages where the rivers and streams met the sea. FANTASTIC coastal scenery. When you are not on the coast, if you look high up a hill and see either a church or a windmill, be prepared, that is where the Camino will take you. The Primitivo is an order of magnitude tougher because you are walking perpendicular to the folds of the mountains. FANTASTIC mountain/highland scenery. After Lugo, easy. If this is your first Camino, do consider the Frances. Plenty of hill challenges but lots of infrastructure affording shorter days' walks. A beautiful pilgrimage. Buen Camino

 

[peha]

I was planning to walk the Camino Primitivo this summer, however, my physical therapist advised against doing a lot of inclines and declines. Has anyone here walked del Norte? Is it less up and down than the Primitivo? Any other route recommendations? Thanks!

Yes the Del Norte is difficult the first couple of days. People are Not exaggerating when they tell you that. But it is so beautiful. It was worth the pain. If you cannot do the ups and downs, try starting at Bilbao. That way you can see the beaches and mountains the rest of the way.
Buen Camino

 

[Susan B Johnson]

Someone suggested I do the Camino Portugues instead of El Norte. I was wondering if Portugal is more expensive than Spain. Also, do they have the luggage service that Spain provides through the mail system, where your luggage will be delivered at the next inn for you? I used that for my Camino Ingles and it worked perfectly.

 

[trecile]

Someone suggested I do the Camino Portugues instead of El Norte. I was wondering if Portugal is more expensive than Spain. Also, do they have the luggage service that Spain provides through the mail system, where your luggage will be delivered at the next inn for you? I used that for my Camino Ingles and it worked perfectly.

Portugal is not more expensive than Spain. Many people find it to be less expensive.
If you are starting from Porto there are several luggage transfer services.

Backpack transport for the Pilgrims´walk to Santiago

Backpack transport for the Pilgrims´ walk to Santiago de Compostela. Taxi, bus and minibus service on the Pilgrims´walk to Santiago de Compostela.

tuitrans.com

Luggage transfer for pilgrims walking along Portuguese Way | Camino de Santiago

www.pilbeo.com

Camino Fácil – Transporte de equipajes en El Camino de Santiago

caminofacil.net

 

[JerryStroebele]

When we walked the del Norte in 2013 pilgrims we met who had earlier walked the Camino Frances said food and lodging costs on the del Norte were significantly more expensive than the Frances. When we walked the Camino Portugues in 2015 we thought costs were significantly less than the del Norte. The last time I walked the del Norte in 2019 I thought prices were reasonable. When I walked the Frances last year I thought prices were a real bargain. If anybody thinks food and lodging prices on the Caminos are too high, well, come on up and visit us in Alaska. That will reset your thinking. Buen Camino

 

[Dennis Pack]

The thing on the Norte that stood out for me (though I suppose it's the same on most caminos) ... most of the churches are on top of hills. A lot of walking up and down when there are actually routes you could take "around" if you didn't mind not going to every church ... which is an actual choice you can make.

 

[JerryStroebele]

And sometimes taking the asphalt will save you a huge drop down a ravine and then back up to the—-asphalt! Buen Camino

 

[Tony Wray]

The Camino del Norte is more picturesque compared to the Frances but there are fewer pilgrims.
In September 2022 we walked from Irun to Santander. We walked around the left side of the hill rather than over the top from Irun's guadalupe to Pasajes and we did take a taxi ride from Portulagete to Otanes and overnighted in the old station right on the camino).
Our ages were 78 and 75 my wife sent her backpack via Correos. Note, they did not deliver it to La Estacion in Otanes but we got around that. Correos are good.
The Cabana del Abuelo Peuto at Guemes was a high light for us.
To Pilgrims wondering about the inclines and declines of the Camino del Norte I would say if you are not carrying too much weight and have a stick to assist on the hills then just take your time and you will get there

 

[Eamonrodden]

I was planning to walk the Camino Primitivo this summer, however, my physical therapist advised against doing a lot of inclines and declines. Has anyone here walked del Norte? Is it less up and down than the Primitivo? Any other route recommendations? Thanks!

The Norte is more up and down than the Primitivo. The Primitivo has longer and higher ups and downs. The Norte (my favourite) has many, shorter but steeper ups a downs as you go along the coastline.
Good luck

 

[peregrino_tom]

I was planning to walk the Camino Primitivo this summer, however, my physical therapist advised against doing a lot of inclines and declines. Has anyone here walked del Norte? Is it less up and down than the Primitivo? Any other route recommendations? Thanks!

Hmmm. So a lot of commentators have compared the whole Norte to the Primitivo. Are you intent on finishing in Santiago? Presumably, if you were just going to do the Primitivo you only have 2+ weeks? The equivalent section of the Norte from Oviedo (or easier from Aviles) is definitely less hilly and has a few days where it is nearly flat along the coast. Depending on when you go in 'summer', it can be quite popular with tourists, but the beauty of the coast, especially between Navia and Ribadeo outweighs the inconvenience. I particularly enjoyed the section between Ribadeo and Mondonedo in gently hilly uplands.
You ask about other route recommendations. I'd say that the Portuguese is the flattest of all main routes coming in to Santiago. If you started at Porto then that would only be a couple of days shorter than the Primitivo. That would give some extra days to party rest in Santiago.

 

[Susan B Johnson]

Portugal is not more expensive than Spain. Many people find it to be less expensive.
If you are starting from Porto there are several luggage transfer services.

Backpack transport for the Pilgrims´walk to Santiago

Backpack transport for the Pilgrims´ walk to Santiago de Compostela. Taxi, bus and minibus service on the Pilgrims´walk to Santiago de Compostela.

tuitrans.com

Luggage transfer for pilgrims walking along Portuguese Way | Camino de Santiago

www.pilbeo.com

Camino Fácil – Transporte de equipajes en El Camino de Santiago

caminofacil.net

Thank you so much! This is so helpful!

 

[Liana]

Someone suggested I do the Camino Portugues instead of El Norte. I was wondering if Portugal is more expensive than Spain. Also, do they have the luggage service that Spain provides through the mail system, where your luggage will be delivered at the next inn for you? I used that for my Camino Ingles and it worked perfectly.

I would also suggest the CP from Porto, starting in Matosinhos. You can walk the coast for a few days and then pull inland. I've done them both and loved each one in their own beauty. Definitely cheaper in Portugal and the people are extremely friendly and luggage transfer is readily available. I will be doing this route again in August myself and so happy to get back to the camino after 5 years. You hafta do the Spiritual route also, the best part of this walk for me at least. You can't go wrong with whichever route you choose, just having the luxury to walk a camino is Priceless!

 

[trecile]

I would also suggest the CP from Porto, starting in Matosinhos.

I recommend that you start at the Cathedral and walk along the river to the sea on the Senda Litoral to Matosinhos.

 

[Terenia]

I was planning to walk the Camino Primitivo this summer, however, my physical therapist advised against doing a lot of inclines and declines. Has anyone here walked del Norte? Is it less up and down than the Primitivo? Any other route recommendations? Thanks!

Both caminos, del Norte and Primitivo are physically challenging and I would not go against the advice from the physical therapist. I walked the camino del Norte last September and October and I can confirm that it takes a lot of stamina to climb and descent the hills. The Camino del Norte is as beautiful as challenging. If you like my suggestion, please try the Camino Portuguese.

 

[RJM]

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