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I disagree with the original post and have attached some comments. This route, imo, is maybe the best of the Camino's I have walked. Only a 345 word response. Part of Joe's response is here:
I found this Camino to be a great walk along the Northern coast of Spain. There is hard surface walking. The food is more varied and better than the Frances. The Albergues and other accommodation is more than adequate in my experience, Spring walking. While this route is not as social as the Frances, I was never without companionship. I also found that most of the Pilgrims I encountered had never walked the Frances.
Ultreya,
Joe
I agree Joe - I met a large number of people who had only done the Norte. We loved the views and that made up for the hills. We loved the solitude and our Camino family was our entire hostel. Every night we would leave one location and by the end of the day 20 people had met up at the next hostel. We watched out for each other, we knew who was injured or got bed bugs. And we waited for the slow walkers with a beer at the end of the day. I am concerned about getting lost in the crowds of the Frances, about not seeing the same friendly faces every day. Most of our legs were about 16-22km due to the hills and hostel distance, but we loved it. I loved it so much that I am finding it hard to do another route.
I think if you liked the Le Puy you will love the Norte. It has more in common with the Le Puy than with the Francės.
- I have eaten a LOT of mostly very good fish, including a 1/4kg of percebes for €10, perhaps 1/4 the cost in Santiago, lots of wonderfully fresh mussels, some memorable sopa de mariscos, some tiny explode in your mouth navajas, perfectly fresh swordfish and sardines, and mostly (not the barnacles, obviously) included in the menú del día, or pretty cheap. In fact I haven't eaten any meat since leaving the mountains, better have some fabada before I leave Asturias.
.... but would someone be able to speak specifically to the Galician portion of the Camino del Norte? I'm wondering if some of the "downsides" to the first two-thirds of the route - especially long stretches of paved roads - are less of an issue once the camino turns inland to Santiago.
I'm planning a Camino with a friend in June 2017, and we're considering the Camino del Norte. We have to fit in our pilgrimage within two weeks including air travel days, so if we choose the Northern route, we would probably start near the Asturias-Galicia border. I walked the Camino Portugues in 2008 (it was marvelous, and seems to have grown in popularity since then); for my friend it will be his first Camino. I'm weighing up all the comments in this thread from the original post on, but would someone be able to speak specifically to the Galician portion of the Camino del Norte? I'm wondering if some of the "downsides" to the first two-thirds of the route - especially long stretches of paved roads - are less of an issue once the camino turns inland to Santiago.
I'm planning a Camino with a friend in June 2017, and we're considering the Camino del Norte. We have to fit in our pilgrimage within two weeks including air travel days, so if we choose the Northern route, we would probably start near the Asturias-Galicia border. ...
I completely agree, I loved the Norte. I was there September 2015.I disagree with the original post and have attached some comments. This route, imo, is maybe the best of the Camino's I have walked. Only a 345 word response.
Ultreya,
Joe
I think the Ribadeo to Santiago stretch was great!Iran to Santander with the train from Bilbao to Castro Urdialles to allow a leasurily walk
Would avoid Ribadeo to Santiago like the plaque.
I think the Ribadeo to Santiago stretch was great!
Yes, I loved Ribadeo to Santiago too. One of my favourite parts - actually one of the loveliest of all caminos. Why would you avoid it @Thornley? Beautiful peaceful green Galician pathways, lovely countryside, interesting villages and Sobrado.
View attachment 30691
I think the issue here is what you write in your last paragraph: people doing the Norte have expectations and desires based on the CF. And I could not disagree more. Plus I don't believe the more hardcore walkers found on the Norte are there by accident, nor do they regret it. And this applies to the Primitivo as well.
I am glad there are no "camino families", glad it is solitary and not a tourist trap, with drunken fools at the albergues, or others getting the whole albergue up at 4am. I am also grateful for fantastic menus del dia vs the pilgrim menu.
I also could not disagree more regarding the albergues: many give you clean sheets, and by that I mean a full set right out of the industrial laundry cie, some also give you synthetic duvets. Others add in towels. TOWELS! San Vicente de la barquera is a disaster, but let's not forget San Juan de Oretaga on the CF. The youth hostel in San Seb gives you sheets, the Zarautz Hostel a duvet as well. Pobena is simple, but clean. The trainstation in Llanes also gives you all the bedding you need. No need to unpack! Pension in Portugalete 20€ for a single and the lovely woman who owns it will sew for you if in need. Albergue in Santillana is in a spectacular historical mansion, and the jet tub amd shower a treat (ok, tub jet don't work because pilgrims burned the motor on the fisrt night it was installed, but you can still soak in there for a while!)
Ok, I'll also grant you that the albergue in Santander is such a tight squeeze that I wonder how it is legal for it to have so many pilgrims, but then there is Albergue Piedad as an options in Boo: duvet, towels, shampoo, the works.
I for one hope the Norte will not change. I am hopeful that because of the greater distances between villages and towns it will remain more authentic, more in line with what the country, and its regions are.
Hello Denzil,Sounds really interesting. Thanks. Could you please tell me a little about the walking. Is the walk mainly on roads? busy roads? or are there tracks away from the road.
thanks Denzil
We are trying to decide about the Camino Norte', we did the Frances last fall (2016) and are desiring to walk the Norte' this fall. While reading all we can here it has left us a bit confused about the rigors of the Norte'. On one hand, we have read where a gentleman 65 yrs of age said while difficult in the beginning that he feel anyone can do it. Then we read where another gentleman says he is 25 yrs old, a runner and in shape relaying it was the hardest thing he ever did. So which is it, very difficult or a trek of lesser intensity. We are Bill(67) Joan (65) , for us the first few days of the Frances were brutal but then we gained our conditioning and while the trek was not easy it was also not unbearable. It seems that there is no concensus about the Norte' Way. Also, we have read where some have said it does not have the "Camino community" feel to it like the Frances. HELP !!!!
Hi PlutseligPilegrim- it looks like you have set up your blog through Facebook. Is it basically the same as setting up a personal FB page? Do you invite people to follow it by sending out friend requests or by sharing the link via email or both? Probably really dumb questions in the eyes of the tech saavy, but I personally don't find a lot of this tech stuff to be intuitively obvious. Thanks for taking the time to reply.Glad you are motivated.....going parallell to a thundering coastline is something else
No cycling......juuuust walking
18 days it took.....in december....out of season ....with absolutely zilch worries around housing....that explains average 10 km's more pr day in my experience
It's not harder....you listen to your body and you are just fine
Go for it!!!
Buen Camino
PS
Going Levante next week
Follow me for updates along route
https://m.facebook.com/Caminodelevantemay2017-1444233982332771/
I disagree with the original post and have attached some comments. This route, imo, is maybe the best of the Camino's I have walked. Only a 345 word response.
Ultreya,
Joe
Hello, it's April, 2017, and I've been encouraged to avoid the Camino Frances...I am interested in the Camino Norte and would like to read your piece. I can't open it...is it still around? If you can resend it, that would be great.
Gracias,
Sue
I'm currently researching the possibilities of my walking the the Camino del Norte in 2018 and came across your thread from 2015 re why not to walk. I'm wanting to be as well informed as possible as I'll be walking alone as I did the Camino France last year. Unfortunately I'm unable to open your PDF and was wondering if it's possible for you to send this via my email..not sure if that's permitted in this forum but here's my email anyways should you receive this request and allowed to do so...(personal email address removed by Moderator. Please use the PM function) Sincere thanks RFBI walked the Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago during September, October 2015. This was my second Camino, having walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago in 2013. Like many others, my choice to walk a different Camino was made on the basis of seeing a different side of Spain on a Camino that was not as crowded as the Camino Frances. I have since learnt that this is a very common reason for walking the coastal route.
As I walked, I discovered many things that might have influenced my decision to walk the Camino del Norte and which I had not seen on the Forum discussions (or if they were there, they were diffused across many conversation threads). This is my attempt to bring some of these issues together so that others may be better informed before making a decision to “head North”.
I know that we are all are enthusiasts of the Camino, and it feels somehow wrong to write stuff that is not necessarily complementary, but I am trying to be both balanced and thorough here. Finally, let me add a caveat. These are my views, which exist within a spectrum of views from people that have walked the Camino del Norte. Others may disagree with specific comments or judgements, and I look forward to a good discussion in the comments.
Because of the 10,000 character limit on posts, I have attached a .pdf file containing the full document.
Try this link. I had no trouble getting the file using this:Unfortunately I'm unable to open [Wyvernsridge's] PDF
Hi all,
I'm thinking of walking the first part of the Camino del Norte this September. I land in Biarritz on the Sunday and then plan to walk till Saturday. I have to fly home from Biarritz on Saturday evening. My question is how far can / should I aim to walk? Based on previous reading I think I can get to Guernica and then will have to bus, train, etc. back to Biarritz. Is this possible?
I'm 28 years old, pretty fit and regularly do long walks/hikes.
Thanks,
Henry
Henry, it took us a full week to walk from Irun to Gernika. That stretch is some of the most difficult on the Norte with lots of rocky ups and downs. Just the same, I suspect you may be able to shave a day or so off of our time as we were not fast walkers. Hope this helps.
I am considering a second Camino walk, after having walked the CF this year. Thanks for these insights. The longer distances, lesser crowds and seaside view- all appeal.I think the issue here is what you write in your last paragraph: people doing the Norte have expectations and desires based on the CF. And I could not disagree more. Plus I don't believe the more hardcore walkers found on the Norte are there by accident, nor do they regret it. And this applies to the Primitivo as well.
I am glad there are no "camino families", glad it is solitary and not a tourist trap, with drunken fools at the albergues, or others getting the whole albergue up at 4am. I am also grateful for fantastic menus del dia vs the pilgrim menu.
I also could not disagree more regarding the albergues: many give you clean sheets, and by that I mean a full set right out of the industrial laundry cie, some also give you synthetic duvets. Others add in towels. TOWELS! San Vicente de la barquera is a disaster, but let's not forget San Juan de Oretaga on the CF. The youth hostel in San Seb gives you sheets, the Zarautz Hostel a duvet as well. Pobena is simple, but clean. The trainstation in Llanes also gives you all the bedding you need. No need to unpack! Pension in Portugalete 20€ for a single and the lovely woman who owns it will sew for you if in need. Albergue in Santillana is in a spectacular historical mansion, and the jet tub amd shower a treat (ok, tub jet don't work because pilgrims burned the motor on the fisrt night it was installed, but you can still soak in there for a while!)
Ok, I'll also grant you that the albergue in Santander is such a tight squeeze that I wonder how it is legal for it to have so many pilgrims, but then there is Albergue Piedad as an options in Boo: duvet, towels, shampoo, the works.
I for one hope the Norte will not change. I am hopeful that because of the greater distances between villages and towns it will remain more authentic, more in line with what the country, and its regions are.
James there are lots on the north coast, but many are off the route, some a fair way. We were sometimes disappointed to arrive and find them closed; many are only seasonal and do not open until mid July.
Can I just add my take on this. I've just returned from a week on the Norte. My friend and I are in our sixties and decided to eschew albergues in favour of posadas, offering a little more privacy and comfort.
We booked in advance through Booking.com, using the Editorial Buen Camino guide to determine what we thought would be (for us) realistic stages. And it turned out that we'd judged it fairly well, except ....
As the OP says, the infrastructure doesn't really cater for pilgrims!
We stopped for a night in a little hamlet high above Oyambre (between Comillas and San Vicente), and asked our hosts if there was a bar in the village where we could eat. Answer: no. So, is there a shop where we can buy some food? (since our accommodation had a kitchen). Answer again: no. He said the nearest shop was in Comillas, about 5 km back down the road we had just walked.
Later, our host's wife came to our rescue by both handing us a bag of goodies: bread, wine, cheese etc., and by telling us that 1.5km further on there was a golf club where the food was good and reasonably priced. So we didn't starve, but it made us nervous about our next stages: should we carry provisions, and if we did, would there be anywhere to cook? After that, little villages en route which looked as if they should have a little bar where a cold beer would have been so welcome, had none, or none open, and even a bar that was marked on Google maps turned out to be closed for the season.
By contrast, I will never forget Serdio, where we nervously asked our host, is there a bar open in the village? - Si. And do they serve food? - Si. And she laughed at our expressions of relief. But this little bar will remain in my memory for its convivial atmosphere (a great mix of pilgrims and locals) - its wonderful 'menu del dia', and its congenial staff. It felt like we had just stepped back 30 years in time.
What's the answer? My impression is that the whereas guides are quite comprehensive for those aiming to stay in albergues, those of us who look to the internet for accommodation run the risk of being asked (as we were) "You don't have a car ....?"
But it would be nice if those posadas, hosteles and the like that are on the route of the camino, showed awareness of the fact and listed the local facilities, just as they would car-parking, or whether they cater for pets. "Pilgrims note: nearest bar/restaurant 1.5km. Nearest shop: 5km" and so on. Probably just wishful thinking on my part!
Thank you!And for those who are not big on apps, know that the Wise Pilgrim real paper book guide to the Norte is hot off the presses and available at a sale price at Ivar's store. https://www.santiagodecompostela.me/collections/camino-del-norte-items
I can also say that I have seen some of the pages of this guide and know that Michael will be including all of the coastal options he was able to find over the past years of walking and writing about the Norte.
I️ opened it on my iPad. When you click on it you should get an option to open it in “iBooks”. Say yes and the document will open and be saved there if you need it as a reference later.Im on a ipad. Doesnt seem to work. Even an online pdf reader wont open the file.
Apples.....pffff
We cycled the Del Norte earlier this year. In May Off Road and On when the coastal route got way to tough on bikes. I can only describe what We found from our Camino from Santander to Santiago. (I know that the Bilbao section is tougher physically)
The day we joined the Frances from the Del Norte was a complete shock there was so many people. The del Norte was not quiet by any means, but over 1500 Pilgrims arrived in Santiago on the day we did, in early May. We saw plenty of reasons Why you should do the Camino del Norte to be honest. There was no dash to the Albergues, there was plenty of campsites too along the way. The cafes and bars we offering free Tapas with your beer, we could have just survived on these most days!
We met hospitaliers who were really kind and put them selves out for us, and seemed to still enjoy the hosting of Perigrinos on the Way.
High lights were being ale to bike on the coastal route and not having to keep to the tarmac. After we joined the Frances this was almost impossible because of the numbers of walking pilgrims, we decided it best not to use the paths as it would possibly cause unpleasant interactions with the walking pilgrims. And The monastery albergue at Dos Monxes. Wow what a place! The scenery in Galicia is awesome, those forest and moors are beautiful. (sadly lots of fires tis season)
So yes maybe there are hills, yes it does rain, yes there are fewer people, yes there are alternate routes, yes the cafes might be fewer.
My advise, as a 58 year old 50lb overweight cyclist with knackered knees.... don't let others tell you what you can do or what to think. Go and try it. take your time, train by doing either cycling or walking. Go for it.
Leave everything you think you know behind.. as well as most of the luggage you think you need.
Hi there,
I have been planning my Camino del Norte ( April 2018 ) for nearly a year now based on a keen interest in the Basque country with its food/culture etc, mountains, sea and walking a less populated route. However, upon reading several posts I am in a dilemma, even though I am heartened by later experiences ( e.g yours ) posted several years after the initial one that came up upon joining this great forum. I am a pretty fit female in my late 50's ( turning 60 on the Camino ! ) from Far North Queensland, Australia who exercises at least 4 times per week-gym, yoga and walking some pretty tough walks, but I am now having second thoughts of doing the Norte. I am now concerned whether it will be too hard and also have a concern re beds for the night. Even though I have info re the actual route etc, I have never done an extended walk, especially a solo one, before. If anyone has any more feedback / experiences I would be really grateful. I guess I need reassurance.
You will be fine. I am in my 60's and walked it solo this past year. Before you go, practice walking up and down hills a LOT. Wear your pack while you train. Take it slowly the first week or so when the terrain is more difficult (but still totally doable). I went in mid-May - June. If you are open to staying in private albergues and hostales, not just munis, beds are not a problem (July & August can be very busy). Go and have a wonderful time. Buen camino!
Great to get another reply ! Yes, I use trekking poles already as where I live there are some very challenging walks and they have saved me on several occasions. Thanks for the tips, I appreciate all of them. Is it possible for you to suggest my itinerary and where you stayed for the night ?I walked the Norte at age 60 with two girlfriends. Like you, I considered myself fairly fit for my age. Was it challenging? Yes, the first week in particular from Irun to Bilbao was definitely a challenge but so worth it. The vistas were spectacular. I recommend using trekking poles, taking your time, resting on those challenging ascents and descents, and taking time to absorb the beauty around you. I had never done ANY long distance backpacking and during my training my longest walk was 8 miles. Since I live at sea level, I was not able to incorporate many hills while I trained. We met several women along the way that were walking alone and they did fine.
Great to get another reply ! Yes, I use trekking poles already as where I live there are some very challenging walks and they have saved me on several occasions. Thanks for the tips, I appreciate all of them. Is it possible for you to suggest my itinerary and where you stayed for the night ?
Many thanks & will take a lookWe stayed in a combination of private and public albergues, pensions, and hotels. For the private accommodations we used booking.com with good success and usually booked anywhere from a few hours to 24 hours in advance. You can take a look at my blog to get an idea or our itinerary. I'm in the middle of cleaning it up. Right now, it's in reverse order but it will give you an idea of what we did. www.threewomenoneway.com. I don't recall all the names of places we stayed but I will take a look and provide you with what I have written down.
I am now having second thoughts of doing the Norte.
Hi Kanga,@Gypsyqueen welcome to the forum from a fellow ozzie. You will be fine. Don't be overwhelmed - it is easy - just get yourself to Irun and start walking!
I walked it in April/May carrying a tent (don't - it is an unnecessary burden) and all that goes with it - 14 kilos. By far the heaviest pack I've ever taken on camino.
The Norte is no more arduous that the Camino Frances imo.
The first day's walk between Iran and San Sebastian is a stretch if you take the "alpista" route (highly recommended), but we stopped half-way and spent the night at Passai Doniban (aka Passai San Juan) which I really recommend - it is stunning, like a fjord. Steep steps everywhere. It only has a small albergue, in a church on a path to the right as you enter the village. It does fill up but if you leave Irun at a reasonably early hour you should get a bed.
Other than that first night, my suggestion is that you don't plan too much - no itinerary. It is a camino. Just walk and see how you go.
Although there are less albergues than on the Camino Frances, new ones open all the time, and because it is a tourist area there is plenty of alternative accommodation. When we stayed in non-albergue accommodation we only booked from day to day. I buy a local sim for my phone when I land in Madrid (there is an Orange shop at the airport) or if I'm going through France then I'd buy a sim in Irun.
I'm in Sydney but send me a PM if you want my phone number - happy to talk any time.
Hi there,
Many thanks for your reply, I already feel better ! Yes I am open to staying in private albergues as well as the communal ones. Have another concern re my stops and places to stay-are you please able to suggest an itinerary/ route with mentioning places you bedded down for the night ? I am a bit overwhelmed with it all.
There is not much camping on the Norte. We met friends in 2013 who camped all through France but sent their gear back as the entered Spain due to the dearth of camping facilities on the Norte.
God'day Alex. Writing to you from Melbourne. It was useful to read your comments. It helps to better prepare and to know what to expect. You're quite right about seeking an alternative route to the French Way, once you've done that. My wife and I walked that one in 2017. We are thinking, tossing up rather, between the route from Portugal and the Northern one. Doing my homework now, for the hike in 2019 (March/April), and saw your post. Thanks for taking the time.I walked the Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago during September, October 2015. This was my second Camino, having walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago in 2013. Like many others, my choice to walk a different Camino was made on the basis of seeing a different side of Spain on a Camino that was not as crowded as the Camino Frances. I have since learnt that this is a very common reason for walking the coastal route.
As I walked, I discovered many things that might have influenced my decision to walk the Camino del Norte and which I had not seen on the Forum discussions (or if they were there, they were diffused across many conversation threads). This is my attempt to bring some of these issues together so that others may be better informed before making a decision to “head North”.
I know that we are all are enthusiasts of the Camino, and it feels somehow wrong to write stuff that is not necessarily complementary, but I am trying to be both balanced and thorough here. Finally, let me add a caveat. These are my views, which exist within a spectrum of views from people that have walked the Camino del Norte. Others may disagree with specific comments or judgements, and I look forward to a good discussion in the comments.
Because of the 10,000 character limit on posts, I have attached a .pdf file containing the full document.
You will be fine. I am in my 60's and walked it solo this past year. Before you go, practice walking up and down hills a LOT. Wear your pack while you train. Take it slowly the first week or so when the terrain is more difficult (but still totally doable). I went in mid-May - June. If you are open to staying in private albergues and hostales, not just munis, beds are not a problem (July & August can be very busy). Go and have a wonderful time. Buen camino![/QUO
As an unabashed supporter of all things Camino, I always like posts that create some pushback to the rosy and glowing reports that we often read. I have to agree with the sense that in some ways the Camino del Norte has less of a "Camino feeling" than some of the others, like Vdlp, Primitivo, Invierno. This is undoubtedly because so much of this camino passes through towns on the coast that appeal to a big number of vacationers. If I were in the lodging business, I too would be much more interested in attracting vacationers than pilgrims. So that is one feature of the Norte that I think is immutable. We are just stuck with the fact that Pasajes, Santander, Castro Urdiales, Llanes, Luarca, Cordillero and the many other beautiful seaside towns are going to continue to emphasize the tourist trade over the pilgrim trade.
But insofar as you are talking about the physical accommodations and pilgrim amenities, I think that I could take your report and re-date it 2000 and title it "Camino Francés." And if you ask me whether I'd rather walk the Camino Francés in 2000 or in 2015, it would take me a nano-second to answer. So be careful what you wish for. If your Camino "coming of age" has been in the past few years, you are used to a standard of amenities on the Camino Francés that was unimaginable in 2000, much less in 1980 or 1990.
I think we are lucky that there are many less popular Caminos, like the Norte in their reduced number of pilgrims, but more like the Francés in terms of the illusive "Camino feeling." For those I can suggest the Salvador/Primitivo, the Invierno, the Vdlp, the Sanabrés, and the Aragonés, and probably a few I am forgetting. These are places where pilgrim accommodations lag behind the Francés "standard," to varying degrees, and in some cases there are essentially no other pilgrims, but in any event, they are all routes that leave no doubt in your mind that you are on a Camino, whatever that may mean to you. Buen camino,Laurie
it takes me to Santiago via some very meaningful places, such as Covadonga
Hi again,You might want to pick up a copy of "The Northern Caminos" by Dave Whitson. Also the app editorial Buen Camino was great and the website gronze.com. Between those 3 resources you will find a wealth of information about distances between towns and where to find places to stay. About 4kms down the trail from Irun there is a private albergue Capitan Txmista. I stayed there the first night to make for a shorter full first day to San Sebastian. Alternatively, if you stay in Irun there are places to stay in Pasaje de San Juan which is about halfway to San Sebastian. All kinds of possibilities for making shorter, easier days until you get going. Also, don't forget about booking.com and airbnb if things are starting to look really busy.
I walked the Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago during September, October 2015. This was my second Camino, having walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago in 2013. Like many others, my choice to walk a different Camino was made on the basis of seeing a different side of Spain on a Camino that was not as crowded as the Camino Frances. I have since learnt that this is a very common reason for walking the coastal route.
As I walked, I discovered many things that might have influenced my decision to walk the Camino del Norte and which I had not seen on the Forum discussions (or if they were there, they were diffused across many conversation threads). This is my attempt to bring some of these issues together so that others may be better informed before making a decision to “head North”.
I know that we are all are enthusiasts of the Camino, and it feels somehow wrong to write stuff that is not necessarily complementary, but I am trying to be both balanced and thorough here. Finally, let me add a caveat. These are my views, which exist within a spectrum of views from people that have walked the
Camino del norte. Others may disagree with specific comments or judgements, and I look forward to a good discussion in the comments.
Because of the 10,000 character limit on posts, I have attached a .pdf file containing the full document.
I think almost every negative that you mentioned can either be turned into a positive by taking some of those alternative routes and walk with awareness and presence. What may happen may happen. I have a feeling the infrastructure has probably improved also. All that I have read leads to this hopeful conclusion.I walked the Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago during September, October 2015. This was my second Camino, having walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago in 2013. Like many others, my choice to walk a different Camino was made on the basis of seeing a different side of Spain on a Camino that was not as crowded as the Camino Frances. I have since learnt that this is a very common reason for walking the coastal route.
As I walked, I discovered many things that might have influenced my decision to walk the Camino del Norte and which I had not seen on the Forum discussions (or if they were there, they were diffused across many conversation threads). This is my attempt to bring some of these issues together so that others may be better informed before making a decision to “head North”.
I know that we are all are enthusiasts of the Camino, and it feels somehow wrong to write stuff that is not necessarily complementary, but I am trying to be both balanced and thorough here. Finally, let me add a caveat. These are my views, which exist within a spectrum of views from people that have walked the Camino del Norte. Others may disagree with specific comments or judgements, and I look forward to a good discussion in the comments.
Because of the 10,000 character limit on posts, I have attached a .pdf file containing the full document.
f I only had 2 weeks walking time where would folk suggest I started. The coastal views to me is part of the main attraction
I take it you can get a train or bus from Biarritz to Irun?
A Camino Family is a group of people that you bond with and walk with for a few days, a week, or the entire Camino. Some people find a Camino Family, and others find several or none. It's all good any way that it happens.I walked the Norte in 2016, now I'm considering to return to walk either the Norte or the Frances this year. Stupid question - what's a Camino Family?
I am walking the Norte right now. Taking a rest day in Balbao. I agree with everything you say. I am not so physically fit so my walks are challenging every day. A step at a time is a step closer to Santiago. Love staying at the hostels but enjoying a cheap Pensión on my rest day. Would love to see more churches open but the memories and the people I have met I will cherish forever.I did del Norte in July 2018 and I really feel like I have to defend it somehow. Even though this was my first camino and I didn't have any problems to complete it. I am thankful I had no injuries or other things that would end my journey prematurely.
I did the whole journey in 30 days including walking to Finisterre and Muxía. Of course, it's not as easy as sitting in an office, but stepping out of your comfort zone is surely one of the reasons, why people do it. We want to do something extra, that most people don't do. So yes, you will sweat every day. I've writen a blog post about the ordinary day in Pilgrim's life. However, it's also not something super difficult. If you can do one step, you can do thousands of them, just take your time and your pace. That's it. Simple as that. I don't like that people are complaining about the difficulty that much. It's just walking, no one is there to push you beyond your limits, people do not come there to feel miserable ...
Length of stages:
The length of your day should depend on your physical and mental state that day. There were rainy days when I decided to stop after 4-5 hours completely wet, but there were days when I happily walked for 10 hours, as I felt "man, this is a nice day for walking, I feel like I could walk 10km more". And I never had troubles finding a place to stay (I slept only in albergues and I never made a reservation). You can almost always choose of 2-3 differrent villages/cities as a destination for your day. It really all depends on you. You will always find a way/place.
Albergues:
It depends. I totally agree, there is less albergues than on other routes. BUT there is still plenty of them. From what I understood about camino Frances, it's like you don't have to plan anything and once you feel it has been enough of walking for a day, you find albergue in 15minutes anywhere. That's insane. Going on camino should not be a touristic trip and you should not feel comfortable as on a holiday. This is pilgrimage and you are calling yourself a pilgrim. So don't worry, you will have a place to sleep everyday.
Food:
Another thing people seem to be complaing sometimes, it's there isn't enough of food supplies on del Norte. Insane. It's like blaiming me because you were hungry today ... If you know, that you like to eat 3 snacks a day, then carry your snacks. I always carried more food than I needed (I had always some oats to go with water as emergency food, pasta for the rainy days when you really want some warm food in the evening, or some tuna can). You can find groccery shop in pretty much every village you meet. There are normal people living in them and they also have to eat something. So please, don't worry about not having enough possibilities to eat on your journey.
El Primitivo:
I decided to continue on Primitivo instead of Norte while on the road. I just felt like it would be nice change, to go to mountains. Well mountains. I think Primitivo is also little bit exaggerated, there are 2-3 challenging days, otherwise it's similar to del Norte. I am reasonable fit, nothing spectacular (mainly volleyball/badminton, little bit of swimming). The real challange begins in Melide, where you meet the Franch wayI know, I wasn't ready for the crowds. The reasons why I went for Primitivo can be found here.
Spirit:
Probably the only thing I truly missed on del Norte, was some spirituality. It felt like 9/10 churches were closed and most of pilgrims took the camino as a purely physicall activity. Don't get me wrong, I am happy, that so many people walk the road, but I know I very much enjoyed every opportunity to go to church for few minutes and simply sit there in silence. That is pretty much the only thing that I missed on journey. There are some opportunities to go to church of course
Overall, if you think like del Norte is the way for you, it surely isIf you would like to know more, follow me on my journey
I did the Camino Norte in September 2018 and I wish I had read Alex's comments before I went. In short, I agree with a lot of what he says. I have done the the full CF and been back twice for 14 day sections so I do have something to compare it with. At Llanes I bailed out and bussed on to the Primitivo which was fantastic by comparison.I walked the Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago during September, October 2015. This was my second Camino, having walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago in 2013. Like many others, my choice to walk a different Camino was made on the basis of seeing a different side of Spain on a Camino that was not as crowded as the Camino Frances. I have since learnt that this is a very common reason for walking the coastal route.
As I walked, I discovered many things that might have influenced my decision to walk the Camino del Norte and which I had not seen on the Forum discussions (or if they were there, they were diffused across many conversation threads). This is my attempt to bring some of these issues together so that others may be better informed before making a decision to “head North”.
I know that we are all are enthusiasts of the Camino, and it feels somehow wrong to write stuff that is not necessarily complementary, but I am trying to be both balanced and thorough here. Finally, let me add a caveat. These are my views, which exist within a spectrum of views from people that have walked the Camino del Norte. Others may disagree with specific comments or judgements, and I look forward to a good discussion in the comments.
Because of the 10,000 character limit on posts, I have attached a .pdf file containing the full document.
Simon: I agree with everything you stated. I am on the Norte route right now. I have stayed in some pensions, I plan for my breakfast or lunch when services are limited. I would like to see more churches. Too much pavement and highway walking. I think the cars got points if they scared the pilgrims. Didn’t seem like they really wanted us there. Very few walkers but met some awesome people. Almost thereI did the Camino Norte in September 2018 and I wish I had read Alex's comments before I went. In short, I agree with a lot of what he says. I have done the the full CF and been back twice for 14 day sections so I do have something to compare it with. At Llanes I bailed out and bussed on to the Primitivo which was fantastic by comparison.
I found that about 60% of pilgrims had done the CF and wanted to try a different route. There were far fewer English speakers, which isn't a problem just an observation and for some maybe an advantage. There was a lot of road walking, and when I say road walking I mean cars going past your elbow at speed not just walking on asphalt. There was insufficient accommodation in smaller towns in the earlier stages which resulted in tens of pilgrims (every day) taking the train on to Guernica and Bilbao. It gets better after Santander but by then I had had enough. I found the camaraderie and atmosphere on the CF and Primitivo to be so much better.
It felt like the real Spain but a Spain that didn't really want you to be there. There have been anti-camino demonstrations in San Sebastian and there is a lot of anti-tourist graffiti. Sorry to say that pilgrims are seen as bad tourists because we don't spend enough. I now recall meeting people on the CF who had abandoned the Norte a week or two in. It never occurred to me to ask why. Now I know.
If you go for the Norte good luck to you and I hope that your experience is better than mine.
Simon.
I am working my way slowly through the original thread, and got to your reply, the only thing that would put me off any walk, would be road walking, coastal paths, sound ideal, BillJust some general comments about the original post. Remember it is almost two years old now and things change quickly. I walked the Norte this summer, and I was surprised at the large number of new albergues. They are popping up everywhere, even on the "less traveled" part west of Villaviciosa, which is the Primitivo turnoff. Some of the nicest albergues anywhere can be found on this route.
Road walking can be greatly reduced -- I searched all over for coastal options when I was planning this walk and found that very often, a beautiful coastal path is about a km away from the Camino, which plods along the side of the national highway. I have a post that details them all, and I can't emphasize enough what a difference they made.
Cafes and bars -- I brought along my trusty electric coil, which I use on caminos where there are no pilgrims and very few bars, but found I rarely needed it.
Ups and downs-- Yes there are ups and downs, but before you shy away from this route because of them, look at the actual elevation gains in each stage. Impressions about what is hard vary a lot and are often influenced by things other than fitness levels-- weather, sleep the night before, scenery, etc. For instance, I think most people who walk the Ruta del Flysch on a cool sunny day from Zumaia to Deba will say something like, yeah that was a good workout, but OMG was it stunning! If you walk it in high summer with the sun beating down or in the rain, your impression is likely to be different.
Numbers are increasing rapidly, people report overflow crowds at a lot of the albergues. I didn't find that in June, so if you are going to walk, avoiding the high summer makes sense for a lot of reasons. For one thing, there is a LOT of tourist infrastructure in many of these towns, and when there are no tourists, the owners frequently lower their prices to make things affordable for pilgrims. Two bedroom (four bed) fully equipped apartments with kitchens, sheets, towels -- between 60 and 70 euros for four. Pensiones in the high 20s low 30s. Lots of choices if you go when there aren't a lot of tourists.
Buen camino, Laurie
I walked the Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago during September, October 2015. This was my second Camino, having walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago in 2013. Like many others, my choice to walk a different Camino was made on the basis of seeing a different side of Spain on a Camino that was not as crowded as the Camino Frances. I have since learnt that this is a very common reason for walking the coastal route.
As I walked, I discovered many things that might have influenced my decision to walk the Camino del Norte and which I had not seen on the Forum discussions (or if they were there, they were diffused across many conversation threads). This is my attempt to bring some of these issues together so that others may be better informed before making a decision to “head North”.
I know that we are all are enthusiasts of the Camino, and it feels somehow wrong to write stuff that is not necessarily complementary, but I am trying to be both balanced and thorough here. Finally, let me add a caveat. These are my views, which exist within a spectrum of views from people that have walked the Camino del Norte. Others may disagree with specific comments or judgements, and I look forward to a good discussion in the comments.
Because of the 10,000 character limit on posts, I have attached a .pdf file containing the full document.
Hmmm...I must have walked a different Camino Del Norte.I walked the Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago during September, October 2015. This was my second Camino, having walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago in 2013. Like many others, my choice to walk a different Camino was made on the basis of seeing a different side of Spain on a Camino that was not as crowded as the Camino Frances. I have since learnt that this is a very common reason for walking the coastal route.
As I walked, I discovered many things that might have influenced my decision to walk the Camino del Norte and which I had not seen on the Forum discussions (or if they were there, they were diffused across many conversation threads). This is my attempt to bring some of these issues together so that others may be better informed before making a decision to “head North”.
I know that we are all are enthusiasts of the Camino, and it feels somehow wrong to write stuff that is not necessarily complementary, but I am trying to be both balanced and thorough here. Finally, let me add a caveat. These are my views, which exist within a spectrum of views from people that have walked the Camino del Norte. Others may disagree with specific comments or judgements, and I look forward to a good discussion in the comments.
Because of the 10,000 character limit on posts, I have attached a .pdf file containing the full document.
Very usuful as I plan my Camino in the coming month. Thank youI walked the Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago during September, October 2015. This was my second Camino, having walked the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago in 2013. Like many others, my choice to walk a different Camino was made on the basis of seeing a different side of Spain on a Camino that was not as crowded as the Camino Frances. I have since learnt that this is a very common reason for walking the coastal route.
As I walked, I discovered many things that might have influenced my decision to walk the Camino del Norte and which I had not seen on the Forum discussions (or if they were there, they were diffused across many conversation threads). This is my attempt to bring some of these issues together so that others may be better informed before making a decision to “head North”.
I know that we are all are enthusiasts of the Camino, and it feels somehow wrong to write stuff that is not necessarily complementary, but I am trying to be both balanced and thorough here. Finally, let me add a caveat. These are my views, which exist within a spectrum of views from people that have walked the Camino del Norte. Others may disagree with specific comments or judgements, and I look forward to a good discussion in the comments.
Because of the 10,000 character limit on posts, I have attached a .pdf file containing the full document.
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