Camino del Norte: Irun - SDC, April-May 2025

[AusPeregrina]

Hola,

I'm in the early stages of planning my first Camino next April-May. Due to health issues, I cannot carry a heavy pack like I used to, so it's either use a luggage transfer service or not go. I'd like to hear from anyone who has had their luggage transferred on this route.

So far it seems like Correos is the only service operating on el Norte route, and I'm not sure how to go about planning. It looks like I need to plan my entire trip in advance, as I have to have the address of where I am staying the day before. This rules out any accommodation that doesn't take bookings, and means that I won't have much flexibility. I'm thinking about countering this by putting in more rest days than I may need.

At the moment I've planned a 42-43 day Camino with rest days in: San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santillana del Mar, Llanes and Ribadeo with possibly one in Gijón, which would add another day, unless I joined two stages together. I have a few shorter days: 15km, 16, 17, 18, some of which could be combined, but I'm also not sure how I'm going to hold up doing too many 30-plus km days. I'm in my late 50s and am a bush walker, but I’ve not done as much the last few years. Consequently, I also don't want to push myself too much.

I'm thinking of doing Irún to San Sebastián in one go but having a rest day there to recover and see the city. I want to see the places I'm going through not just rush. Having said that I also don't want to have too much downtime built in, and I would also be happy if it were a bit shorter. I have seen that some people do it in 30 – 35 days. I’m just not sure how challenging it is going to be.

Saludos y buen Camino a todos,

AusPeregrina

 

[Corned Beef]

Re: Pack transfer - most of your questions can be answered on the Correos site or by emailing paqmochila@correos.com

You pay up front but you can advise the destination or lack of destination on a rest day by emailing them the night before. Think 8:00 pm is the cut off. Had no problem with them on the route though I did cause them a problem with one of my choices. It was sorted in the end.

Will be using them again later this year (hopefully) on the Primitivo.

 

[Vacajoe]

30km on the Norte is not 30km on the Frances! The elevation changes, remoteness, trail quality, lack of pilgrim support, terrain, and weather make for much harder day to day walking than on other popular routes. Do not overestimate your ability to walk long distances on that route since there are less options to bail out early and grab a taxi or stay in a closer village. It’s a lovely Camino and not excessively difficult, but with your stated concerns, plan for less distances then on other walks (Irun to San Sebastián, for instance!). Also, take note that many albergues are not open in April.

 

[unadara]

It also rains a LOT in April.

 

[oursonpolaire]

I used Correos, but did it day by day; I did not wish to be tied to a rigid schedule. Just make your accommodation reservation for the next day, and then book the pack transport on the Correos site by 8 pm. They have English-speaking staff so feel free to talk to them if you have queries.

The first week is A Challenge. I stopped at San Juan de Pasaia on my first day out of Irun and this was a brilliant idea-- I walked directly into Saint Sebastian on my first del Norte and paid for it-- I needed two days to recover-- and I missed the delight of San Juan in the evening, looking out over the inlet. The day into Markina is a challenge, so pace yourself and make sure you have plenty of water. I would err on the side of taking too many days rather than too few. There is no race. While the towns along the del Norte are delightful, they are working towns, not Camino & pilgrim service centres, as much of the Francese has become (as is natural). The locals are friendly and helpful, but you are not the main item on the day's agenda.

Albergues are scarce on the ground in comparison to the Francese, but the north coast is Spanish holiday territory, so there is no shortage of commercial accommodation available. Evening masses will be harder to find than on the Francese, where the bishops have made concerted efforts to supply them, so you will need to ask around for the times, but the clergy have in my experience been delighted to greet pilgrims (and provide sellos for your credencial).

And I hope that you enjoy seafood!

 

[AusPeregrina]

Re: Pack transfer - most of your questions can be answered on the Correos site or by emailing paqmochila@correos.com

You pay up front but you can advise the destination or lack of destination on a rest day by emailing them the night before. Think 8:00 pm is the cut off. Had no problem with them on the route though I did cause them a problem with one of my choices. It was sorted in the end.

Will be using them again later this year (hopefully) on the Primitivo.

Did you pre-book your whole route?

 

[AusPeregrina]

30km on the Norte is not 30km on the Frances! The elevation changes, remoteness, trail quality, lack of pilgrim support, terrain, and weather make for much harder day to day walking than on other popular routes. Do not overestimate your ability to walk long distances on that route since there are less options to bail out early and grab a taxi or stay in a closer village. It’s a lovely Camino and not excessively difficult, but with your stated concerns, plan for less distances then on other walks (Irun to San Sebastián, for instance!). Also, take note that many albergues are not open in April.

Thank you. I haven't done the Frances, but I've done lots of bushwalking, some of it a bit extreme, but not day after day. I'll have to book in advance, so hopefully that won't be an issue.

 

[AusPeregrina]

Thank you! Did you pre-book your whole route?

 

[AusPeregrina]

I used Correos, but did it day by day; I did not wish to be tied to a rigid schedule. Just make your accommodation reservation for the next day, and then book the pack transport on the Correos site by 8 pm. They have English-speaking staff so feel free to talk to them if you have queries.

The first week is A Challenge. I stopped at San Juan de Pasaia on my first day out of Irun and this was a brilliant idea

Thank you for the suggestions. I'll look into San Juan. I couldn't see anywhere that had bookable accommodation before San Sebastian.

 

[oursonpolaire]

Thank you for the suggestions. I'll look into San Juan. I couldn't see anywhere that had bookable accommodation before San Sebastian.

There is the albergue, a priceyish hotel, and a guesthouse. A previous post lists them all -- https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camino-del-norte-april-2024.85095/#post-1222020

 

[Corned Beef]

as I have to have the address of where I am staying the day before. This rules out any accommodation that doesn't take bookings, and means that I won't have much flexibility.

Don't need to prebook the whole route, just pay for it and give them a start point and the next day's drop point. Just to add, they will only pick up/drop from the list of places on their website in the drop down boxes. The list is extensive as they are the local mailmen so cover a wide local area.

If there is a specific location you want to stay that is not on the list, you can ask if it can be picked up from there. I did have an issue where I chose a location where they couldn't pick up but I used a local taxi instead for that day, then back into the Correos system.

 

[OldWisePilgrim]

I used Correos, but did it day by day; I did not wish to be tied to a rigid schedule. Just make your accommodation reservation for the next day, and then book the pack transport on the Correos site by 8 pm. They have English-speaking staff so feel free to talk to them if you have queries.

The first week is A Challenge. I stopped at San Juan de Pasaia on my first day out of Irun and this was a brilliant idea-- I walked directly into Saint Sebastian on my first del Norte and paid for it-- I needed two days to recover-- and I missed the delight of San Juan in the evening, looking out over the inlet. The day into Markina is a challenge, so pace yourself and make sure you have plenty of water. I would err on the side of taking too many days rather than too few. There is no race. While the towns along the del Norte are delightful, they are working towns, not Camino & pilgrim service centres, as much of the Francese has become (as is natural). The locals are friendly and helpful, but you are not the main item on the day's agenda.

Albergues are scarce on the ground in comparison to the Francese, but the north coast is Spanish holiday territory, so there is no shortage of commercial accommodation available. Evening masses will be harder to find than on the Francese, where the bishops have made concerted efforts to supply them, so you will need to ask around for the times, but the clergy have in my experience been delighted to greet pilgrims (and provide sellos for your credencial).

And I hope that you enjoy seafood!

Thank you very much for your comments. I am better informed as to starting the del Norte in early October (with other Catholics) from Irun and doing Stage 1 over two days.

 

[JerryStroebele]

Note that the albergue in Pasaje has only 14 beds and they are not assigned until about 4 pm to allow priorities for older pilgrims. (That was the policy in 2017.) Since you are taking a rest day in Santillana del Mar be sure to walk or taxi 2km south of town and spend an hour or two at Museo Altamira. You will be amazed at the artistic abilities of people 16,500 years ago. Walking out of Irun, bring water and snacks. Also, a couple of euro coins. There is a bar at about 7 km which is usually only open on weekends but has an outside vending machine. No matter the weather, you will enjoy a cold drink by the time you get there. That first day is a real slog, but beautiful. Take the high route if the weather is clear. Buen Camino

 

[GaryRobArms]

I walked the del Norte at that time last year. I had my luggage transported twice, once by TransVizcaya and once by Trans-Mikel. Both times it was arranged by the hotels I was staying at. They have websites but the online booking was not straightforward, and my Spanish is poor, and their English not great. Fortunately, in both cases, the hotel staff were great!) Service was reliable both time, 10 euros, if I remember correctly.

Google the names below to find their websites. I just did single transports to deal with single stage problems but I believe they will book multi stage for less. You will need to book your accommodations a day in advance at least. And very few albergues have staff around to received luggage, so you may need to go with pensions and inexpensive hotels. Fortunately there are many of those along this route, especially in the first half. They also are heated, unlike the albergues, and you will appreciate that at this time of year.

Note that accommodation prior to Easter on the Norte can be scarce so booking ahead might be advisable anyway.

TransVizcaya : Irun - Bilbao
Trans-Mikel : Bilbao - LLanes
Asturperegrinos : Llanes - Ribadeo

 

[AusPeregrina]

I walked the del Norte at that time last year. I had my luggage transported twice, once by TransVizcaya and once by Trans-Mikel. Both times it was arranged by the hotels I was staying at. They have websites but the online booking was not straightforward, and my Spanish is poor, and their English not great. Fortunately, in both cases, the hotel staff were great!) Service was reliable both time, 10 euros, if I remember correctly.

Google the names below to find their websites. I just did single transports to deal with single stage problems but I believe they will book multi stage for less. You will need to book your accommodations a day in advance at least. And very few albergues have staff around to received luggage, so you may need to go with pensions and inexpensive hotels. Fortunately there are many of those along this route, especially in the first half. They also are heated, unlike the albergues, and you will appreciate that at this time of year.

Note that accommodation prior to Easter on the Norte can be scarce so booking ahead might be advisable anyway.

TransVizcaya : Irun - Bilbao
Trans-Mikel : Bilbao - LLanes
Asturperegrinos : Llanes - Ribadeo

Thank you. That's great to know. I've tried finding other services but only kept coming up with Correos. I had no idea there wasn't heating. That changes things.

 

[JerryStroebele]

I live in Alaska and have winter camped at 60 below F. In April 2022 one night I slept in my clothes and puffy down jacket under my blanket in an albergue on the Camino Frances. But I have met a lot of Australian women on the Caminos and you seem to do quite well. Buen Camino

 

[AusPeregrina]

Thanks, I'll definitely take warmer clothes than I had initially planned to take. We're pretty tough, but I like to be warm

 

[GaryRobArms]

Thank you. That's great to know. I've tried finding other services but only kept coming up with Correos. I had no idea there wasn't heating. That changes things.

To clarify my comment on heating, the albergues economize on energy use, whereas in pensiones and hotels it is usually under your control. Albergue dorm rooms were warm enough for sleeping (with all the warm bodies in them) but common rooms required layers of clothing, and the facilities weren’t warm enough to hang dry clothes overnight.

 

[AusPeregrina]

Note that the albergue in Pasaje has only 14 beds and they are not assigned until about 4 pm to allow priorities for older pilgrims. (That was the policy in 2017.) Since you are taking a rest day in Santillana del Mar be sure to walk or taxi 2km south of town and spend an hour or two at Museo Altamira. You will be amazed at the artistic abilities of people 16,500 years ago. Walking out of Irun, bring water and snacks. Also, a couple of euro coins. There is a bar at about 7 km which is usually only open on weekends but has an outside vending machine. No matter the weather, you will enjoy a cold drink by the time you get there. That first day is a real slog, but beautiful. Take the high route if the weather is clear. Buen Camino

Ah, that means I won't be able to stay there as I won't be able to have my luggage transferred there, which I thought was the case. I need to some more research in the next few days. Thanks for the great tips about the museum and the vending machine. I'll make sure I have coins.

 

[AusPeregrina]

To clarify my comment on heating, the albergues economize on energy use, whereas in pensiones and hotels it is usually under your control. Albergue dorm rooms were warm enough for sleeping (with all the warm bodies in them) but common rooms required layers of clothing, and the facilities weren’t warm enough to hang dry clothes overnight.

Thanks. I guess a lot will also depend on the weather. It sounds like it can vary a bit depending on the year.

 

[KiwiJohn]

Hola,

I'm in the early stages of planning my first Camino next April-May. Due to health issues, I cannot carry a heavy pack like I used to, so it's either use a luggage transfer service or not go. I'd like to hear from anyone who has had their luggage transferred on this route.

So far it seems like Correos is the only service operating on el Norte route, and I'm not sure how to go about planning. It looks like I need to plan my entire trip in advance, as I have to have the address of where I am staying the day before. This rules out any accommodation that doesn't take bookings, and means that I won't have much flexibility. I'm thinking about countering this by putting in more rest days than I may need.

At the moment I've planned a 42-43 day Camino with rest days in: San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santillana del Mar, Llanes and Ribadeo with possibly one in Gijón, which would add another day, unless I joined two stages together. I have a few shorter days: 15km, 16, 17, 18, some of which could be combined, but I'm also not sure how I'm going to hold up doing too many 30-plus km days. I'm in my late 50s and am a bush walker, but I’ve not done as much the last few years. Consequently, I also don't want to push myself too much.

I'm thinking of doing Irún to San Sebastián in one go but having a rest day there to recover and see the city. I want to see the places I'm going through not just rush. Having said that I also don't want to have too much downtime built in, and I would also be happy if it were a bit shorter. I have seen that some people do it in 30 – 35 days. I’m just not sure how challenging it is going to be.

Saludos y buen Camino a todos,

AusPeregrina

I hope you enjoy your Camino experience. I am starting my 2nd from Irun in August of next year.

BTW. What is your idea of a heavy pack?

 

[AusPeregrina]

I hope you enjoy your Camino experience. I am starting my 2nd from Irun in August of next year.

BTW. What is your idea of a heavy pack?

Thank you. Likewise, will August be really hot? For me, over over 5-7 kg would start causing me issues day after day. I have a nice 36 litre day pack that I took out today, which was about that weight, but I really need a smaller, more compact day pack with a solid waistband. It looks like on some on some of the long days, I'll need 2-3 litres of water and food, so it's not going to take much to get there, especially if it's cold and raining and I have clothing coming on and off to thermoregulate. Buen Camino.

 

[John Cook]

I walked the Norte in April/May 2022 and despite rain being forecast just about every day, I seem to remember it only rained on five days, and only once for the whole day and that was in Galicia. It was definitely easier and dryer walking near the coast from Irun than people had on the Valcarlos route on the Frances, they were walking through several inches of snow.
All of the municipal albergues were closed back then, due to COVID but finding accommodation was only difficult once and that was my fault.
Assuming the municipal albergues don't accept luggage transfers, like the Frances, apparently, there's still plenty of private albergues and hotels along the route and I think I only booked about four of them in advance. One I booked when I was two kilometres away.
If you're concerned about time, I personally wouldn't take a day off in Bilbao, unless you like loads of traffic and concrete. I'll avoid the place completely next time. I also found a few hours in San Sebastian was enough too.
One last piece of advice. If you take the long, coastal route out of Santander, be sure to take plenty of water with you. As I walked that stretch a week before Easter, all six bars that I passed were closed, despite the beautiful weather and I ran out of water ten kilometres before my stop.
It's a wonderful Camino and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

 

[AusPeregrina]

Thanks, John. You've given me hope regarding the weather at that time of year. Seeing the Guggenheim is on my bucket list, so Bilbao is a must for me, but I take your point about it being an industrial city.

 

[JerryStroebele]

Walk all the way around the Guggenheim, both sides of the river. It is . . . . different. The inside is for modern art lovers only. Buen Camino

 

[Dojo]

I hiked the Norte in Aug-Oct 2023. I booked my entire Camino (hotels, bag transfer) through an agency - Walk the Camino (please don't judge me- they were terrific and it works for me). The Norte is not like the other Caminos - few pilgrims, even less services, many variable routes, terrain is a killer, etc. I blew my knee out going down into Bilbao - thank goodness I planned on a rest day here. Agree with JerryS - no need to go into Guggenheim unless you like modern art, only a few exhibits (it was not worth the money and line to get in). This was my third Camino - if I had done this one first, I don't think I would have done anymore. The coastline is spectacular, but also unforgiving. Be prepared for everything. But I'm a glutton for punishment - headed out on the Via De LaPlata next year.

 

[mattythedog]

Hola,

I'm in the early stages of planning my first Camino next April-May. Due to health issues, I cannot carry a heavy pack like I used to, so it's either use a luggage transfer service or not go. I'd like to hear from anyone who has had their luggage transferred on this route.

So far it seems like Correos is the only service operating on el Norte route, and I'm not sure how to go about planning. It looks like I need to plan my entire trip in advance, as I have to have the address of where I am staying the day before. This rules out any accommodation that doesn't take bookings, and means that I won't have much flexibility. I'm thinking about countering this by putting in more rest days than I may need.

At the moment I've planned a 42-43 day Camino with rest days in: San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santillana del Mar, Llanes and Ribadeo with possibly one in Gijón, which would add another day, unless I joined two stages together. I have a few shorter days: 15km, 16, 17, 18, some of which could be combined, but I'm also not sure how I'm going to hold up doing too many 30-plus km days. I'm in my late 50s and am a bush walker, but I’ve not done as much the last few years. Consequently, I also don't want to push myself too much.

I'm thinking of doing Irún to San Sebastián in one go but having a rest day there to recover and see the city. I want to see the places I'm going through not just rush. Having said that I also don't want to have too much downtime built in, and I would also be happy if it were a bit shorter. I have seen that some people do it in 30 – 35 days. I’m just not sure how challenging it is going to be.

Saludos y buen Camino a todos,

AusPeregrina

I don’t know the nature of your health issues or what you mean by heavy pack, but suggest you should be able to get base weight below 5 kg. If back issues, you might shift some weight to waist pack and pockets. You also have plenty of time to lose weight and train up. I say this as a 63 year old last fall completing Del Norte with 4.3 kg. base weight in 26 days—but I also had no medical issues. With 37 days of walking you should not have many 30 km days

 

[AusPeregrina]

I don’t know the nature of your health issues or what you mean by heavy pack, but suggest you should be able to get base weight below 5 kg. If back issues, you might shift some weight to waist pack and pockets. You also have plenty of time to lose weight and train up. I say this as a 63 year old last fall completing Del Norte with 4.3 kg. base weight in 26 days—but I also had no medical issues. With 37 days of walking you should not have many 30 km days

Thanks, Matt. With a pack weight of 1kg and 3 litres of water for the long days that's hitting 4kg, throw in the trekking poles when I'm not carrying them and that's 4.5kg, but with no food, rain gear, phone, sunscreen, etc. My daypack is going to be at my carrying limit, so I'm at peace with using a luggage service. I'm not sure that I need to lose weight, but of course I will train, but that's not going to mitigate my medical issues and although I'm a fast walker, I'm not interested in racing through it. I need to make sure I make smart decisions based on my situation o try to ensure that my body will hold up day after day, which I suspect even with training is going to be a challenge.

 

[AusPeregrina]

I hiked the Norte in Aug-Oct 2023. I booked my entire Camino (hotels, bag transfer) through an agency - Walk the Camino (please don't judge me- they were terrific and it works for me). The Norte is not like the other Caminos - few pilgrims, even less services, many variable routes, terrain is a killer, etc. I blew my knee out going down into Bilbao - thank goodness I planned on a rest day here. Agree with JerryS - no need to go into Guggenheim unless you like modern art, only a few exhibits (it was not worth the money and line to get in). This was my third Camino - if I had done this one first, I don't think I would have done anymore. The coastline is spectacular, but also unforgiving. Be prepared for everything. But I'm a glutton for punishment - headed out on the Via De LaPlata next year.

Thanks, no judgement here. Yep, I like modern art, and it's on the bucket list. I almost did the Via de la Plata as my first, but el Norte feels right. The terrain sounds pretty tough, but doable. How many days had you been walking when you hit Bilbao?

 

[JerryStroebele]

I don’t think you need to carry 3 liters of water. Just 1.5 and keep topping it off plus a juicy orange. You should be able to find a good day pack well under one kg. You do need to carry rain gear. Buen Camino

 

[mattythedog]

I don’t think you need to carry 3 liters of water. Just 1.5 and keep topping it off plus a juicy orange. You should be able to find a good day pack well under one kg. You do need to carry rain gear. Buen Camino

Agreed. For myself on a presumably warmer del Norte I generally only kept one or two half liter bottles full when setting out. If there was a long distance between villages, I sometimes utilized my spare half litter bottle. Key is to drink along the way, and then drink a bottle or two when you get to a fountain.

 

[JWB]

I don’t think you need to carry 3 liters of water. Just 1.5 and keep topping it off plus a juicy orange

Fullu agree. i walked the first part of the Norte in autumn last year (comparable to spring). Two half liter water bottles are sufficient. The weather is not that hot in that time of the year. In reality I did not need these bottles in most cases because there is horeca underway.

 

[oursonpolaire]

Thanks, John. You've given me hope regarding the weather at that time of year. Seeing the Guggenheim is on my bucket list, so Bilbao is a must for me, but I take your point about it being an industrial city.

@JerryStroebele notes that the Guggenheim is for fans of modern art- I would recommend that you admire the exterior of the building, which is one of the finest designs of the century, but head on to the Bellas Artes, 500m SW, on the south side of the Euzkadi Plaza. It specializes in the art of the Alfonsine/pre civil war period, and focusses on the development of Basque art and how it helped crystallized Basque identity. Having seen both, it is cheaper and a lot more fun.

While Bilbao is an industrial city, it is also a lively place, with two universities, splendid restaurants (ignore the Michelin unless you are very very very wealthy) and some reasonably priced small hotels, should you escape from the historical centre to the outskirts.

As far as water is concerned, make sure that you are well-equipped for the stage into Markina-- I carried two litres and still found myself dehydrated as I crawled into the pueblo.