Next Camino?? Barcelona (Catalan) to Bilbao…..

[MikeJS]

Not sure if this is the best thread for this question, so mods please move if needed.

Looking for a new adventure and considering walking from Barcelona on the Catalan towards Zaragoza on the Ebro. Then on the Aragones from Gallur to Burgos. Then north to Bilbao on Valle de Mena. Can’t seem to find much detail about the VdM. Anyone seen any recent info about this route?

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

Camino del Valle de Mena

We tell you everything you need to know about the Camino del Valle de Mena, also known as Camino de las Merindades.

vivecamino.com

CAMINO DEL VALLE DE MENA | Camino de Santiago | RayyRosa.com

Toda la información del Camino del Valle de Mena. Descripción de la ruta, albergues, alojamientos, poblaciones, servicios, mapas, tracks, perfiles, etapas.

www.rayyrosa.com

Camino del Valle de Mena

Camino del Valle de Mena Bilbao Guenes Burgos Viewranger GPS GPX Routes and Maps

douglasajohnson.com

Una ruta por el Valle de Mena en 4 postales maravillosas

Una preciosa ruta por el Valle de Mena en la Comarca de las Merindades. Cascadas, senderismo, miradores y lo mejor de la zona.

viajeros30.com

El valle de Mena, poderosa naturaleza en una ruta por Burgos

Entre prados siempre verdes y crestas calizas, el corazón de este valle atesora excepcionales cascadas, iglesias románicas y hasta una calzada romana secreta.

www.hola.com

https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/camino-del-valle-de-mena-15759866

https://www.alltrails.com/es/spain/burgos/valle-de-mena

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Looking for a new adventure and considering walking from Barcelona on the Catalan towards Zaragoza on the Ebro. Then on the Aragones from Gallur to Burgos.

Edit: @setmeravelles set me straight with post #5 below. I'll retain my post though so post #4 below makes sense.

I'm sure you know your route from Barcelona to Burgos but your description had me confused and I had to check out the route. You won't be on the Aragonese at all. The Catalan joins the Ebro a bit south of Zaragoza and then you follow that north passing through Zaragoza and Gallur until you reach Logroño on the CF.

Camino del Ebro | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

El Camino de Santiago del Ebro se inicia en la desembocadura del río Ebro y remonta el curso del gran río hasta Logroño, donde enlaza con el Camino Francés. El mismísimo apóstol Santiago, en su labor apostólica, recorrió este camino según cuenta la tradición, y se le apareció la Virgen María...

www.gronze.com

 

[dick bird]

Rick is correct. We walked the Catalan this year taking the variant via Huesca. This has ample accommodation with manageable stages. It joins the Aragonés after passing through the unmissable San Juan de la Peña. A beautiful walk.

 

[setmeravelles]

Maybe you're thinking of the Camino Castellano-Aragonés (also known as the Soriano) that starts in Gallur and goes through Soria and eventually Burgos via the Ruta de la Lana (and/or Camino San Olav).

The branch of the Catalán that merges with the Aragonés doesn't go through Zaragoza city (though it does go through a small part of the province). It ends in Puente la Reina on the Francés.

At any rate Valle de la Mena sounds interesting.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Maybe you're thinking of the Camino Castellano-Aragonés (also known as the Soriano) that starts in Gallur and goes through Soria and eventually Burgos via the Ruta de la Lana (and/or Camino San Olav).

Oh, that makes sense. I did not see that route on the Gronze site. I've edited my previous post.

 

[roving_rufus]

I remember reading a bit of someone's account on walking on the Mena (can't remember where now) and accomodation was the big issue for them to find - and I suspect comments like that have put others off the Mena Valley route. I did have this link saved though. It certainly would be a more adventurous route

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.peregrinoslh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Way-of-the-valle-de-mena.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjo4fOGtMmIAxWwQkEAHTS-Js84RhAWegQIERAB&usg=AOvVaw0KvN4D9bjl_ZPZr6NNfcXw

 

[MikeJS]

I was using this map for my initial description of the route. https://thecaminoprovides.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/wisepilgrimcaminomap.gif

Hola

Camino del Valle de Mena

We tell you everything you need to know about the Camino del Valle de Mena, also known as Camino de las Merindades.

vivecamino.com

CAMINO DEL VALLE DE MENA | Camino de Santiago | RayyRosa.com

Toda la información del Camino del Valle de Mena. Descripción de la ruta, albergues, alojamientos, poblaciones, servicios, mapas, tracks, perfiles, etapas.

www.rayyrosa.com

Camino del Valle de Mena

Camino del Valle de Mena Bilbao Guenes Burgos Viewranger GPS GPX Routes and Maps

douglasajohnson.com

Una ruta por el Valle de Mena en 4 postales maravillosas

Una preciosa ruta por el Valle de Mena en la Comarca de las Merindades. Cascadas, senderismo, miradores y lo mejor de la zona.

viajeros30.com

El valle de Mena, poderosa naturaleza en una ruta por Burgos

Entre prados siempre verdes y crestas calizas, el corazón de este valle atesora excepcionales cascadas, iglesias románicas y hasta una calzada romana secreta.

www.hola.com

https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/camino-del-valle-de-mena-15759866

https://www.alltrails.com/es/spain/burgos/valle-de-mena

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

Thank you.The wikiloc link is very useful. Still struggling to find any real detail on options for accommodation.

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, if these are the stages, there is some accommodation available. Just did a little work on google maps while waiting for my doctor’s appointment!

• Stage 1: Bilbao - Gueñes — talk of an albergue but I don’t see anything yet. So it would be this hotel — Hotel Gueñes 946690964. But you walk long stages, so Balmaseda is an option.
• Stage 2: Gueñes - Villasana de Mena — Unfortunately the hotel where we stayed on the Olvidado has closed. You could stay at Adolfo’s in Nava de Ordunte, about 7 km earlier.
• Stage 3: Villasana de Mena - Medina de Pomar — there’s a hostal rural
• Stage 4: Medina de Pomar - Quintana de Valdivieso - several places (it’s on the Viejo from Pamplona and I’ve seen Alojamiento Rural Arte y Natura, Torre San Martín (apartment) and Casa Grande. There is also a casa rural Torres, which is 1.5 km from Quintana in Valdenoceda
• Stage 5: Quintana de Valdivieso - Cernegula - looks like it’s far from any private accommodation.
• Stage 6: Cernégula - Sotopalacios — I see two hostales on google maps
• Stage 7: Sotopalacios - Burgos

I don’t think you’d have too much of an issue except for Cernégula. If it were me, I’d consider having two nights in either Sotopalacios or Quintana de Valdivieso and see if you can get the hostal to give you a pick up and a ride back. I did that once on the San Olav and it was easy to arrange.

 

[caminka]

Not sure if this is the best thread for this question, so mods please move if needed.

Looking for a new adventure and considering walking from Barcelona on the Catalan towards Zaragoza on the Ebro. Then on the Aragones from Gallur to Burgos. Then north to Bilbao on Valle de Mena. Can’t seem to find much detail about the VdM. Anyone seen any recent info about this route?

Oh, oh. I am looking into it right now, actually, as part of my next camino. The plan is to start with Via Bayona, continue on sort-of Merindades to Balmaseda/Bilbao, take Olvidado... Not too much info yet but I will be doing some pretty nice zigzags through Bureba to various romanesque gems.

Very scarce accommodation.

I did find one historic account, Lev z Rozmitalu a na Blatne and his diplomatic entourage who went from Bilbao to Burgos and must have gotten lost in those mountains because they needed 13! days to get from Villasana de Mena to Medina do Pomar.

 

[taxdefax]

1o years ago, I walked Llanca - Logrono - Bilbao, the section Logrono-Bilbao is called the GR38, Ruta del Vino y del Pescado, you turn left in Gernika on the Norte to reach Bilbao.

​

 

[MikeJS]

Well, if these are the stages, there is some accommodation available. Just did a little work on google maps while waiting for my doctor’s appointment!

• Stage 1: Bilbao - Gueñes — talk of an albergue but I don’t see anything yet. So it would be this hotel — Hotel Gueñes 946690964. But you walk long stages, so Balmaseda is an option.
• Stage 2: Gueñes - Villasana de Mena — Unfortunately the hotel where we stayed on the Olvidado has closed. You could stay at Adolfo’s in Nava de Ordunte, about 7 km earlier.
• Stage 3: Villasana de Mena - Medina de Pomar — there’s a hostal rural
• Stage 4: Medina de Pomar - Quintana de Valdivieso - several places (it’s on the Viejo from Pamplona and I’ve seen Alojamiento Rural Arte y Natura, Torre San Martín (apartment) and Casa Grande. There is also a casa rural Torres, which is 1.5 km from Quintana in Valdenoceda
• Stage 5: Quintana de Valdivieso - Cernegula - looks like it’s far from any private accommodation.
• Stage 6: Cernégula - Sotopalacios — I see two hostales on google maps
• Stage 7: Sotopalacios - Burgos

I don’t think you’d have too much of an issue except for Cernégula. If it were me, I’d consider having two nights in either Sotopalacios or Quintana de Valdivieso and see if you can get the hostal to give you a pick up and a ride back. I did that once on the San Olav and it was easy to arrange.

Thank you P2K. I walked Bilbao to Balmaseda a few years back. Need to look at the others in more detail. I will obviously be walking this backwards.

 

[caminka]

Alsa says they have 8 buses a day between Burgos and Bilbao, though it doesn't say which route they take. I guess at least some of them run the route via Medina de Pomar.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Alsa says they have 8 buses a day between Burgos and Bilbao, though it doesn't say which route they take. I guess at least some of them run the route via Medina de Pomar.

The Alsa app allows you to view the itinerary.

For September 19 the buses taking slightly more than 3 hours do stop in Medina de Pomar. These leave at 6:30, 10:30, 14:00 and 18:00. Be careful though as at 10:30 there is an express bus also that doesn't.

BTW, the is telling me there is a special going on, 50€ for unlimited journeys until the end of the year. I needed an account to get more information though.

 

[caminka]

I am attaching a skeleton of my plan for camino bureba-merindades-mena. any suggestions very welcome, on romanicos, dolmenos, etc. but especially regarding accommodation because some days there look a bit looong.