Advice Needed: Walking Options from Barcelona to Pamplona

[Anniesantiago]

Joe and I will fly to Barcelona April 12, and spend Holy Week in Manresa. Then on April 18th we will have until April 28 before I have to be in Pamplona to pick up my group. We are exploring 3 options. Since my double mastectomy in 2020, my stamina has hit the dust, so I'm hoping not to have to walk more than 20k or so each day, and would love to start out doing even shorter stages. We NEED to finish up the VDLP, but that's too far from Pamplona, so here are the 3 routes we're thinking about:

1) Train to Zaragoza and walk up to Sahagun (then train/bus to Pamplona). Comments about mosquitos have concerned me. I HATE mosquitos! lol!
2) Walk from Montserrat and walk as far as we can get, then bus/train to Pamplona.
3) Bus/train to Huesca, walk to the monastery, then down the Aragones (but we're having problems finding a way to break up the stages after the La Peña station, since the refuges at Ena and Botaya appear to be closed.

Any thoughts from those who have done the Catalan or the Ebro?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

3) Bus/train to Huesca, walk to the monastery, then down the Aragones (but we're having problems finding a way to break up the stages after the La Peña station, since the refuges at Ena and Botaya appear to be closed.

Edit: The train I mention below may not be running. See post numbers 3 and 6.

If Ena and Botaya are still closed maybe take train to Jaca for an overnight and then bus to monasteries skipping about 21 km of the Catalan. Or train back to Peña to continue your walk and stay at the new monastery to avoid to long of a day. If the albergues are open then I really would need to know where the start of your walk to Peña was.

 

[Anniesantiago]

If Ena and Botaya are still closed maybe take train to Jaca for an overnight and then bus to monasteries skipping about 21 km of the Catalan. Or train back to Peña to continue your walk and stay at the new monastery to avoid to long of a day. If the albergues are open then I really would need to know where the start of your walk to Peña was.

So you CAN nab a train to Jaca from the station? I couldn't find any evidence of that.

 

[isawtman]

Are you a fan/follower of St Ignatius? I am planning to do the
Camino Ignaciano from Loyola to Manressa.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Are you a fan/follower of St Ignatius? I am planning to do the
Camino Ignaciano from Loyola to Manressa.

Actually, my walking companion/friend, Joe, planned this.
He grew up Catholic.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

So you CAN nab a train to Jaca from the station? I couldn't find any evidence of that.

I'm sorry, there is confusing information. I was at the station in November 2019 (actually the station is closed but there is a shelter next to it). I am pretty sure they had a schedule up with Jaca and Huesca on it. It is an optional stop so probably easy to get off but how to get the train to stop for you to board has to be found.

Edit: I wrote the following after some web searching because I was afraid I may have given some bad suggestions to @Anniesantiago

The webpage for the station, Santa María y La Peña, (in Spanish; and if you want the train station and not the village use y, not de) says it is on Renfe's Zaragoza to Canfranc line. Using Google Maps I followed the tracks to Canfranc and they pass through Jaca. Rome2rio.com and Renfe.com sites do not show Zaragoza to Canfranc service without getting a bus after the train stops in Huesca. However if you make Google Maps visit Santa María y La Peña and look at the information there you see schedules.

 

[naplesdon]

This a part of a tourist trip I am trying to plan in August. Any feedback about the current situation would be greatly appreciated. My current plan is to stay in Barcelona for a week and take the train to Zaragosa for a few nights with a side trip to Canfranc.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Edit: The train I mention below may not be running. See post numbers 3 and 6.

If Ena and Botaya are still closed maybe take train to Jaca for an overnight and then bus to monasteries skipping about 21 km of the Catalan. Or train back to Peña to continue your walk and stay at the new monastery to avoid to long of a day. If the albergues are open then I really would need to know where the start of your walk to Peña was.

I had no idea pilgrims could stay at the new monastery. I've looked for that info but so far haven't found it. Does anybody know about this?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I had no idea pilgrims could stay at the new monastery. I've looked for that info but so far haven't found it. Does anybody know about this?

Sorry again. I meant stay as a regular guest. Sometimes pilgrims like a little upgrade.

I guess I should be getting angry "likes" for my posts on this thread.

 

[oursonpolaire]

I had no idea pilgrims could stay at the new monastery. I've looked for that info but so far haven't found it. Does anybody know about this?

I stayed at the new monastery about 13 years ago. The hotel was quite pricey then (IIRC 78e for a single; the rooms were swish and the place seemed to cater to packs of very pleasant 4-wheel enthusiasts) but as far as I can tell there is no longer accommodation available-- I can find no sign of it being open. Perhaps you can enquire at the turismo in Jaca with an email?? I found the staff there very helpful. One of them, a veteran of the Montana Division who hung on in Jaca after his service (cherchez la femme!!), warned me that the trail past Atarés to San Juan de la P. had deteriorated to the point that he could not recommend it, even to hardened hill climbers. For those who wish to try, there is now a casa rural in Atarés with a room going for 65e.

They had a good library in the bar at the new monastery and I leafed through some fascinating reports from the post-Civil War ministry of reconstruction (no joke! it was fascinating!) while waiting for the barman to acknowledge my existence-- I swear he must have had an eye condition which swivelled his sightline away from me whenever I signalled-- I ended up pouring myself a vermut and he didn't notice.

The nearest accommodation would be in Santa Cruz de los Seros, unless the albergue in Ena is open-- I have found a note saying: (must call Ramon ahead of time: 636 49 63 43 and that there is no food in town, but there is a possibilty the hospitalero might arrange a meal). Gronze directs us to this (https://izasbotaya.wixsite.com/inicio) for Botaya, which appears to be open in summer, but likely your Spanish beats mine.

I walked this before the albergue in Ena was operational, and took the train from Estacion Santa Maria to Jaca. One waits patiently outside the shuttered station, and the train appeared on schedule, stopping briefly. IIRC one bought one's ticket on board from a perambulating ticket agent. Another option is to board the train in Ayerbe, which I did in 2018 when pouring rain discouraged me from walking the sierra-- the stage on the train to Santa Maria is spectacular. I would recommend this if the weather is bad or wet. If the weather is good, the route from Loarre to Sarsamarcuello to Santa Maria is spectacular but check locally if the weather is not perfect-- the trajet is IMHO risky in bad weather.

If Ena is not available there is a hotel in Centero (Casa Alaman) 16km up from Estacion de la Pena and 5km SSE from Ena. I have no idea if it's open or at what season, but that might be another option for those who are facing the traverse of this sierra.

I would say option 3), or perhaps 2). I wouldn't go for 1)

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I spent very little time in the hotel section of the new monastery. Architecturally nice but too sterile for my taste. Here is a photo of the main corridor. Click to enlarge.


I read one story of a pilgrim checking into the facility at Botaya where pity was taken and a dinner prepared. I wouldn't count on it. (I am reminded of spending several days at a youth hostel on an island off Auckland. I had a day or two to myself but the weekend brought a troop of boy scouts. The leaders told me that to compensate me for the invasion they would feed me for free. To make things more memorable the boys had lots of food coloring and no food had natural coloring, e.g., blue milk and green mashed potatoes.)

At Ena the albergue had a small amount of donated food but, again, don't count on it. Expect to bring your own food to take care of yourself from Bolea to Santa Cruz. I did get some sausage at the monastery gift shop though.

Be careful of names. The camino goes through the settlement of La Peña, aka La Peña Estación, aka La Estación Peña or some combination with Estación in it. To the west is another settlement called Santa María de la Peña that is not on the camino. The train station is in La Peña but the station name is Santa María y La Peña.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I read one story of a pilgrim checking into the facility at Botaya where pity was taken and a dinner prepared. I wouldn't count on it. (I am reminded of spending several days at a youth hostel on an island off Auckland. I had a day or two to myself but the weekend brought a troop of boy scouts. The leaders told me that to compensate me for the invasion they would feed me for free. To make things more memorable the boys had lots of food coloring and no food had natural coloring, e.g., blue milk and green mashed potatoes.)

Waiheke Backpackers Hostel

Waiheke Backpackers Hostel · 421 Sea View Road, Onetangi, Waiheke Island 1081, New Zealand

★★★★★ · Hostel

maps.app.goo.gl

Blue milk? The blue coloured cartons signify full-cream milk

 

[lindam]

Perhaps in order to help you with your planning, you might want to contact the Amics del Pelegrins in Barcelona: http://amicsdelspelegrins.org/ca/cami-catala-per-san-juan-de-la-pena-2/. They generally offer the most up to date information, particularly related to openings/closures of the albergues. On the first page of their website (link above) you will find a PDF dated in January 2022 and it indicates that the albergue in Ena is now open. There you will also find contact information for other albergues and facilities along the way. All the best to you which ever way to choose to walk!

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Joe and I will fly to Barcelona April 12, and spend Holy Week in Manresa. Then on April 18th we will have until April 28 before I have to be in Pamplona to pick up my group. We are exploring 3 options. Since my double mastectomy in 2020, my stamina has hit the dust, so I'm hoping not to have to walk more than 20k or so each day, and would love to start out doing even shorter stages. We NEED to finish up the VDLP, but that's too far from Pamplona, so here are the 3 routes we're thinking about:

1) Train to Zaragoza and walk up to Sahagun (then train/bus to Pamplona). Comments about mosquitos have concerned me. I HATE mosquitos! lol!
2) Walk from Montserrat and walk as far as we can get, then bus/train to Pamplona.
3) Bus/train to Huesca, walk to the monastery, then down the Aragones (but we're having problems finding a way to break up the stages after the La Peña station, since the refuges at Ena and Botaya appear to be closed.

Any thoughts from those who have done the Catalan or the Ebro?

Ten days is a very short time for the Ebro which offers so much. We walked it the other direction, namely the Camino Ignaciano, ending in Manresa and staying at the Jesuit Spiritual Center. I assume you are starting there. Please don't miss going to the upper garden which is so peaceful and offers a breathtaking view of Montserrat. My suggestion would be to walk from Montserrat to Lerida (Lleida in Catalan), a wonderful city, and don't miss Verdu, including staying at the albergue which is in the same building as the boyhood home of St. Peter Claver. Take the train from Lerida to Zaragosa, which for more than two hundred years was the more popular as an destination for pilgrims than Santiago. Then walk from Zaragosa to Alfaro, which passes through historic Tudela. In Alfaro, you will receive a key to the albergue at the ayuntamiento from a delightful lady appropriately named Camino. I'm afraid that uses up your ten days, but it will be an unforgettably rich ten days.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Ten days is a very short time for the Ebro which offers so much. We walked it the other direction, namely the Camino Ignaciano, ending in Manresa and staying at the Jesuit Spiritual Center. I assume you are starting there. Please don't miss going to the upper garden which is so peaceful and offers a breathtaking view of Montserrat. My suggestion would be to walk from Montserrat to Lerida (Lleida in Catalan), a wonderful city, and don't miss Verdu, including staying at the albergue which is in the same building as the boyhood home of St. Peter Claver. Take the train from Lerida to Zaragosa, which for more than two hundred years was the more popular as an destination for pilgrims than Santiago. Then walk from Zaragosa to Alfaro, which passes through historic Tudela. In Alfaro, you will receive a key to the albergue at the ayuntamiento from a delightful lady appropriately named Camino. I'm afraid that uses up your ten days, but it will be an unforgettably rich ten days.

I understand, and someday I'll complete the walk.
However, this year I need to be back in Pamplona on April 28, so my time is limited.
We are spending Holy Week in Manresa then have from April 18 to April 28 to walk and then be in Pamplona to pick up my group.
But thanks

 

[Anniesantiago]

For everyone's info, the lodging at the New Monastery is no longer open.
I got an email from the TI this morning.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

I had no idea pilgrims could stay at the new monastery. I've looked for that info but so far haven't found it. Does anybody know about this?

It's very pricey, not just for accommodations, but for meals as well. We decided to take the bus from Jaca in the morning with the staff who live in Jaca and work at the monastery. They opened the place with us standing there. We toured the new and old monastery, then walked down the hill to stay in an albergue back on the Camino Aragones. It was perfect. We met up with four other peregrinos who had walked from Jaca to the monasteries. They were so envious. They said the hike up the mountain was miserable and their stay at the new monastery costing more than 4-5 days on the camino.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I spent very little time in the hotel section of the new monastery. Architecturally nice but too sterile for my taste. Here is a photo of the main corridor. Click to enlarge.
View attachment 117528

I read one story of a pilgrim checking into the facility at Botaya where pity was taken and a dinner prepared. I wouldn't count on it. (I am reminded of spending several days at a youth hostel on an island off Auckland. I had a day or two to myself but the weekend brought a troop of boy scouts. The leaders told me that to compensate me for the invasion they would feed me for free. To make things more memorable the boys had lots of food coloring and no food had natural coloring, e.g., blue milk and green mashed potatoes.)

At Ena the albergue had a small amount of donated food but, again, don't count on it. Expect to bring your own food to take care of yourself from Bolea to Santa Cruz. I did get some sausage at the monastery gift shop though.

Be careful of names. The camino goes through the settlement of La Peña, aka La Peña Estación, aka La Estación Peña or some combination with Estación in it. To the west is another settlement called Santa María de la Peña that is not on the camino. The train station is in La Peña but the station name is Santa María y La Peña.

The Amici page calls it this:
329,9 14,2 Estación de Santa María y la Peña Panadería y bar. El bar El Carmen ofrece comidas al mediodia los dias laborables, los sábados previa reserva y el domingo está cerrado (Tel. 686-504-641 – regentado por Mariángeles). La panadería cierra los lunes.

 

[Anniesantiago]

It's very pricey, not just for accommodations, but for meals as well. We decided to take the bus from Jaca in the morning with the staff who live in Jaca and work at the monastery. They opened the place with us standing there. We toured the new and old monastery, then walked down the hill to stay in an albergue back on the Camino Aragones. It was perfect. We met up with four other peregrinos who had walked from Jaca to the monasteries. They were so envious. They said the hike up the mountain was miserable and their stay at the new monastery costing more than 4-5 days on the camino.

The lodging is no longer open.
Yes, I've attempted that hike from the Aragones up to the Monastery.
The trail is washed out, long, and terrible.
I've also walked down to Sta. Celia from the Monastery and have done the Aragones route several times.
We are basically just looking for a place to walk for 10 days before I pick up my group, preferable a route I haven't done before.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

The lodging is no longer open.
Yes, I've attempted that hike from the Aragones up to the Monastery.
The trail is washed out, long, and terrible.
I've also walked down to Sta. Celia from the Monastery and have done the Aragones route several times.
We are basically just looking for a place to walk for 10 days before I pick up my group, preferable a route I haven't done before.

One final note regarding the Ignaciano. It is the 500th anniversary of Inigo (Ignatius) travelling from Loyola to Manresa, a truly special holy year. My wife and I will be doing a camino combo this year, doing part of the Mozarabe than moving over to walk again from Lerida to Manresa. The evening spent in Montserrat on our walk there was THE most special night of any of our caminos. The crowds clear by 3pm and there are no lines to the famous statue. The albergue is super cheap and you get a voucher for a pilgrim's meal in the fancy hotel. Vespers have few attendees, the famous boy's choir sings and you will be taken afterwards to a chapel behind the altar for a special pilgrim's blessings. When you walk out of the cathedral, you feel like you can touch the stars, the sky is so clear and you are so high up. Nothing anywhere else in Spain that we have been to can match that.

 

[Anniesantiago]

One final note regarding the Ignaciano. It is the 500th anniversary of Inigo (Ignatius) travelling from Loyola to Manresa, a truly special holy year. My wife and I will be doing a camino combo this year, doing part of the Mozarabe than moving over to walk again from Lerida to Manresa. The evening spent in Montserrat on our walk there was THE most special night of any of our caminos. The crowds clear by 3pm and there are no lines to the famous statue. The albergue is super cheap and you get a voucher for a pilgrim's meal in the fancy hotel. Vespers have few attendees, the famous boy's choir sings and you will be taken afterwards to a chapel behind the altar for a special pilgrim's blessings. When you walk out of the cathedral, you feel like you can touch the stars, the sky is so clear and you are so high up. Nothing anywhere else in Spain that we have been to can match that.

Are you talking about the statue/albergue in Manresa or at Montserrat?

 

[isawtman]

I believe he is talking about the Black Madonna statue at Montserrat. This is a statue that has inspired people for hundreds of years. St Ignatius stopped there to pray before the statue in 1522. Ignatius was from Basque Country and he was a soldier. He was in a battle in Pamplona in 1521 where his leg was shattered by a cannonball. It should be noted there is a monument in Pamplona showing the fallen Ignatius. It is in the same vein as the death of Roland Monument at Roncesvalles You may have seen it in Pamplona. He was taken back to his parents home in Basque Country where he recuperated. The Doctors did surgery on his leg. But when he was healing, he noticed that one leg was shorter than the other, so he had the Doctors do surgery again resetting his leg. Ouch. While he was recuperating, he started reading books about
the saints. That's because the place where he was staying only had books about the saints. He read "The Life of Jesus Christ" by Ludolph of Saxony, which turned out to be very influential to Ignatius.

In 1522 he had recuperated enough that he could travel. His intent was to go to Rome and offer his services to the Pope. He traveled south from Basque Country to the town
of Navarrette, where the Duke of Navarre paid Ignatius money he was owed. Then he headed southwest to Logrono, Zaragoza, Llieda, etc. There are six miles between Navarrette and Logrono where the Camino Ignaciano overlaps the Camino Frances. Except pilgrims on the Camino Ignaciano are going east and the Camino Frances is going west. Many times along this stretch, pilgrims on the Camino Ignaciano are told they are going the wrong way.

Well, anyway, Ignatius made it to Monserrat and prayed at the Black Madonna. Evidently the Madonna was originally white, but over the years candle smoke turned her black. But, an odd thing happened. There was a plague that year in Barcelona, so Ignatius could not proceed immediately to Rome. So, he decided to stay in a little town
called Manresa. There he prayed in a cave and wrote the Spiritual Exercises which
would become the foundation of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.
Now, the Jesuits are known for their colleges like Boston College, Marquette University
Loyola of Chicago, Gonzaga and Creighton University. They are also known for
their silent retreats

So, the place to visit in Monserrat is the Black Madonna and in Manresa is
the cave of Ignatius.

Please note that I have hiked none of this. I have just studied up on it because
I'm planning to hike it the fall

 

[JabbaPapa]

I would walk the Catalan Way as far as Fraga if possible, then if any days left, head south from there (off-Camino) to the Ebro and the Ebro Way. Kicking myself for not having seen that possibility last year !!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I believe he is talking about the Black Madonna statue at Montserrat.

Oh yes, I have been there and seen the Black Madonna.
I thought there was some other statue he was talking about that I needed to see.
Thanks for the history lesson though.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

It should be noted there is a monument in Pamplona showing the fallen Ignatius.

Coordinates: 42.814,-1.643

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Are you talking about the statue/albergue in Manresa or at Montserrat?

Montserrat. When we checked into the pilgrims office to the far left of the cathedral entrance, the delightful hospitalero took us to the monastery where pilgrims are housed. 6 euros. Since we were a married couple and there were so few pilgrims, we were given our own room. He then gave us a voucher for a pilgrim's meal for 10 euros in the hotel that costs more than 200 euros per night.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Montserrat. When we checked into the pilgrims office to the far left of the cathedral entrance, the delightful hospitalero took us to the monastery where pilgrims are housed. 6 euros. Since we were a married couple and there were so few pilgrims, we were given our own room. He then gave us a voucher for a pilgrim's meal for 10 euros in the hotel that costs more than 200 euros per night.

Did you make reservations to sleep there ahead of time? I can't figure out where to write to do this. Help?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Did you make reservations to sleep there ahead of time? I can't figure out where to write to do this. Help?

I just showed up on a Tuesday in mid-October and was assigned a room to myself on the floor that pilgrims use. I can't remember whether there were two or three bunk beds in the room but the bath was shared with a neighboring room.

I got there just a bit after the pilgrims' office closed so I went to the hotel to check-in.

A view from my room in the morning:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/attachments/1588505731139_img_20191022_081544-jpg.74345/

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Did you make reservations to sleep there ahead of time? I can't figure out where to write to do this. Help?

Sorry if you can hear me chuckling over the internet. I spent FOREVER trying to find out how to reach them. I was successful. The camino provides...eventually. Here's the email address:
ccpastoral <ccpastoral@santuari-montserrat.com>.

More importantly, here's a message I received from them in response to my email. This includes THE most important information, including the phone number. I hope you can read Spanish.

Buenos días,
En el Santuario de Montserrat disponemos de un albergue para los peregrinos que
están haciendo el Camino de Santiago o el Camino Ignaciano. Para recoger las
llaves tendríais que pasar por nuestras oficinas del Centro de Coordinación
Pastoral. Nuestro horario es de 9,30 a 13,00 h. y de 16,00 a 18,00 h. Tenemos
abierto todos los días del año, incluyendo sábados, domingos y festivos.
Nuestro teléfono es el 93 877 77 66 . Para ir bien nos tendríais que decir
vuestra hora aproximada de llegada y dejarnos un teléfono móvil de contacto.

Buen Camino!

 

[isawtman]

I used Google Translate

Hello,
In the Sanctuary of Montserrat we have a hostel for pilgrims who
they are doing the Camino de Santiago or the Camino Ignaciano. To collect the
keys you would have to go through our offices of the Coordination Center
Pastoral. Our hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. We have
open every day of the year, including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Our telephone number is 93 877 77 66. To go well you would have to tell us
your approximate time of arrival and leave us a contact mobile phone.

Good way!

 

[Anniesantiago]

We still haven't decided.
We are now considering the following:

After Manresa, train/bus to Zaragoza for a couple of days,
then
1) Just walking up to Logroño from Zaragoza
2) Bus from Zaragoza to Canfranc and walking down the Aragones to Pamplona (I've done the Aragones many times but do love it.)
Just can't decide...

 

[oursonpolaire]

Oh yes, I have been there and seen the Black Madonna.
I thought there was some other statue he was talking about that I needed to see.
Thanks for the history lesson though.

There are other theories on why the Madonna is black and, indeed, I believe that there was an academic conference on the topic some years ago.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

We still haven't decided.
We are now considering the following:

After Manresa, train/bus to Zaragoza for a couple of days,
then
1) Just walking up to Logroño from Zaragoza
2) Bus from Zaragoza to Canfranc and walking down the Aragones to Pamplona (I've done the Aragones many times but do love it.)
Just can't decide...

We loved the Aragones and will likely do that again. I think this makes sense for a walk in the Spring. And do take the workers bus up to the monastery at 0830. You can then do an easy walk downhill to stay at one of the villages. We did the walk on the Ebro in late September at harvest time. We not only caught all the festivals, with the locals always inviting us to join, but we walked through mile after mile of vineyards in Rioja, pear orchards with the sweetest, most luscious pears we have ever eaten, which farmers would toss to us and almond groves with the ripe almonds ready to pluck and eat. It was magical. I suggest keeping this walk for another time when you can go in the early autumn.

 

[Anniesantiago]

We loved the Aragones and will likely do that again. I think this makes sense for a walk in the Spring. And do take the workers bus up to the monastery at 0830. You can then do an easy walk downhill to stay at one of the villages. We did the walk on the Ebro in late September at harvest time. We not only caught all the festivals, with the locals always inviting us to join, but we walked through mile after mile of vineyards in Rioja, pear orchards with the sweetest, most luscious pears we have ever eaten, which farmers would toss to us and almond groves with the ripe almonds ready to pluck and eat. It was magical. I suggest keeping this walk for another time when you can go in the early autumn.

Yes, thanks.
I've walked the Aragones several times both in Spring and Autumn.