Are there many Pilgrims around at Easter?

[Niall Gilmartin]

Hi there,

I begin my first week of the Camino del Norde on Easter Saturday. Flying in to Biarritz Saturday morning 26/03. Starting in St Jean de Luz. And finishing in Bilbao a week later.
As this is my first Camino I'm not sure what to expect.

Am I right to expect that there won't be many Pilgrims doing the same route and that english speaking pilgrims will be very rare indeed.

I don't mind some alone time at all, in fact I look forward to it. I had hoped however that there would be some other like minded English speakers around in the evening to share a few stories with.

 

[William Marques]

Easter is a very popular time for Spanish people to walk the Camino. Many people walk a week or two at a time and complete the Camino over a number of years and the date Easter always changes the statistics of numbers of compostelas issued in March/April. There will not be the same increase in numbers of non Spaniards over the same period.

 

[purplesage]

Hi there,

I begin my first week of the Camino del Norde on Easter Saturday. Flying in to Biarritz Saturday morning 26/03. Starting in St Jean de Luz. And finishing in Bilbao a week later.
As this is my first Camino I'm not sure what to expect.

Am I right to expect that there won't be many Pilgrims doing the same route and that english speaking pilgrims will be very rare indeed.

I don't mind some alone time at all, in fact I look forward to it. I had hoped however that there would be some other like minded English speakers around in the evening to share a few stories with.

Welcome to the world of "pilgrims for life". I will be in Santiago for Easter (IF God wills)... may he be praised. Then again, will start walking again.... where the Holy Spirit guides me. Buen Camino be blessed! Caesar

 

[jpflavin1]

Hi there,

I begin my first week of the Camino del Norde on Easter Saturday. Flying in to Biarritz Saturday morning 26/03. Starting in St Jean de Luz. And finishing in Bilbao a week later.
As this is my first Camino I'm not sure what to expect.

Am I right to expect that there won't be many Pilgrims doing the same route and that english speaking pilgrims will be very rare indeed.

I don't mind some alone time at all, in fact I look forward to it. I had hoped however that there would be some other like minded English speakers around in the evening to share a few stories with.

Niall:

I walked this route during the month of April 2014. I met many English speaking pilgrims along the way. Most of them Bi-lingual. I am not. I can not remember any night I spent alone in an Albergue.

The number of Spanish Pilgrims does increase during Easter week. The largest number of non-Spanish walkers I met were Germans, mostly younger and friendly.

This is a great Camino and you have chosen the best time of year to walk, imo.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Niall Gilmartin]

Thank you very much. That is great to hear. Just over a week now till the adventure begins!

Can you remember the albergues you stayed in? Are there ones you recommend, are there ones to avoid? I was thinking I would mix it up, staying in albergues, but maybe a hotel/pension on a couple of nights.

 

[dougfitz]

Can you remember the albergues you stayed in? Are there ones you recommend, are there ones to avoid? I was thinking I would mix it up, staying in albergues, but maybe a hotel/pension on a couple of nights.

These matters are frequently discussed. A search should give you good results, or look for 'albergue' in the tag cloud.

 

[jpflavin1]

Thank you very much. That is great to hear. Just over a week now till the adventure begins!

Can you remember the albergues you stayed in? Are there ones you recommend, are there ones to avoid? I was thinking I would mix it up, staying in albergues, but maybe a hotel/pension on a couple of nights.

Niall:

As suggested by Doug, you would probably get your best results with a good search. I walked in 2014 and posted almost daily on my over night stays. Some that come to mind are:

Orio - Albergue San Martin - A private place right on the Camino
Markina - Albergue Pitis, A private albergue
Liendo - Albergue de Peregrino's Saturnino Candina
Guemes - Albergue la Cabana del Abuelo Pueto
Santa Cruz de Bezana - Albergue de peregrino's La Santa Cruz
Pendueles - Albergue Aves de Paso
Cuerres - Casa Belen, a private home on the Camino
El Rellayo - Hotel Marino, I splurged here. This is a hotel right on the water
Baamonde - Albergue
Sobrado dos Monxes - monastery

Hope this helps.

The online Gronze.com guide lists all the accommodations on the Norte

Joe

 

[Niall Gilmartin]

These matters are frequently discussed. A search should give you good results, or look for 'albergue' in the tag cloud.

I've been busy doing my research. Well done Ivar, this forum is a fantastic resource. BTW I've been ruthlessly executing your Backpacking theory. I have a 65L, 35L and 25L Backpacks. I had been hiking with the 65L one in preparation. I'm 1.9m or 6'3'' and its a March/April walk. At this point I have everything into the 35L Backpack, but its tight, very tight. I had to get a water bottle so that I could attach it to the outside of the backpack. Not sure if I'll have room for the scallop shell!!! But thanks so much... you guys making the effort to share your experience makes all the difference. Can't wait

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I've been busy doing my research. Well done Ivar, this forum is a fantastic resource. BTW I've been ruthlessly executing your Backpacking theory. I have a 65L, 35L and 25L Backpacks. I had been hiking with the 65L one in preparation. I'm 1.9m or 6'3'' and its a March/April walk. At this point I have everything into the 35L Backpack, but its tight, very tight. I had to get a water bottle so that I could attach it to the outside of the backpack. Not sure if I'll have room for the scallop shell!!! But thanks so much... you guys making the effort to share your experience makes all the difference. Can't wait

Leave the home shell at home. Bring one back, and wear it on your next Camino. Noone will turn you away for not wearing a trinket from home, but once you have earned it, you will wear it with pride.

 

[dougfitz]

I've been busy doing my research. Well done Ivar, this forum is a fantastic resource. BTW I've been ruthlessly executing your Backpacking theory. I have a 65L, 35L and 25L Backpacks. I had been hiking with the 65L one in preparation. I'm 1.9m or 6'3'' and its a March/April walk. At this point I have everything into the 35L Backpack, but its tight, very tight. I had to get a water bottle so that I could attach it to the outside of the backpack. Not sure if I'll have room for the scallop shell!!! But thanks so much... you guys making the effort to share your experience makes all the difference. Can't wait

It's not a surprise that a 35li is a bit tight. My rule of thumb is that a good compromise between packing density and keeping the size down is to look at something in litres that is about half your walking weight in kg. I would have thought that would have put you into the 45-50 li range - where you don't have a pack! If you can do it with a 35 li pack, that would be great, but you might already be sensing the limitations this is going to have.

 

[jpflavin1]

I've been busy doing my research. Well done Ivar, this forum is a fantastic resource. BTW I've been ruthlessly executing your Backpacking theory. I have a 65L, 35L and 25L Backpacks. I had been hiking with the 65L one in preparation. I'm 1.9m or 6'3'' and its a March/April walk. At this point I have everything into the 35L Backpack, but its tight, very tight. I had to get a water bottle so that I could attach it to the outside of the backpack. Not sure if I'll have room for the scallop shell!!! But thanks so much... you guys making the effort to share your experience makes all the difference. Can't wait

Niall:

I have an Osprey Kestral 48l pack. It weighs 3.8 lbs. I have regularly looked for a lighter pack but have yet to find one that has all the benefits of my current one.
It has an attached rain cover
a bottom zipper for easy access to sleeping bag with out disrupting everything else
two zippered side panels for my flip flops
two top zippered panels for medical kit and electronics
two external pouches for water bottles
A back pouch for my guide and papers
and the main bag for everything else.

This works for me. Something else might be better for you. My point is get a pack that works best for you not necessarily by size or weight. My total pack weight is now down to 17 lbs w/o water.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[marbuck]

Don't worry about the 'Pack Police' on this forum. Pack as light as you can but take a pack that you are comfortable with. Its a long walk.