Bien Autopista (mucho pavimento)

[RossEast]

I've been looking at KMZ files in Google Earth of the Northern Camino and there is a lot of pavement. I'm thinking I want to go on the Northern Camino, but don't see the point of walking along a highway choking on exhaust fumes. I'm flying out Monday!

Is my impression correct for this camino.

 

[Isca-camigo]

There is a lot of asphalt on the Norte, and unless you know when it is coming up and what the alternatives are you will end up being on busy roads in sections. If you don't want to do that, and you think the Frances is too busy, you could mix and match caminos, walk the San Salvador to Oviedo and then walk the Primitivo, if you wanted you could extend it by walking the Camino de Madrid before those two and it connects up with them.

Buen Camino

 

[Magwood]

I have just returned from the Norte. I had read that there was much hard surface walking, but sort of dismissed it as general pilgrim whingeing. This was my fourth Camino, including the Portuguese which is also described as having a lot of road walking. But you should believe what you read. I was really shocked at the amount of hard surface walking on the Norte, it felt like way, way more than any of my other caminos. And there was also less walking alongside the coast than I was niaively expecting. All this misconception was because I don't really study guide books, rather take it as it comes.

If I had bothered to properly research and know in advance the above information would it have changed my mind about walking el Norte? Not one bit.

A Camino is what it is, and we pilgrims just take it as it comes (with the option of bussing ahead every now and then - not an option that I take).

There aren't so many stretches on busy highways, more on quiet country roads with little traffic, and through the cities that you will pass. Be sure to have really good cushioning in your footwear.

When you do hit the beaches and the cliff tops it will make up for all those hours of plodding on asphalt.

You are welcome to take a look at my blog - I posted every day live from the Camino and mention what the walking surfaces have been like...https://magwood.me/el-norte-ingles/

 

[evanlow]

It gets a bit better in the later stages. This is the Camino I believed that a local SIM card with data is most effective. I use it a lot to discover beach area so I can safely detour slightly to them and back on the.Camino again. Have discovered many beaches that are essentially empty with people. My own private beach...

 

[LTfit]

I have only walked the first week of the Norte (from Irún to Bilbao) but found it had WAY less pavement than the first days out of Porto along the Central Portuguese Camiño. There were next to no busy roads and the pavement sections were IMHO short. I can definately recommend that section. I walk in running shoes which of course helps.

 

[RossEast]

I have just returned from the Norte. I had read that there was much hard surface walking, but sort of dismissed it as general pilgrim whingeing. This was my fourth Camino, including the Portuguese which is also described as having a lot of road walking. But you should believe what you read. I was really shocked at the amount of hard surface walking on the Norte, it felt like way, way more than any of my other caminos. And there was also less walking alongside the coast than I was niaively expecting. All this misconception was because I don't really study guide books, rather take it as it comes.

If I had bothered to properly research and know in advance the above information would it have changed my mind about walking el Norte? Not one bit.

A Camino is what it is, and we pilgrims just take it as it comes (with the option of bussing ahead every now and then - not an option that I take).

There aren't so many stretches on busy highways, more on quiet country roads with little traffic, and through the cities that you will pass. Be sure to have really good cushioning in your footwear.

When you do hit the beaches and the cliff tops it will make up for all those hours of plodding on asphalt.

You are welcome to take a look at my blog - I posted every day live from the Camino and mention what the walking surfaces have been like...https://magwood.me/el-norte-ingles/

THANK you for your response. I'm enjoying your blog.