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Del norte is less crowded but albergues are less frequent so good route planning is essential.I am doing the Camino del Norte from San Sebastian in April this year. I've done the Portugal Camino in 3 stages, the last 150ks of the French Camino and walked from SdC to Finesterre. Is the Norte very different to any of what I've done before? Are the villages close or is it a little isolated in that way? Any tips would be helpful. Many thanks. Buen Camino.
Thank you so much I'll certainly do that. I don't usually book ahead but might this time.Del norte is less crowded but albergues are less frequent so good route planning is essential.
End of April early May 2023Just out of interest when did you do it please?
I walked from Irun to Bilbao in a week last October and I am 74. Great municipal albergue in Irun. Lovely albergue up in the hills about 5km past gernika. Plus the twelve tribes (kinda hippy Christians) have an amazing hostel and restaurant about 4km before Orio. San Sebastian....big city ...public hostel....not as good as albergues ...so do your research well....but otherwise....go for it and good luck. More albergue info if you want it.Just out of interest when did you do it please?
Aidan thank you kindly for this. I'll gratefully accept any info you are happy to provide as it all helps.I walked from Irun to Bilbao in a week last October and I am 74. Great municipal albergue in Irun. Lovely albergue up in the hills about 5km past gernika. Plus the twelve tribes (kinda hippy Christians) have an amazing hostel and restaurant about 4km before Orio. San Sebastian....big city ...public hostel....not as good as albergues ...so do your research well....but otherwise....go for it and good luck. More albergue info if you want it.
Cheers for that David.We walked in September 2023 and found that the distances between towns/villages could vary quite a bit. Our preferred daily distance is around 20kms but on the Norte its not always possible due to the infrastructure. We found (our) daily distances varied between 16kms and 30kms.
The Norte gets an awful lot of Spanish tourists and as such there is not as much need to cater for those doing the Camino. Prices and demand goes up at weekends as the coast is very popular then.
We did the whole route in 37 days and we booked a week ahead throughout. Availability will also depend on what type of accommodation you want. It was tight at times, but we always got accommodation
Certainly not as many café stops as the CF, so plan accordingly
Also, as mentioned above, there are a LOT of ups and downs - A great route, you will enjoy it
Have fun
I don't agree there are plenty of Pensions if you are able to do them.Del norte is less crowded but albergues are less frequent so good route planning is essential.
Lindy:I am doing the Camino del Norte from San Sebastian in April this year. I've done the Portugal Camino in 3 stages, the last 150ks of the French Camino and walked from SdC to Finesterre. Is the Norte very different to any of what I've done before? Are the villages close or is it a little isolated in that way? Any tips would be helpful. Many thanks. Buen Camino.
Holy Moly David I was expecting 10 place names on a piece of notebook page not such an amazing record of your adventure. I can't thank you enough - this is way more than I dreamt to get. I have started my Itinerary but your notes will be such a great resource (especially love your Breakfast ideas!)@Lindy Loo
The attachment shows my stages, distances and prices. We did stay in some albergues but our preferences were for a room with private bathroom where possible.
If nothing else it will give you ideas
Did you find the Norte to be quite busy even in September? We're doing it this Fall - September to October over 6 weeks. I was expecting it to be less busy by then. Any thoughts?We walked in September 2022 and found that the distances between towns/villages could vary quite a bit. Our preferred daily distance is around 20kms but on the Norte its not always possible due to the infrastructure. We found (our) daily distances varied between 16kms and 30kms.
The Norte gets an awful lot of Spanish tourists and as such there is not as much need to cater for those doing the Camino. Prices and demand goes up at weekends as the coast is very popular then.
We did the whole route in 37 days and we booked a week ahead throughout. Availability will also depend on what type of accommodation you want. It was tight at times, but we always got accommodation
Certainly not as many café stops as the CF, so plan accordingly
Also, as mentioned above, there are a LOT of ups and downs - A great route, you will enjoy it
Have fun
I walked it in September. It was still busy and the Spanish summer holidays fell into part of it. I never struggled for accommodation though or heard of anyone else struggling. I would just recommend booking larger cities ahead of time. There is a yearly festival in Bilbao at the beginning of September some time and I literally got the last bed available in Bilbao on booking.com when I booked two days before. Weather wise there was no rain at all, and some days were hot but not as bad as it had been in August and July (I walked from Le Puy). I took the split onto the Primitivo, those days were cooler, particularly in the mornings with fog till about lunchtime. However it actually made the landscape even more beautiful in my opinion. Hope this helps.Did you find the Norte to be quite busy even in September? We're doing it this Fall - September to October over 6 weeks. I was expecting it to be less busy by then. Any thoughts?
We did not find it overly busy with Peregrinos, but it was busy in the towns with Spanish tourists. The north coast is also very popular with surfers and that puts a lot of pressure on accommodation too. Once out of tourist areas, it was not busy. We saw less than ten people each day actually walking the Norte. (We didn't bump into any groups)Did you find the Norte to be quite busy even in September? We're doing it this Fall - September to October over 6 weeks. I was expecting it to be less busy by then. Any thoughts?
I walked from Irun to Bilbao in a week last October and I am 74. Great municipal albergue in Irun. Lovely albergue up in the hills about 5km past gernika. Plus the twelve tribes (kinda hippy Christians) have an amazing hostel and restaurant about 4km before Orio. San Sebastian....big city ...public hostel....not as good as albergues ...so do your research well....but otherwise....go for it and good luck. More albergue info if you want it.
Maybe Albergue Caserío Pozueta?Which albergue after Gernika did you stay at?
Yes probably this one,its the closer to GernikaMaybe Albergue Caserío Pozueta?
Albergue Caserío Pozueta | Albergue de Peregrinos en Pozueta | Gronze.com
Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue Caserío Pozueta, en Pozueta: Precio, plazas, características, etc...www.gronze.com
I would love any hotel recs along the way. Planning to go in May this yearNorte is more strenuous than France’s or Portuguese. Don’t expect cafes and or services often. Carry snacks and lunch. It is beautiful. I a made reservations a week at a time. Walked in end of May
I stayed in a mix of albergues, hotels, and pensions.I would love any hotel recs along the way. Planning to go in May this year
I agree with every word you said. Probably my favorite Camino route so far! Worth every moment!Beautiful walk. Lot of up and very steep down, especially before Bilbao. Somewhat more rigorous than the Frances and much more so than the Portuguese. Rains but very friendly Basque people. Buen Camino
I cycled the Norte last September 23. ( www livealagom .life ). obviously I saw a lot of walkers (but Far far less than would have been on the Frances). I would say (having walked the Frances in 2021) that the Norte is much more physically demanding -whether on bike or as a walker.... you can prove this by looking at the elevation changes and plan you days accordingly. You will need to consider the (likely) weather that time of year. Also, vs. the Frances, there are some towns that if I were walking I definitely would have built into my trip as layover days such as San Sebastián as they were just incredibly beautiful beaches and vibe. I found this camino qualitatively very different as well in ways difficult to put in a nutshell. It was, however, incredibly beautiful and made for an epic memory. After Gihon, I walked the entire Primitivo with a friend. The consequence is that I'll have to return to 'finish' the Norte from Gihon......I am doing the Camino del Norte from San Sebastian in April this year. I've done the Portugal Camino in 3 stages, the last 150ks of the French Camino and walked from SdC to Finesterre. Is the Norte very different to any of what I've done before? Are the villages close or is it a little isolated in that way? Any tips would be helpful. Many thanks. Buen Camino.
This Camino will rack up more miles than the previous walks you describe. That's not a problem, you just need to put in some training walks, especially steep inclines and declines with weight on your back. Some of the distances can be lengthy. Once you're beyond Bilbos, there is more level ground, and there's a good deal of road walking. There are alternate routes to avoid some of this, but I stuck to the traditional route, so can't advise you on that. I also stayed in pensions 95% of the time. I booked a day ahead, based on how much I wanted to walk, how my feet were feeling, weather, and other variables. I went in Aug/Sept. and there were a lot of European tourists section hiking. I didn't encounter a lot of pilgrims, but there were some. Toward the middle of the route, mostly Spanish speaking folks. I booked through booking.com, so language difficulties did not arise. In April, you'll encounter rain, so take a poncho. If you have super light rain pants, they might be worth taking. The Basque will be muddy in places, so consider the water proofing issue when you select your shoes. Consider gators if you go with trail runners, as I believe most are not water proof. I loved the walk. I was alone much of the time past Bilbos until the the trails converge about 100km from Santiago. It was immersive, contemplative, life-changing. Good luck.I am doing the Camino del Norte from San Sebastian in April this year. I've done the Portugal Camino in 3 stages, the last 150ks of the French Camino and walked from SdC to Finesterre. Is the Norte very different to any of what I've done before? Are the villages close or is it a little isolated in that way? Any tips would be helpful. Many thanks. Buen Camino.
This is amazing. Thank you so much. Now I am worried about my budget, though.@Lindy Loo
The attachment shows my stages, distances and prices. We did stay in some albergues but our preferences were for a room with private bathroom where possible.
If nothing else it will give you ideas
Hi David,@Lindy Loo
The attachment shows my stages, distances and prices. We did stay in some albergues but our preferences were for a room with private bathroom where possible.
If nothing else it will give you ideas
Hello @SilvermommaThis is amazing. Thank you so much. Now I am worried about my budget, though.
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