Camino del Norte. Start at Irun or St Sebastian?

[Sara M]

I'm flying to Biarritz on 9 May 2016, probably staying the night in Bayonne and then catching the train over the Spanish border the next day.

Looking at various
blogs it seems like the first stretch from Irun is onerous and accommodation scarce. Would I be better staying on the train to St Sebastian and walking from there? I plan to walk to Santiago and then on to Finisterre by the beginning of August.

Any thoughts welcome.

Many thanks

Sara M

 

[spursfan]

Yes, it's onerous but you don't have to take the alpinist's route in the hills above Irun - accommodation less likely to be a problem when you're walking - don't skip, start from Irun

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Sara,
Welcome to the forum.

Yes, it's onerous but you don't have to take the alpinist's route in the hills above Irun - accommodation less likely to be a problem when you're walking - don't skip, start from Irun

Spursfan,

I am not entirely sure what the alpinist route is, even though I've looked back through the forum and seen some old discussions of it. I have walked from Irún on the Norte and remember a steep ascent after Pasajes de San Juan, but it was very short, and only involved 160 m total elevation gain, which doesn't strike me as within the definition of alpinist. So there may be a different route that I didn't know about. Is the alpinist route different than this one? http://mundicamino.com/ruta.cfm?p=T...bastian/Donostia&xne=1&quees=Trazado / Perfil

Thanks, Laurie

 

[Marc S.]

At the Santuario de Guadelupe, 5 km after Irun, there is a split. The 'Alpinist route' is straight ahead. I did not walk it but I heard it is rather steep.
If you take the left at the split, you avoid the alpinist route and take an easier path to Pasajes. This way is also signposted.
I would suggest starting your camino in Irun as the first day is a nice walk. Accomodation is not so scarce, there is an albergue in Pasajes.

 

[Sara M]

Yes, it's onerous but you don't have to take the alpinist's route in the hills above Irun - accommodation less likely to be a problem when you're walking - don't skip, start from Irun

Thanks. Irun it is- on the low route. S

Yes, it's onerous but you don't have to take the alpinist's route in the hills above Irun - accommodation less likely to be a problem when you're walking - don't skip, start from Irun

At the Santuario de Guadelupe, 5 km after Irun, there is a split. The 'Alpinist route' is straight ahead. I did not walk it but I heard it is rather steep.
If you take the left at the split, you avoid the alpinist route and take an easier path to Pasajes. This way is also signposted.
I would suggest starting your camino in Irun as the first day is a nice walk. Accomodation is not so scarce, there is an albergue in Pasajes.

Thank you Marc. Yes I've decided to start at Irun - all your replies recommend it. Nice to know there is albergue in Pasajes. This forum is a wonderful resource. Sara

 

[Dave]

For what it's worth, from my perspective the "Alpinist route" is one of the prettiest walks I've done on any Camino. The lower level option is a shaded, level walk with limited views of the inland area. The "Alpinist" starts with a very abrupt and challenging ascent, but it doesn't last terribly long, and from there on you're mostly facing more gentle undulations. The views of the sea and the rolling green hills are incredible.

 

[spursfan]

For what it's worth, from my perspective the "Alpinist route" is one of the prettiest walks I've done on any Camino. The lower level option is a shaded, level walk with limited views of the inland area. The "Alpinist" starts with a very abrupt and challenging ascent, but it doesn't last terribly long, and from there on you're mostly facing more gentle undulations. The views of the sea and the rolling green hills are incredible.

I preferred not to discourage her from starting in Irun - she'll have plenty of chances for sea views and hills soon enough

 

[Sara M]

I preferred not to discourage her from starting in Irun - she'll have plenty of chances for sea views and hills soon enough

Thank you so much for your replies - they have spurred me on to get back to the gym and get fit. I will make the final decision of the low or high route on the day and the weather!

 

[MKalcolm M]

Definitely start in Irun, its a great day of walking and the little ferry crossing later on is a delight. Leave it up to the day weather you take the high or the low route, when I walked it the weather was bad, and the high route was covered in cloud, so the hospitalero advised us to take the lower route.

 

[peregrina2000]

For what it's worth, from my perspective the "Alpinist route" is one of the prettiest walks I've done on any Camino. The lower level option is a shaded, level walk with limited views of the inland area. The "Alpinist" starts with a very abrupt and challenging ascent, but it doesn't last terribly long, and from there on you're mostly facing more gentle undulations. The views of the sea and the rolling green hills are incredible.

Dave, do you have maps and elevation profiles for these two alternatives? Or can you tell me which route the mundicamino shows? It must not be the alpinist route, because all it shows is about 130 m elevation gain and nothing very steep.

 

[lunna]

Depending on the weather, I might even suggest that you walk down to Irun from Biarritz (it is really a pretty/beautiful walk), and then, as you suggest, play it by ear with the weather. The "alpinist" route really isn't that steep - certainly no ropes, etc., and the views are great, so it is something you should definitely consider - play it by ear and decide when you get there. You can also stay in Pasajes if you get tired.

 

[Dave]

Dave, do you have maps and elevation profiles for these two alternatives? Or can you tell me which route the mundicamino shows? It must not be the alpinist route, because all it shows is about 130 m elevation gain and nothing very steep.

Laurie, here you go:

• Alpinist route: http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=7463415
• Lower level alternate: http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=4984319

The high point of the lower level is 909ft/277m, while the high point of the Alpinist is 1789ft/545m. The nasty ascent that I mentioned above is about 500ft in a half-mile. The remaining 500ft of elevation gain is spread out over the next two miles.

 

[sharon w]

We walked from Ciboure/St Jean de Luz into Irun. It was a beautiful walk. Also did the Alpinista route. It was quite a steep ascent initially. There was only one other person besides us four doing this route the day we did it. It was very wet and I guess I would have preferred to do the lower one except my companions like heights!
Sharon

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Started in SanSeb but saw those starting in Irun crawling in exhausted. I would love to start in Irun next time, regardless of the effort.

 

[Kanga]

I thought the "alpista" route between Irun and Pasajes San Juan was one of the prettiest I have ever done. Definitely recommend it, and if you start early in the day from Irun you should be able to stay in the albergue in Pasajes San Juan, with the most fabulous views up the fiord-like entrance to the town. I would have been hard-pressed to go all the way from Irun to San Sebastian in one day, but by staying in Pasajes crossing over in the ferry the next day for a relatively short but pretty walk to San Sebastian was perfect.

 

[Kurt5280]

Why not start in Biarritz or Bayonne...for more camino adventure you can hike the 40+ km camino trail between Bayonne or Biarritz and Irun but on the actual camino trail you will miss seeing all of the great beaches, vistas, and coastal towns (2x Camino Trail Maps Enclosed)...but for even more adventure from Bayonne train station consider crossing the bridge and walking up the Adour river (Avenue de l'Adour) and then start hiking the beach boardwalks towards Biarritz to the scenic outlook at Rocher de la Vierge (1x City Map Enclosed)...likewise from Biarritz airport you can hike or take a bus to Biarritz and then hike to the scenic outlook at Rocher de la Vierge...then from Biarritz hike the beach boardwalks to Bidart to start the 25+ km Coastal Trail to Hendaye for a great start to your camino adventure (3x Coastal Trail Hiking Trail Maps Enclosed...and there is a fourth Coastal Trail map from Pasaia to Donostia that did not upload because it is too large that you can search for online).

If you want to purchase a great guidebook with excellent maps I recommend Guia Practica del Camino del Norte (Costa y Primitivo) 2015 (http://guias.editorialbuencamino.com/productos/guia-del-camino-del-norte-costa-y-primitivo) (in Spanish but very user friendly maps even if you don't read Spanish)...which shows the Camino del Norte, alternative routes, danger and caution areas, steep uphills and downhills, albergues, cathedrals, points of interest, and scenic lookouts...and it is the best guide I have found on the Camino del Norte and it was recommended by several Camino del Norte Associations.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

It seems you've already decided, but I'd say Irun. And I'd say the the Alpine route too. I met some sheep along the way.

http://surfcityperegrino.tumblr.com/post/96077274517/me-and-the-sheep-on-the-side-of-a-mountain

 

[pipello]

If you want to purchase a great guidebook with excellent maps I recommend Guia Practica del Camino del Norte (Costa y Primitivo) 2015 (http://guias.editorialbuencamino.com/productos/guia-del-camino-del-norte-costa-y-primitivo) (in Spanish but very user friendly maps even if you don't read Spanish)...which shows the Camino del Norte, alternative routes, danger and caution areas, steep uphills and downhills, albergues, cathedrals, points of interest, and scenic lookouts...and it is the best guide I have found on the Camino del Norte and it was recommended by several Camino del Norte Associations.[/QUOTE]

My husband and I will be in Spain during the month of June with our folding bicycles. We have walked the Camino de Santiago and this time would like to cycle along another Camino, especially the Camino del Norte. We feel like the distances between accommodations might be too far for us to walk and so riding would be perfect. Does anyone have experience with this? This guidebook looks perfect. We live in the US. Is there any other more local publication that might serve us or do you think we should go ahead and order this one? Thank you all for your passion and support!

 

[Kurt5280]

This guidebook looks perfect. We live in the US. Is there any other more local publication that might serve us or do you think we should go ahead and order this one?

I bought several Camino del Norte guide books looking for annotated maps with alternative routes that I will rate as follows:

1) Guia Practica del Camino del Norte - Editorial Buen Camino - Spanish Version - Average - Requires Average Spanish - Excellent Maps
2) Pilgrim Route The Northern Caminos - Cicerone - English Version - Heavy - Requires Average English - Poor Maps
3) Camino del Norte Ruta Jacobea De La Costa - Desnivel - Spanish Version - Heavy - Requires Average Spanish - Good Maps
4) Los Caminos del Norte #4 Volume 1&2 - Confraternity of Saint James - English Version - Light - Requires Average English - No Maps
Confraternity of Saint James- English Version - Light - Requires Average English - No Maps
5) Camino del Norte Jakobsweg - Rother & Wanderfuhrer - German Version - Light - Requires Average German - Average Maps
6) El Camino de Santiago (2nd Edition) Camino Norte - Anaya Touring - Spanish Version - Heavy - Requires Fluent Spanish - Average Maps

Basically, the Guia Practica del Camino del Norte is the only guide book with annotated maps and alternative routes and if you find a guide book with better maps please let me know because I searched for over a month to find this quality of guide book.

I plan to ride the Camino del Norte in the Summer 2017 and I think it is a perfect Camino for biking because much of the route is through cities and on roads and I don't think accommodations will be a problem unless you are only thinking about staying in albergues.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I bought the Editorial Buen Camino guide when it was still hot off the presses and really enjoy it. I have recommended it on this forum over and over again, in particular to cyclists as it does take their particular needs into account when necessary. A bit of history, a few comments on albergues (not just a listing), sketched out maps that show steep inclines and descents. I chose to carry it to take notes in it as I walk, but I also took pictures of each page I would need with my Iphone and used that during the day. It's probably 8.5 X 5.5, with a spiral binding which makes it very durable. It gives you recommended stages (for those walking) and the information you need if you chose to keep going along the coast or if you opt to go inland via the Primitivo.

 

[pipello]

I bought several Camino del Norte guide books looking for annotated maps with alternative routes that I will rate as follows:

1) Guia Practica del Camino del Norte - Editorial Buen Camino - Spanish Version - Average - Requires Average Spanish - Excellent Maps
2) Pilgrim Route The Northern Caminos - Cicerone - English Version - Heavy - Requires Average English - Poor Maps
3) Camino del Norte Ruta Jacobea De La Costa - Desnivel - Spanish Version - Heavy - Requires Average Spanish - Good Maps
4) Los Caminos del Norte #4 Volume 1&2 - Confraternity of Saint James - English Version - Light - Requires Average English - No Maps
Confraternity of Saint James- English Version - Light - Requires Average English - No Maps
5) Camino del Norte Jakobsweg - Rother & Wanderfuhrer - German Version - Light - Requires Average German - Average Maps
6) El Camino de Santiago (2nd Edition) Camino Norte - Anaya Touring - Spanish Version - Heavy - Requires Fluent Spanish - Average Maps

Basically, the Guia Practica del Camino del Norte is the only guide book with annotated maps and alternative routes and if you find a guide book with better maps please let me know because I searched for over a month to find this quality of guide book.

I plan to ride the Camino del Norte in the Summer 2017 and I think it is a perfect Camino for biking because much of the route is through cities and on roads and I don't think accommodations will be a problem unless you are only thinking about staying in albergues.

Thank you. This is most helpful. We enjoy staying in small hotels/B&Bs with a private room and a bath/shower. I will keep you posted if I find anything better. I've subscribed to Yahoo's Cycling Caminos thread as well.

 

[pipello]

I bought the Editorial Buen Camino guide when it was still hot off the presses and really enjoy it. I have recommended it on this forum over and over again, in particular to cyclists as it does take their particular needs into account when necessary. A bit of history, a few comments on albergues (not just a listing), sketched out maps that show steep inclines and descents. I chose to carry it to take notes in it as I walk, but I also took pictures of each page I would need with my Iphone and used that during the day. It's probably 8.5 X 5.5, with a spiral binding which makes it very durable. It gives you recommended stages (for those walking) and the information you need if you chose to keep going along the coast or if you opt to go inland via the Primitivo.

Thank you. I will check this one out as well.

 

[CanPete]

On a clear day the higher route shouldn't be missed, one of the more scenic days of the Northern camino, I don't think accommodation will be an issue, It wasn't in May 2014 . . .
Buen Camino !

 

[Jacquie Cattanach]

Can someone tell me what is the difference in distances between the Alpinista route and the lower route from Irun to San Sebastian?

 

[spursfan]

Can someone tell me what is the difference in distances between the Alpinista route and the lower route from Irun to San Sebastian?

According to the Northern Caminos guidebook, the lower route is 600m longer than the Alpine route

 

[Deleted member 34316]

Can someone tell me what is the difference in distances between the Alpinista route and the lower route from Irun to San Sebastian?

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL SIZE PHOTO

Both paths are about the same distance, it is the altitude that makes the difference. The "alpinist route" is the walk along the ridge line of the mountains that you can see in the background, in this picture you walk from your right to your left. It is completely safe, and you have amazing views of the sea which is behind the ridge. If you look closely at the photo , you can also see the "standard" trail which is like a horizontal line traversing the mountain half way up. Walking on this side of the mountain, you can't have any sea views, just the views of Irun. This is the recommended path if the weather is bad.

I hope it helps...

 

[Jacquie Cattanach]

Both paths are about the same distance, it is the altitude that makes the difference. The "alpinist route" is the walk along the ridge line of the mountains that you can see in the background, in this picture you walk from your right to your left. It is completely safe, and you have amazing views of the sea which is behind the ridge. If you look closely, you can also see the "standard" trail which is like a horizontal line traversing the mountain half way up. Walking on this side of the mountain, you can't have any sea views, just the views of Irun. This is the recommended path if the weather is bad.

I hope it helps...

Thanks for that amazing description Arthur. It was about as clear as a description gets. Love the photo, but I have to ask, what time of the year is that? All that snow. We are leaving mid-April.

 

[Deleted member 34316]

Well, I didn't take this picture, I just used it to illustrate the trail options, because the snow reveals the path which traverses the mountain range. It was taken on 25th of January 2007 (source). I wouldn't expect any snow in mid-April, but with the climate today... who knows. The alpinist route, along the ridge line, is exposed to the sun, so any snow melts very quickly. Buen Camino!

 

[Kanga]

This is how the alpista route looked in May last year, looking back towards Irun

 

[Kanga]

I can vouch that mine was taken on 8 May. Perfect walking weather that day.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

San Sebastian if you are foodie!!

http://www.sansebastianturismo.com/en/eat/michelin-stars

 

[Jacquie Cattanach]

I can vouch that mine was taken on 8 May. Perfect walking weather that day.

Oh my goodness - we can only hope that we have that weather! How beautiful.

 

[Johnsee]

I'm flying to Biarritz on 9 May 2016, probably staying the night in Bayonne and then catching the train over the Spanish border the next day.

Looking at various
blogs it seems like the first stretch from Irun is onerous and accommodation scarce. Would I be better staying on the train to St Sebastian and walking from there? I plan to walk to Santiago and then on to Finisterre by the beginning of August.

Any thoughts welcome.

Many thanks

Sara M

Hi Sara, imo you cant miss the views on the walk into San Sebastien, they are stunning!!!Even if San Sebastien is too commercial for you, you dont want to miss it! If you want a shorter walk on Day 1 get the Bus/train from Birritiz as far as Lezo. Dont miss out on walking through the beautiful/quaint....Pasai Donabane and Pasai San Pedro and getting the boat across the harbour.

 

[lunna]

i recommend you start your walk in biarritz, or even bayonne - it is absolutely beautiful, and a great warm up for irun and beyond. and if at all possible, do the alpinista way to san sebastian!

 

[Thornley]

i recommend you start your walk in biarritz, or even bayonne - it is absolutely beautiful, and a great warm up for irun and beyond. and if at all possible, do the alpinista way to san sebastian!

We are starting in Bidart and taking 2 days to Irun