Camino del Norte

[Vagabonder]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

 

[Former member 91017]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

I haven't done the Norte yet, I am to arrive in Bilbao in early April. mid-50's... arthritic spine... I've heard from many that it is roughly equivalent to the LePuy... that it is significantly harder than the Frances... As I am going only just shy of 700km rather than the 800+ from Hendaye, I think that it might be sort of like doing a Frances from Saint Jean to Puenta La Reina, and then skipping all the way over to Astorga and resuming the hills into the mountains.

More rain, perhaps more chilly... seems like less snow.... And for reasons of a significant birthday for a friend who will be on the Portugues -- we are to meet in Santiago -- I cannot avoid walking during the Semana Santa (April 10 to 17) so I've been booking as much as I can from Santander forward for that set of days.

I did the central Portugues in fall 2019 and found that it had enough albergue support, was a lovely walk with enough hills to be interesting but not vertigo inducing. People were fantastic. I did not hear of bag transport until we arrived in Tui, but I had not been seeking it so I don't know if there is a service on the Portuguese. I can say that there are buses and trains all over that route, so one can certainly get a break if one becomes ill or injured... and it's pretty easy to shift to/from coastal to central if the weather or your fancy requires it.

buen camino.

 

[FSP]

Just my two bits worth-actually probably only worth a nickle. I've done the Frances, Portuguese and the Norte. For a first Camino I give a big thumbs up to the Portuguese route. Specifically I did the coastal route from Porto including the Variant alternative. Although I've enjoyed all my Caminos and the difference they provide in culture, food, and challenges, the coastal Portuguese is still a favourite. It's easy to add distance if that's what you want, just continue on to Fisterra and or Muxia, or maybe do the Ingles. At our age group taking on the full Norte route as a first time long disatance hike is a serious undertaking. By the time I did the Norte my conditioning, hiking style, gear, navigation, and understanding of my capabilities were very dialed in and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. What ever you decide enjoy the journey!
Frank

 

[oursonpolaire]

I know that on the del Norte, bag transport is easily arranged through Correos Peregrino. I found that the del Norte was less strenuous than the Francese, but that may be a memory mellowed by time. The Irun-Bilbao stretch is murder and would be tough on a younger newbie let alone one of my years of wisdom, but if you start from Bilbao, it's relatively easy.

 

[Former member 99290]

Hi @Vagabonder In terms of terrain (ascents / descents), I think if you can walk the Le Puy (as you did just 2 years ago) you can walk the Norte. The first week (or so) of the Norte from Irun (or Hondarribia where we prefer to start) to Bilbao has a fair amount of climbing - but remember the first week or so of the Le Puy. They are some tough days.

The Norte also gives you the option to move ‘over / down’ to the Primitivo in the latter stages. The Primitivo is, in my experience, a wonderful Camino, and meets the Frances in Melide.

Lots of great options.

 

[Former member 99290]

but if you start from Bilbao, it's relatively easy.

That’s true but that first week or so to Bilbao is something special. Would be a shame to miss if you feel up to it.

Chemin d’Arles was also a very enjoyable Camino for us, with some lovely towns and villages, and gives the opportunity to continue vie the Aragones to meet the Frances at Obanos. It’s less strenuous than Le Puy or Norte, in my memory. You could expect far fewer pilgrims than on the Le Puy.

 

[SMBHNL]

See my blog on Facebook: Camino de Santiago 4.0. I've done the Frances, Portuguese, and Norte. In my opinion, El Norte is the most beautiful.

Easy to ship your bag with Correos and I recommend that you do on several of the days. To ship with Correros, you use their website to request the shipment and pay (with Paypal or CC). Correros seems to be very reliable; they contacted me by email when they had a question about the destination I selected. Don't ship valuables; carry them.

If you contact me through Facebook, or here, I'll send you my itinerary.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Vagabonder
If you must have bag transfer, that narrows down your choices (maybe ruling out Arles?). Don't know if you've seen this thread from 2019 https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/bag-transfer-on-the-norte.60053/ where positive views are expressed about the Correos bag transfer service? Others, including the OP, may be able to chip in with more recent intel. Cheers, tom

 

[Robi Diaz De Vivar]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

Hi there. I did a section of the Norte in Spring 3 years ago. It was from San Sebastian to Bilbao. I was a pretty fit 62 years old, but I found it brutally difficult - the path is not maintained, and I found that several points I was on my hands and knees, because the winters are always so wet that the paths just turn into seas of mud. I have only done the section of the Portugues from Tuy to Santiago and I would seriously recommend that option to you rather than the Norte.

 

[Thomas Yingst]

Be prepared for rain and mud … but well worth it …

 

[peregrina2000]

I think June is the sweet spot for the Norte. The weather is likely to be less rainy than spring and tourists are not yet there in droves. If you are looking for non-albergue options, the Norte is for you. Since it goes through so many tourist destinations, there are tons of private options. And in June, since the high tourist season has not yet arrived, we were able to snag lots of good accommodations that would be way more expensive and way harder to book in August. I remember several different two bedroom apartments in beach towns for 60 €. Our group of two men and two women fit perfectly.

I last walked the Norte at age 67, so I think it is perfectly do-able since it sounds like you are in good shape.

I don’t know how much you suffer on asphalt, but my first Norte years ago was almost ruined by the constant pavement pounding. There is a LOT of asphalt, frequently along highways, while the ocean and coastline paths are just a km or so away.

This thread offers a lot of alternatives, and I would highly recommend them, but a GPS is probably necessary. Not that it’s hard to follow the coast, but getting from the camino out to the path on the coast will not be marked or intuitive.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/coastal-alternatives-to-the-nortes-asphalt.49578/

Your stages can be pretty much the same as if you walked the “official” route, but veering off to the coast and getting off the pavement made my second Norte much more wonderful.

 

[cbacino]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

Did the Norte in 2018, age 66. Tired of coastal tourist towns and jumped ship to the Primitivo. Started Norte mid-June - rains and cool the first week, turning to dry and warm. Glad I had a large umbrella. Leave the rain jacket/pant home. Baggage service may be available - just take less stuff. Hospidales on the Primitivo is superb.

 

[The Ghost]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

A buddy and I did the Norte in June thru August. I just turned 60. We didn't try the bag transfer, but it seems like We didn't see it in some spots but I did remember seeing it in San Sébastien so maybe it had to do with where you stay. We stayed in some Pension early on vs Albergues is where I seemed to see the bags transfers taking place. We started in Irun, there were places along the coast that you'd come off the road down to a river bottom running towards the ocean then back up to the road. We were following yellow arrows that took us down to the river bottoms. Many times we were just in a tunnel of trees and didn't really see anything worth while so later on we started watching my Alltrails app and would get a feel for if the trail was just going down and back up the other side of the valley so we opted to stay on the road around to the other side of the valley to save are legs and ankles. I'm glad we did the Norte vs the Frances because of less people. Taking the bus to Porto to catch our plane, I got the feel that doing the route from Porto would be simular to walking the Temps.

Even doing the route during the time we did, we found it to be a little cooler and wet but not bad, I think the coolness of it helped us to not have any blister problems like I think people would have to deal with on the Frances due to the warmer temps.

 

[Vagabonder]

I haven't done the Norte yet, I am to arrive in Bilbao in early April. mid-50's... arthritic spine... I've heard from many that it is roughly equivalent to the LePuy... that it is significantly harder than the Frances... As I am going only just shy of 700km rather than the 800+ from Hendaye, I think that it might be sort of like doing a Frances from Saint Jean to Puenta La Reina, and then skipping all the way over to Astorga and resuming the hills into the mountains.

More rain, perhaps more chilly... seems like less snow.... And for reasons of a significant birthday for a friend who will be on the Portugues -- we are to meet in Santiago -- I cannot avoid walking during the Semana Santa (April 10 to 17) so I've been booking as much as I can from Santander forward for that set of days.

I did the central Portugues in fall 2019 and found that it had enough albergue support, was a lovely walk with enough hills to be interesting but not vertigo inducing. People were fantastic. I did not hear of bag transport until we arrived in Tui, but I had not been seeking it so I don't know if there is a service on the Portuguese. I can say that there are buses and trains all over that route, so one can certainly get a break if one becomes ill or injured... and it's pretty easy to shift to/from coastal to central if the weather or your fancy requires it.

buen camino.

Thanks so much, we’re definitely considering the route from Portugal. I’ve heard it’s lovely.

 

[Philtration]

My brother and I (72 and 67) started the del Norte from Irun this past summer. It was stunningly beautiful and stunningly difficult. By the second day when we made it to San Sebastián, we were so lame we called it quits. We switched to the Frances at Logroño and completed our walk. The uphills were challenging but manageable. The downhills were our downfall. Our knees were so shot we hobbled into San Sebastián. I've heard the del Norte is easier farther along the trail. If you have any physical concerns you may want to consider starting a little way along the route as others have suggested.
Buen Camino

 

[Vagabonder]

Just my two bits worth-actually probably only worth a nickle. I've done the Frances, Portuguese and the Norte. For a first Camino I give a big thumbs up to the Portuguese route. Specifically I did the coastal route from Porto including the Variant alternative. Although I've enjoyed all my Caminos and the difference they provide in culture, food, and challenges, the coastal Portuguese is still a favourite. It's easy to add distance if that's what you want, just continue on to Fisterra and or Muxia, or maybe do the Ingles. At our age group taking on the full Norte route as a first time long disatance hike is a serious undertaking. By the time I did the Norte my conditioning, hiking style, gear, navigation, and understanding of my capabilities were very dialed in and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. What ever you decide enjoy the journey!
Frank

Thanks Frank, another vote for the Portuguese route. We loved loved loved the route du Puy-en-Velay, the hills and valleys, and I’d be happy doing that again but we both want to see new places. Do most, or many, albergues offer demi-pension as the do in France? One of our favorite things was dining together in the evenings, the ambiance and conversation. I’m afraid that I’ll be disappointed if we have to eat in restaurants.

 

[Vagabonder]

Hi @Vagabonder In terms of terrain (ascents / descents), I think if you can walk the Le Puy (as you did just 2 years ago) you can walk the Norte. The first week (or so) of the Norte from Irun (or Hondarribia where we prefer to start) to Bilbao has a fair amount of climbing - but remember the first week or so of the Le Puy. They are some tough days.

The Norte also gives you the option to move ‘over / down’ to the Primitivo in the latter stages. The Primitivo is, in my experience, a wonderful Camino, and meets the Frances in Melide.

Lots of great options.

Thanks Jenny!

 

[Vagabonder]

Hi Vagabonder
If you must have bag transfer, that narrows down your choices (maybe ruling out Arles?). Don't know if you've seen this thread from 2019 https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/bag-transfer-on-the-norte.60053/ where positive views are expressed about the Correos bag transfer service? Others, including the OP, may be able to chip in with more recent intel. Cheers, tom

Thanks Tom, I hadn’t seen that thread.

 

[nordmark]

See my blog on Facebook: Camino de Santiago 4.0. I've done the Frances, Portuguese, and Norte. In my opinion, El Norte is the most beautiful.

Easy to ship your bag with Correos and I recommend that you do on several of the days. To ship with Correros, you use their website to request the shipment and pay (with Paypal or CC). Correros seems to be very reliable; they contacted me by email when they had a question about the destination I selected. Don't ship valuables; carry them.

If you contact me through Facebook, or here, I'll send you my itinerary.

Del Norte is indeed an experience. No walk in the park but after every effort you are more than rewarded with a magnificent view.And after Ribadeo, a beautiful route through the interior of Galicia. And the big advantage: you are not part of a mass of pilgrims

 

[Former member 99290]

Thanks Frank, another vote for the Portuguese route. We loved loved loved the route du Puy-en-Velay, the hills and valleys, and I’d be happy doing that again but we both want to see new places. Do most, or many, albergues offer demi-pension as the do in France? One of our favorite things was dining together in the evenings, the ambiance and conversation. I’m afraid that I’ll be disappointed if we have to eat in restaurants.

In my experience, the communal evening meal is much less common on the Spanish and Portuguese Caminos. I agree with you that this is one of the many delightful things about walking in France. And of course the food!

Just throwing this in there - given how much you enjoyed the French experience. The Arles / Aragones option gives you both France and Spain and the opportunity to cross over the Pyrenees at the Col du Somport (which is pretty spectacular). A brand new albergue has recently opened in Canfranc (the Spanish side), to rave reviews. The Aragones is a wonderful 7 days or so to Obanos. A day trip to the San Juan de la Peña monastery is another bonus.

Also, as there is limited accommodation at most stops on the Aragones, there is a communal meal in some of the Albergues.

If this is appealing, send me a PM and I can send you my blog links for Arles / Aragones.

 

[pelerine]

I think June is the sweet spot for the Norte. The weather is likely to be less rainy than spring and tourists are not yet there in droves. If you are looking for non-albergue options, the Norte is for you. Since it goes through so many tourist destinations, there are tons of private options. And in June, since the high tourist season has not yet arrived, we were able to snag lots of good accommodations that would be way more expensive and way harder to book in August. I remember several different two bedroom apartments in beach towns for 60 €. Our group of two men and two women fit perfectly.

I last walked the Norte at age 67, so I think it is perfectly do-able since it sounds like you are in good shape.

I don’t know how much you suffer on asphalt, but my first Norte years ago was almost ruined by the constant pavement pounding. There is a LOT of asphalt, frequently along highways, while the ocean and coastline paths are just a km or so away.

This thread offers a lot of alternatives, and I would highly recommend them, but a GPS is probably necessary. Not that it’s hard to follow the coast, but getting from the camino out to the path on the coast will not be marked or intuitive.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/coastal-alternatives-to-the-nortes-asphalt.49578/

Your stages can be pretty much the same as if you walked the “official” route, but veering off to the coast and getting off the pavement made my second Norte much more wonderful.

I walked the Norte at 70 and do not remember it being particularly difficult - except the many km along a busy road comng into Aviles. But this was many years ago and I may have forgotten. Would love to walk the Norte again following the alternatives peregrina2000 has found. When/if I find the time....
Buen camino whichever camino you chose!

 

[Vagabonder]

Del Norte is indeed an experience. No walk in the park but after every effort you are more than rewarded with a magnificent view.And after Ribadeo, a beautiful route through the interior of Galicia. And the big advantage: you are not part of a mass of pilgrims

You hit on to things that interest me, beautiful views and not too many pilgrims walking. I loved that about the route du Puy

 

[Vagabonder]

In my experience, the communal evening meal is much less common on the Spanish and Portuguese Caminos. I agree with you that this is one of the many delightful things about walking in France. And of course the food!

Just throwing this in there - given how much you enjoyed the French experience. The Arles / Aragones option gives you both France and Spain and the opportunity to cross over the Pyrenees at the Col du Somport (which is pretty spectacular). A brand new albergue has recently opened in Canfranc (the Spanish side), to rave reviews. The Aragones is a wonderful 7 days or so to Obanos. A day trip to the San Juan de la Peña monastery is another bonus.

Also, as there is limited accommodation at most stops on the Aragones, there is a communal meal in some of the Albergues.

If this is appealing, send me a PM and I can send you my blog links for Arles / Aragones.

Thank you so much, I would love to see your blog links!

 

[tbcan]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

I walked the Norte in three consecutive years, twice in the autumn and once in June. I have to say it was the most challenging and at the same time the most exhilarating walking I have ever done. Of course, walking it in one go would make a difference. The coastal scenery was unbelievably beautiful. I did encounter some very muddy, slippery sections but even that did not dampen my enthusiasm. I was 67-69 when I walked it, and I did do some serious training in advance.

 

[KimR]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we

I walked the Norte September/October 2021. There was availability of albergues but I found it better to reserve in advance to be sure I had a bed. Albergues can be sparse in some areas so in some sections , I reserved a room in a pensión, Casa rural, etc. There are fewer cafes, etc in some areas available for a stop during the day so be prepared to carry water, food some days. The baggage service provided by Correos is not available all year round so you’ll need to check dates. I encountered a couple from Brazil who used the service, only walked 15km per day and bussed the rest of the day’s route.
Trail markings are not always plentiful and there can be variants off the ‘official’ Camino so some navigation will be required using gps tracks. The terrain is definitely more physically challenging than the Frances & Portuguese(both Central & Coastal ) as well there is more walking on hard surfaces than the others. There are fewer people walking and fewer speaking English so knowing Spanish and French can be helpful.

 

[forwardwego]

I think June is the sweet spot for the Norte. The weather is likely to be less rainy than spring and tourists are not yet there in droves. If you are looking for non-albergue options, the Norte is for you. Since it goes through so many tourist destinations, there are tons of private options. And in June, since the high tourist season has not yet arrived, we were able to snag lots of good accommodations that would be way more expensive and way harder to book in August. I remember several different two bedroom apartments in beach towns for 60 €. Our group of two men and two women fit perfectly.

I last walked the Norte at age 67, so I think it is perfectly do-able since it sounds like you are in good shape.

I don’t know how much you suffer on asphalt, but my first Norte years ago was almost ruined by the constant pavement pounding. There is a LOT of asphalt, frequently along highways, while the ocean and coastline paths are just a km or so away.

This thread offers a lot of alternatives, and I would highly recommend them, but a GPS is probably necessary. Not that it’s hard to follow the coast, but getting from the camino out to the path on the coast will not be marked or intuitive.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/coastal-alternatives-to-the-nortes-asphalt.49578/

Your stages can be pretty much the same as if you walked the “official” route, but veering off to the coast and getting off the pavement made my second Norte much more wonderful.

Thanks Laurie.
In your post above,
"but a GPS is probably necessary. Not that it’s hard to follow the coast, but getting from the camino out to the path on the coast will not be marked or intuitive"
is the nugget/clarification iI've been searching for. Big thanks for the detailed alternatives pdf - I've printed it out and is a great resource to help me plan for my camino del norte in spring 2022.

 

[Philtration]

My brother and I (72 and 67) started the del Norte from Irun this past summer. It was stunningly beautiful and stunningly difficult. By the second day when we made it to San Sebastián, we were so lame we called it quits. We switched to the Frances at Logroño and completed our walk. The uphills were challenging but manageable. The downhills were our downfall. Our knees were so shot we hobbled into San Sebastián. I've heard the del Norte is easier farther along the trail. If you have any physical concerns you may want to consider starting a little way along the route as others have suggested.
Buen Camino

An additional detail - my brother and I took the alternate route out of Irun that peregrina2000 researched. It's more challenging than the original published route which mainly follows roads (but it's also very spectacular).

 

[domigee]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

Hi! I can’t help with the Norte but I saw you already had lots of replies.
I did a small section of the Arles Camino (from Toulouse) followed by the Aragonés. Although I absolutely loved it, I wouldn’t recommend it if you are thinking of bag transport etc. There were very few amenities (I walked it in 2019, pre-Covid). Very few places open to have coffees, to buy food etc.
If you did choose to walk it, I’d recommend the Miam Miam Dodo guide, not very good for maps () but invaluable to know where you can eat and where the gîtes are.
Happy planning et bon chemin!

 

[Former member 99290]

Hi! I can’t help with the Norte but I saw you already had lots of replies.
I did a small section of the Arles Camino (from Toulouse) followed by the Aragonés. Although I absolutely loved it, I wouldn’t recommend it if you are thinking of bag transport etc. There were very few amenities (I walked it in 2019, pre-Covid). Very few places open to have coffees, to buy food etc.
If you did choose to walk it, I’d recommend the Miam Miam Dodo guide, not very good for maps () but invaluable to know where you can eat and where the gîtes are.
Happy planning et bon chemin!

A good point. . I don’t think there is bag transport on either Arles or Aragones.

 

[jimmyc]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

If you decide to do the Portuguese dont do the abbreviated version from Porto walk the camino from Lisbon. The true Portugal experience is between Lisbon and Porto.
I did this camino when I was 76 and I did not find it difficult.

 

[trecile]

If you decide to do the Portuguese dont do the abbreviated version from Porto walk the camino from Lisbon. The true Portugal experience is between Lisbon and Porto.
I did this camino when I was 76 and I did not find it difficult.

However, I understand that there is no regular bag transport between Lisbon and Porto.

 

[Kevin Considine]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something:

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

Having done both I would say the Chemin duPuy and Del Norte are relatively similar difficulty wise. This Forum Resource may be of benefit to you:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/how-the-camino-del-norte-is-different-from-camino-frances.767/

 

[Vagabonder]

See my blog on Facebook: Camino de Santiago 4.0. I've done the Frances, Portuguese, and Norte. In my opinion, El Norte is the most beautiful.

Easy to ship your bag with Correos and I recommend that you do on several of the days. To ship with Correros, you use their website to request the shipment and pay (with Paypal or CC). Correros seems to be very reliable; they contacted me by email when they had a question about the destination I selected. Don't ship valuables; carry them.

If you contact me through Facebook, or here, I'll send you my itinerary.

Thanks so much, I’d love to see your blog on el Norte.

 

[Vagabonder]

Thanks so much, I’d love to see your blog on el Norte.

I don’t have facebook

 

[backpack45]

We have done the Norte, LePuy, Frances and others. The Frances was the easier, I would say the LePuy and Norte are about the same degree of difficulty (and are my two personal favorites). I always thought the hardest part of the LePuy was not the route itself, but the steep/rocky descents into places off the route where we had our accommodations. The Norte does have more road walking. One thing that many do not seem to know--or don't consider--is that there is an alternative for part of the route from Irun to San Sebastian. (I was 75, husband 80 when we did the Norte--it's all just one step at a time!).

 

[andylm65]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

My two cents. I did the Norte first half and the Primitivo at age 64, in 2018. I found plenty of accommodations, friends, variant routes. I had no special fitness training prior except being a walker. I would have used the Correos pac/mochila program for the first week, had I known about it. I left from Hendaye/Irun. It was hard but do-able. I took test days and shorter stages as needed. Poles were a must. I did it in a perfect August/September. Maybe 4 inclement days total. Two with pouring rain, but very mild. When I felt like giving up I took a rest day or I used a bus ( twice ). I’d say go for it, and still take care of yourselves.

 

[andylm65]

My two cents. I did the Norte first half and the Primitivo at age 64, in 2018. I found plenty of accommodations, friends, variant routes. I had no special fitness training prior except being a walker. I would have used the Correos pac/mochila program for the first week, had I known about it. I left from Hendaye/Irun. It was hard but do-able. I took test days and shorter stages as needed. Poles were a must. I did it in a perfect August/September. Maybe 4 inclement days total. Two with pouring rain, but very mild. When I felt like giving up I took a rest day or I used a bus ( twice ). I’d say go for it, and still take care of yourselves.

“Rest days”!!!

 

[trecile]

“Rest days”!!!

I had lots of "test days" that first week on the Norte!
BTW, you can edit your posts by clicking "Edit" at the bottom of the post.

 

[Vagabonder]

We have done the Norte, LePuy, Frances and others. The Frances was the easier, I would say the LePuy and Norte are about the same degree of difficulty (and are my two personal favorites). I always thought the hardest part of the LePuy was not the route itself, but the steep/rocky descents into places off the route where we had our accommodations. The Norte does have more road walking. One thing that many do not seem to know--or don't consider--is that there is an alternative for part of the route from Irun to San Sebastian. (I was 75, husband 80 when we did the Norte--it's all just one step at a time!).

Thanks for the encouragement, and I agree that the biggest difficulty with le Puy was the footing, not the ascents and descents.
Sounds like one of the biggest problems with el Norte is the weather, especially rain. I’m thinking September and October may be better months to walk it than the spring.

 

[trecile]

Sounds like one of the biggest problems with el Norte is the weather, especially rain. I’m thinking September and October may be better months to walk it than the spring.

The next time I do the Norte it will probably be September.
I walked it in a exceptionally rainy July in 2018. It was still wonderful though, and since it was a warm rain, it was sometimes fun to walk in a downpour.

 

[Vagabonder]

“Rest days”!!!

Thanks! We’re fine with shorter days as needed, this fall we walked an average of 22-26 k per day and that was enough. The one day we had to walk farther to our lodgings—33k— was way too tiring.

 

[andylm65]

Thanks for the encouragement, and I agree that the biggest difficulty with le Puy was the footing, not the ascents and descents.
Sounds like one of the biggest problems with el Norte is the weather, especially rain. I’m thinking September and October may be better months to walk it than the spring.

The light does fail faster in October and the sundown brings colder temps.

 

[Vagabonder]

The light does fail faster in October and the sundown brings colder temps.

I hadn’t thought about it being colder, it was so warm on our two autumn walks in France that we were wishing for cooler weather and being able to keep our sweaters on for longer than an hour or so. However by mid-October it was perfect.

 

[CE1948]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

Hi Vagabonders,
No doubt you'll get plenty of advice on which route to take but I really enjoyed Camino Frances & in May next year I'm taking on the North. I recently finished a shortened Camino Portuguese starting in Porto & had no trouble arranging bag transfers all the way ( I'm of a similar age). I mostly preferred hotels but the 3 or 4 hostels I used were all excellent. It's always advisable to book ahead if possible.

 

[Vagabonder]

Hi Vagabonders,
No doubt you'll get plenty of advice on which route to take but I really enjoyed Camino Frances & in May next year I'm taking on the North. I recently finished a shortened Camino Portuguese starting in Porto & had no trouble arranging bag transfers all the way ( I'm of a similar age). I mostly preferred hotels but the 3 or 4 hostels I used were all excellent. It's always advisable to book ahead if possible.

Thanks, and yes I feel much better booking ahead. I always called a day or two ahead when on le Puy route to reserve beds in a gîte. We had demi-pension most of the time which in France is the cheapest way to go, usually between 30-35€ for bed, breakfast and tasty filling dinner, wine included. Not sure if we’ll find that as often in Spain.

 

[Canche]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

I did the Norte at 72 with knee replacement and no problems. I loved it. There were plenty of albergues and luggage transport when I went in Sept 2016.

 

[Vagabonder]

Tha

I did the Norte at 72 with knee replacement and no problems. I loved it. There were plenty of albergues and luggage transport when I went in Sept 2016.

 

[Vagabonder]

Thank you, that’s very encouraging.

 

[david marquez]

My husband and I are trying to decide where to walk this spring. I know that the Camino del Norte is more difficult than the Camino Francés (which we haven’t walked) but is it a lot more taxing than the Chemin du Puy (which we have walked)? We’re also considering le Chemin d’Arles and the Portugais camino. Our main concerns are sufficiency of hostels/albergues and transport of a bag—at ages 72 and 68 this is something we feel like we need. Thanks!

I walked the del Norte route from the French border and the cut south on the Primitivo and finished at Fisterre in April-May of 2018. I celebrated my 68th birthday in San Sebastián along the way…A life changing experience and I would highly recommend you try. I had no problems with albergue/hotel accommodations
The most challenging part of the entire route was the short but VERY steep climb out of Irún. Can’t speak to the bag issue since I carried my backpack all the way. I met one Swiss peregrino enroute who was 92 and on his 3d del Norte.
I had several guides to the del Norte and I took every opportunity to stay along the coastline and enjoy the sea coast….and sea food!

 

[Canche]

I walked the del Norte route from the French border and the cut south on the Primitivo and finished at Fisterre in April-May of 2018. I celebrated my 68th birthday in San Sebastián along the way…A life changing experience and I would highly recommend you try. I had no problems with albergue/hotel accommodations
The most challenging part of the entire route was the short but VERY steep climb out of Irún. Can’t speak to the bag issue since I carried my backpack all the way. I met one Swiss peregrino enroute who was 92 and on his 3d del Norte.
I had several guides to the del Norte and I took every opportunity to stay along the coastline and enjoy the sea coast….and sea food!

The Norte was my first Camino and I loved it

 

[Vagabonder]

It

I walked the del Norte route from the French border and the cut south on the Primitivo and finished at Fisterre in April-May of 2018. I celebrated my 68th birthday in San Sebastián along the way…A life changing experience and I would highly recommend you try. I had no problems with albergue/hotel accommodations
The most challenging part of the entire route was the short but VERY steep climb out of Irún. Can’t speak to the bag issue since I carried my backpack all the way. I met one Swiss peregrino enroute who was 92 and on his 3d del Norte.
I had several guides to the del Norte and I took every opportunity to stay along the coastline and enjoy the sea coast….and sea food!

sounds fabulous!

 

[tabbyCat]

See my blog on Facebook: Camino de Santiago 4.0. I've done the Frances, Portuguese, and Norte. In my opinion, El Norte is the most beautiful.

Easy to ship your bag with Correos and I recommend that you do on several of the days. To ship with Correros, you use their website to request the shipment and pay (with Paypal or CC). Correros seems to be very reliable; they contacted me by email when they had a question about the destination I selected. Don't ship valuables; carry them.

If you contact me through Facebook, or here, I'll send you my itinerary.

I am choosing between Frances or Norte for our July 2022 Camino. I would love to get your itinerary. I am unsure how to contact you or access the blog.

 

[tabbyCat]

See my blog on Facebook: Camino de Santiago 4.0. I've done the Frances, Portuguese, and Norte. In my opinion, El Norte is the most beautiful.

Easy to ship your bag with Correos and I recommend that you do on several of the days. To ship with Correros, you use their website to request the shipment and pay (with Paypal or CC). Correros seems to be very reliable; they contacted me by email when they had a question about the destination I selected. Don't ship valuables; carry them.

If you contact me through Facebook, or here, I'll send you my itinerary.

We are thinking of doing the Norte in July 2022. I would love to see your itinerary and blog but I dont see how to access them. I could not find you on FB

 

[Canche]

Norte beats the Frances anyday which is dull, and terribly crowded. No where near as pretty as the Norte

 

[dfitzg773]

We are thinking of doing the Norte in July 2022. I would love to see your itinerary and blog but I dont see how to access them. I could not find you on FB

I have a detailed blog of three Caminos, including the Norte. https://danscaminotravels.wordpress.com/

 

[DankeL]

We are thinking of doing the Norte in July 2022. I would love to see your itinerary and blog but I dont see how to access them. I could not find you on FB

Just type in "Camino de Santiago 4.0" into FB Search box, and it will pull up his FB Group page.
Here it is - https://www.facebook.com/groups/354496739701018

 

[Former member 99942]

See my blog on Facebook: Camino de Santiago 4.0. I've done the Frances, Portuguese, and Norte. In my opinion, El Norte is the most beautiful.

Easy to ship your bag with Correos and I recommend that you do on several of the days. To ship with Correros, you use their website to request the shipment and pay (with Paypal or CC). Correros seems to be very reliable; they contacted me by email when they had a question about the destination I selected. Don't ship valuables; carry them.

If you contact me through Facebook, or here, I'll send you my itinerary.

What time of year did you do the Norte?

 

[Canche]

What time of year did you do the Norte?

I did it in September. Great time

 

[Former member 99942]

I have a detailed blog of three Caminos, including the Norte. https://danscaminotravels.wordpress.com/

Ok Dan I checked it out. Good stuff. I dont understand all the use of the buses though. Was that a personal choice or something required on the Norte. Thank you in advance

 

[pasiño a pasiño]

Norte beats the Frances anyday which is dull, and terribly crowded. No where near as pretty as the Norte

sounds like a competition....lol.
I am happy that we are all individuals with different point of views!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have walked the Frances twice, the Norte/Primitivo combo, Rota Vicentina, the Portugese from Porto, and the Le Puy as far as Auvillar. I have loved them all. Each one is unique and holds its own special beauty and memories...how could I ever choose a favorite?
I say have no preconceived fear of the level of difficulty on any of these routes if you are healthy and use common sense to guide you.

 

[Canche]

Ok Dan I checked it out. Good stuff. I dont understand all the use of the buses though. Was that a personal choice or something required on the Norte. Thank you in advance

Buses not required. Personal choice

 

[Former member 99942]

Buses not required. Personal choice

Ok. Was that to stay in preferred places to stay I’m guessing? Thank you

 

[andarapie]

I did the del Norte/Primitivo in June and July last year. The most beautiful stretch was from Irun to Bilbao. This is also the most physically strenuous, but I wasn't in particularly good shape when I started, and it was fine. There is a lot of up and down mountains and hills, but the views are amazing, and it is well worth it. The food was very good in the Basque Country, but pretty bland throughout Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia. Carry some hot sauce and/or pepper if you like them, because getting them in a restaurant is usually impossible. (Restaurants are more willing to bring you salt, but you may not get it until the end of the meal.)

It rained a lot the first week or so - I carried a lightweight umbrella (from EuroSchirm), which was the smartest thing that I took - it takes two seconds to pull it out and open it, vs. struggling with a poncho or other rain gear. However, in a heavy downpour, you are going to get wet regardless of any rain gear you are using.

As others mentioned, often the camino is not well marked, and you will come to crossroads with no idea which path is the right one, so having a smartphone with maps and GPS showing where you are on the camino is very helpful. (I used Wise Pilgrim, but there are many others.)

I would not recommend doing the del Norte in July or August, as the beaches are crowded with Spanish tourists, who have booked up most of the pension and hotel rooms, and various youth groups will also completely book out albergues. (It didn't help that this was during Covid, and the public albergues were closed in the Basque Country, and had reduced capacity elsewhere.) I would imagine the ocean is a little warmer in September, too, if you like to go swimming. (In June and July, it was cold initially but would be ok after a few minutes.)

If you do go this year, I imagine some Covid restrictions will be in place, so you may want to book your accomodation a day or two in advance to make sure you have a bed.

 

[andarapie]

Ok Dan I checked it out. Good stuff. I dont understand all the use of the buses though. Was that a personal choice or something required on the Norte. Thank you in advance

The del Norte, like the other caminos, is designed to be walked the whole way, but obviously you can take a bus or train if you want to shorten your journey.