Camino Portugues or Camino del Norte?

[Kurt5280]

I am over 2-months back from my first Camino Frances (SJPDP to Muxia) and I now have enough energy to start thinking about my next Camino...deciding on Camino Portugues or Camino del Norte...biggest problem with deciding is lack of information on Camino Norte.
Question: Has anyone done both the Camino Portugues and Camino del Norte that can compare the both routes?
Question: Any recommended reading or maps on the Camino del Norte?

 

[SYates]

Hi, can you also tell us which time of the year you are thinking of? That might be helpful ;-) Buen Camino, SY
PS Can you read German, there are some good guidebooks about the Norte available in German. Just thought I ask, because of your name ...

 

[Kurt5280]

Want to do my next Camino in July or August to avoid the freezing rain we had in September this year...I don't read much German because my last name is actually Amish and we were forced to leave Germany 400-years ago during a religious purge...but no offense and we celebrated our 25-th Wedding Anniversary in Germany because we wanted to see the country of our origin.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I vote for the Norte-Primitivo combo as I habe heard the first half of the Portugese is so so while the first part of the Norte and the whole Primitivo are very nice, including some "cultural" stops in cities like San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santillana, Oviedo and Lugo, and some lovely ocean views and stunning mountain walks.

There is one guide I know of in English published by Cicerone, it is available on Amazon. I also used a Spanish Guide and a German one for the Norte, edited by Rother. I do not speak German but love its detailed maps, although really did not use it other than for liking to see where the road went, where I was in relation to other towns, not for walking directions. The Cicerone book also has a web sidekick by the same authors. It was just posted on the forum but alas I cannot find it now. If you van manage a bit of Spanish I recommend the book by Editorial Buen Camino. There is also info on line at the Gronze and Eroski web sites. Forwalk.org is in English.

Oh, and I thought I would add I walked on the Norte in September of 2015 and it was very hot: up to 34C. Unsual of course, but I think so was the freezing rain you experienced.

 

[Kurt5280]

Thank you...the Gronze and Eroski web site has cool maps and maybe I will start farther back in Dax France if I decide on the Camino del Norte...also I will order the Rother book in Spanish and I can always give it someone before I leave Spain...I don't know about the Camino Primitivo because before leaving Spain I wanted to see Lugo and had a very difficult experience with beggars when I went to see the Roman walled city...my experience on the Camino Frances in early September this year was four-days of unbelevible heat and humidity preparing and crossing the Pyrennes Mountains...to arrive in Pamplona just in time for a hurricane with 50 MPH winds...to venture into the desert with 5 KM of 6"-12" mudslide which consumed several small towns...then in the desert it was very cold with a constant headwind for days...then changing to cold and rainy with hypothermia...my first sunshine day was in Santiago so I decided to go for the coast in a 7-hour warm rainstorm...and finally at the coast we had some good weather until I left Spain.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Still don't know what you are talking about when it comes to Lugo, but at least you found info in English.

Buen Camino.

 

[Kurt5280]

My experience in Lugo started by arriving early morning on the ALSA bus and at 8:00 AM their were beggars at the bus station waiting whom followed me across the street to the Roman walled city...they returned to the bus station after I started walking on the walls but I noticed that nobody I passed never said hello (hola) back as they passed and they rarely looked you in the eyes...at first I thought that this was the most unfriendly city in Spain but then I realized that it might be the poorest and the locals would not look or talk to you if they thought you would ask for money...so I walked around the Roman walls once and then back to the cathedral and when I walked off the walls the beggars started again so I never got a picture of the cathedral from the street...so then I walked to the town square to visit a flea market and try to find breakfast but the beggars started again...so I wanted to stay but this was not enjoyable so I walked back to the bus station...but I had to wait inside a restaurant so the beggars would leave me alone...the last 10-minutes waiting on the sidewalk for the bus cost me 5-Euros in change...and this was my worst experience with beggars in the world...also this was my only experience with beggars while in Spain for 4-weeks except for the one at the exit of the cathedral in Santiago.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

And yet ot is such a wonderful city, full of history, architecture, and yes, consumerism. I can imagine how uncomfortable being followed must have been but Lugo never gave me the impression lf being or poor or dangerous town. Mind you, I joined it from the Camino, not the bus station, bit even around the Cathedral I never felt but safe. So sorry you had an experience that made you feel unsafe.

 

[poogeyejr]

Loved the Norte - I found information on the route as we went along.

Kathy

 

[walkmag]

Del Norte signage is very good and the number of fellow pilgrims has a good balance not too many and not too few.