Can we have an experienced view on our planned first leg, please :)

[Beate]

Hi everyone, thanks a lot for a wonderful community and forum! We are two Norwegian women starting on the first leg of our first Camino next weekend. Due to work and other commintments we will only walk from Irun to Bilbao this year, and then we start from Bilbao next year, and it takes as many years as it must to get to the end.

After setting the date we realized that we are just off season for some of the albergues en route, and we have therefore planned our first leg a bit different than in the guidebooks and gronze.com. What a great resource that is, by the way, even for us who are absolutely starters in Spanish. So we wondered if any of you out there, who have walked this route at this time of year, or have first hand knowledge about it in other ways, could be so kind to comment on our plan, pointing out any difficulties or positivities we may encounter on our way.

We have planned the following:

Bus from Bilbao airport to Irun on Friday evening. We understand we need to change in San Sebastian?
First night in Hostel Martindozenea (we know about the hostel cards, and we have reserved)
Second night in Albergue Santa Ana, Pasajes Don Juan (starting slowly, and the village looked great)
Third night in Albuerge Peregrinos San Martin en Orio
Fourth night in Albergue de Peregrinos Geltoki, in Deba
Fifth night in Albergue Pitis, in Markina
Sixth night in Albergue municipal Idatze Etxea, in Elejalde (know about the need for reservations, and we have the phone number. Anyone who knows if they speak English? Or do we need to learn how to make a reservation in Spanish? )
Seventh night in Albergue Eskerika, in Eskerika. (We have reserved here, but need to pay in advance when we arrive in Spain, is that a fairly easy thing to do in a Spanish bank?
Then back to Bilbao, and a visit at the Guggenheim before leaving the camino for now.

We welcome any comments and tips from you all. We really appreciate the notion about that the camino provides for you, but we realised we had to have a plan according to which albergues that were still open in October. And planning is also half the journey for us. Thank you in advance

Regards, Beate and Hanne

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I was there exactly a year ago anf loved it. The weather was also exceptional. I started in San Sebastian and did not stay in any of the places you have chosen but heard very good things about the albergue in Orio. In Markina I stayed across the road in Intxauspe which was lovely, with lawn chairs to rest on during the afternoon before spending the night in a renoatd chicken coop to accomodate pilgrims. I have never heard of having to pay in advance at a bank so I cannot help you there. In Deba, remember you have to get the key to the albergue at the tourism office. They will also give you a map for the difficult day ahead. Have a wonderul time.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Beate and Hanne, welcome to the forum.

I walked the Camino del Norte almost ten years ago and the albergue situation has changed so much that I can't comment. It is amazing to me that there are now so many choices!

But on the bus situation, I did exactly the same thing. Flew to Bilbao and took a bus to Irun. There was no change, and the buses are frequent. Look here: http://autobuses.costasur.com/es/horario_autobus-Irun-Bilbao-nr5.html

Like Anemone, I have never had to pay in advance at a bank (though I think Orisson requires that, too, on the Camino Frances out of St. Jean Pied de Port). But for you Europeans, it seems to be a simple electronic bank transfer. I'm surprised you can't do it easily from home so that you don't have to hassle with it once you arrive in Spain. For me (in the US), electronic transfers are expensive and uncommon, but when I have lived in Spain and Portugal, I learned that the most common commercial transaction is a bank transfer! I got pretty skilled at learning IBAN numbers and routing numbers and all the rest, but alas, I have lost that skill since I'm back in the land where banks charge you $45 to do a transfer. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Beate]

Anemone and peregrina2000, thanks a lot for your advices We will take a look at the chicken coop Yes, normally I would do an electronic bank transfer from my lap top or phone, but the albergue could not provide me a swift-code, which I needed in addition to the IBAN number, so the host there suggested to do it in Spain. But I am sure it will work out fine. Or we will just meet up on the doorstep and see what happens... We are really starting to feel the butterflies now

 

[spursfan]

Beate and Hanne
I would caution against setting such a rigid plan before you start walking - it might put too much pressure on your bodies to achieve - an alternative would be to see how far you can walk each day and then find accommodation - in doing so, you might prefer to stop in places that are large enough to have more than one choice of accommodation - and take cash and your credit card to pay for hostals if needed
Mike

 

[jpflavin1]

Hi everyone, thanks a lot for a wonderful community and forum! We are two Norwegian women starting on the first leg of our first Camino next weekend. Due to work and other commintments we will only walk from Irun to Bilbao this year, and then we start from Bilbao next year, and it takes as many years as it must to get to the end.

After setting the date we realized that we are just off season for some of the albergues en route, and we have therefore planned our first leg a bit different than in the guidebooks and gronze.com. What a great resource that is, by the way, even for us who are absolutely starters in Spanish. So we wondered if any of you out there, who have walked this route at this time of year, or have first hand knowledge about it in other ways, could be so kind to comment on our plan, pointing out any difficulties or positivities we may encounter on our way.

We have planned the following:

Bus from Bilbao airport to Irun on Friday evening. We understand we need to change in San Sebastian?
First night in Hostel Martindozenea (we know about the hostel cards, and we have reserved)
Second night in Albergue Santa Ana, Pasajes Don Juan (starting slowly, and the village looked great)
Third night in Albuerge Peregrinos San Martin en Orio
Fourth night in Albergue de Peregrinos Geltoki, in Deba
Fifth night in Albergue Pitis, in Markina
Sixth night in Albergue municipal Idatze Etxea, in Elejalde (know about the need for reservations, and we have the phone number. Anyone who knows if they speak English? Or do we need to learn how to make a reservation in Spanish? )
Seventh night in Albergue Eskerika, in Eskerika. (We have reserved here, but need to pay in advance when we arrive in Spain, is that a fairly easy thing to do in a Spanish bank?
Then back to Bilbao, and a visit at the Guggenheim before leaving the camino for now.

We welcome any comments and tips from you all. We really appreciate the notion about that the camino provides for you, but we realised we had to have a plan according to which albergues that were still open in October. And planning is also half the journey for us. Thank you in advance

Regards, Beate and Hanne

Beate and Hanne:

It is great to have a plan. That said, one thing we can count on in life is that things will change. Just be prepared to accept you might not hit one of your daily goals.

The Deba to Markina section is the one without a lot of options along the way. Plus the way-markings have/had been altered by a local, at least when I walked in 2014.

If you have not already utilized the Gronze.com and Eroski guides in your planning, I recommend that you do. I found them invaluable in my daily planning.

Enjoy this beautiful seaside walk.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[woodswoman]

Hi everyone, thanks a lot for a wonderful community and forum! We are two Norwegian women starting on the first leg of our first Camino next weekend. Due to work and other commintments we will only walk from Irun to Bilbao this year, and then we start from Bilbao next year, and it takes as many years as it must to get to the end.

After setting the date we realized that we are just off season for some of the albergues en route, and we have therefore planned our first leg a bit different than in the guidebooks and gronze.com. What a great resource that is, by the way, even for us who are absolutely starters in Spanish. So we wondered if any of you out there, who have walked this route at this time of year, or have first hand knowledge about it in other ways, could be so kind to comment on our plan, pointing out any difficulties or positivities we may encounter on our way.

We have planned the following:

Bus from Bilbao airport to Irun on Friday evening. We understand we need to change in San Sebastian?
First night in Hostel Martindozenea (we know about the hostel cards, and we have reserved)
Second night in Albergue Santa Ana, Pasajes Don Juan (starting slowly, and the village looked great)
Third night in Albuerge Peregrinos San Martin en Orio
Fourth night in Albergue de Peregrinos Geltoki, in Deba
Fifth night in Albergue Pitis, in Markina
Sixth night in Albergue municipal Idatze Etxea, in Elejalde (know about the need for reservations, and we have the phone number. Anyone who knows if they speak English? Or do we need to learn how to make a reservation in Spanish? )
Seventh night in Albergue Eskerika, in Eskerika. (We have reserved here, but need to pay in advance when we arrive in Spain, is that a fairly easy thing to do in a Spanish bank?
Then back to Bilbao, and a visit at the Guggenheim before leaving the camino for now.

We welcome any comments and tips from you all. We really appreciate the notion about that the camino provides for you, but we realised we had to have a plan according to which albergues that were still open in October. And planning is also half the journey for us. Thank you in advance

Regards, Beate and Hanne

I am on the Norte now, started in Irun on August 30, and your plan to stop at Albergue Santa Ana is a good one. The Albergue San Martin is excellent, but you wil have a VERY long day from Pasajes Don Juan to Orio. You might think about staying in San Sebastian your second night, because you will be faced with FIVE HUNDRED steps up the mountain after you get off the little shuttle boat from Pasajes Don Juan. Of course the temperature won't be 95 degrees as it was in late August. But still . . .
I stayed in the only hotel in Deba and was happy for that, rather than the Albergue, and if there are two of you, the rate would be manageable, I was sick and almost didn't care what it cost. And I too have NEVER heard of having to pay in advance at an albergue, so you might be careful about that.
Can't speak to the rest of your plan because I did things a bit differently, but good luck. Just know you are in for three very hard days at first . . . and consider San Sebastian. It's a beautiful city, and I'm sure there are some very reasonable hostal/pensions there. Again, Orio will be a LONG way after the climb over the mountain to San Sebastian.
I

 

[Marc S.]

I stayed in the same places during the first five nights, and they are all fine. And the albergue in Orion is really nice indeed. I do not know about Elejalde and Eskerida, so I can not comment on this. I hope you can make it in seven days. It took me eight days to walk to Bilbao (I had an extra night in Zumaia) but it was really warm then which was a factor. So, the plan looks good to me, as long as you remain flexible of course. If you think you are not going to make it in time, it could be an option to bus into Bilbao from Lezama. Buen Camino !

 

[LTfit]

Hi @Beate and Hanne and welcome to the Forum!

Too bad that I will miss you both. I also arrive in Bilbao on Friday evening but will be visiting a friend over the weekend and only start from Irún on Tuesday October 6th. I will also be doing Irún - Bilbao.

These are the stages that a Camino friend has planned. He is from Bilbao and these albergues are all open but sometimes reservations are required. I normally do not do this but we are starting at the beginning of the "off" season. It looks like you will be doing about the same stages but I have included the information with telephone numbers below as this may help others planning to walk this fall.
The stages are short but the terrain is difficult I am told.

ALBERGUES

Irún: Albergue de peregrinos: open, has credentials. Donativo. Lucas de Berroa 18, close to RENFE and termibus

S. Sebastián: Albergue de peregrinos: closed.
Albergue Juvenil Ulía, Paseo de Ulía, 297. 943 48 34 80. ulia@donostia.org. Reserve. 13,25€ including breakfast. Important to call the day before or when leaving Irún to reserve.
Alb. Juvenil Ondarreta. reserve before:. 13,25€. Pº de Igueldo 25. 943 31 02 68 ondarreta@donostia.org. Can reserve online: www.donostialbergues.org

Zarauz: Albergue de peregrinos closed.
Zarautz Hostel. 20€ including breakfast. Avda Guipuzcoa 59. 943 83 38 93, 639 740 620. info@zarautzhostel.com
Galerna Zarautz Hostel. 21,20 € including breakfast. Mitxelena 35. 943 010 371. info@galernazarautzhostel.com
Alb Juvenil Igerain: need hostel card

Deba: Albergue de peregrinos: open. 5€. Plaza de Arakistain, s/n (train station) 943 19 24 52 Email: turismoa@deba.net

Markina: Albergue de peregrinos: closed.
Albergue Bar Pitis.. 12 €. Menu 9,50€. Karmengo Kalea, 18. 946 166 087.
Albergue Intxauspe. 12 € + 3€ desayuno. Barrio Atxondo 10. 652 770 889, 658 758 617 casarural.intxauspe@gmail.com
They will pick you up at the football de Markina

Due to difficulty finding economic accommodations in Guernika and in Lezama we are staying in albergues in Mendata and Eskerika towns right before Guernika and Lezama:

Mendata: Albergue Municipal Idatze Etxea; Elexalde, 7. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Keys Rte Artape. 946 25 72 04, 618 26 94 04

Eskerika: Albergue Eskerika. Barrio de Eskerika, 10. 15€ with breakfast. 696 453 582. Kitchen.

Bilbao: Albergue de peregrinos closed.
Albergue Bilbao Akelarre Hostel. 14€. C/ Morgan 4-6, metro Deusto. 944 05 77 13. info@bilbaoakelarrehostel.com
Albergue Ganbara Hostel. from 17,50€ -10% peregrinos with sheets and breakfast. Prim 13, bajos. 944 05 39 30
info@ganbarahostel.com
BBK Bilbao Good Hostel. 16 a 21 € with breakfast. Miraflores 16. 944 597 759. info@bbkbilbaogoodhostel.com

Hope this helps and Buen Camino!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Beate and Hanne
I would caution against setting such a rigid plan before you start walking - it might put too much pressure on your bodies to achieve - an alternative would be to see how far you can walk each day and then find accommodation - in doing so, you might prefer to stop in places that are large enough to have more than one choice of accommodation - and take cash and your credit card to pay for hostals if needed
Mike

Not so easy to do on the Norte where there is a limited choice of accommodations. I prebooked where I could, knowing that even if it took me forever to get there I was going to have a bed.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hi
I have stayed at the following:

Alb. Juvenil Ondarreta. reserve before:. 13,25€. Pº de Igueldo 25. 943 31 02 68 [EMAIL]ondarreta@donostia.org[/EMAIL]. Can reserve online: [URL='http://www.donostialbergues.org']www.donostialbergues.org -[B] Large albergue at the end of town, very clean, but little to no outside space to rest. They give you sheets for your bedding. [/B][/URL]

[B] [/B]
Zarautz Hostel. 20€ including breakfast. Avda Guipuzcoa 59. 943 83 38 93, 639 740 620. [EMAIL='info@zarautzhostel.com']info@zarautzhostel.com - on top of the gas station as you enter town. [B]Very beautiful, with bedding, a large terrace and lovely individual bathrooms. Included breakfast is not much to speak of: manufactured magdalenas and tea or coffee if I recall, perhaps even toasts.[/B][/EMAIL]


[B] Deba[/B]: Albergue de peregrinos: open. 5€. Plaza de Arakistain, s/n (train station) 943 19 24 52 Email: [EMAIL='turismoa@deba.net']turismoa@deba.net - Clean, modern albergue with washer and dryer. [B]The dryers are super efficient. There is also an albergue 8km or so past Deba. Some stay there to make the next day shorter since it is quite difficult. [/B][/EMAIL]

[B] Markina[/B]:
Albergue Intxauspe. 12 € + 3€ desayuno. Barrio Atxondo 10. 652 770 889, 658 758 617 [EMAIL]casarural.intxauspe@gmail.com[/EMAIL]
[B]They will pick you up at the football de Markina - just go to the end of town, pass in the tunnel that goes under the national and up to your right, following the little path. It's the pretty blue house. A 3 minute walk from town. [/B]

[I]Due to difficulty finding economic accommodations in Guernika and in Lezama we are staying in albergues in Mendata and Eskerika towns right before Guernika and Lezama. [/I][B]In Guernika you can stay at the Juvenil. You can book ahead of time on line. It's at the entrance of the city. [/B][I][/I]


Bilbao: Albergue de peregrinos closed. [B]I stayed in an albergue across the river from the Guggenheim called Botxo. While the location is ideal I spend two very worrying nights as there is noone there minding the place and it is available to all, apparently including very drugged up people. In this instance, since they shut off the lights centrally, when this woman would waltz in at 5 am she would use her lighter to see around her. But she was so out of her mind she could have set the place on fire. And the bunks are 3 stories high ... [/B]


Hope this helps and Buen Camino!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I also vote for a night in San Sebastian, if only to visit this beautiful city and sample its food. World renowned restaurants there, especially for pinxos.

 

[jpflavin1]

Hi everyone, thanks a lot for a wonderful community and forum! We are two Norwegian women starting on the first leg of our first Camino next weekend. Due to work and other commintments we will only walk from Irun to Bilbao this year, and then we start from Bilbao next year, and it takes as many years as it must to get to the end.

After setting the date we realized that we are just off season for some of the albergues en route, and we have therefore planned our first leg a bit different than in the guidebooks and gronze.com. What a great resource that is, by the way, even for us who are absolutely starters in Spanish. So we wondered if any of you out there, who have walked this route at this time of year, or have first hand knowledge about it in other ways, could be so kind to comment on our plan, pointing out any difficulties or positivities we may encounter on our way.

We have planned the following:

Bus from Bilbao airport to Irun on Friday evening. We understand we need to change in San Sebastian?
First night in Hostel Martindozenea (we know about the hostel cards, and we have reserved)
Second night in Albergue Santa Ana, Pasajes Don Juan (starting slowly, and the village looked great)
Third night in Albuerge Peregrinos San Martin en Orio
Fourth night in Albergue de Peregrinos Geltoki, in Deba
Fifth night in Albergue Pitis, in Markina
Sixth night in Albergue municipal Idatze Etxea, in Elejalde (know about the need for reservations, and we have the phone number. Anyone who knows if they speak English? Or do we need to learn how to make a reservation in Spanish? )
Seventh night in Albergue Eskerika, in Eskerika. (We have reserved here, but need to pay in advance when we arrive in Spain, is that a fairly easy thing to do in a Spanish bank?
Then back to Bilbao, and a visit at the Guggenheim before leaving the camino for now.

We welcome any comments and tips from you all. We really appreciate the notion about that the camino provides for you, but we realised we had to have a plan according to which albergues that were still open in October. And planning is also half the journey for us. Thank you in advance

Regards, Beate and Hanne

Beate and Hanne:

The Albergue in Orio is right on the Camino and a very nice place.
The Deba Albergue I stayed in was very small and cramped. You must check in at the tourism office.
Albergue Pitis is a very nice clean place. It is connected to a bar that serves a good Pilgrim meal.

I walked starting April 1st 2014. I made no reservations and had no problems finding accommodation.

I did not stay in any of the other places on your list.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[aerdna]

I walked last year starting in Irun on 1 October. Wonderful time of year to walk!! The hostel in Irun closed last year on 30 September, so we walked to a private hostel a few kms outside of town. It was also closed at one point earlier in the season, for reasons unknown, so I would double check that it is open at this time.

Pasajes is beautiful! From here to Orio is quite a ways, I agree (22+ kms and lots of hills), and San Sebastian is a pretty town, if you decide to stop there. There is a youth hostel and loads of Pensions.

Zarautz: We found beds above the storage area/garage at Gran Camping Zarautz. It is about 2kms before the main town and was only 5euros. Good showers, places to wash laundry, opportunities to buy food.

The albergue in Deba often gets bad reviews, and I think some of it depends on which bed you get. If you are one of the first 2 people, you will be sleeping right next to your neighbor. I was number 9, so I was in the other room and felt I had plenty of space. I rather enjoyed it. And it was right close to a supermarket and across the street from a bar that opened super early for that very important first café con leche!

From Deba to Markina we saw loads of signs for albergues along the way. Good reviews came from those who stayed in Pitis.

I stayed elsewhere than the others on your list, but it looks like you are doing a good job of breaking up the long stage between Gernika and Bilbao. That stage was far too long for my liking!

I did not have an international phone, so could not book ahead. That might also come in handy in case you decide to change your plans. Enjoy! I am approaching one year since I started and the memories are still as strong as they were when I came back (and I still miss my 2x daily cafes!)

Hi @Beate and Hanne and welcome to the Forum!

Too bad that I will miss you both. I also arrive in Bilbao on Friday evening but will be visiting a friend over the weekend and only start from Irún on Tuesday October 6th. I will also be doing Irún - Bilbao.

These are the stages that a Camino friend has planned. He is from Bilbao and these albergues are all open but sometimes reservations are required. I normally do not do this but we are starting at the beginning of the "off" season. It looks like you will be doing about the same stages but I have included the information with telephone numbers below as this may help others planning to walk this fall.
The stages are short but the terrain is difficult I am told.

ALBERGUES

Irún: Albergue de peregrinos: open, has credentials. Donativo. Lucas de Berroa 18, close to RENFE and termibus

S. Sebastián: Albergue de peregrinos: closed.
Albergue Juvenil Ulía, Paseo de Ulía, 297. 943 48 34 80. ulia@donostia.org. Reserve. 13,25€ including breakfast. Important to call the day before or when leaving Irún to reserve.
Alb. Juvenil Ondarreta. reserve before:. 13,25€. Pº de Igueldo 25. 943 31 02 68 ondarreta@donostia.org. Can reserve online: www.donostialbergues.org

Zarauz: Albergue de peregrinos closed.
Zarautz Hostel. 20€ including breakfast. Avda Guipuzcoa 59. 943 83 38 93, 639 740 620. info@zarautzhostel.com
Galerna Zarautz Hostel. 21,20 € including breakfast. Mitxelena 35. 943 010 371. info@galernazarautzhostel.com
Alb Juvenil Igerain: need hostel card

Deba: Albergue de peregrinos: open. 5€. Plaza de Arakistain, s/n (train station) 943 19 24 52 Email: turismoa@deba.net

Markina: Albergue de peregrinos: closed.
Albergue Bar Pitis.. 12 €. Menu 9,50€. Karmengo Kalea, 18. 946 166 087.
Albergue Intxauspe. 12 € + 3€ desayuno. Barrio Atxondo 10. 652 770 889, 658 758 617 casarural.intxauspe@gmail.com
They will pick you up at the football de Markina

Due to difficulty finding economic accommodations in Guernika and in Lezama we are staying in albergues in Mendata and Eskerika towns right before Guernika and Lezama:

Mendata: Albergue Municipal Idatze Etxea; Elexalde, 7. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Keys Rte Artape. 946 25 72 04, 618 26 94 04

Eskerika: Albergue Eskerika. Barrio de Eskerika, 10. 15€ with breakfast. 696 453 582. Kitchen.

Bilbao: Albergue de peregrinos closed.
Albergue Bilbao Akelarre Hostel. 14€. C/ Morgan 4-6, metro Deusto. 944 05 77 13. info@bilbaoakelarrehostel.com
Albergue Ganbara Hostel. from 17,50€ -10% peregrinos with sheets and breakfast. Prim 13, bajos. 944 05 39 30
info@ganbarahostel.com
BBK Bilbao Good Hostel. 16 a 21 € with breakfast. Miraflores 16. 944 597 759. info@bbkbilbaogoodhostel.com

Hope this helps and Buen Camino!

 

[oursonpolaire]

Intxauspe in Markina for sure, and staying in Pasajes de San Juan is a treat. You might find some of the stages a bit long, but that will depend on your condition. The only serious change which I would suggest is to skip the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and walk a few hundred metres north to the Bellas Artes, which has an extraordinary selection of Basque and early 20c Spanish art. While the Guggenheim building is breathtaking, I would advise the Bellas Artes.

I found French and English more common on the del Norte, but I would also expect to make my reservations in Spanish. The turismos will often be of assistance, or your hospitalero or innkeeper can make the call for you.

 

[Walking Viking]

Hi everyone, thanks a lot for a wonderful community and forum! We are two Norwegian women starting on the first leg of our first Camino next weekend. Due to work and other commintments we will only walk from Irun to Bilbao this year, and then we start from Bilbao next year, and it takes as many years as it must to get to the end.

After setting the date we realized that we are just off season for some of the albergues en route, and we have therefore planned our first leg a bit different than in the guidebooks and gronze.com. What a great resource that is, by the way, even for us who are absolutely starters in Spanish. So we wondered if any of you out there, who have walked this route at this time of year, or have first hand knowledge about it in other ways, could be so kind to comment on our plan, pointing out any difficulties or positivities we may encounter on our way.

We have planned the following:

Bus from Bilbao airport to Irun on Friday evening. We understand we need to change in San Sebastian?
First night in Hostel Martindozenea (we know about the hostel cards, and we have reserved)
Second night in Albergue Santa Ana, Pasajes Don Juan (starting slowly, and the village looked great)
Third night in Albuerge Peregrinos San Martin en Orio
Fourth night in Albergue de Peregrinos Geltoki, in Deba
Fifth night in Albergue Pitis, in Markina
Sixth night in Albergue municipal Idatze Etxea, in Elejalde (know about the need for reservations, and we have the phone number. Anyone who knows if they speak English? Or do we need to learn how to make a reservation in Spanish? )
Seventh night in Albergue Eskerika, in Eskerika. (We have reserved here, but need to pay in advance when we arrive in Spain, is that a fairly easy thing to do in a Spanish bank?
Then back to Bilbao, and a visit at the Guggenheim before leaving the camino for now.

We welcome any comments and tips from you all. We really appreciate the notion about that the camino provides for you, but we realised we had to have a plan according to which albergues that were still open in October. And planning is also half the journey for us. Thank you in advance

Regards, Beate and Hanne

Beate and Hanne,

I walked the del Norte from Irun to Santiago April 28 - June 4 this year. First two nights in Spain (April 26-27) I stayed at the Bar Pension Bidasoa. This pension is on the camino. Out the front door early on the 28th, left turn, down two streets and another left turn. There, in the sidewalk, my first camino marker (see attached picture).

Second night in a private albergue at Gran Camping Zarautz. Neat and clean albergue, 5€. Bar and excellent restaurant less than 50 steps from albergue. Hot showers and laundry available.

Third night at albergue in Deba. It is in the train station near river. Lots of bars and restaurants nearby. When I arrived, about 5:00PM, the local hospitalera was there signing in pilgrims. This place was also neat and clean. They close and lock the doors at night, but there is a box near the entry door inside with keys in it for pilgrims. You won't lose the key. The key fob is a good sized piece of wood.

Fourth night Albergue de Peregrinos Convento del Carmen, Markina. I believe the albergue is open til the end of September. There is a restaurant in town in the Hotel Vega that has a pilgrims menu. Dinner with wine and a desert was about 9€. The food, fish that night, was done in the Basque style. Incredible!

Fifth and sixth nights were in Guernika and Lezamo.

Seventh night at Pension Bilbao, Bilbao. This pension is a few minutes walk to everything; business and shopping center, Gugginheim Museum, the river, old town and cathedral.

Your plan looks good, but I don't think your stages will be long enough to complete your itinerary in allotted time, if I read it correctly. You will need to average over 20 km per day to go the 149 total km from Irun to Bilbao.

One last comment. The first 8 stages (on the Gronze.com website) are the most difficult and challenging stages of the whole Camino del Norte. I noticed you broke up some of the earlier stages. That will help with injuries, sore feet, blisters and such, but will shorten the distance you cover each day. My first injuries were severe blisters incurred on the descent into San Sebastian. I have written extensively on this forum of my injuries on the del Norte (see attached picture of my right little toe 3 days after it started to heal).

The Guggenhiem is not to be missed, nor are the Basque restaurants along the way.

Have fun, pay attention to keeping your feet happy. Ultimately, you will become familiar with "la farmacia" and using Vaseline, Ibuprofen and Compeed. Hopefully, you are familiar with using trekking poles!

Buen Camino

Hi everyone, thanks a lot for a wonderful community and forum! We are two Norwegian women starting on the first leg of our first Camino next weekend. Due to work and other commintments we will only walk from Irun to Bilbao this year, and then we start from Bilbao next year, and it takes as many years as it must to get to the end.

After setting the date we realized that we are just off season for some of the albergues en route, and we have therefore planned our first leg a bit different than in the guidebooks and gronze.com. What a great resource that is, by the way, even for us who are absolutely starters in Spanish. So we wondered if any of you out there, who have walked this route at this time of year, or have first hand knowledge about it in other ways, could be so kind to comment on our plan, pointing out any difficulties or positivities we may encounter on our way.

We have planned the following:

Bus from Bilbao airport to Irun on Friday evening. We understand we need to change in San Sebastian?
First night in Hostel Martindozenea (we know about the hostel cards, and we have reserved)
Second night in Albergue Santa Ana, Pasajes Don Juan (starting slowly, and the village looked great)
Third night in Albuerge Peregrinos San Martin en Orio
Fourth night in Albergue de Peregrinos Geltoki, in Deba
Fifth night in Albergue Pitis, in Markina
Sixth night in Albergue municipal Idatze Etxea, in Elejalde (know about the need for reservations, and we have the phone number. Anyone who knows if they speak English? Or do we need to learn how to make a reservation in Spanish? )
Seventh night in Albergue Eskerika, in Eskerika. (We have reserved here, but need to pay in advance when we arrive in Spain, is that a fairly easy thing to do in a Spanish bank?
Then back to Bilbao, and a visit at the Guggenheim before leaving the camino for now.

We welcome any comments and tips from you all. We really appreciate the notion about that the camino provides for you, but we realised we had to have a plan according to which albergues that were still open in October. And planning is also half the journey for us. Thank you in advance

Regards, Beate and Hanne

Hi everyone, thanks a lot for a wonderful community and forum! We are two Norwegian women starting on the first leg of our first Camino next weekend. Due to work and other commintments we will only walk from Irun to Bilbao this year, and then we start from Bilbao next year, and it takes as many years as it must to get to the end.

After setting the date we realized that we are just off season for some of the albergues en route, and we have therefore planned our first leg a bit different than in the guidebooks and gronze.com. What a great resource that is, by the way, even for us who are absolutely starters in Spanish. So we wondered if any of you out there, who have walked this route at this time of year, or have first hand knowledge about it in other ways, could be so kind to comment on our plan, pointing out any difficulties or positivities we may encounter on our way.

We have planned the following:

Bus from Bilbao airport to Irun on Friday evening. We understand we need to change in San Sebastian?
First night in Hostel Martindozenea (we know about the hostel cards, and we have reserved)
Second night in Albergue Santa Ana, Pasajes Don Juan (starting slowly, and the village looked great)
Third night in Albuerge Peregrinos San Martin en Orio
Fourth night in Albergue de Peregrinos Geltoki, in Deba
Fifth night in Albergue Pitis, in Markina
Sixth night in Albergue municipal Idatze Etxea, in Elejalde (know about the need for reservations, and we have the phone number. Anyone who knows if they speak English? Or do we need to learn how to make a reservation in Spanish? )
Seventh night in Albergue Eskerika, in Eskerika. (We have reserved here, but need to pay in advance when we arrive in Spain, is that a fairly easy thing to do in a Spanish bank?
Then back to Bilbao, and a visit at the Guggenheim before leaving the camino for now.

We welcome any comments and tips from you all. We really appreciate the notion about that the camino provides for you, but we realised we had to have a plan according to which albergues that were still open in October. And planning is also half the journey for us. Thank you in advance

Regards, Beate and Hanne

 

[peregrina2000]

The only serious change which I would suggest is to skip the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and walk a few hundred metres north to the Bellas Artes, which has an extraordinary selection of Basque and early 20c Spanish art. While the Guggenheim building is breathtaking, I would advise the Bellas Artes.

OH, how I second that recommendation, at least if your taste in art runs on the traditional side. There's no doubt that the Guggenheim is worth a lot of time -- but all from the outside IMO!

When I walked the Norte, we paid a lot of money to go inside and were depressed by the collection. The one piece I remember well was a sculpture of sunflowers that had been dipped in lead. I'm sure there's some deep artistic explanation, but for me it was just depressing.

On my most recent trip to Bilbao (to walk the Camino Olvidado in 2014), I skipped the inside and just enjoyed the view (from all angles, because it is amazing).

 

[Beate]

Thank you everyone for your kind suggestions and tips! Even if we do have a plan, it is not carved in stone, so we will be fine even if we have to alter it. We believe we are quite fit for walking the distances between the albergues, but one never knows, so compeed and sports tape are ready in our backpacks. We are really starting to feel the excitement, actually, what is worrying us most is that since we only have 10 days it will all be over really quick :0 So we are preparing us mentally to leave all other troubles and thoughts back at the airport in Bodø, and just stay in the present and relish every minute of the way, come rain and blisters alike.

 

[poogeyejr]

Hi Beate and Hanne,

Did you enjoy your Camino? Did you stick to your plans or did you mix it up? I loved this route and would love to hear your feedback after doing it so recently.

Kathy

 

[Beate]

Hi Kathy, and all of you

Oh yes, we did enjoy our Camino, we really, really did! We experienced sun and rain, wind and thunder, steep cliffs and rolling hills, mud and tarmac, dogs and cows, forests and ocean, pintxos and ciders, and much more, and the most wonderful people; local and pilgrims alike.
We stuck to our plan, more or less, and used all our compeeds so we needed to stock up in Guernica

We started out from Bilbao Airport with the bus to Donostia, with the intention of taking another bus from there to Irun. But it was getting late, it was dark and rainy, and three flights from 6 am were starting to take their toll, so we cheated and took a taxi to the door of the youth hostel in Irun. It was not too expensive, and we got dinner before everything closed for the evening. The youth hostel is very good, nice staff and good location.

Our first etapa was really exceptional. Remember to stop on the first bar you get to up in the hills above Irun, because you will not get another chance until you reach Pasajes! We had brought some nuts and dried fruit, which saved us from starving to death up on Monte Jaizquibel. We chose the path following the ridge, for Peregrinas Alpinistas (!), and was rewarded with the most fantastic views and landscapes. But it was far longer than the guide book said (probably counting the main route), and really tough downhill in the end, so when we reached Pasajes we where very happy indeed. And gutted when we realised there were 214 steps UP to Ermita Santa Ana But the albergue was a real treat.

Next morning we continued up all the steps on the other side of the harbour, and were again rewarded with magnificent views. Lunch in a pintxos bar in San Sebastian will not be forgotten easily, and wandering along the two beaches, barefoot in rainponchos was also a nice experience. We stayed in Albergue de Peregrinos San Martin in Orio, very recommendable. Nice evening meal and wine, with very nice fellow pilgrims. So far so good, and boy were we happy to get a lower bunk

Our third stretch was from Orio to Deba. Another beautful day, with lovely towns like Zarautz, Getaria and Zumaia. Some way after Zumaia, at an open recreation area, we again chose the scenic coastal route, instead of the more safe yellow arrows. This led to some of the wildest coastal landscapes I have ever seen, and I grew up in Northern Norway. But it also led to us becoming totally exhausted of the ups and downs, and the sun setting a bit too quickly, so when we finally reached the civilization again, we realised we would not reach Deba before darkness fell. Truth be told, I dont think we could have walked much longer than to the farm where we got help to ring for a taxi So we ended up in a lovely pension instead of the albergue, with white sheets and - bliss - a bath tub. Happiness in the small things...

We had read that from Deba to Markina was the most remote etapa, with not many refreshments enroute. But 5 km from Deba, we came upon a small albergue/shop/cafe, and the nice young man there made us some incredible cheese and ham sandwiches for a packed lunch, and in Olatz there was a magnificent bar, so not as bad as we thought. After Olatz we went uphill and through quite a stretch of forest with lumber work going on, with big machines and muddy tracks. The rain really came this day, so we got our ponchos tested. In Markina we stayed in Albergue de Markina. Very nice old man who took good care of his peregrinos.

Suddenly the walking got easy, and the next three stages we actually stopped around 4 in the afternoon, instead of walking to 6 or 7. It made all the difference. We stayed at Idatze Etxea in Elejalde (dirty bathroom), and Albergue Eskerika, in Eskerika Morga (a beautiful and peaceful place). Guernica was for me important, as I read a lot of Basque history en route. And suddenly we were in Bilbao, splashing out on a nice hotel our last two nights in Basque country.

What did we learn?
1. We will definitely do it again
2. Be sure to puncture all your blisters before you go to sleep
3. Be sure to tape and plaster your feet before you start in the morning
4. You can do with very little for a long time. Our backpacks weighed 7-8 kilos. Including a summers dress for Guggenheim and pintxos bars in Bilbao
5. You get very happy for very small things
6. People are nice
7. Spanish dogs are very well behaved
8. Spanish cows are very well behaved (except one, but our mistake)
9. During long uphill walks you get really meditative
10. Even if you speak Norwegian and the old man speaks Basque, you understand eachother perfectly well
11. The Camino provides. Always.

 

[SYates]

... What did we learn? ...
...7. Spanish dogs are very well behaved ...
...

Love it! SY

 

[AlwynWellington]

8. Spanish cows are very well behaved (except one, but our mistake)

Were you both being ladies? Or was it really a bull???!!!

9. During long uphill walks you get really meditative

I shall remember this later this year. Thank you.