Irún to Bilbao (Walking days)

[caminoforme86]

Hi,

I am planning the Camino del Norte from mid November, I am being sensible and will respect the weather and also the time of year.

I would love to be able to complete the first "section" however and have seen from doing some research that you can reach Bilbao within 6-7 days walking.

I completed the Camino Frances in December 2013 within around 28 days walking, not including some rest days, but was averaging around 30km a day.

Obviously I need to take in to account some Albergues that may be closed but on average how many days were people taking to complete this section?

Thanks in advance
Kathryn

 

[Thornley]

Hi,

I am planning the Camino del Norte from mid November, I am being sensible and will respect the weather and also the time of year.

I would love to be able to complete the first "section" however and have seen from doing some research that you can reach Bilbao within 6-7 days walking.

I completed the Camino Frances in December 2013 within around 28 days walking, not including some rest days, but was averaging around 30km a day.

Obviously I need to take in to account some Albergues that may be closed but on average how many days were people taking to complete this section?

Thanks in advance
Kathryn

You can reach Deba in 3 days but that will be harder than any section of the Camino Frances by a very considerable amount.
We took five days to reach there because of the scenery and food.
After Deba get to Bilbao as quick as you can.
Yes Kathryn its doable but if the weather is unkind it will be very hard and also dangerous in certain sections.

 

[caminoforme86]

You can reach Deba in 3 days but that will be harder than any section of the Camino Frances by a very considerable amount.
We took five days to reach there because of the scenery and food.
After Deba get to Bilbao as quick as you can.
Yes Kathryn its doable but if the weather is unkind it will be very hard and also dangerous in certain sections.

Good evening,

Many thanks for your reply, dangerous because of terrain and weather or dangerous because walking alone as a solo female at that time of year?

As I may be taking a year out of seasonal work, I may be able to put it off until March/April 2017, perhaps this is a better idea?

Best wishes

 

[Tincatinker]

At that time of year most threats will come from terrain and weather. It can get pretty rough on the Atlantic coast in winter.

 

[caminoforme86]

At that time of year most threats will come from terrain and weather. It can get pretty rough on the Atlantic coast in winter.

If it's been anything like the Scottish summer for the last two years I'll handle it ;-)

Joking aside, it's because I work seasonal this is the only time I have been able to get off, and probably with such good weather on the Frances in 2013 I thought I would easy manage, but I need to remember the possibility is walking for days on end in the wet and getting in to much colder albergues in the wet.

I'm hoping the doubt is not set too much in to me but I feel it probably has. I have a concert in Bilbao on the 25th November and had really hoped I'd walk the first section to the gig and stay for a few days once completing it. Perhaps I will just have to sight see more of Spains lovely cities instead and build up excitement for a warmer Camino ;-)

 

[Thornley]

If it's been anything like the Scottish summer for the last two years I'll handle it ;-)

Joking aside, it's because I work seasonal this is the only time I have been able to get off, and probably with such good weather on the Frances in 2013 I thought I would easy manage, but I need to remember the possibility is walking for days on end in the wet and getting in to much colder albergues in the wet.

I'm hoping the doubt is not set too much in to me but I feel it probably has. I have a concert in Bilbao on the 25th November and had really hoped I'd walk the first section to the gig and stay for a few days once completing it. Perhaps I will just have to sight see more of Spains lovely cities instead and build up excitement for a warmer Camino ;-)

Only the weather Kathryn,
No problems with safety in any way.
There are many slippery paths in the early stage yet the way is really beautiful when the weather is kind.
**You will get rain mate, we did in June/July.

Is it is possible for you to add a few extra days ?
Would check the closing dates of a few albergues , ex The Convent @ Zumaia.
We stayed in a lovely Pension in Deba which was needed at that stage.
Zarautz to Marquita is not a nice day , thus Deba .

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Kathryn,
For starters, mundicamino has seven stages. http://www.mundicamino.com/los-caminos/37/camino-del-norte/

Eroski also lists seven. http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/mobile/los-caminos-de-santiago/del-norte/

Gronze too. http://www.gronze.com/camino-norte

The fact that all three websites have basically the same stages suggests that's what most everyone does (it's what I did). If you do run into horrible rain, you can always go to plan B and shorten your stages and get a bus to Bilbao when time runs out. But who knows, you could get spectacular weather! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Magwood]

I arrived in Bilbao from Irun on day 6, as did several of the pilgrims who started on the same day as me. See my stages below..


Day 1, Irun to San Sebastián 26.5 km
Day 2, San Sebastián to Getaria 27.4 km
Day 3, Getaria to Deba 20 km
Day 4, Deba to Markina-Xemein 27 km
Day 5 – Markina-Xemein – Eskerika 36.5 km
Day 6 – Eskerika to Bilbao 22.3 km

You can see my description of these stages on my blog here. I stayed in a hostel in central Bilbao rather than the municipal (which may not be open later in the year)

I have to say, I remember day 5 seeming to be never-ending.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Hi Kathryn,

6-7 days is definitely possible - I walked it in 6 days in mid-April and averaged 25.5km a day (like you I averaged 30km on the Camino Frances) but the terrain makes it the toughest walking I've done so far.

As others have said the weather is the thing. In April there was still a lot of rain / mud around on those sections, I would avoid the GR coastal route option to Deba (unless the Nov weather really is amazing and even then....) and I would book accommodation online for some of those stages to reduce the pressure a little.

San Sebastian 27.6
Zarautz 22.2
Deba 22.0
Markina 24.3
Gernika 25.0
Bilbao 31.6

Buen camino,

Duncan