Is there any news about Camino Baztan?

[DutchHiker]

Altough still not final, I most likely will take the Route Baztan and start from Bayonne walking March 7, 2015. The last update in this forum is in 2013 and I am wondering if someone has any recent update insight. Thanks in advance!

 

[Kiwi-family]

I walked it with two boys in May 2014. Bee-yoooo-ti-ful route. Solitary. Stunning.
Stay with Catharina in Bayonne if you can.
Don't stay in Amaiur-Maya if you can help it;-) Stop at this monastery at the bottom of the hill before Amaiur-Maya (name escapes me) (We didn't stop here, but pressed on to A-M where there was a grotty damp dark kitchenless place)


Fire away with your questions! (plus you can find blog posts from here onwards for a few days if you really want to https://charitywalking.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/8-may-bayonne-to-espelette/)

 

[DutchHiker]

Fire away with your questions! (plus you can find blog posts from here onwards for a few days if you really want to https://charitywalking.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/8-may-bayonne-to-espelette/)

Rachel and other kiwi family members ,

I have been reading your blog with a smile on my face. I like the style amd it has some very interesting information. I have decided based upon your blog and other information that I will do the Camino Baztan but I will take it easy and do the walk from Bayonne to Pamplona in 6 days. I have noticed that you have done the trip with the kids in 5 days.

I am looking forward to the solitude and the nature of Route Baztan.

Thanks

 

[Kiwi-family]

DutchHiker
I believe you have made a wonderful decision! We were sorely sorely tempted to take an extra day BUT (and it was a very big BUT for us)....hubby and two daughters were arriving from NZ and if we had taken an extra day we would have missed a day with them and we were REALLY missing them and aware we would have only two weeks together. Six days will just increase your enjoyment!

 

[wayfarer]

Hi DutchHiker, after reading your post I contacted a girl I met in 2012 on the Frances but who walked the Batzan this year and asked her for any info, this is her reply.

"Ok. I'll do my best to finish my account of my adventure. I started in Bayonne and finished in Pamplona. There is some bush bashing. The best and most accurate info you can find is on Eroski Consumer. If you google Eroski Consumer Camino Batzanes you will get good info. Be smarter than me and really explore the website and do take note of the details. Silly me just took the maps and relied on the English guide (1 page only). This website will provide lots of detail. Do book ahead the accommodation particularly the in Bayonne and Ustaritz. The 2nd day, the arrows are sometimes hard to find and sometimes non existent. That is why I would strongly advise you to translate the Spanish guide. I completely missed a village and I got lost. I'll tell you more later."

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/baztanes/

 

[basquelady]

Hi DutchHiker, after reading your post I contacted a girl I met in 2012 on the Frances but who walked the Batzan this year and asked her for any info, this is her reply.

"Ok. I'll do my best to finish my account of my adventure. I started in Bayonne and finished in Pamplona. There is some bush bashing. The best and most accurate info you can find is on Eroski Consumer. If you google Eroski Consumer Camino Batzanes you will get good info. Be smarter than me and really explore the website and do take note of the details. Silly me just took the maps and relied on the English guide (1 page only). This website will provide lots of detail. Do book ahead the accommodation particularly the in Bayonne and Ustaritz. The 2nd day, the arrows are sometimes hard to find and sometimes non existent. That is why I would strongly advise you to translate the Spanish guide. I completely missed a village and I got lost. I'll tell you more later."

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/baztanes/

Thank you so much for this. We planned on walking the Baztanés for our first Camino in 2013, but friends in the Basque country discouraged us, for our first Camino. Walked from Roncesvalles 2013 and then from Pamplona 2014. Your info is encouraging me to investigate Baztanés for 2015, although ages will be 76 and 67.

 

[DutchHiker]

Hi DutchHiker, after reading your post I contacted a girl I met in 2012 on the Frances but who walked the Batzan this year and asked her for any info, this is her reply.

"Ok. I'll do my best to finish my account of my adventure. I started in Bayonne and finished in Pamplona. There is some bush bashing. The best and most accurate info you can find is on Eroski Consumer. If you google Eroski Consumer Camino Batzanes you will get good info. Be smarter than me and really explore the website and do take note of the details. Silly me just took the maps and relied on the English guide (1 page only). This website will provide lots of detail. Do book ahead the accommodation particularly the in Bayonne and Ustaritz. The 2nd day, the arrows are sometimes hard to find and sometimes non existent. That is why I would strongly advise you to translate the Spanish guide. I completely missed a village and I got lost. I'll tell you more later."

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/baztanes/

Thank you for the information. I have found the Eroski Consumer website and more interesting I have downloaded the Eroski App on my iPhone. This should help me. Further I digged up a translation of the Spanish guide that was published by peregrina2000 on this forum:

the following Spanish websites are interesting
http://www.consorciobertiz.org/consorcio/camino-desantiago.html
http://tourism.euskadi.net/contenid...os/2011/santiago/Caminos del Norte INGLES.pdf
http://www.rutasnavarra.com/Rutas/
http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/el-camino-de-baztan
http://www.caminodelbaztan.com/#!home/c1uel

I have ordered a guide but not received it:
http://www.editorialbuencamino.com/...-santiago-incluye-tambien-aragones-y-baztanes

the following France websites are interesting
vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversales/ruta_baztan/vpp_ruta_baztan.htm
http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE1.11.Aqu.Baz_e_1.htm

the following videos of "baztangolaguna"

the following GPS tracks
http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes/details/baztan.html
http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE3.03.Baz_GPS_Perso.htm

 

[wayfarer]

Thank you for the information. I have found the Eroski Consumer website and more interesting I have downloaded the Eroski App on my iPhone. This should help me. Further I digged up a translation of the Spanish guide that was published by peregrina2000 on this forum:

the following Spanish websites are interesting
http://www.consorciobertiz.org/consorcio/camino-desantiago.html
http://tourism.euskadi.net/contenidos/informacion/x65_folletos/en_x65/folletos/2011/santiago/Caminos del Norte INGLES.pdf
http://www.rutasnavarra.com/Rutas/
http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/el-camino-de-baztan
http://www.caminodelbaztan.com/#!home/c1uel

I have ordered a guide but not received it:
http://www.editorialbuencamino.com/...-santiago-incluye-tambien-aragones-y-baztanes

the following France websites are interesting
vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversales/ruta_baztan/vpp_ruta_baztan.htm
http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE1.11.Aqu.Baz_e_1.htm

the following videos of "baztangolaguna"

the following GPS tracks
http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes/details/baztan.html
http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE3.03.Baz_GPS_Perso.htm

Thanks DutchHiker, do you have a link to peregrina2000's translation of the Spanish guide.

 

[DutchHiker]

Thanks DutchHiker, do you have a link to peregrina2000's translation of the Spanish guide.

Here you are:
Translation of Spanish guide to Baztan

 

[wayfarer]

Here you are:
Translation of Spanish guide to Baztan

Thank you.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Just a note that some of the route has changed a wee bit - you will come across arrows crossed out and alternative ones pointing along the road. Unfortunately it means more road and less paddock walking, but we want to keep the farmers happy, don't we?
It's somewhere between Olague and Pamplona. Also, before this part, the directions say to take a path down off the road, but it was completely overgrown with blackberries and the arrows were crossed out, so we stuck to the road. The point by the bridge where this path comes out has a chain across it and a big cross, so someone doesn't want anyone walking there now.

 

[DutchHiker]

Today I walked from Bayonne to Espellete. Great hike specially after Ustaritz. The Auberge in Espelette is great and it is very strange to me that I am the only one and the first since december 2014. I know it is a detour of 1.5 km. But it worth it.
Tomorrow I plan a very short hike to Urdax. The kiwi family advised me on this and who am I to do different.
BTW if you want to use the Auberge in Espelette on sunday. Just sent the tourist office an email.