Looking for Wikilocs routes/codes for the Norte (plus any other advice)

[Tom Morley]

I'm preparing to walk the Norte next summer - July and into August - and I'm trying to get my ducks in a row. I've recently downloaded Wikilocs and am trying to filter the routes. Has anyone already done this? I'm also wondering about how far in advance I should be starting to try and book any of the Alburgues etc, or if that is even really a necessity. Other thoughts and advice are gratefully accepted.

 

[NualaOC]

Hi Tom, wishing you well with your planning.

I've walked some of the Norte - from Irun to Llanes and found it to be well enough marked most of the time. I don't think you'll need GPS tracks, unless you plan to take some of the (wonderful) coastal and other alternatives. If so, have a look at @peregrina2000's excellent thread on that topic, as well as this one about the coastal route from Santander to Boo.

It's probably a bit early to make bookings. Although you're walking in the busy tourist season, I'd only recommend booking your first night in Irun (if that's where you're starting) and perhaps also San Sebastian. After that, you can figure out if it's necessary to book and do it on a day by day basis if needed.

 

[Edward Awad]

Hi Tom,

You can find GPS tracks of the individual stages of del norte on this link: http://www.northerncaminos.com/updates.html. They 're supposed to correspond to the routes detailed in the Cicerone's The Northern Caminos guidebook. Buen camino!

 

[Tom Morley]

Hi Tom, wishing you well with your planning.

I've walked some of the Norte - from Irun to Llanes and found it to be well enough marked most of the time. I don't think you'll need GPS tracks, unless you plan to take some of the (wonderful) coastal and other alternatives. If so, have a look at @peregrina2000's excellent thread on that topic, as well as this one about the coastal route from Santander to Boo.

It's probably a bit early to make bookings. Although you're walking in the busy tourist season, I'd only recommend booking your first night in Irun (if that's where you're starting) and perhaps also San Sebastian. After that, you can figure out if it's necessary to book and do it on a day by day basis if needed.

Thanks, Nuala! I'll keep that in mind. Do you know of anyone whose taken the coastal route from Ribadeo to Ferrol? or who might have gps tracks for that section?

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks, Nuala! I'll keep that in mind. Do you know of anyone whose taken the coastal route from Ribadeo to Ferrol? or who might have gps tracks for that section?

That wouold be the Ruta do Mar, maggie and alan on the forum have posted. I think Alan's tracks are on wikiloc. look for alansykes. Look here for discussions https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/ruta-do-mar-from-ribadeo.112/

And I HIGHLY recommend those coastal alternatives I posted (that Nuala linked to), they are so much more beautiful and so much easier on the feet than pounding along the national highway for km after km. It does make the stages longer, but doable,and if you have time, it's easy to break them up.

 

[Thomas1962]

Some time ago I put 'alle Spanish camino in one file' track in the resource section. The Norte is included. Maybe that helps. There is also GPX tracks if needed.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...racks-of-all-spanish-caminos-in-one-file.341/

 

[Tom Morley]

That wouold be the Ruta do Mar, maggie and alan on the forum have posted. I think Alan's tracks are on wikiloc. look for alansykes. Look here for discussions https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/ruta-do-mar-from-ribadeo.112/

And I HIGHLY recommend those coastal alternatives I posted (that Nuala linked to), they are so much more beautiful and so much easier on the feet than pounding along the national highway for km after km. It does make the stages longer, but doable,and if you have time, it's easy to break them up.

Thanks, Peregrina! I will definitely explore those. I'm not a fan of road walking. If I'm doing the coastal routes, how much further per day are they? I'm figuring that with a little more training I cna probably safely manage 25 to 30 km a day (with some shorter or rest stages built in).

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks, Peregrina! I will definitely explore those. I'm not a fan of road walking. If I'm doing the coastal routes, how much further per day are they? I'm figuring that with a little more training I cna probably safely manage 25 to 30 km a day (with some shorter or rest stages built in).

Well, I found that I arrived sometimes as late as 3 or 4 pm, which is way later than I like. You would just have to go stage by stage and compare (easiest way would be to take the coastal alternative track and compare it to the standard camino track, wikiloc has lots of each). I knew I was going to walk the coastal tracks and didn't pay attention to what the road alternative was, but I can tell you that some days were as high as 36 or 38. I remember arriving into Llanes at 3:30 or so, which is a lot later than most people who walk the camino arrived. It also made the day into Ribadeo a long day, but oh so beautiful! I am happy to offer specific suggestions on how to break up a particular stage if you tell me which ones would be too long. Buen camino, Laurie