New Pilgrim thinking of starting the Norte in SJPP

Welcome Porter....

There is a established..but slightly used route to Irun on the Norte.
It is pretty traditional to start the Camino Norte from Irun and very few people start in SJPP (unless, of course they are walking the Camino Frances).

Irun is 1 (or 2 for some) days before San Sabastian and is right on the French Border...just a small bridge separates.
There is an albergue in Irun.

I, personally, would not include St. Jean in any plans to walk the Norte unless there is some compelling reason why you would start there.

You are kind of considering driving from London to Edinburgh but starting in Southampton (other geographies may apply). There is no 'start' to the camino, other than your own front door, despite the popular guide books promotion of a small town in souther France. Why not just interview the pilgrims starting in Irun? There will be plenty of them.

You can start in SJPdP, but it will be a little complicated going from SJPdP to San Sebastian (probably the best would be to reach Pamplona and from Pamplona to take a bus to SS). If I was you I would start directly in Irun.

In Irun you won´t find so many pilgrims as in SJPdP, but anyhow you will find a lot of them.

In my opinion, the only difference between the pilgrims starting in SJPdP, Irun and later on in Oviedo is that the percentage of pilgrims that are in their second , third or fourth camino might probably be higher in Oviedo than in Irun and in Irun than in SJPdP. This, probably, due to the fact that many pilgrims, in their first pilgrimage, think that there is only one single Camino, the Camino Frances. Later on, while doing their first camino they learn that there are several other alternatives.

Anyhow, as Tincatinker mentioned, the Camino starts at your front door. All this about SJPdP, Irun, etc. is just something about spots where due to historical (or commercial) reasons people has the tendency to start his camino. E.g.: SJPdP is where some of the caminos in France join, Irun is the first town in Spain if you intend to take the Camino del Norte, etc.

Buen Camino & Ultreia!!!

Porter Crapps said:

Title pretty much says it, I am an undergraduate student doing a research project on the Camino, and I am interested in interviewing people at the start of the Camino Frances even though I plan on taking the Norte to Oviedo and then switching to the Primitivo. Is there a marked route in existence, or would I have to map it myself? As a secondary question, does this seem like a worthwhile addition, or should I just start in San Sebastian?

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Another option you could consider:

Why not volunteer/help in the pilgrims office in SJPdP for a time, including doing your interviews and then travel to the starting point of the Camino you want to walk? Buen Camino, SY