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Norte - Just Returned from a Great Experience!

khiker9

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Frances, '12; Frances, '14; Port, '15; Frances, Norte, Fisterre, '16; Ingles, Fisterre/Muxia '17
Before I left for the Norte, I read as much as I could find about the route, safety, women walking alone, etc. I would just like to report that I had a great experience. The waymarking was plentiful. I never felt threatened - I managed to get over there with a small canister of pepper spray in my checked bag to satisfy my family & the only time I pulled it out was when I would hear a dog barking but could not see him & never used it! I started in Bilbao & from early Sept. to just last week I saw a few people on the route somedays & somedays none, until the end of the day. I always stayed in small hotels or pensions, so I didn't form any bonds with people early on like you might if staying in albergues. I went on the Norte to be on the coast, so I did skip forward a couple of times which gave me enough time after reaching Santiago to take 4 more days to walk to Finisterre. That was the perfect end to this Camino! If you are thinking of going - don't wait!
 
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Hi there, I'm delighted to hear you enjoyed El Norte. Would love to hear more!
I have walked with my wife and two kids from Hendaye as far as Gernika but that was a few years ago now and I'm itching to get back and continue on from Gernika. In fact the day we arrived into Gernika we were collected and hadn't any time to see this historic town so it's a fantastic starting point! Hopefully will get back next year!
 
When you return to Guernika, don't miss the Picasso mural and the Basque meeting house.
 
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Congratulations Khiker9!
 
And here I sit in Houston considering the Norte route, wondering if it would be safe for a woman to do this alone... thanks for the confirmation!
 
My husband and I also just returned from walking the Camino Norte. We started in San Sebastian and stopped in Gijon. It was hard walking with many ups and downs but lovely especially the views. We didn't meet many folks but that was because we stayed in small pensions. There were some Americans, a few Canadians and many more from Germany that we spoke with. The waymarkings were good overall although in leaving some of the towns, the markings were few which was a little frustrated. El Norte has a different feel than the Frances, much quieter, a good time to reflect. It felt safe and the people were very nice although I got the feeling that pilgrims thus far stood out. The economy certainly is not geared towards pilgrims as in the Frances. We were told that the churches were locked bacause of vandals, a shame, as so many were beautiful but we could only imagine what the inside look like.

We both loved the Camino and are planning to come back next year to walk the Irun to San Sebastian and then from Gijon to Santiago.

This is a camino that one needs to train and walk as one day we went up 500 meters and down.
 
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A question for those that have recently walked the Camino Norte!
I will likely be starting my walk in late March 2017 and will begin in Irun. While I have found some books highlighting one or two places to stay at the end of each stage many either don't appear online or appear hard to book. I am not planning on actually booking in advance as I want freedom during my walk to stop where required, but I am concerned that walking out of 'peak season' may result in there being no-one to stay. I'll be walking alone (female) so great to hear from others that it is safe! I just don't fancy pushing my luck by not having anywhere to stay.
Does anyone have experience to share in finding a bed each night along the Norte when many of the Albergues appear to shut?
Many thanks! Alice
 
@cathi wong - So excited to hear about anyone doing the Norte right now! I will fly into Bilbao next week and hope to walk to Ribadeo if I don't run out of time. I'll then take a bus down to Arzua so that I can walk the final stages into Santiago. Can you tell me what the weather conditions were when you left? I'm afraid I'm going to start to overpack. Congratulations on your journey!
 

MaryAnneS, I also finished the Norte on the 9th of October. If you want to start in Bilbao, I suggest you take one full day to visit the city and skip the stage to Portugalete and go by train there or even to Muskiz and then walk to Pobena. I would also recommend you to go from Bilbao to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe: it is an amazing place! From Ribadeo, please go to visit Playa de las Catedrales.

Regarding packing: most of the people I interacted with during my trip were carrying backpacks that were too heavy due to... overpacking. Instead of taking a lot of stuff with you, take just a few pieces, but of good quality. I had 3 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of underwear, 3 T-shirts (two of merino wool, the last being a technical one), 2 pairs of trousers (one was waterproof), a 200 polar, a waterproof jacket and the sleeping bag. Was it enough? It was. Instead of T-shirts, you can have long sleeves ones. Some reflective gear would be of great use since it is going to get dark earlier.

Have a great journey!
 
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Wow that is exactly what I plan to do. In fact it was my desire to see Gaztelugatxe (thank you Windows10 screen saver) that lead me to discover the Santiago pilgrimage! I had read some posts that sounded like the walk out of Bilbao wasn't very pretty and since I don't have 4 weeks, I was trying to decide where I should take a bus or train to, to start my journey. Thank you. I'm such a wuss when it comes to cold weather that I started overpacking the thermal ski shirts.

Thanks so much for the advice! I am on my way to buy reflective tape. Any other must-see's or lessons-learned would be very much appreciated. I have been doing as much reading as I can. I know that there is advice to take the Frances at this time of the year, but truly I am so drawn to the sea and find it easy to pray when I am looking at its vastness. But I am a little concerned about the Albergues being closed.
 
Glad to hear you had a successful and fulfilling camino. My wife and I are planning on doing the Norte in 2017 in September, so it was nice to hear of a person who completed it in that same time frame. We have seen precious little on the Norte Route on the posts, and would welcome any insights or items you feel may be useful to us. I am particularly interested in which guidebook you used. Congrats again on your Camino!
 
Thank you for sharing this information on the Norte. My wife and I are planning to walk it next year in September. I would be interested in knowing which guide book you used. Many thanks and congratulations on your camino!
 
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I have been on the Norte for the past 5 days (started in Santillana del Mar) and the weather has been wonderful. Locals are saying that it is abnormally warm for this time of year although I was also on the Norte last October and it was also nice. I wear t-shirt with light fleece in the morning with 3/4 leggings. Some are still in shorts.

Not many people out walking but I feel fine as a single woman walking. As I love the coast I have been taking all the possible detours (E-9 etc) to keep the sea in sight!

Municipal albergues have been open along this stretch (now in Villaviciosa) but I am walking for the first time with my dog and we aren't allowed in. Finding accommodations has been a bit of a hassle but we haven't slept outside yet.

I don't have a guide book but use the Spanish website www.gronze.com which is great.
 
Alice, I don't know if some of the lodgings will be closed during off season. I had downloaded two apps onto my Iphone that proved very helpful. The Norte app had a albergue directory as well as other lodging choices with contact information and when they are open and closed. I found the Buen Camino app also useful in terms of having a satillite map that shows where you are and the lodgings. We also used the Norte Caminos (authors Dave Whitson and Laura Perazzoli) which was okay but their mapping was not great. They also have information on the albuergues on route.

Good luck and buen camino, Cathi
 
I'm planning on doing del Norte in June 2017. Glad to hear all went well. I will alternate hostels with pensions. I also wanted to get some sort of dog repellent I was hoping to buy pepper spray in Spain. Does anyone know if this is possible? Where would I buy it (pharmacy?) Thanks.
 
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I'm afraid I don't know, but I didn't find a need for it on the Frances, Norte, Primitivo, or Finisterre-Muxia. Just like at home, dogs might occasionally run the fence barking. Sometimes, a dog would race to the edge of un-fenced property barking. I would usually retreat a step or two and try skirting around. The only time a dog would not yield ground, his barking eventually brought out the owner, who called him back. In 90 days of walking, not a single dog bite...not even a puppy nip playing with one in Astorga. Pepper spray is often more like a squirt gun (not like hair spray) and only travels so far, so the dog would need to be extremely close and not moving much for you to accurately hit his face. But if it makes you feel better, I'd guess it is more likely found in camping stores than pharmacies.
 
There were lots of barking dogs but none loose and threatening so we just had our walking sticks and it worked fine.
 
As others have said, no need for a dog repellent on the Camino. Buen Camino, SY
 
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Thanks so much @cathi wong!
 
@americansue the only unrestrained dogs on the Norte that I recall were either completely disinterested, fast asleep or wanted to love me to death. The aggressive ones were all tied up or behind fences.
 
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That's awesome! I'm thinking of doing the same but in June 2017. May I ask what one might need as a rough budget per day all inclusive staying in a pension or hotel (nothing fancy)? Excluding transport to and from the start and end of the Camino del norte? thanks in advance.
 

I have researching many of the routes and I think that I have settled on the Norte just get my fix. Can I ask about travel to and from? I will be leaving from Canada on 7 March because I want to be on the ground on my birthday, 8 March. Any advice is most appreciated.
 
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Jackson:

Travel to and from depends on your point of entry.

Madrid - Train or bus to Pamplona and then train or bus to Irun. Return would be by train, bus or plane to Madrid from Santiago.

Barcelona - Train or bus to Pamplona and then train or bus to Irun. Return would be by train, bus or plane to Barcelona from Santiago. I would recommend a flight here as the bus or train would be a long ride.

Paris - Train or flight to Bayonne from Paris, then walk, bus, cab, hitch hike the 30 km's to Irun. Return would be a flight from Santiago to Paris.

Hope this helps. More detail can be provided once your port of entry has been determined.

This is a great walk, especially if you enjoy ocean views. Quite a bit of hard surface walking but hardly a deterrent, imo.

Ultreya,
Joe
 
From Barcelona we took a train straight to Irun,it went through Pamplona and San Sebastion.
 
jpflavin1 said:
Paris - Train or flight to Bayonne from Paris, then walk, bus, cab, hitch hike the 30 km's to Irun. Return would be a flight from Santiago to Paris.
Click to expand...

There is also a train from Paris through Bayonne to Hendaye, from there it's a 20 minute walk across the river to Irun.
 
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Christina, I traveled the Norte and part of the Frances for 6 weeks. I budgeted $60 per day for everything (food, wine, snacks, pharmacy visits, sleeping accommodations, the occasional bus or train fare, etc.) and was able to stay within my budget. I traveled with a friend and we stayed in albergues, pensiones, and rarely hotels. When staying in a pensione or hotel, we shared a room helping to keep the costs down.
 
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Hi,

Am also planning on walking Norte starting last week of March and planning to play accommodation by ear. I plan on trying to book ahead each day rather than leaving it entirely to chance.
 
I used the Northern Caminos guidebook but once on the route I downloaded the Buen Camino App & it was very handy b/c once you download the maps you can see where you are on the route at any time without cell service or WiFi & it provides lists of accommodations. The guidebook with the detailed directions would make one think the route is not well marked, but it is. Buen Camino
 
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There are not many posts in regards to the Camino Norte indeed, but I personally find this is adding more to the "adventure" part of the Camino. We have walked the Camino Frances this year (May 2016) and have booked already our flights for the Camino Norte which we want to start in May 2017. We are so looking forward to this new adventure and will try to send updates here to the forum when possible.
Buen Camino
Otti
 
We used Buen Camino App as well and recommend. The maps are downloaded to phone so it is light on data. Found the bar and accommodation listings helpful. We flew to Bilbao via London and bus to Donostia and LRT to Irun Fincoba station that is about 100m from the border.

The dogs were only very occasionally a bother - not a bear spray bother - it's the little ones that can be a pain. Most were lovely or on other side of fence.

You may need to book some places just so someone is expecting you. We were May 2016 and along coast that was early season and you are quite a bit earlier.
 

Hey Alice, I consider walking from Irun at the same time around end of march. Might see you there

When I read certain albergues might still be closed during that time of the year, I got myself a guidebook to see if there's a way to walk the Norte in April without having to stay in hotels/pensions. And the answer seems to be yes! As always it is pretty vague to make estimations about how things will go before the walk begins.

On the Frances in April 2014, I never booked ahead nor did I need to divert to a pension. When it comes to the Norte I like to believe I won't need to book ahead neither. However, I assume it's wise to think a few days ahead and make sure not to face a 5 or 45km day until the next open albergue.

In any case, unexpected closed doors so often lead to wonderful situations no one can anticipate, don't they?
 
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Hi Jonas,
Since posting this I have decided to walk the France instead of the Norte... First timer, solo woman walker I figured it better to get a good understanding of what I'm getting myself in for before heading off into days in a stretch with no company especially after a few of the recent safety scares recorded. Hopefully this year goes well and I can tackle the Norte soon! All the best with yours
 
Alicemc said:
A question for those that have recently walked the Camino Norte! I am concerned that walking out of 'peak season' may result in there being no-one to stay.
Click to expand...

Alice - In 2011 My first night on the Norte I started in Irun and the hospitelero handed out a photocopied sheet with all the Albergues that were open on the Norte. In, 2013, this page was also available, but I used the Camino App from Eroski. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/camino/id378279011?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=10

It is in Spanish, however very easy to decifer and very repetitive. So once you figure out one or two albergues, you understand the rest.
 

I fly into Bilbao. When I start the Camino next week in Irun, I am taking a bus from the Airport in Bilbao to San Sebastian. However, there is also a train that runs the entire distance, it is a public transportation train (like an above ground subway) and would take about 3 and a half hours, and a couple of line changes but is only a few Euro.
 
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Christina Siu said:
That's awesome! I'm thinking of doing the same but in June 2017. May I ask what one might need as a rough budget per day all inclusive staying in a pension or hotel (nothing fancy)?
Click to expand...


My budget was 30 Euro per day. If my accommodation was more expensive, I didn't eat in restaurants that day. I did share accommodation if I was at a small hotel, for about 22 Euro for a double. The Youth hostels were 18 Euro a night but the Alberques were about 10 Euro a night. Someone told me they had done the Frances for less than 20 Euro a day, but I think that would be difficult on the Norte.
 
poogeyejr said:
Someone told me they had done the Frances for less than 20 Euro a day, but I think that would be difficult on the Norte.
Click to expand...

Hi, it’s possible after Ribadesella. After there I had no trouble finding albergues open (in November) and clocked up at least 12 nights in albergues for 5 or 6 euros per night. Jill
 

Hey Alice, I certainly get your point! And I'm sure you'll have a great time on the Frances. Enjoy and buen Camino!
 
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jsalt said:
Hi, it’s possible after Ribadesella. After there I had no trouble finding albergues open (in November) and clocked up at least 12 nights in albergues for 5 or 6 euros per night. Jill
Click to expand...

How many people were with you in the hostels each night? I tried the Norte in February and the municipal albergues were empty. There were 6 people through in the past week, in clumps.
 
poogeyejr said:
How many people were with you in the hostels each night? I tried the Norte in February and the municipal albergues were empty. There were 6 people through in the past week, in clumps.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, let me think now . . . .

at Villahormes, Albergue Punta Pestana, my 2 camino friends and I were the only ones.

San Esteban, Albergue de Peregrinos, again we were the only ones.

Villaviciosa, Albergue Congreso, one other pilgrim there.

Cabuenes, Albergue Camping Deva, we loved this place! – lots of chalets – one other chalet occupied.

Aviles, Albergue de Peregrinos – about 5 or 6 others here.

Soto de Luina, Albergue de Peregrinos – about 7 or 8 others here.

Cadavedo, Albergue Covi y Peter – 6 of us.

Luarca, Albergue Villa de Luarca – 6 of us.

Luarca, Albergue Villa de Luarca – us 3, plus Neve’s family (forum members) and their Spanish friend.

Tol, Albergue de Peregrinos – just us 3 and it was freezing cold so we had to fight for the ONE blanket!!

Ribadeo, Albergue de Peregrinos – completo; us 3, Neve & co, and a few others.

San Xusto, Albergue de Peregrinos – just us 3 and the restaurant was closed but the bar was open so I don’t remember much about that night . . . . .

Gontan, Albergue de Peregrinos – quite busy, a number of Spanish pilgrims there.

Vilalba, Albergue de Peregrinos – about 6 or 7.

Baamonde, Albergue de Peregrinos – lots of beds but not many staying, about 8.

Miraz, Albergue O'Abrigo – again about 8.

Sobrado, Albergue de Peregrinos – fairly busy, about 12 or so.

Boimorto, Albergue de Peregrinos – just us 3.

How’s that?!

Jill
 
Jill that is amazing! Thank you for the detail! It looks like the best plan for a winter Norte Camino is to go with a travelling companion. That way if you are the only people at the hostel you are not alone!

Thank you!
 
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poogeyejr said:
It looks like the best plan for a winter Norte Camino is to go with a travelling companion.
Click to expand...

I had first met my 2 camino buddies on the Camino Francés at Orisson the previous year! We got on so well together we decided to meet up again for the Norte. We ate so well on the Norte. We stopped every day around 2pm for the Menu del Dia. We had some surprises, as it was Spanish only on the Norte, and we sometimes got our translations wrong! We continued for another hour or two (to walk off the wine!) before finding a bed for the night. It was great having like-minded company to share some fabulous meals with, as well as feeling a bit more secure in the empty albergues.
Jill
 
It was my first completely solo Camino. Bad timing on my part! But it was a great vacation anyway!
 
Great...app was just updated may 2021 too! One map I have never heard of is free then other popular ones about $1 each
 
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