Norte or frances?

[louisahermitage]

Hello, I am an 18 year old australian planning to walk from Santander to Santiago or from Leon around mid-august I am incredibly excited but have just a few questions to help me decide.
As a young female, would I be safe walking alone, and would it be possible for me to find others to walk with on the Norte if needed?
I am drawn to the Norte because I love the sea and do not mind being alone, but my spanish is very poor and I wonder whether it would be very difficult to walk the Norte speaking only limited spanish?
Lastly, can anyone recommend a guidebook or other sites for information, and is it neccessary for me to plan where I will sleep each night before I go because I will not be taking a tent
Please help! many thanks, Louisa

 

[anniethenurse]

Welcome to the Forum!

It sounds that you have decided for the Norte... Which one you prefer it is quite personal choice. I have walked the Frances from SJPP to Santiago in two sections. I like the Frances:
*the pilgrims
*you are never alone
*there is almost always a bed waiting for you, except the high season maybe
*it is safe
*no Spanish is required (good if you know some, good if you try to learn some before you start walking).
I don´t know so much about the Norte but sure it is more solitary walking and not so many pilgrims than on the Frances. But sure you will find others on the Norte, too. In August Frances is pretty hot, Norte is cooler situated by the Bay of Biscaya on the Atlantic coast.

A Guide book for the Frances by John Brierley Camino de Santiago 2011 is very popular and up to date.
http://www.caminoguides.com/

More info here (even Norte):
http://www.gronze.com/
http://www.elcaminosantiago.com/Camino- ... o-Maps.htm
http://www.mundicamino.es/

buen camino
annie

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

Welcome

There are many here who have walked the Norte and they can advise on safety.

The issue of Spanish might be more acute on the Norte. I have never had any problem with my very poor Spanish on the Francés, but have hesitated to walk the Norte for that reason.

Sometimes you see a map at the top of the post. It has links to the Confraternity of St James, London - CSJ - who produce up to date guides to every branch of the Camino.

For both the Norte or the Frances the guide is almost everything you need to know.

Given your mid-August date you might want to appeal to the several Australian members on this forum with a plea to borrow the guides if at all possible.

If you not yet done it, it is most definately worth checking the FAQ's.

You may well discover your answers there.

 

[viajero]

I have walked the Frances and part of the Norte (from Irun to Oviedo). If you are more inclined for the Norte, I think you should go ahead. There will be fewer pilgrims than on the Frances but you will certainly not be alone. You will meet lots of others, form friendships, etc. I can speak Spanish but don't think it would make a different between routes. Both routes are accostomed to pilgrims and people are generally well versed in gestures, and enough communication to assist you. I wouldn't NOT go on the Norte because of lack of Spanish. I think both routes are equally as safe. I am an American woman and always feel very comfortable and safe in Spain, perhaps moreso than any place I've ever been. The Northern route should be cooler than the Frances, which, especially in August, is a real bonus. I did the Frances first and to me, it was more special but I do think that the Northern route has much more natural beauty. I didn't find a good guidebook...I didn;t find the CSJ book terribly useful. It gives detailed descriptions on where to turn,etc. all about following the route, but the route is pretty clearly marked so I didn't find the CSJ guide necessary nor terribly helpful. This site is in Spanish, http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/ but if you click on the route that you are interested in, it gives you a map/profile for each stage which I think you will find helpful. At the public albergues you cannot book beds in advance . I liked the freedom of deciding each day how far I wanted to walk so I never booked anything in advance. THis has always worked for me but I walked in late June/July on Norte and I didn't have any trouble...maybe August would be more crowded and finding a place to sleep might be more difficult. Because it is a coastal route, there are a lot of people on holiday and there are generally several hotels, pensions, hostels in the towns along the seaside(if the albergues were full) but you would have to pay more for these (although again, I generally stayed in teh albergues).

 

[anniethenurse]

another pilgrim planning for the Norte;

http://dustyscamino.blogspot.com/

a link to the Confraternity of Saint James in London:

http://www.csj.org.uk/route-coastal-route.htm

 

[mikevasey]

I wouldn't NOT go on the Norte because of lack of Spanish.

Hi Louisa,

I agree with that by Viajero, i walked the Norte without really knowing Spanish. It does make it a little more difficult, just keep your sense of humour about you, especially with the little misunderstandings that can arise. You may learn a little as well while your walking, i met a young American guy in the last few days who had started in Irun, walked with a couple of Spanish guys and had gone from nil Spanish to able to hold conversations.You will meet people of all ages and nationalities, you wont be the only person without the language.

If you stay at the pilgrim hostel in Santander,9 Ruamayor they may have guides. They give you a rough idea for distances, albergues and heights, but they are only for Cantabria, you can also obtain them from the tourist office at the port. Once you cross over into Asturias, the first place there, Columbres, has a tourist office, they will have a guide for that section, they are not as good as the Cantabrian, but still helpful. When you enter Galicia go the tourist office in Ribadeo, and they will have a guide for that area.

You will not walk on the coast as much as you think if you follow the camino, but you can have options of going onto the coast in some places and following coastal walks, these will have markings, they are usually a few km longer.

There are Pilgrim hostels at regular intervals along the Norte, usually no more than 25km. The exceptions from Santander being Columbres to San Esteban, this is about 60km, there are private hostels at places in between, llanes(23km),Pinera(43km),Ribadesella(53km). These are more expensive and can be booked in advance so you may end up getting there and finding they are full, something usually turns up and there will be other people in your situation as well, and this will be part of your camino experience, embracing the unexpected. The other section with a lack of hostels is Gijon ( camping deva) to Aviles, this is about 30km, there is a lot of urban and road walking on this section. It may be better to go via Oviedo, it is about 25km longer, but there are more pilgrim hostels, and just adds one day to your walking.

I noticed you said either Santander or Leon. They are around 580km and 320km from Santiago respectively and there is a big walking time difference between them. If you have three weeks then you could start at Burgos on the Frances, this is around 550km, or if you have two weeks, then at Oviedo or Aviles on the Norte around 360km and 330Km.


Mike

 

[louisahermitage]

Thank you so much for the help everyone, I am so grateful to find so much advice here! I plan to walk from Santander in mid August and cannot wait!

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hi Louisa,
Buen Camino
Lydia

 

[gml]

Viajero, you said "I did the Frances first and to me, it was more special but I do think that the Northern route has much more natural beauty." I'm wondering what you mean by "more special." (I'm trying to decide what route to take.) Thanks.

 

[viajero]

gml,
I'm not sure why I felt the Camino Frances was more special...It was my first camino and the first camino of the majority of the other pilgrims that I met. On other routes, people tend to have already walked the Frances. I also clicked with a really great group of friends of all ages and nations. On the Norte I also met nice and interesting people and formed friendships but the other, by chance, was a closer knit group. I had lived in Spain, in Castilla y Leon years before so a lot of the villages that we passed through on the Frances are the types of places that I think of when I think of Spain. When I had lived in Spain I had visited many the cities on the Frances route and became interested in thier camino connections. Maybe the Frances route seems more culturally signifcant. Sorry I can't really pinpoint it...I'm not so sure myself. Also, I walked the Frances in March (2008) so there was never a concern about finding a place to stay. The norte I walked in June (2009) which wasn't as hot at that time of year as the Frances. I, personally, wouldn't want to walk the Frances at a peak time when it is crowded and/or hot but that's just me.

 

[cote.lesta]

Hi Luisa: I have done Luarca to Santiago in June, I understand that it is harder than coming from the french side, my brother Dioni has done the Frances twice and the Norte twice and adviced me to do the Norte which I loved!!!, if you are coming in the hight of summer this will be more bearable, lenguage is not an issue as people are really nice and will communicate with you one way or another.Benefits of the Norte, less competition for beds, tranquil walking, fab scenery. When you get to Arzua then it is pilgrim galore!!!. Either way I am sure you will feel the same as those that have gone before you, you may get the bug and want to do the others.