Pendeules to llanes -directions.

[Emmet1]

Hi there
we depart tomorrow to walk a number of stages until thursday .
On wonderful advice recieved from generous respondents in here We are traversing from Pendeules to Villaviciose.
I have two specific questions which I would be delighted for final words of wisdom to accompany us .

1- Generally on expereicne are paths clearly marked along this section ?Are there any specific points of difficulty directionally to be aware of ?

2- i am hearing and reading of an "off route" but more beautiful coastal walk from Pendeules to llanes . Something like walk the beach out of llanes ,head for lighthouse and climb ..walk along coast.
Seems a bit vague but also beautiful too .

All advice bountifully and wonderfully recieved

many thanks

Emmet

 

[TerryB]

Re: Pendueles to Llanes -directions.

Hello Emmet,
Signage on the norte is now very good. Here are notes I made to update the Confraternity Guide:-

Santander - Albergue near cathedral. If you want cheaper food, try the back streets near the cathedral or near the bus / train stations. . Cafes on "the front" are very expensive!

!st day to Boo. 14k. About 5k. to get out of the industrial area. Spent night in Hostal Boo (next to 'motorway services) 942 586 231.

2nd day to Camplengo 27k. - Albergue "Arco Iris" 500 mts on left at crossroads before Santillana del Mar. A long dreary day! A 12 k walk round the head of the Ria and 4k down the side of a pipeline! I was told that "Todo el mundo va por el puente de ferrocarril" this cuts 12 k off the 27k which I chose to walk to avoid breaking the law!!! your choice!!!
A good choice of albergues now in Santillana del Mar just 1.5k further on.

3rd day to Cóbreces 11.6k (from Santillana). stayed at albergue in the monastery gatehouse. (942 72 50 16)

4th day to San Vicente de la Barquera 21k. Albergue up the steps near the large church of Santa Maria.

5th day to Colombres 17.5k. Private albergue "El Cantu" 985 41 20 75. Was €18 (2009) to include breakfast.

6th day to Llanes 22k. Stayed in Gran Hotel Paraiso in the only room available - it was Mayday weekend! In Buelna look for the coastal footpath E9 sign points down to "La Playa". This takes you off the hard roads and onto a 'new' path which can be followed all the way to Llanes. If in doubt, just keep the sea on your right!!

7th day to Nueva (de Llanes) also known as Pria. 17k. I asked in the general store in town and found a "garret room" for €10. There are now private albergues advertised as you enter town.

8th day to La Isla 32k. A long day but I just kept on walking with little effort. A lovely walk along grassy cliff tops - Again, just keep the sea on your right! I stayed in the public albergue there for €3. This stage can easily be broken at Ribadesella 12k from Nueva, where there are hostals, pensions and hotels.

9th day to Villaviciosa 22k. I stayed at Pensión de Sol (985 89 11 30)
Just 3.5k after Villaviciosa at the Capilla de San Blas the camino divides. I took the left fork on to Oviedo and the Camino Primitivo. The Camino del Norte keeps straight on to Gijon.
Buen Camino
Tio Tel

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Emet,

The stretch between Pendueles and Llanes is one of those drop=dead gorgeous parts of the Camino del Norte. I remember that we were able to find the detour for the E-9 coastal path very easily, and if I remember correctly, there was at least one option in between for those who wanted to get off the coastal path and back on the camino.

The notes you have posted have you going east, rather than west, because if you're walking on the Norte you'll be heading Pendueles to Llanes, not Llanes to Pendueles.

Hope you have a wonderful walk.

And Tio, thanks fpr those updates. I walked only a short stretch of the Norte this summer, from Santander to San Vicente, and found the asphalt was a real killer. I swore then I would never return to the Norte. But there are so many other beautiful parts, maybe I should reconsider. I see that you mention the albergue Arco Iris in your notes. Did you stay there? I stayed there in 2006 (?) and really did not enjoy it. I thought the family dynamics were awful and felt very uncomfortable the whole time, sort of like I was being plied with fake kindness overlaying a huge amount of resentment (well, maybe that's a bit dramatic). Just wondering what your experience was like.

Thanks, buen camino, Laurie

 

[TerryB]

Re: Pendueles to Llanes -directions.

2nd day to Camplengo 27k. - Albergue "Arco Iris" 500 mts on left at crossroads before Santillana del Mar. A long dreary day!

Hi Laurie,
The albergue "Arco Iris" was 'interesting'! It was the first Spanish albergue I stayed in, so at that point I had nothing with which to make a comparison. I was the only person staying there that night (April 2009) so the fact that there were only flimsy curtains as doors for the toilets and showers did not worry me. The fact that I could communicate in Spanish did make joining in the meal with the family fairly easy. The son came in during the evening and cooked himself some steak in the fireplace over the wood fire. Once he arrived the family dynamics were not good and I can understand a woman being uncomfortable in that situation.
At breakfast there were ants in the jampot. "Que cosa , no?" !!! It happens that Valerie and I spent 7 years in the Argentine Chaco so we were well used to 'bichos'. After staying in a good number of albergues since then, it cannot rate very high on the scale of 1 to 10! If we visit Santillana in the next year or two, I will call in and see what is happening. In 3 years things may have changed and I would not want to put anyone off trying it. One could always walk on to Santillana if you have a look first without committing oneself.

Blessings
Terry

 

[mikevasey]

We are traversing from Pendeules to Villaviciose.

Hi you have been good information on the way from Pendules to Llanes, it is a very beautiful walk with a lot of it on what you would call trail.

From Llanes you have 3 options to the place Poo, 1)follow the camino 2) Follow the E9 3)Follow the edge of the coast

I have done all 3 and the last one is the most beautiful and natural track.

If you want to follow it go the the seafront on the coloured cubes side of the the river(west) and head to the lomg grassy seawalk which runs all alont the front of llanes facing the sea. It is a most beautiful walk first thing in the morning. Follow it to the end and stick to the coast following a little trail along grassy and muddy paths for about 1.5km unill the playa of poo, here you can either head inland and go back on to the camino or go the albergue or go around the playa and join up with the E9 which is a very beautiful walk untill celorio, where you are jumping onto gravel trails and beaches, with the picos as a dramatic backdrop. The camino and the E9 join for a couple of km after the church on the rio, then split up again and rejoin for about 1-2km(sorry I cant help you with names) there is a point about 8-10 km into the day from Llnaes wher you have to decide between the E9 or the camino, I have taken the camino both times. A french peregrina went the 'wrong way and said the E9 was very beautiful, this would take you all the way to Ribadsella, but you have the option of heading inland to go to the new albergue at Casa Belen(if you can stay there do it!).

Hope this gets to you in time.

Buen Camino

Mike

 

[Tia Valeria]

The albergue Arco Iris is listed on 'Gronze' here http://www.gronze.com/albergues/camino-del-norte/albergue-arco-iris-queveda.htm. Looking at the photos Terry says it has been renovated and improved since he visited.