Where to get the first stamp (sello) in Irun

mlippeck said:

I will arrive in Irun Friday, 09.08.2024 - stay a night and the start my Camino del Norte on the 10.08.2024 early in the morning.
Plan to walk through Hondarribia and then to Passia.
What is the best place (and time) to get my first stamp in Irun or Hondarribia? Any Hint or recommendation?

Thanks for any advice.

Click to expand...

mlippeck said:

I will arrive in Irun Friday, 09.08.2024 - stay a night and the start my Camino del Norte on the 10.08.2024 early in the morning.
Plan to walk through Hondarribia and then to Passia.
What is the best place (and time) to get my first stamp in Irun or Hondarribia? Any Hint or recommendation?

Thanks for any advice.

Click to expand...

mlippeck said:

I will arrive in Irun Friday, 09.08.2024 - stay a night and the start my Camino del Norte on the 10.08.2024 early in the morning.
Plan to walk through Hondarribia and then to Passia.
What is the best place (and time) to get my first stamp in Irun or Hondarribia? Any Hint or recommendation?

Thanks for any advice.

Click to expand...

J.Patrick said:

The city of Hendaye, France is SO close to Irún.

The evening before I intended to start my Camino, while in Irún, I thought, why not have dinner in France? Who doesn’t love French food? At about four in the afternoon, I walked from Irún, across the Bidasoa River on the bridge of Santiago, which is the border between Spain and France, and went looking for a restaurant. I was way too early. I ended up going to Mass at the Eglise Saint-Vincent-Diacre and got my first sello there at the church.

It was fascinating to me that the bridge, some 440 miles from Santiago, was still named in both Spanish and French, for Santiago — there was my first connection to the antiquity of this route.
View attachment 175420View attachment 175421View attachment 175422

This was completely unplanned, and a last-minute decision, but ever since I have been able to say that I started my Camino in France. You don’t have to go to the church, I’ll bet. I’d try any open restaurant or bar.

Click to expand...

mlippeck said:

I will arrive in Irun Friday, 09.08.2024 - stay a night and the start my Camino del Norte on the 10.08.2024 early in the morning.
Plan to walk through Hondarribia and then to Passia.
What is the best place (and time) to get my first stamp in Irun or Hondarribia? Any Hint or recommendation?

Thanks for any advice.

Hi, I stayed at a small hotel in Irun called the Alcazar the night before I started walking the del Norte last September. They stamped my Credentia there. From experience most hotels, albergues, donativos, restaurants, bars etc have stamps and will happily do that for you.

Good luck, it’s a great walk.

Click to expand...

J.Patrick said:

The city of Hendaye, France is SO close to Irún.

The evening before I intended to start my Camino, while in Irún, I thought, why not have dinner in France? Who doesn’t love French food? At about four in the afternoon, I walked from Irún, across the Bidasoa River on the bridge of Santiago, which is the border between Spain and France, and went looking for a restaurant. I was way too early. I ended up going to Mass at the Eglise Saint-Vincent-Diacre and got my first sello there at the church.

It was fascinating to me that the bridge, some 440 miles from Santiago, was still named in both Spanish and French, for Santiago — there was my first connection to the antiquity of this route.
View attachment 175420View attachment 175421View attachment 175422

This was completely unplanned, and a last-minute decision, but ever since I have been able to say that I started my Camino in France. You don’t have to go to the church, I’ll bet. I’d try any open restaurant or bar.

Click to expand...