Has anyone walked the Camino del Norte?

[AMNUSA]

I am planning to start walking the Camino del Norte in September and wondered if anyone had any advice about the refugios or albergues on this route? This will be our 3rd Camino, two on the Frances route. My husband is 78 and I am 66 and would not like to be stuck without decent accomodation. Thanks for anyones input.

[Leslie]

Sorry, nothing. Best guides I think are csj in the uk - link http://www.csj.org.uk/

[hughbensley@yahoo.co.uk]

Please excuse my naivity, I am just starting to learn about the Caminos. If I started the Camino del Norte in Bilbao or Santander. (Somewhere with a UK ferry link), where could I get a credencial?
Thanks very much
Hugh

[lughcamino]

If i was you, i would get one sent to me before i left home. I arrived in Bilbao to do the camino de la norte and could not get a credencial there. so i walked for two weeks getting stamps on a piece of paper i assigned to the purpose. As there is so few albergues, It didn't matter from an accomodation point-of-view. And at the one albergue I stayed in, it was accepted!

[AMNUSA]

Thanks for the tip. We have credentials from last year that were only half filled so could use those if we are unable to get a new one until a later date. So looking forward to our 3rd Camino in September.

AMNUSA

[glenglaves]

Hugh,
The Confraternity of St James issues credentials their website is www.csj.org.uk hope this helps

[pilipiou]

Hello,
I did walk the Camino del Norte and I really liked it because of the amazing sea views you can get. About accommodation, well I will not be really able to recommand you any place because we were camping with my friend. Except one night because the weather was really really bad we decided to stay in a rural hotel. This was in Ribadeo, we slept in a very nice country house called Casa Do?ano and we really liked it.
I am sorry that I cannot help you more have a very nice Camino.

[Beatrix]

Hello,
I tried to make a simple short summary about where I stayed and about the distances but its very difficult to stop writing about this Camino as it was just as perfect and just as nice as my first Camino the french way. It was very different but just as perfect.
I am sorry if there is a spelling mistake in the text. In case there is any km or other mistake please let me know and I triple check.
Please note that my notes does not mean that someone else would get lost at the same place where I did. And also if I liked an albergue, you might not like it and like another one. So this posting below is just showing my experience from 2009. I know that the north way is being improved continously, but still it might give an idea if someone is interested in walking this.
Buen Camino!

8th August afternoon took a bus from Estella to San Sebastian Donastia
The bus station and the albergue was quite far from each other. It was 1 hour walk. One has to go from the centre of the city, right to the seaside, and from there follow the shore to the West. There were yellow arrows to show the way.
The albergue was very big, and it was full. I am still wondering where did all those people gone in the following weeks. The hospitaleros were very nice and welcoming and had extra matraces. Got nice broshures, and a map for around 3 or 4 days. The map had everything, lattitude, albergues, distances.

9th August - San Sebastian Donastia - Zumaia 32,3 km (Convento de las carmelitas)
Passed through Orion – beutiful!
In Zumaia slept in the Charmelitan Sisters albergue. It was great, nice welcoming. The house is a very old house, the rooms are just as they were used by the Sisters. I was told they left the house 14 months now, but still I could feel their presence.

10th August – Zumaia - Deba 12 km
Deba – slept at the place of the redcross. Free medical check.
The city is again very nice!

11th August – Deba - Markina Xemein - Zenarruza (Monasterio) 29 km
Zenaruzza – slept in the Cistercian Monastery. Got extra place on the floor as it was full, they didn’t have matrace, so slept on my polifoam, it was donativo. For dinner they invited us for a very nice soup.and got breakfast from them too in the morning. Nice to stay.

12th August – Cenarruza - Gernika-Lumo 19 km
Gernika - slept in albergue. The city is very famous of his history. Don’t miss out their famous Tree!

13th August - Gernika - Bilbao 39 km
Without map, it took time until I found the Tourist Information and I wasn’t lucky with the locals, couldn’t find the arrows, and shells. The way to the albergue I didn’t like it much. By the time I got to the alberge I was so tired. So unfortunately missed Bilbao out completely.
The albergue had limited places and matraces. Luckily I had my polifoam and said I cannot go on further.

14th August –Bilbao - Muskiz 40km
On the way out of Bilbao there are different paths to go.There is a shorter one accross the port, but I heard that there are no signs (not sure) so I took the longer one up the hill around Bilbao. It was ok, not the best sights, but the signs were very well marked. (some people take a train or tube out of the city too)
Portomarin – This is a very nice city too! Tourist information I found on the seaside. Finally got new maps! Nice big lunch for 12 EUR! Bycicle lane to follow for hours. That a bit difficult after a while.
Muskiz – slept in albergue my favourite city on the way. Very nice small city, nice beach, welcoming locals.

15th August – Muskiz - Castro Urdiales 23 km
Slept in albergue. The hospitalero was very nice, welcoming, cooked us his speciality! It was delicious, got tents, matraces for everyone, and helped to accomodate everyone! Thanks so much for him. I slept in the doorway on matrace. Castro was again a great seaside city with real life, lots of young people and there was a big fiesta on this day!

16th August – Castro Urdiales - Santona 37 km (Laredo 35 + boat + albergue)
Passed through Laredo, on the beach. 5km along all the way in the sand! Gorgious beach! The boat leaves to the other side from the top of the beach. Funny little boat, enjoyed it very much. You can walk around if you don’t want to take the boat, but thats an extra 20 or 30 km, not sure.
Slept in the garden of the albergue in a huge military tent.
The shop and restaurants are 1 hour walk from the albergues.

17th Santona - Güemes 19 km
Passed through Noha, or rather couldn’t pass through and got lost for 2 hours. The reason is because I wanted to be smart and make a shortcut in the city and left the nice sandy beach and didn’t follow the yellow arrow. In the tourist information office, no one seemed to know where is the Camino going. Without signs, I had to follow the car road. Luckily found 2 spanish pilgrims with map and we worked out after a long walk in a round about, which way we have to go.
Just to confirm, the Camino goes on the beach in Noha! I met pilgrims at night who said they had no problem at all in Noha, they were following signs, and on the beach.
Güemes - slept in albergue, at the top of a hill. I strongly recommend every pilgrim to sleep in this albergue. The welcome was the best ever! Thehospitalero gave us a ’lecture’ about the history of the Camino, it was great to be there. He knew everything about the north way. The albergue is modern and antic at the same time.Have interesting stuff in the lounge. Had dinner together and told us that this is not the same as the Camino Frances, where everything goes quite smoothly, and we have to be flexible and smart to be able to enjoy the way. I got great advises from him.
The only questionalbe advise from him, was I think to walk accross a train bridge. The bridge is not for walking, and so I rather got on the train not under it. 2 pilgrims told me that they went up to the bridge,and started to walk accross it, but then the train came, and they had to run off. They said they didn’t hear it coming when they started to walk accross the bridge. The hospitaler said you can cut 10 km off if you go accross the bridge, but I think its more advisable to get on the train at the last possible stop before the bridge, and get off after it.
18th August – Guemes – Santillana del Mar 28km ( Somo 12.2 km + Somo - Santander boat + Santander - Boo 9 km + Boo - Barredo train (22.2km) + Barredo Santillana del Mar 7 km)
Very nice and exciting walk, boat, train trip. It was strange to get on a train, but I think it was a good decision in the circumstances.
Santillana del Mar, slept in albergue its again a beautiful town. Has very ancient roads and buildings and the whole town has just popped out of the ground in a valley. Nice suprise for the day to find this town.

19th August, Santillana del Mar - Comillas 21 km
Nice walk, nice albergue, nice beach. A sign said 485km till Santiago.

20th August, Comillas - Serdio 19 km
Slept in Serdio, small village as I didn’t have a map for this area and decided to sleep at the next possible albergeu.It was a very nice, big albergue for 5 EUR.
The locals were very kind, and welcoming.

21st August Serdio - Llanes 33 km
I entered Asturias. Llanes, nice big albergue, kind of youth hostel too, so not only pilgrims stayed there.

[Beatrix]

22nd August Llanes - San Esteban de Leces 31 km (34km - 3km nice spanish couple by car)
Very nice walk. I was planning to sleep in Ribadella but they sent me off to the next albergue. At the albergue and the tourist information nobody was welcoming. I think they are not prepared for pilgrims at all. Well at that time when Iwas there. Almost everybody had to go 5km more to the next village Llanes.
It was worth though. At Leces the hospitaleros and locals were nice and welcoming. I even got a lift from a spanish couple, couse it was almost dark by the time I was walking this last 5km.

23rd August, San Esteban de Leces - La Isla (not much perhaps 10km)
Beautiful walk, nice beach in La Isla, so stayed there and bought a boogy board J

24th August, La Isla - Avilés (bus 67 km)
Took 2 bus as based on the pilgrim guidebooks there is not much albergue between La Isla and Avilés, was tired, and wanted to catch up a bit on my schedule.
The bus went from La Isla to Gijon, and from there with another bus to Avilés.
Avilés has a nice big and welcoming albergue. The locals and the town is very nice.The keys are in a pharmacy opposite of the albergue.

25th of August, Aviles - Soto de Luina 45 km
Beautiful walk in the hills, mountains, great views. 4km was an extra cause the way was shut from pilgrims on one part. Eucaliptus forest most of the time. It was great!

26th August, Soto de Luina – Cadavedo 20 km
Slept in Albergue

27th Cadavedo - somewhere before Pinera 26 km
Slept in tent, found no albergue

28th August Pinera – A Coruna 20km

29th August A Coruna – Ribadeo 21km
I lost the way a few times,(expecialy on the way to Toll) went up to Castropol, it was nice but was not intenteded. Got on a boat and crosses to Ribadeo.
In Ribadeo there is a nice albergue at the seaside, but no matraces and no extra beds.There is another place to sleep, but would not call it albergue. It was more like a refugee place. It was a nightmare to find it in the dark, very difficult, no signs or posts.
From Ribadeo there is a very nice path to go, the route de la playa right on the coast line. But one needs a tent to go on there and then maybe get a bus or train back after a few days. There are no albergues on the cost from here and have to turn south towards Santiago. I went until the second playa and then turned back but took me 3 hours extra about.

30th August Ribadeo - Gondán 23 km
Very nice small village, with a nice albergue. Welcoming locals.

31st August Gondánn – Mondonedo 18 km
Very big nice albergue.

1st September Mondonedo – Villalba 27 km
Nice big albergue

2nd September Villalba – Baamande 21 km
Nice big albergue, nice welcome.

3rd September Baamande – Sobrado 40 km
A gorgeous Cathedral and Monastery. Very ancient! Great welcome, beautiful perfect albergue. Singing monks, lots of beds.
Strongly recommended to stay.

4th September Sobrado – Santa Irene 36.6 km
The way joins the Camino Frances at Arzua.

5th September Santiago
Slept in the Seminar Menor in the city, for 12 EUR, nice and comfortable, for someone who would like to sleep closer to the city then Monte do Gozo

6th September Muxia
Took a bus to Muxia and slept on the beach under the stars.
Unfortunately the albergue in Muxia wasn’t very welcoming. Although the albergue was almost empty the hospitalero didn’t allow me to sleep there as I did not walk there but came with a bus. The stars and the beach were very nice though.

[chloe]

thanks for all that info. I am considering walking the north route this may, but from Santiago ( so backward). I was wondering if I can just camp out anywhere, or there are very specific camping sites?

[Beatrix]

Hi Chloe,

To be honest I have not seen any official campsites, but I am sure there are a few. In any case around the albergues, if there is no more bed left, its always good to have a tent ready.
I remember a couple of pilgrims with tents, and and they said they were using it quite often.

I guess the only difficulty in camping in the 'wild' is that there are not many big or small corn fields or any farmed field. Its more hilly and they keep lot of sheep and cow everywhere. So the only difficulty would be I guesss to find a place where no cow or sheep can disturb you.
If I can, next time, I will take a small tent with me, cause it gives more flexibility and a lot of new kind of experience.

A guy from Asturias, tried to convince me that there are bears roaming the hills, and that I should not leave any food outside if I am camping.
I have read about it somewhere else too but still not sure if thats true!
Does anyone know if its real that there are real live bears in the north of Spain?

Oh and I remember, that its not allowed to light fire in almost anywhere...
I guess because the eucaliptic forests burn soo quickly, and there were big forest fires.
But about that I heard curious rumours that some people burn these forests, cause then the companies will have to sell the trees cheaper.
Well those Eucaliptic forests smell great, and there was no fire anywhere when I was there!