When you are in the midst of a hiking adventure, you can rarely see the big picture. Only with time, perspective, and a bit of diligent record-keeping does it all come together. This post is a snapshot of what I saw, ate, and did on the Camino del Norte during my 2022 hike.
OVERVIEW
- Total distance walked: 842 kilometers (522 miles)
- Spanish provinces I walked through: 5
- Duration of time on the Camino del Norte: 29 days
- Days of actual walking: 28 days
- Zero days (days off): 1
- Walking pace: 30 km/day (18.64 miles/day)
- Longest distance walked in a single day: 40.9 kilometers (25.4 mile)
- Shortest distance walked in a day: 20.9 kilometers (13 miles)
- Lowest elevation: Sea level
- Highest elevation: 2,330 feet above sea level
Transportation
- Starting point: Hendaye, France
- End point: Santiago de Compestela, Spain
- Ferry boats taken on the Camino Del Norte: 3
- Total cost for ferries: €6.20
- Most unusual transportation: Vizcaya Bridge gondola
- Cost to take the gondola one-way: €0.50
- Train rides taken while on the Camino Del Norte: 1 (Boo de Piélagos to Mogro)
- Duration of that ride: 1.2 kilometers
- Train rides taken after the Camino: 1 (Santiago to Madrid)
- Duration of train ride from : 3 hours, 40 minutes
- Modes of transportation needed to get home: 4 (train, metro, airplane, car)
- Air travel time from Madrid to my home: 20 hours! (MAD->FRA->SEA->EUG)
FOOD & DRINK
- Wine regions the Camino del Norte goes through: 1 (Txacholi/Basque Country)
- Cider regions walked through: 1 (Asturias)
- Number of sidrerias visited: 2
- Brands of Spanish beer I tried: 2
- Best local delicacy I enjoyed: Cabrales bleu cheese
- Weirdest regional food I saw: Angulas (baby eels)
- Pulperias visited: 1
- Best restaurant meal: Spanish-Indian fusion in Ribadeo (Kalpa Amodiño)
- Best dessert: Churros & espresso
Where I slept
- Private albergues/hostels: 16
- Public/municipal albergues: 0
- Pensiones: 4
- Casas rurales: 2
- Monasteries: 1
- Former dairy farm: 1 (Izarbide Albergue)
- Hotels: 6
- Most expensive night of lodging: €175
- Least expensive night: €8
- Favorites: Izarbide Albergue (Ibiri) and Hotel Vijanera (Galizano)
Weather on the camino del norte
- Start and and dates of my Camino: September 16 – October 14, 2018
- Hiking season: Early autumn
- Weather on day 1 of the Camino Del Norte: Rainy
- Weather on my 29 of the Camino Del Norte: Also rainy
- Days that included some rain: 14 (48% of my Camino)
- Longest stretch of consecutive rainy days: 8
- Number of beautiful sunny days: 11 (38% of my Camino)
- Windy days on the Camino: 4
- Average daily temperature: 65-75°F
- Warmest day: 84°F (29°C in Villaviciosa on Oct. 1st)
WHAT I SAW ALONG THE WAY
- Largest city I walked through: Bilbao
- Most infamous town I visited: Guernica
- Mountain Ranges: 2 (Basque & Cantabrian)
- Most scenic mountains: Picos de Europa
- Varieties of fruit I saw growing along the Camino Del Norte: 7
- My favorite one: Figs
- Local men I watched making their own wine: 4 (Day 17)
- Number of monasteries I visited: 2
- Number of churches I visited: 30+
- Favorite church: Iglesia San Vicente (Day 8)
- Plaza de toros I walked past: 1
- Parades observed : 1 (Carlos V festival in Laredo)
- Spanish museums visited: 2 (Guggenheim & Reina Sofia)
ODDS & ENDS
- Total pack weight (excluding food/water): 9.8 pounds
- Most unnecessary item I carried: iPad mini
- MVP gear items on this hike: Nike shorts & my rain gear
- Items I lost on the Camino: 1 (a single sock)
- Items destroyed at a local laundromat: 1 (my hat)
- Number of pilgrims I walked with for more than two days: 5
- Nationalities of those pilgrims: 5 (UK, Luxembourg, Italy, Canada, US)
- Number of times I almost quit on Week 2: Nearly every day
- Reasons why: Knee pain, endless rain, & sheer frustration
- Favorite section of the Camino: Rugged cliffs near Llanes (Day 13)
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Camino Del Norte was my second long-distance walk in Spain, and while I walked it at the same time of the year, it was worlds apart from my original Camino pilgrimage in 2018 (on the Camino Frances & Camino Finisterre). This route was much more scenic with sweeping ocean views for many of the miles. But it was also physically harder due to the steepness of much of the terrain. It was also psychologically frustrating due to the logisitics and rainy weather. Each day of walking felt like a week, but then it seemed to be over in the blink of an eye.
The Camino Del Norte was a wonderful adventure, but one that pilgrims need to be prepared for. There were a number of major challenges aside from the walking. Getting a bed in an albergue required prior planning or reservations. There was a lot more competition for the coastal resources from tourists and surfers, and it was much more expensive than the Camino Frances.
If you’d like to read more about my thoughts on this hike, check out:
Enjoyed reading your compilation of interesting facts on the Norte.
I’m on Day 13 of the Norte and had to giggle on your “almost quit” notes.
You have given me new hope that YES, this too can be done….1 day at a time.
As bizarre as it sounds, after 2 years, I have nothing but fantastic memories of the Camino del Norte! My memory only clung to the beautiful vistas and lovely people I met. It seems to have completely forgotten the difficult terrain and bad weather. Keep putting one foot in front of the other! Buen Camino.