2021 Pilgrimage on the Northern Caminos
Like everything else, the pandemic effectively shut down pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago over the past 15 months, aside from a soft reopening for Europeans last summer. With Europe finally reopening, to varying degrees, the smoke is starting to clear. And, to my great relief, much of the pilgrim infrastructure is bouncing back, with […]
Comparing the Challenge of Different Caminos
A common question on Camino discussion forums involves the relative challenge of different routes. This is a difficult question to answer! Even if the responder has experience with the different routes involved, each is walked in a distinct context–different age, potentially different levels of conditioning or health, perhaps varied weather. A hard walk in a […]
Looking the Devil in the Eyes on the Norte
I wrote yesterday about a couple of small, easy coastal detours to consider on the Norte. Today, I offer another detour, but it’s more substantial, and it’s a bit controversial. Many consider it too dangerous to consider. I think that’s over-stated; I led a group of high schoolers on it this past summer and, while […]
Two Coastal Mini-Short-Cuts on the Norte
It’s a funny thing, working on a guidebook to the Camino del Norte, as opposed to the Camino Francés. On the Francés, the vast majority of pilgrims want to hold closely to the “official” route. While more short alternatives have popped up in Galicia, in particular, over the last decade as they try to manage […]
Escaping Pavement Before Bilbao on the Camino del Norte
The opening stages of the Camino del Norte, as the route passes through the Basque Country, are some of the most spectacular stretches of pilgrimage in Spain. It’s strenuous, for sure, but the walking is excellent, often following footpaths through coastal hills, with striking views of the Bay of Biscay and surrounding countryside, along with […]
Coastal options on the Camino del Norte between Laredo and Santander
Now that I’m home for a bit, after three months of walking–one on the Camino del Norte and two on the American Discovery Trail, I want to revisit a few of the alternative routes that I explored for the first time on the Norte. This is the first of three or four posts on the […]
New Edition, New Title
At long last, the new edition of our guidebook to the Camino del Norte and Camino Primitivo has been released by Cicerone Press. Formerly known as The Northern Caminos, this updated version has seen the section on the Camino Inglés shifted to a separate book, in order to create a bit more space for new […]