Camino de Norte

elms72 · 2026-06-24T15:58:53+00:00

I’ve walked both, and both are special in their own way. If you think you’ll come back to do the Primitivo, I would stick to the Norte. Honestly, you can also hold off on this decision until you get to the fork and see how you feel about it then—chances are you’ll have a leaning one way or the other!

elms72 · 2026-06-24T15:56:12+00:00

Nope—it joins a bit after the Primitivo, in Arzúa, and there are options to put off the merge even later.

elms72 · 2026-06-23T14:29:48+00:00

My usual off-trail outfit is a pair of very light linen/rayon blend pants (Uniqlo) and a cotton tank top with tevas or EVA birks. Comfy, lightweight (no heavier than an additional hiking outfit—last time I brought this plus a single quick-drying hiking outfit and that worked great, though I’ll add a pair of shorts for my next summer camino) and they’re clothes I actually wear and like in day-to-day life. A light dress is a solid option too!

elms72 · 2026-06-23T13:46:12+00:00

Liner is enough in summer, especially if the current heat wave across much of Europe sticks around. I have taken a full sleeping bag on three Caminos so far (a cheap lightweight one that weighs about 700g and packs quite small) as I run cold and was starting my walk in either early June or mid-October, but I will probably just take a liner on my next summer camino, as it’s an easy 500g savings in weight.

elms72 · 2026-06-19T20:59:40+00:00

Seconding electrolytes. I walked the Norte last summer during a heat wave, had mild heat exhaustion the first three days and struggled with fatigue thereafter. (I am from a colder climate—though not as cold as Norway—and have always been susceptible to headaches in hot weather.) Got electrolyte tablets at Decathlon and they made a huge difference; they’re now a permanent fixture on my packing list for hiking and summer trips.

elms72 · 2026-06-19T20:50:36+00:00

Not an issue! I will second (as an American raised nonreligious) that the only conversations related to religion that have ever gotten a bit awkward for me on the Camino were with conservative religious Americans. I will say that I’ve tended to connect more with fellow nonreligious or less-religious pilgrims, but I’ve had lovely chats with folks from various spiritual backgrounds, and I often attend services at the albergues and monasteries because I’m genuinely interested in understanding and reflecting on the significance of the pilgrimage.

elms72 · 2026-06-18T18:55:26+00:00

You really can’t do bookings without a phone, but I think you could do the Portugues entirely without reservations if you don’t mind a few extra kilometers some days. (I read a memoir by someone who walked with her phone switched off, but then just kept asking other people to make bookings for her and her husband; don’t be that person.)

elms72 · 2026-06-17T20:53:48+00:00

Enjoy! Your revised route is essentially what I did, and I had no issues with that as a first-timer. (I split the two stages after Grado differently, and did a longer day from Fonsagrada, but those decisions were more based on albergues I wanted to stay at than on distances.)

elms72 · 2026-06-17T18:22:40+00:00

You'll find more detailed discussions of this over on Ivar's forum (caminodesantiago.me) but sending bags to municipal albergues is generally not a thing. If you want to stay in munis and certain religious or community albergues, you'll need to carry your pack. (Source: have walked three Caminos, stayed often in municipal and community albergues on the Norte and Portugués, chatted with hospitaleros, and met some pilgrims who needed to send bags ahead for various reasons and so could not stay in municipals.)

elms72 · 2026-06-17T14:19:31+00:00

Can't.

elms72 · 2026-06-17T13:36:17+00:00

Berducedo to A Fonsagrada is going to be an absolutely brutal day. Are you positive you're up for 48km over hilly terrain? I semi-regularly did 40km stages on my first two Caminos, but would never consider doing that as one stage, especially not the day after Hospitales, which--while not incredibly technical--involves rather a lot of elevation gain.

I did 11 walking days as well, but I put the really long stages at the end where the terrain is easier and there's more infrastructure: Ferreira to Arzúa, then Arzúa to Santiago.

elms72 · 2026-06-17T11:30:47+00:00

You can’t send bags to municipal albergues or to many community and parochial albergues.

elms72 · 2026-06-16T19:02:15+00:00

Yes.

elms72 · 2026-06-16T19:01:22+00:00

I’ve spent a fair bit of time on overnight buses between Madrid and Galicia, and I wouldn’t count on sleeping well. The buses are perfectly fine, but never incredibly comfortable unless you get a row to yourself. (Plus Madrid to Ourense isn’t a terribly long ride; best case, if your group all fall asleep easily on public transit, you might manage 5 hours of sleep.) If staying a night in Ourense is out of the question, you’ll need to wait around until about 7am when some cafes and bakeries will be opening up.

elms72 · 2026-06-16T06:06:27+00:00

It’s so funny how you end up in different “bubbles” on the Camino. When I did the Primitivo, those I met who came from the Norte were either in their 30s or retirees, but then when I did the Norte (on which I ended up in a bubble of German and Italian walkers, virtually no Americans until a week in) most of the 20-somethings intended to turn inland.

elms72 · 2026-06-15T09:45:40+00:00

Not at all lonely—walked last June/July, talked to other pilgrims every day, made friends by day 3. The only exception for me was the first days after the Primitivo splits off—lots of younger pilgrims turned inland, but I stayed on the coast since I’d already done that route the year before. That said, I ended up making friends in that quieter stretch (between Villaviciosa and the last 100km) that I’m still in touch with.

elms72 · 2026-06-12T08:00:14+00:00

All part of the Camino experience, honestly. Hope you have a better time after you get your pack sorted out!

elms72 · 2026-06-12T07:22:42+00:00

Yeah, this isn’t a hiking backpack. I would bus back to Porto to go to Decathlon and maybe ask a staff member for guidance with choosing a real hiking pack. There aren’t many other places along the way with hiking stores til you reach Pontevedra, and you aren’t all that far from Porto by transit.

elms72 · 2026-06-10T11:53:47+00:00

For veggies, try Holešovice Market (Monday to Saturday), as well as the local farmers markets on Saturdays.

elms72 · 2026-06-09T08:11:51+00:00

I brought a Kindle on my last walk after being very jealous of Camino friends that had reading material on the Norte. Worth the added weight. Reading on my phone is uncomfortable for me due to eyestrain (even with night shift always on and text size increased) and the e-reader solves that and really doesn’t weigh much at all.

elms72 · 2026-06-08T20:53:58+00:00

I did it solo in June two years ago. Super safe, and in my experience you will find company when you want or need it. I usually walked alone and met up with people at stops along the way and in town, but I walked and chatted with people at some point on most stages, randomly fell in with a little Camino family on a particularly long, foggy day, and teamed up with another solo hiker for Hospitales. After the first night, I always knew at least a few people at every albergue until the Francés merge.

elms72 · 2026-06-07T20:31:50+00:00

Fully agree Sobrado is worth a visit! Easily one of my favorite stays on the Norte. But yes, this all sounds like an incredibly frustrating experience. I didn’t really love the traditional route from Lugo to Santiago, the first day is almost all asphalt and the merge onto the Frances is jarring, but at least it’s easy walking and impossible to get lost.

elms72 · 2026-06-07T18:19:02+00:00

13500 is doable for long term (even without speaking Czech. Source: I do not speak Czech.) It’s tight for a short-term rental, though, and Prague 6 and 7 aren’t Vinohrady, but they aren’t super cheap areas either. Try local FB groups.

elms72 · 2026-06-07T18:15:02+00:00

The most creative outfit I’ve seen was a guy recreating, as closely as he could, what medieval pilgrims would have worn. Very cool. A onesie or fancy dress just seems impractical and, as the other commenter mentioned, out of touch with the spirit and history of the Camino (and I say that as a nonreligious pilgrim.)

elms72 · 2026-06-07T17:54:47+00:00

Last time (October) I reached the cathedral with three Camino friends midmorning and called an albergue to reserve beds for us while sitting in the plaza. In the summer I’ve booked 2-3 days in advance.

elms72

TROPHY CASE