Welcome to the Camino del Norte – the pilgrim route along the Bay of Biscay that takes you through four regions of northern Spain: the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia. A route where, instead of fields and dust, you’ll feel sea wind, smell eucalyptus and hear the murmur of waves. The first three regions were unbelievably gorgeous, and it was staggering to watch how similar and how different those areas are at the same time.
The history of the Camino del Norte
It came about back when the Moors ruled southern Spain and pilgrims had to travel the northern route along the ocean to avoid dangerous areas. The whole time I thought the Moors were the same as the New Zealand Maori – they’re not 😂
Today it’s one of the most beautiful and also the quietest options. But be warned – it isn’t for everyone. The route is slightly more physically demanding, with frequent climbs and changeable weather. On the other hand it gives you what’s hard to find elsewhere: silence, nature, the sea and the honesty of the local people.
Why choose the Camino del Norte
The Camino del Norte was our first-ever route to Santiago de Compostela. Our starting point was the port city of Santander, halfway between Bilbao and Irún. For the first half we more or less followed Gronze.com. You don’t have to stick strictly to the written stages – some days you’ll feel like walking more, some days less. What matters is not overcooking it.
A fundamental problem came up on the way. I’d reckoned we’d walk the whole pilgrimage in 20 days and that it would be roughly 540 km. The opposite turned out to be true. When planning in Mapy.cz I’d ticked the walking route type “short” instead of “hiking”, and on top of that we only had 19 days, because on day twenty we were flying home at 7 in the morning. Oh well, you learn from your mistakes. Oh, and luckily buses exist 🙂
The lesson: be careful when you’re planning 😊 Because of it we had to take a bus from Gijón to the town of Cadavedo and continue from there. The bus saved us just under 65 km. By the end of the whole pilgrimage we were glad we’d made that call.
Where to start the Camino del Norte
If you want to walk the entire Camino del Norte, you need to take a bus from San Sebastián to the town of Irún. It’s here, on the Spanish-French border, that the 810 km pilgrimage begins.
Along the way you can decide whether to stay on the Camino del Norte or steer your route towards Oviedo rather than Gijón. The route through Oviedo and onwards is called the Camino Primitivo. It’s hillier and more demanding, and it ends up in the same place as the Norte.
Bilbao
You’ll cut 140 km off the route but still get plenty of coastline, beaches and sea. The route from Bilbao is 665 km.
Santander
Our starting point. A 549 km route. Direct flights from Vienna. It’s lovely because you experience the diversity of three regions: first Cantabria, then Asturias and finally Galicia.
Gijón
At 345 km, this route is still long enough to earn the Compostela while giving you the sea and the coast before the route turns inland. And you still get the beauty of Asturias before crossing into Galicia.
Food and culture along the route
Every region on the Camino del Norte tastes different:
- 🍢 Basque Country: the small tapas known as pintxos, and seafood.
- 🍲 Cantabria: sardines, fresh fish, cheeses.
- 🍎 Asturias: apple cider (sidra) and the bean stew fabada.
- 🐙 Galicia: octopus pulpo a feira and Albariño wine.
Drinking sidra is an experience in itself. What makes the serving special is that you get the bottle on the table and the waiter pours it from a great height into a glass held as low as they can reach. The point is to get oxygen into the drink for a brief moment, which brings out its flavour and aroma.
Other routes of the Camino de Santiago
If you’re looking for answers on where to fly for the French Way, the best bet is probably Paris and then the TGV, or Montpellier and a train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. For the Portuguese Way, Porto or Lisbon. We cover all the routes in this article.
