The ways to Santiago
Camino del Norte
The coastal route along the Bay of Biscay. Quieter, harder, greener.
- Distance
- 824 km
- Time
- 32 to 36 days
- Stages
- About 34 stages
- Difficulty
- Challenging
Starts in Irún, Spain
The ways to Santiago
The coastal route along the Bay of Biscay. Quieter, harder, greener.
Starts in Irún, Spain
The Norte follows Spain's north coast through the Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias, before it turns inland towards Santiago. San Sebastián, Bilbao and Santander are all on the menu, and so are the constant climbs and descents as the path crosses one river valley after another.
It is wetter, greener and far less travelled than the Francés. Walkers who want sea views, fishing villages and a little more silence tend to fall in love with this one.
The Camino del Norte is the route we have been recommended most often. Every time we have been out on the French or the Portuguese route, we have met someone who has walked the Norte, and almost all of them say it is the one they like best. It is often called the most beautiful of all the Caminos.
The route follows Spain's north coast through the Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias, before it turns inland towards Santiago. San Sebastián, Bilbao and Santander all lie on the way, and so do the green mountains that fall into the sea and the many fishing villages. At around 825 kilometres it is a touch longer than the Francés.
What we hear again and again is that the Norte is far less crowded than the two most famous routes. Some grumble a little about walking a good deal on tarmac, but the same people then tell us that the combination of mountain landscape and coast is absolutely magnificent. We have even met pilgrims who stayed several days in the same place to surf at the beaches along the way.
One of Spain's most beautiful cities with a shell-shaped beach, world-class pintxos bars and a hilly coastal run in and out.
Green mountains that drop straight into the sea, with fishing towns and lovely beaches where some pilgrims stay an extra day to surf.
The city on the river with the famous titanium museum. An obvious rest day mid-trip with culture and good food.
An elegant coastal city and long beach stages through Cantabria, where the sea is never far away.
Steep green ravines, small harbours and villages where cider is poured from a great height. Raw and authentic northern Spanish atmosphere.
Along the way you can turn inland and switch to the original route. Many combine the two for the best of both.
The Norte is considered one of the more challenging routes. Officially it is divided into around 34 stages averaging 25 kilometres, but you regularly end up on stretches over 30 kilometres. The coast is cut up by one river valley after another, so it goes constantly up and down, and the many short, steep climbs add up over a day. The weather is Atlantic and wetter than on the more southerly routes. The green, lush landscape is the reward for all that rainfall, so pack for rain whatever the season. There are around 225 hostels along the way, but the distances between them can be longer than on the Francés, so it takes a little more planning.
A great many people dream of the Camino del Norte after they have got a taste for the long routes on the Francés. It suits you if you already have a little experience, love the sea and are happy to swap the big crowds for more quiet and wilder nature. If you do not mind rain, climbs and a bit of tarmac when the reward is rocky coastlines, fishing towns and cities like San Sebastián and Bilbao, then this is where you should go.
The start town of Irún lies in the Basque Country right on the French border, only a good two kilometres from San Sebastián's airport. That is why many pilgrims fly there, often with a stopover in Madrid. From Denmark a flight to Bilbao or San Sebastián and onward by train or bus is often the simplest way. Collect your pilgrim passport in Irún and start at the border river.
June to September gives you the best odds with the Atlantic weather. The shoulder months are beautiful, but pack for rain no matter what the calendar says.