The Northern Way Map

The Northern Way links Irún and Santiago in about 830 km and 36 stages through the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia. On the map you will see its stages, the elevation profile, the sections with few services and where to start, from Irún to Vilalba.

Here is the map of the Northern Way, the route that runs along the Cantabrian coast from Irún, right by the French border, to Santiago de Compostela. The Northern Way covers about 830 km in 36 stages, longer than the French Way.

How do you read this map of the Northern Way?

The map reads from right to left: it starts in Irún and follows the coast, marking the main towns along the route: San Sebastián, Zarautz, Deba, Markina, Gernika, Bilbao, Portugalete, Castro Urdiales, Laredo, Santander, Santillana del Mar, Comillas, Llanes, Ribadesella, Villaviciosa, Gijón, Avilés, Luarca and Ribadeo, among others. In Ribadeo you enter Galicia, leave the coast and pass through Mondoñedo, Abadín, Vilalba, Baamonde and Sobrado dos Monxes all the way to Arzúa, where you join the French Way for the last two stages to Santiago.

The route crosses 4 autonomous communities and 6 provinces: the Basque Country (provinces of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia), Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia (provinces of Lugo and A Coruña).

At the bottom you will find the elevation profile. In the Basque Country the stages go up and down non-stop between hills and valleys; in Cantabria and Asturias the Way almost always stays close to the sea, with short but constant climbs. The highest part comes in inland Galicia: the highest point, at about 710 m, is on the stage from Miraz to Sobrado dos Monxes.

Sections with few services: keep them in mind

The Northern Way passes through towns and cities with all services for almost the whole route. Even so, there are three sections where it is a good idea to set out with water and some food in your backpack:

• Gernika – Lezama: from Gernika there are hardly any services until Goikolexea, with ups and downs along forest tracks that turn muddy in the rain.
• Ribadeo – Lourenzá: between Vilela and San Xusto there are hardly any services.
• Lourenzá – Abadín: from Mondoñedo there are no services until Gontán, next to Abadín, whether you choose the valley route or the mountain variant.

The flip side is the big cities you will find on the map, such as San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander and Gijón. Take the chance to get to know them and enjoy their atmosphere and their food.

Where do I start the Northern Way?

If you have time to do it all, the starting point is Irún. The most common choice is to split it into several trips, section by section: from Irún to Bilbao (you can also start from San Sebastián), from Bilbao to Santander, from Santander to Ribadesella and from Ribadesella to Ribadeo.

From Ribadeo you walk the whole Galician section to Santiago, in 9 stages. And if you have fewer days, start from Vilalba: it is 6 stages and you go past 100 km.

Remember that to get the Compostela you have to cover at least the last 100 km on foot to Santiago (200 km by bike), so you can earn it both with the complete Way and by starting from Vilalba.

If you go by bike, you can ride the Northern Way from Gijón or the whole route from Irún.

A demanding Way beside the sea

The Northern Way is one of the longest Ways and one of those with the most accumulated ascent, especially in the Basque Country. If you go in the rainy season, keep in mind that some sections turn muddy and the stages get tougher. With a little preparation you will enjoy it much more: here are our tips for getting physically prepared.

If you are looking for another route, check out the map of the French Way, the busiest one, or the map of the Primitive Way, which starts in Oviedo and crosses the Asturian mountains. You also have the map of the Portuguese Way and all the routes of the Camino de Santiago.

Once you are clear about where you want to start and how many days you have, work out the price of your Northern Way here and get ready to walk with the Cantabrian Sea by your side.