Camino del Norte: Stages, Map and Where to Start

The first stage, and one of the most beautiful on the Camino del Norte. You leave Irún toward the Guadalupe sanctuary and walk along Mount Jaizkibel with the Cantabrian Sea at your feet, through woods and dense forest trails with the odd steep slope. You drop down to Pasai Donibane, cross the harbor mouth in a small launch to Pasai San Pedro and, over Mount Ulía, reach La Concha. San Sebastián curves around an almost perfect bay between Igueldo and Urgull; its Parte Vieja (Old Town) has one of the highest concentrations of pintxos in the world, and heading to the Peine del Viento at sunset is a plan that never fails.

You leave San Sebastián heading west, between beaches and hills, and the hard climb of the day comes straight away: Mount Igueldo, which you zigzag up. Then you follow the old Orio road among caseríos (Basque farmhouses) and meadows, with the Cantabrian Sea always in the background: its views stay with you all day. You pass through the fishing town of Orio and, on the final stretch, your effort is rewarded with superb views of Getaria and its “mouse” before you reach Zarautz, the town with the very long beach, where the stage ends.

The ups and downs of the first two stages are your training for this one, marked by three climbs: leaving Zarautz, at Zumaia and at Itziar. You can leave along the seafront promenade and make a strategic stop in Getaria, birthplace of Balenciaga and of the navigator Elcano. The Camino continues to Zumaia, with its flysch coastline, and climbs toward the Santa Klara farmstead on local roads and dirt paths, some of them steep. From Itziar, a beautiful descent brings you back to the sea at Deba. Luckily, it’s a short stage.

Today you say goodbye to the sea at Deba and head into the Basque mountains: a hard stage, but a rewarding one for its scenery, nature and culture. After the climb to the Calvario chapel, a path takes you to Olatz, the gateway to Bizkaia, through some of the purest, most authentic rural scenery in the Basque Country. Then you cross Mount Arno on forest trails to Markina, the land of Basque pelota. At the end of the day there are two routes: choose the new one, which is in better condition.

A stage steeped in history and, once again, shaped by the climbs and descents of the Atlantic mountains. From Markina you pass through Bolibar, the ancestral home of the liberator Simón Bolívar, and the monastery of Zenarruza, a gem of Biscayan Gothic. After climbing the slopes of Mount Oiz, a long descent along vivid green riverside paths takes you to Munitibar and, finally, to Gernika, the town bombed on 26 April 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, which Picasso immortalized in his most famous painting.

A short, rewarding stage, although the terrain is still mountainous and the climbs frequent. You leave Gernika skirting the Urdaibai reserve, with spectacular natural scenery, and the day strings together hilltops (Morga, Aretxabalagana) among hermitages, tracks and pretty forest trails, always well waymarked. After Larrabezu, the Camino is easy to follow all the way to Lezama, the end of the stage on the edge of the Bilbao area. Tomorrow the shortest day of the whole route awaits, with the city as your reward.

The shortest stage of the Camino del Norte combines quiet rural paths with the arrival in one of its great cities. From Lezama you pass through Zamudio and climb Mount Avril, where you first see Bilbao at your feet, before heading down into the city. Bilbao blends seafaring tradition with cutting-edge architecture: the Casco Viejo (Old Town) and its Siete Calles bring together Bilbao’s cathedral of Santiago, pintxos and the Ribera market, and on the banks of the ría the Guggenheim and the Abandoibarra promenade await. An unhurried txikiteo is the best plan.

The most urban stage of the whole Camino del Norte: Greater Bilbao is one continuous built-up area down to the mouth of the Nervión, and that is exactly the stretch you walk. The official route follows the left bank of the ría, between Zorrotza and Barakaldo; don’t skip this urban section, which holds the history and architecture of the estuary. The great icon of the day is the Bizkaia Bridge, the Puente Colgante, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Portugalete, the end of the stage and the point where you meet the Cantabrian Sea again.

Farewell to the Basque Country and into Cantabria. You leave Portugalete on the bidegorri, the cycle path, and leave the Bilbao metropolitan area behind. After La Arena beach you reach Pobeña, where the best stretch of the day begins: the Paseo Itsaslur, a greenway along the bed of an old mining railway, with stunning views over the coast. Then you follow paths to Castro Urdiales, one of the most populated towns on the Cantabrian coast. You’ll miss Basque food, but in Cantabria you eat just as well.

A day of cliffs and the first stage you walk entirely in Cantabria. You leave Castro Urdiales climbing toward Allendelagua, with the ruins of its Templar tower, and continue along wooded paths, through impressive forest scenery, parallel to the towering coastal cliffs. After crossing the Agüera River you choose between the inland route and the beautiful coastal path. Either one takes you to Laredo, which welcomes you at the end of the day with its huge La Salvé beach.

A pleasant, varied day with a seafaring feel. You leave Laredo and its beach for Santoña, a town famous for its anchovies: many pilgrims cross the bay by boat, a lovely crossing. Then the Camino turns rural and quiet and skirts the protected marshes of Santoña, Victoria and Joyel, a refuge for thousands of birds, among small villages and coastal paths, with the sea and the beaches always close by. You finish in Noja, one of the best-known resorts on the Cantabrian coast, with long beaches such as Ris.

You leave Noja between marshes and beaches, in the Trasmiera area, on tracks and local roads that pass through Castillo Siete Villas, in Arnuero, and climb to Bareyo, where the late 12th-century church of Santa María is a gem of coastal Cantabrian Romanesque. Then come Güemes and Galizano, and with them the option of the variant along the cliffs of Langre and Loredo: it makes the day a little longer, but keeps the sea in view the whole time. The ending is unusual: at Somo you take the boat across the bay to the center of Santander.

The longest stage of the Camino del Norte, from the city to a medieval gem. You leave Santander heading west through its outskirts, crossing railway lines and the highway, to Santa Cruz de Bezana: asphalt dominates the first half. You cross the Pas River on the medieval bridge of Oruña and, after Requejada, Barreda and Viveda, the Camino heads into rural surroundings of small lanes and tracks. Your effort is rewarded in Santillana del Mar, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Spain. Tonight, you’ve earned a good rest.

A very pleasant stage that moves a little away from the sea, though with quite a lot of asphalt. You leave Santillana del Mar through meadows and country lanes, with the church of San Pedro de Oreña looking down from the hilltop, and pass through Cóbreces and, on the northern variant, Luaña beach. Comillas is a stately town with a Modernista feel, with 19th-century buildings put up by emigrants returning from the Americas; there, Gaudí’s El Capricho and the Sobrellano Palace await you. If you still have energy, you can carry on to San Vicente de la Barquera: 33 km in total.

A long day through the most seafaring part of Cantabria, ending in Asturias. You leave Comillas and cross the heart of the Oyambre Natural Park; the must-see stop is San Vicente de la Barquera, which you enter by crossing its ría on the La Maza bridge. Between rías, rivers and railway lines you reach Unquera and cross the Deva River into beautiful, green Asturias. Colombres, the Camino’s first stage finish in Asturias, is famous for its indiano architecture.

A stage entirely in Asturias, with the sea as your reward. From Colombres you follow the N-634 to Pendueles, where we recommend taking the coastal path, which is far more spectacular: beaches such as Vidiago, the Purón River and the astonishing Bufones de Arenillas, one of the most unusual spots on the Asturian coast. The day ends in Llanes, a charming fishing town, one of the best-known and most touristy in Asturias and the setting for many Spanish films. Don’t miss the La Boriza viewpoint.

A long day: the first half hugs the coast through Poo, Celorio, Barro and Niembro, with beaches such as Palombina and Torimbia just a short detour away and the monastery of San Antolín de Bedón beside its beach. After Posada, the Camino heads inland through Nueva and Piñeres de Pría: if there’s a heavy swell, go and see the bufones, chimneys in the cliffs through which the sea bursts up in columns of water. Then you drop down to the Sella and enter Ribadesella, with its harbor, Santa Marina beach and the Tito Bustillo cave, whose rock paintings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From Ribadesella, after crossing the ría, you head west between beaches and lush valleys, discovering at every step valuable natural spots on the Cantabrian coast. The Camino, with the N-632 as a reference, links lovely beaches such as La Vega and the Arenal de Morís. Near the end you can make a short coastal detour via La Isla before reaching Colunga, in the heartland of Asturian cider, at the end of a gentle stage.

A breather after the demanding stages: 17 easy kilometers, almost a rest day. Today you won’t see the sea once you leave Colunga, because the Camino leans inland, with the N-632 as a reference, through Pernús, Priesca and Sebrayo, on gentle slopes. Villaviciosa is the capital of Asturian apples and cider, so recharge the local way: tomorrow brings a longer stage, with the climb to the Alto de la Cruz, and a city to make the most of, Gijón.

A fairly long stage: leave Villaviciosa early if you want to arrive around midday and see Gijón properly, or consider adding an extra night in the city. You set off beside the Linares River, past the Romanesque church of San Juan de Amandi, and tackle the hardest part of the day: the climb to the Alto de la Cruz, with impressive views of the Valdediós valley, the “valley of the monasteries.” After Peón and Deva you reach Gijón, a bohemian city to make the most of.

After a few urban kilometers to get out of Gijón, the day opens onto pretty countryside and the woods of Monte Areo, an area of great archaeological interest with Neolithic burial mounds and megaliths that deserve a close look. Past churches and hamlets, with the odd stretch on the road shoulder where you need to take care, you reach Avilés, Asturias’s third major city, often underrated because of its industrial past: its very well-preserved old town and its fishermen’s houses with colorful arcades are a treat for the eyes.

With this stage you’re fully into western Asturias. It’s a day of many villages, some urban stretches and constant ups and downs: you’ll be glad it isn’t long. You leave Avilés for Salinas, where you briefly meet the sea again, and continue along dirt tracks and through very pleasant rural hamlets. The ending is beautiful: the mouth of the Nalón ría seen from El Castillo, with its castle of San Martín, before you reach Muros de Nalón, the end of the stage.

A short, gentle and very green stage along the Asturian coast: the short distance lets you walk calmly and enjoy every nuance of the Camino. On leaving Muros de Nalón you can detour to Cudillero, one of the prettiest fishing villages in Asturias, with its colorful houses looking out to sea. Between the Concha de Artedo beach and dense, vivid green woodland paths, you reach Soto de Luiña, the end of a gentle, quiet stage.

A truly fascinating stage for its scenery and nature, with two options that don’t meet until the finish. The Ruta de las Palancas goes over the hills: a little harder, but with a bird’s-eye view of the Asturian cliffs. The Camino Real de las Ballotas follows the coast, past gems such as Playa del Silencio. Both are stunning and we find it hard to choose: which one will you take? Both end in Cadavedo, a charming coastal village in the municipality of Valdés.

A short stage through western Asturias that leaves you time for Luarca, one of the towns in the area with the most to discover. From Cadavedo you walk between hamlets and dirt tracks, with the N-632 for company, crossing small oak and chestnut woods and the Esva River. Just a few kilometers after Barcia, the final stretch offers lovely views of Luarca, Asturias’s beautiful “white town,” with its harbor and old fishermen’s quarter. Set off early and enjoy it at your leisure.

A long stage that breaks with the average distance of the previous days, although the path is easy and pleasant and poses no great difficulty. You leave Luarca and walk on roads and comfortable rural paths to Navia, halfway through the day, where you can split the stage and spend the night. You cross its river toward Jarrio and Cartavio, and the day ends in La Caridad, the main town of the municipality of El Franco: the pure flavor of green, seafaring Asturias.

The last stage in Asturias and the entry into Galicia: the finish is starting to feel close. From La Caridad you choose between the official inland route, via Tol, or the coastal path via Tapia de Casariego. Both reach Figueras and the long Puente de los Santos bridge over the Eo ría, which you cross into Galicia. Ribadeo looks out over the ría with its Plaza de España and the striking Torre de los Moreno. Very close by is the Playa de las Catedrales, with rock arches thirty meters high that can only be seen at low tide: book your entry and check the tides.

The first stage entirely on Galician soil: from here you head southwest toward Santiago, leaving historic Ribadeo for the interior of Lugo Province. You set off on forest trails and tackle the first serious climb, up to Ponte de Arante; if it has rained a lot, it’s better to take the road. Through vast green cattle pastures you reach Lourenzá, famous for its monastery and its fabas.

A long day with a star stop and plenty of history. From Lourenzá you take the San Rosendo nature trail to Mondoñedo, one of the seven capitals of the old Kingdom of Galicia: its cathedral deserves a proper break and, if you don’t know the town, it’s worth stopping. Then you choose between the official route through the Valiñadares valley or the mountain variant, both heading for Abadín, through green meadows and great peace and quiet.

A flat, pleasant stage through the A Terra Chá area: from Abadín you walk among green meadows, small carballeiras of Atlantic vegetation and scattered hamlets, with hardly any climbs, to Vilalba. The capital of the Terra Chá is a quiet town known for its food: San Simón cheese, smoked and pear-shaped, and the capons sold at the Christmas fair. In the center rises the keep of the Andrade family, now a parador, and around it there are good terraces for an unhurried meal.

A quiet, easy stage through inland Galicia, and far from monotonous: a world of contrasts between paths, tracks and beautiful rural surroundings. It’s the first stage if you start in Vilalba. You leave town crossing the Madalena and Trimaz rivers and walk along pretty tree-lined paths. The loveliest spot of the day is the Ponte de Saa, a medieval bridge over the Labrada River. Through small hamlets you reach Baamonde, the end of the stage.

A short, very green stage. You leave Baamonde, cross the Parga River on a medieval bridge and head into a beautiful carballeira, an oak grove sheltering the chapel of San Alberte, a place of great scenic and spiritual power. Through small hamlets you reach Miraz. The official route continues to Sobrado dos Monxes, almost 40 kilometers from Baamonde, but new albergues (pilgrim hostels) opened in recent years let you split the day here, and that’s better than taking on the more than 30 km to Sobrado in one go.

A magical, very natural stage that runs peacefully between small villages. It’s the second half of the old official stage that started in Baamonde. From Miraz, on paths once trodden by the Celtic tribes of Gallaecia, you climb to the Alto da Mámoa and reach the highest point of the Camino del Norte, at 710 meters. You leave Lugo Province behind for A Coruña Province and finish in Sobrado dos Monxes, famous for its impressive Cistercian monastery of Santa María.

The last stage that belongs to the Camino del Norte alone. You leave Sobrado dos Monxes and its monumental monastery and walk through wooded stretches and hamlets: A Gándara, with its Roman milestone, and Sendelle, with its church of Santa María. As you go deeper into A Coruña Province, the wide meadows give way to paved stretches and ever more continuous settlement. You finish in Arzúa, home of the famous cheese, where the Norte joins the Camino Francés for the home stretch to Santiago.

The first day on the Camino Francés, which the Norte joined at Arzúa: you’ll notice a big increase in the number of pilgrims. A gentle stage among pines and eucalyptus, on easy, mostly flat ground, between hamlets and with plenty of bars and restaurants so you can take it easy. Salceda marks the halfway point; in Santa Irene, there’s a fountain said to have healing powers. O Pedrouzo, the main town of the municipality of O Pino, is the last classic overnight stop before Santiago: it has the Neoclassical church of Santa Eulalia de Arca, with its curious scallop-shaped altar.

The last stage! The sooner you leave O Pedrouzo, the sooner you’ll set foot in Compostela. The Camino runs through eucalyptus woods and skirts Lavacolla airport, next to the stream where medieval pilgrims washed before entering the city. From Monte do Gozo (380 m) you see the cathedral towers for the first time. Five more kilometers and then come the old town, the Praza do Obradoiro, the hug for the statue of the Apostle, the Pilgrim’s Reception Office and the Compostela.