Camino del Norte
30.3 km, 336 m up and 367 m down, through 7 places, 6 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from La Franca. Most are too small to sleep in — a fountain, a chapel, a bar that may or may not be open — but they are what the day is actually made of.
The turn off is to the left, remember that in Asturias the shell symbols are typically oriented such that the ‘hinge’ of the symbol represents Santiago.
The albergue is down this side road a short distance. Beyond it the camino descends and then turns off to the right, crosses uphill through some forests and then zig-zags back down to the N-634. See notice below.
When the camino returns to the N-634 things get a bit confusing. There are two routes here, one that follows the road all the way to Buelna and beyond and an alternative which follows the coastline. The second route is the preferred option for its safety and scenery but it can be difficult to locate.
To follow the coastal route cross the N-634 when you get to it and turn left to follow it towards Buelna. The turn off is almost immediate and the arrows to show the way are frequently covered over with black paint so look for either a yellow arrow or a mess of black paint. To your right is a small path that crosses the railway line. Follow this trail and it will bring you to Buelna.
From Buelna you can again choose between the road and the coast. The road is evident, to get to the coast follow the signs for the E9 trail to Pendueles.
There are two routes between Pendueles and Llanes. The split between the two occurs shortly after you pass the Playa de Vidiago.Option 1: The NEW camino along the coast through Andrín - 14.6The new official camino between Pendueles and Llanes stays north of the A-8 and follows a slightly longer path. This route is both more scenic and more comfortable on your feet.Option 2: The old camino through Vidiago - 14.2This route, which until recently has been the official camino, was retired to keep pilgrims off of the main road. It is much more road walking than the new camino, however there is an albergue along this option.
Two routes between Pendueles and Llanes. The split occurs shortly after the Playa de Vidiago. The new official camino through Andrín stays north of the A-8 on a longer but more scenic coastal path — this is the better o…
In Andrín the camino zig zags uphill to join the LLN-2 on a pedestrian path to your right. Shortly after a sharp right-hand turn it leaves the road to the left to follow a mountain path to the entrance to Llanes. Alternatively you can stay on the road and pass through Cúe on the way to Llanes.
The camino enters Llanes from the south along the Avenida de la Concepción and continues along it all the way to the Río Carrocedo. At the river, the streets are mostly for pedestrians only and the camino does not deviate from the road, it follows along through several name changes and the old town and passes the train station on the way out of town. Shortly after it leaves the road and turns left to cross the railway and continue along a path to Póo.
Póo straddles the AS-263 and the camino winds its way through town, crossing the main road to follow a coastal path known locally as the Senda Cicloturista to Celorio. Alternatively, it is possible to turn left to follow the AS-263 there.
The route through Celorio is well marked, though if you wander off of it you may get turned around easily in the web of streets of this small village. If in doubt head towards the beach, which the camino passes on its way out of town along a coastal road.
Passing through Barro, there are a beach and bar to your right just off the main road. Further ahead at the end of town the camino turns left to leave the road; just past this turn is a small detour to visit the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores and the La Entrada beach, both located on the estuary. If you do go this way you can keep on the road which will rejoin the camino at the end of Niembru.
The path splits here and rejoins before Barro. Both ways are below, because the question is which to take, and that is not a question two separate pages can answer.
In Andrín the camino zig zags uphill to join the LLN-2 on a pedestrian path to your right. Shortly after a sharp right-hand turn it leaves the road to the left to follow a mountain path to the entrance to Llanes. Alternatively you can stay on the road and pass through Cúe on the way to Llanes.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 573 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 30.2 km.
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.