Camino del Norte
10.3 km, 145 m up and 134 m down, through 1 place, 1 of which has somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Orio. 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 camino reaches the riverfront and turns left (inland) towards the nearest bridge over the river. Once across the bridge, it turns right to follow the N-634 a short distance. Where the road bends left, the camino exits to the right to follow the waterfront and the Portua. Stay along the road and head towards and under the AP-8 visible in the distance. Once past the bridge overhead, the camino reaches a small beach (on your right). Turn left at the first road, keeping the tall hedge to your left. Follow this road all the way past the Gran Camping de Zarautz; the way is uphill as you climb Mount Talaimendi. As you begin to descend along the road, with Zarautz visible in the distance, the camino turns right towards town along a foot path. It meets the road and turns right.
The marked way through Zarautz is along the Nafarroa Kalea, about two blocks from the waterfront and parallel to it. As an alternate, you can turn right towards the beach and follow it to the end of town.
Leaving Zarautz can be a confusing affair and the local information office doesn’t do much to clarify matters.
There are two options out of town:
Option 1: The Official Camino to upper Getaria - 5.2
The official camino through the hillside; this option also splits so read ahead to find out more. At the end of the beach or road turn left (south, away from the sea) onto San Inazio Kalea. Keep to the right-hand side and continue a short distance, keeping an eye out for the small road that ramps up to the right and nearly parallel to San Inazio. That road is the one you want, and it will take you upwards.
Near the top, there are signs for the Ermita de Santa Barbara (and an excellent view back east). Not far from the Ermita the camino leaves the road along a path to the right which offers views of the sea. A short distance down this trail the camino joins a different paved road and quickly arrives at a junction. At this point, you have the option of bypassing Getaria entirely. Keep straight for Getaria, or turn sharply left to follow the GR-121. This second option rejoins the first slightly beyond Askizu.
Option 2: The road to lower Getaria - 4.1
The alternate road route along the N-634 coastal road to Getaria. At the end of the Nafarroa Kalea or the end of the beach, turn right and follow the pedestrian path adjacent to the road as it hugs the coastline all the way to Getaria. Simple and straightforward.
Zarautz is a popular event town and plays host to several surfing competitions and bike races throughout the summer. Both can put a crunch on the number of beds available.
If you came into Getaria along the N-634 you will have to climb up to rejoin the camino.If you came into Getaria along the trail you will have to decide whether you want to descend into town (and then return) or whether to keep on walking.The camino passes the Kanpaia Albergue at the highest point in town and continues along country lanes. It passes the Ermita de San Prudenzio (300 meters off the trail, has a fountain but is usually closed) and brings you directly to Askizu.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 260 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 10.7 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.