Camino del Norte
27.5 km, 302 m up and 356 m down, through 10 places, 7 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Piñera. 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 roads in these parts, you may have noticed, are a web of country lanes which are not altogether very straightforward. Leaving Piñera you may or may not cross the railway line twice. But you will certainly return to the N-634 for a brief strech of walking along the road. It leave to the right onto another path and passes through Villaoril.
Continue along the country road that brought you into Villaoril all the way to La Colorada, where you are greeted by a gas station and several industrial warehouses on your left.
Not far past the industrial buildings there are a few homes, and the camino turns left to take a quieter road to Navia.
Beyond Jarrio the camino mostly avoids the N-634 and instead keeps to the countryside back roads. Once it crosses over the A-8 however that pattern changes, and it follows the main road into Cartavio. From Cartavio to La Caridad it then struggles to stay off the road, leaving for brief stretches but alway returning to it. In La Caridad, after passing the municipal albergue, it returns to the old N-634 through town.
Beyond Jarrio the camino mostly avoids the N-634 and instead keeps to the countryside back roads. Once it crosses over the A-8 however that pattern changes, and it follows the main road into Cartavio. From Cartavio to La Caridad it then struggles to stay off the road, leaving for brief stretches but alway returning to it. In Cartavio, after passing the municipal albergue, it returns to the old N-634 through town.
A hamlet on the road between Navia and La Caridad. No services.
A hamlet between Cartavio and La Caridad. No services.
The way through La Caridad is entirely along the old N-634 which will eventual meet up with the new N-634. Just before it does, the camino leaves both roads to follow a different road to the left. You will return to and cross the N-634 on the way into Valdepares, and you will then return to and cross it once more on the way out of Valdepares.
From the church in Valdepares, where the camino turns left to cross over the N-634, it is possible instead to turn right and follow a coastal path in the direction of the ‘Castro y Mirador de Cabo Blanco.’ This path is certainly the long way around to Porcía (4.1km), but it does follow the headlands (with beach) and the views are magnificent.
After Porcía the camino splits into two routes to Figueras, the last town in Asturias. The northern route via Tapia de Casariego (15.2 km) follows the coast. Keep straight at the fork — don't cross back over the N-634. …
Approximately 5.5km after La Caridad, after passing through Porcía, the camino again splits. Ahead are two distinct routes to Figueras, the last town in Asturias.NOTE: The town of Figueras, with all the services, is technically along the southern route but not far from the end of the northern route. The albergue on the other hand is located on the northern route, not far from the southern route.Option 1: Via Tapia de Casariego near coast - 15.2The northern route takes you through Tapia de Casariego along the coast. To follow it keep straight at the fork, do not at any point cross back over the N-634.Option 2: Via Tol - 13.4The southern route takes you through four small towns and ends at the river town of Figueras where it rejoins the northern option. To take this route, turn left at the junction to cross over the N-634.
From Tapia to Figueras there are a few walking options, including several coastal variations that are not officially the camino. If you follow close to the coast you won’t get lost and it is a beautiful walk. It cannot help but bring you to Figueras, which is the riverside border town of Asturias.
The path splits here and rejoins before Tapia de Casariego. Both ways are below, because the question is which to take, and that is not a question two separate pages can answer.
From Tapia to Figueras there are a few walking options, including several coastal variations that are not officially the camino. If you follow close to the coast you won’t get lost and it is a beautiful walk. It cannot help but bring you to Figueras, which is the riverside border town of Asturias.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 366 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 27.3 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.