Camino del Norte
20.7 km, 171 m up and 234 m down, through 6 places, 4 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Santullán. 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.
A hamlet on the old camino route. The Iglesia de San Julián, dating to the 14th century, contains an unexpected treasure: an alabaster funerary sculpture of Juan de Garay, viceroy of Catalonia, depicted in 17th-century m…
Sámano is a village of about 3,000 on the outskirts of Castro Urdiales. The Iglesia de San Nicolás, a Romanesque church, is worth a look. The old and new camino routes converge near here before entering Castro Urdiales p…
The camino through Castro Urdiales follows the N-634 but it is possible to walk the coastline, a route which is a great deal more scenic. It can be followed as far as the beach at which point you will need to turn back towards the main road. A short distance later the camino turns left towards the Plaza de Toros; the municipal albergue is located at this end of town behind the bull ring.
After passing the Plaza de Toros (on your right) the camino arrives at a tunnel under the A-8; large signs for CAMPING let you know that you are on the right track. Eventually, you will pass the camping, and a short distance afterward, Allendelagua.
From Allendelagua the camino turns left, and follows a road that is parallel to the A-8. It turns right to cross under it at the first opportunity. After the underpass it leaves the paved road for a path that cuts up through the forest and into Cerdigo, passing the Iglesia de San Juan Evanjelista along the way.
At the far end of Cerdigo the camino crosses the N-634 where it picks up a coastal path. You will pass the Cerdigo cemetery along the way, eventually rejoining a smaller road that parallels the N-634 and into the town of Islares. The first building you come to in Islares is the church, and to your right is the albergue (which may or may not be open). The hotels in town are located along the N-634, which you will eventually rejoin as the camino reaches the end of the town.
Islares is stretched along the coast between the road and the mountain. The Iglesia de San Martín is one of the first buildings you encounter. The village has a bar and basic services. An albergue has operated here inter…
When leaving Islares exercise caution along the N-634. There is no dedicated place for pedestrians along this stretch.
The camino splits in El Pontarrón. The official route continues due south along a pedestrian path adjacent to the main road (which becomes the CA-151) and a coastal option follows the N-634 across the river.
After Rioseco, the camino continues to the first roundabout and turns right to cross the river and enter the small hamlet of La Magdalena.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 362 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 18.4 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.