Camino del Norte (Northern Way)

Planning Snapshot

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Rough Distance Planner

Use this as a rough distance sketch before detailed planning: 35 walking days across 820km, averaging about 23km per day. Adjust for real stages, terrain, rest days, weather, opening seasons, and lodging availability before booking.

Distances are averaged. Route markers use the nearest ordered waypoint to each rough segment; lodging references are supporting town data, not recommended overnight stops or confirmed availability.

About the Route

Key Waypoints

1. Irun

   0km from start · 10m

   Irun sits on the Bidasoa River at the French border, at the exact crossing point used by pilgrims since at least the 12th century. The hilltop Ermita de San Marcial recalls the 1522 Battle of San Marcial, where Spanish forces repelled the last French attempt to take Navarre. The Church of Santa María del Juncal houses a remarkable Renaissance-period Black Madonna venerated by Basque fishermen.

2. Deba

   69km from start · 5m

   Basque coastal town where the Camino del Norte begins its dramatic clifftop sections. Deba's Gothic Church of Santa María la Real and its pristine beach make it a scenic stage start. The coastal path ahead offers spectacular Atlantic views.

3. Portugalete

   175km from start · 5m

   Industrial port town at the mouth of the Nervión River, famous for the Vizcaya Bridge — a UNESCO World Heritage transporter bridge built in 1893, the world's oldest of its kind. Pilgrims cross the river here to continue west along the coast.

4. Santander

   295km from start · 5m

   Santander's Cathedral is built on two levels — the lower crypt church of Santísimo Cristo dates to the 13th century and houses the relics of Cantabrian martyrs Saints Emeterius and Celedonius, venerated since Roman times. The city was historically a key embarkation point for English and Flemish pilgrims sailing to join the Camino on Spain's north coast.

5. Ribadesella

   455km from start · 5m

   Where the Sella River meets the Cantabrian Sea. Tito Bustillo Cave has 20,000-year-old paleolithic art. Famous international kayak descent.

6. Soto de Luina

   595km from start · 40m

   A scattered hamlet on the Asturian clifftops, Soto de Luina marks the approach to the wild western coast where the Camino del Norte runs closest to the sea. The parish church of Santa María preserves a Baroque retable carved in local wood. Traditional hórreos (stone-pillared granaries) dot the fields, unchanged in form since the medieval Asturian kingdom used them to keep grain from rats and damp.

7. Lourenza

   720km from start · 75m

   Small Galician town in the Masma River valley, home to the impressive Benedictine Monastery of San Salvador de Lourenzá, founded in the 10th century. The baroque façade and its relic of Santo Estevo attract both pilgrims and religious devotees.

8. Sobrado dos Monxes

   815km from start · 500m

   Massive Cistercian monastery (10th-century origins) with three remarkable cloisters. Monks offer pilgrim accommodation and evening prayers.

31 waypoints total · Sacred Trails app contains full detail for every waypoint.

Points of Interest

Accommodation

Showing 8 of 9 · Rates vary; use your own price notes and verify availability directly before your trip.

Planning Guides

Official Resources