Why Choose the Camino del Norte?
The Northern Way is possibly the Camino which has the most beautiful landscapes, thanks in large part to its geographical position between sea and mountain. The full Northern Camino route measures 840 km / 520 miles, starting at from French border, winding along the Basque coast, into Cantabria, onto Asturias and finally into Galicia, where the Way turns inland, heading south towards Santiago de Compostela.
We can offer you the entire Camino del Norte route from Irun to Santiago de Compostela, however more often we are asked to tailor between 1 and 3 weeks through the neighbouring regions of Cantabria and Asturias.
We highly recommend this section for walkers who have some experience of long-distance walking. This is a quieter path than the busy Camino Frances to the south, so you want to be more self-sufficient when it comes to self-guiding. That said, we provide detailed walking notes, maps and gps tracks. This Northern Camino would be a great choice for your second Camino journey, or you have some experience of inn to inn walking.
Our week-long hike on the Basque Camino is also delightful and you can get there easily with flights into Bilbao. Click here to check it out – https://walkthecamino.com/travel-tours/camino-del-norte-basque-coast
3 weeks to walk from Santander to Ribadeo
The Camino del Norte’s Cantabria / Asturias section begins in the Cantabrian capital of Santander and finishes at the coastal town of Ribadeo on the Asturian border with Galicia.
Santander is a maritime city, with a busy ferry port and popular for recreational sailing. Set on a wide bay, this attractive city has sandy beaches, cultural monuments and museums to explore. Your Camino journey begins at the imposing Gothic Cathedral, heading west through the suburbs & commercial district until you reach open countryside and the historic town of Santillana del Mar. Santillana is a jewel in the Cantabrian crown, packed with medieval towers, Renaissance palaces and Romanesque religious buildings. It’s also on the doorstep of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Altamira Caves, internationally famed for its superb pre-historic art and cave painting.
You have a couple of days of country walking before reaching the coastal footpath around the seaside village of Comillas, where Gaudi (of Barcelona Cathedral fame) built an extraordinary fantastic summer residence. Then on to the picturesque port of San Vincente de la Barquera before reaching the border with Asturias, a region dotted with quaint fishing ports and little villages. Oriental Asturias brings you alongside mountains that rise dramatically in brilliant greens, with sharp peaks often shrouded in mist and sheer sides descending to meet the Cantabrian sea. It’s a landscape worthy of a Tolkein novel.
We spilt the Asturias Camino into two sections, the east and the west, with the city of Aviles being the connecting point between the two. We recommend you consider adding a rest day in nearby Ovideo, to enjoy the many sights and delights of the ancient city and regional capital.
You can choose to walk any part of this three-week itinerary. Just choose where you wish to start and finish. We will work out your logistics and advise what might work best for you. As with all long-distance routes, there is some tarmac walking, especially around the cities of Santander, Gijon and Aviles. However, we are ever creative with our itineraries and can minimise the amount of urban walking, and just stick to the most rural and picturesque stretches if you prefer.
Price Includes
Price Excludes
Single Supplement
£440
The culinary traditions of land and sea have equal weight here and you’ll be delighted by the regional specialities. Spanish chefs produce wonderful dishes using first-class local ingredients; locally caught fish and seafood from the Cantabrian Sea, dairy and beef producers are often small scale farmers and artisan cheesemakers and the region has an enviable climate for growing fruit and vegetables as well as orchards and vineyards. You can expect high-quality cuisine in the simplest of establishments. You’ll also find excellent regional wines, ciders and liquors that easily compete with the best in Europe.
17.3 miles / 27.6 km to Llanes
8.0 miles / 12.8 km to Nueva
11.6 miles / 18.6 to Ribadesella
12.4 miles / 19.8 km to Colunga
11.1 miles / 17.8 km to Villaviciosa
18.7 miles / 29.9 km to Gijon – (this is quite a tough day, in terms of distance, terrain and ascent. We suggest we split it into two days with a transfer off Camino to overnight accommodation).
15.8 miles / 25.3 km to Aviles
The magnificent, ancient capital city of Asturias is Oviedo, located just a few miles south of Aviles and set in a pretty green valley surrounded by hills. An overnight visit here is highly recommended, with plenty to admire and taste. The Cathedral of Oviedo is the starting point of the Camino Primitivo. Asturian King Alfonso II was the first pilgrim to travel to Santiago de Compostela, in the 9th-century, just a few years after the discovery of the remains of the Apostle St James. There are many art and architectural treasures in Oviedo, including the enchanting 9th-century pre-romanesque church of Santa Maria, which sits nestled into Mount Naranco and overlooks the city with a clear line of sight to the Cathedral tower.
We book our clients into small family-run hotels and pensions. These are traditional style in the main and classified as 1 – 3 stars depending on amenities such as lifts, swimming pools, air-con and restaurcion. In the larger towns and cities, there are upgrades to 4-star establishments.
