Camino del Norte
- UNESCO World Heritage
A coastal pilgrim road from the Basque border town of Irún along the Bay of Biscay and through Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia to Santiago.
At a glance
- Starts in
- Irún
- Ends in
- Arzúa (joins the Camino Francés)
- Length
- 825 km
- On foot
- ≈ 33–41 days
- Countries
- Spain
- Best months
- April–May and September–October
About the trail
The Northern Way follows the Cantabrian coast, trading the Meseta's open plains for beaches, cliffs, fishing towns and short, steep climbs between river valleys. It was used by pilgrims who wanted to avoid the Muslim-held south in the early Middle Ages, and today it is quieter than the Camino Francés.
It is usually walked in about 35 stages. At Ribadeo the route leaves the coast and turns inland across Galicia for the last days to Santiago.
No source gives the days on foot, so they are worked out from the length at 20–25 km a day.