In September 2024, I had an unforeseen opportunity to take an extended period off work. There was only going to be one thing I’d do with this time – walk the Camino del Norte
This being my 40th birthday year, I was going to treat myself to walking the Primitivo to mark this milestone. However, I had an extra special gift in September, I had a change of jobs, allowing me to take some time off between posts. Being able to have 7 weeks off meant I could walk a longer Camino! 900km across the Northern coast of Spain, starting in Bayonne, France and ending at Santiago de Compostela.
Here is a video of my adventure, make sure you have a brew in hand… maybe two, as it’s a long one.
Getting battered by the Basque Country and Tropical Storms
The Camino del Norte
A common experience pilgrims talk about is ‘Camino Magic’. This is where something unexpectedly good happens to you. This could be a cold drinks seller appearing at a point you really need to quench your thirst, or the Albergue you have chosen provides fresh towels. Camino Magic isn’t restricted to the pilgrimage, it can manifest…
Camino del Norte Day 1 – Bayonne to Guéthary
The journey to Bayonne was painless, the trains were on time and the flight on schedule. I had booked an albergue in Bayonne, and with directions from the owner, it was a €3.90 bus ride – a lot cheaper than a taxi. It was 2100h by the time I was all booked in and straight…
Camino del Norte Day 2 – Guéthary to Irún
At 0800h I was back on the Camino which followed the coastline. Surfers were catching the morning waves with onlookers from the cliffs above. The route was quiet except for the runners and cyclists doing their morning exercises. The views out to sea in the early morning light was magical. It made up for the…
Camino del Norte Day 3 – Irún to San Sebastián
0600h on the dot classical music blared through the albergue, lights flickered on, signalling wake up time. Dawn wasn’t until 0750h so I milled around the kitchen area chatting to my fellow peregrinos before setting off around 0730h. As usual with leaving cities, it’s difficult to find the way; despite taking an unintentional variant we…
Camino del Norte Day 4 – San Sebastián to Zarautz
There was a heavy rain during the night but luckily it had stopped when we left the hostel just after 0800h. It was straight into a climb but the air was cool and refreshed. The route consists of forest paths and country roads for roughly 13km with no places to stop – it was a…
Camino del Norte Day 5 – Zarautz to Deba
Today it was forecast to rain but not one drop appeared, although there was another downpour in the night. The air perfect for walking, Neill, John and I set off through the town. The route again had a variant, the easier path via the coast and the harder route. I chose the difficult one leaving…
Camino del Norte Day 6 – Deba to Markina-Xemein
Everyone had been warning me that today is hard. Gronze gave it a 4 out of 5 on the difficulty level, but I found yesterday worse. Despite being above the train station my sleep wasn’t disturbed. In fact as soon as my head hit the pillow, the next time I opened my eyes it was…
Camino del Norte Day 7 – Markina-Xemein to Olabe
In contrast with the walk so far, today was the easiest. For the first 5km it was flat but the only real climb came at 13km, by 1300h I reached my destination. I had the best night sleep on this Camino so far, I closed my eyes at lights out and opened them when the…
Camino del Norte Day 8 – Olabe to Larrabetzu
After breakfast at the Albergue we hit the road, as usual it was up hill. Olabe is just short of the stage end, as Gernika didn’t have an Albergue. The 8km to the town I spent walking with a German pilgrim Nico. We had great conversations and laughter that made the distances fly by. Mostly…
Camino del Norte Day 9 – Larrabetzu to Bilbao
The rain arrived with a vengeance, hammering it down from the early hours and didn’t let up until a brief period in the afternoon. We grabbed breakfast at the bar, donned the ponchos and began Day 9. It was flat roadside walking for 7km before the start of the only climb of the day. The…
Camino del Norte Day 10 – Bilbao to Portugalete
Poncho time again. The rain was still pouring when I left the hostel. The route pretty much follows one of the main roads from east to west of the city. There was a hive of activity with people walking their children to school and making their way into work – a mass of umbrellas. Once…
Camino del Norte Day 11 – Portugalete to Castro Urdiales
After breakfast we headed on out, up a hill as always – Neill and John took full advantage of the escalators (a common feature in the hilly towns) The route follows some impressive infrastructure. A footpath and cycle lane takes you over the roads, the motorways and an impressive spaghetti junction. About an hour and…
Camino del Norte Day 12 – Castro Urdiales to Laredo
The difference the Sun makes to a day of walking cannot be understated. Blue skies all the way today! It’s a small hill to tackle straight off the bat giving views back at Castro Urdiales and along the coastline ahead. Eventually it dropped to the coast, passing through a grove with goats weaving through the…
Camino del Norte Day 13 – Laredo to Güemes
Gronze warned it would be a long one today, and it wasn’t wrong. Broke the 30km mark for the first time on this Camino. A flat gentle stroll along the promenade for an hour to reach the ferry to Santoña. Hardly anyone about and the view across the bay in the morning Sun was a…
Camino del Norte Day 14 – Güemes to Boo de Pielagos
The Camino is a great experience, and one that everyone should undertake, but there is cost that every peregrino must pay, and that is ‘Ampollas’. It was a long day yesterday and before I knew it, it was 0800h – just made it to breakfast. Coincidently it was the same time as sunrise. The view…
Camino del Norte Day 15 – Boo de Pielagos to Santillana del Mar
You have good days on the Camino and occasionally you get a bad day, and that was today. The rain from yesterday carried on constantly. The customary hill to start the day takes you to the main road that you follow until the river. The route then follows the banks and cuts through modern villages…
Camino del Norte Day 16 – Santillana del Mar
With the state of my toe it was prudent that I spend a rest day to allow it to heal and dry out. I booked a single room at a hotel near to the albergue. This will allow me to dry out my rucksack and rest my feet. The town is very pretty and a…
Camino del Norte Day 17 – Santillana del Mar to Comillas
After lording it up in a hotel overnight, it was back to the Camino, and what a pleasant day, no main roads! It was a little chilly when I left at 0730h – I could see my breath. The quiet streets of the rustic village were something from a fairy tale. My blister is looking…
Camino del Norte Day 18 – Comillas to Colombres
It seems Cantabria saved the best views for the last day. I had been treated to mountains, estuaries and rural valleys. Another 0730h start going through the quiet streets of Camillas. The route follows a well paved footpath along the main road out, before heading up and inland. Once it levels out, I was treated…
Camino del Norte Day 19 – Colombres to Llanes
Today I have reached a milestone. After 19 days I’ve covered 440km, which is halfway! To celebrate this I had been treated some great coastal views. It was forecast to rain, but leaving the albergue this morning it was clear skies, and quite warm. A little bit of road walking ensued, but after 4km it…
Camino del Norte Day 20 – Llanes to Ribadesella
Today has all been about angry stormy seas. I’ve had so much fun watching the water show from the crashing waves against the shores and rocky outcrops – I hardly noticed the drizzle! I opted for breakfast at the albergue and was out the gates at 0740h. The route follows the main road before going…
Camino del Norte Day 21 – Ribadesella to Priesca
The day started along the beach and a little chilly, but as soon as the first hill arrived I warmed up. Until Vega it was mostly single track roads, through small rural valleys. There are a lot of dinosaur related features in the area, the location is equivalent to the Jurassic Coast in England. After…
Camino del Norte Day 22 – Priesca to Peón (Capión)
Today wasn’t in the script and has been unlike any other on my Camino travels, but it led me to a hidden gem and a lovely albergue. The wind was rattling the shutters and whistling through the trees outside – it sounded like it was going to be a cold start to the day. However…
Camino del Norte Day 23 – Peón to Gijón
Really short day, ideally I wanted to bypass Gijón, but the next albergue after is 25km on and I didn’t fancy a 39km day. Joan and I got dropped off back in Peón, and began our ascent of the only hill of the day. A dwarf compared to the one entering the village. It was…
Camino del Norte Day 24 – Gijón to San Martin de Laspra
I would say today has been the worst regarding the scenery and quite tough, with a 20km stint without a place to stop. It was about 0740h when I left the hostel, following the streets out of Gijón in the dark. It leaves old town past the quay, then through high rise residential buildings for…
Camino del Norte Day 25 – San Martin de Laspra to Soto de Luiña
Today swapped the industrial hellscape for eucalyptus forests. Clean air and cool shade. There was talk around the dinner table last night that it was going to be a very hilly stage, but they weren’t that bad for a Basque Country battle hardened pilgrim. After leaving San Martin, it was up into woodlands around Asturias…
Camino del Norte Day 26 – Soto de Luiña to Querúas
It has been a fun day on the route with many streams to cross, creating a challenge to not get your feet wet. Just before 0800h I was making my way through a small woodland with my head torch on, as the sun was rising. A bit of road walking into Albuerne then the fun…
Camino del Norte Day 27 – Querúas to Navia
Mostly a straight forward day past cornfields, the only difficulty was the heat, and very little shade. I left just before sunrise and caught a great view of a tiny hamlet nestled in a valley, the sky a pastel blue and light pink clouds. A short section through woodland followed, then it was country road…
Camino del Norte Day 28 – Navia to Tapia de Casariego
Today had been a low energy day with lacklustre views. The consolation was that it was overcast, keeping me from baking in the Sun. It was a very late start by Camino standards this morning, it was closer to 0900h and sunrise had been and gone. I walked with Judyta, as route ascends out of…
Camino del Norte Day 29 – Tapia de Casariego to Vilela
If it wasn’t for the moody weather, it would have been a third day of uninspiring scenery. The clouds gave the landscape a certain gravitas. Another short day thus another late start. There was a light drizzle when I set off that occasionally turned into fleeting showers. The route follows the beach out of town…
Camino del Norte Day 30 – Vilela to Mondoñedo
Considering this was meant to be a hard day, it really wasn’t despite it being 30km. Perfect weather conditions and fantastic scenery made it a pleasant day. Breakfast was at 0800h, so it was a very late start, especially for a 30km day. It had rained during the night to refresh the air and the…
Camino del Norte Day 31 – Mondoñedo to As Peredes
Sometimes taking the longer route pays off, and it did today. Out of my walking pals, only two of us took the complimentary alternative way – 5 km more! It was dry to start with, with a great sunrise as I made my way up the valley. Some of the best views since entering Galicia.…
Camino del Norte Day 32 – As Peredes to Vilalba
The rain had been falling during the night and into the morning. Not wanting to spend the entire day in ponchos, we all decided to take a short day and head to Vilalba. We took our time over breakfast in hope that the rain would stop – it didn’t. Ponchos on and into the drizzle…
Camino del Norte Day 33 – Vilalba to A Lagoa
The day was longer than intended with a mix of Sun and rain, road and forest paths. Fairly easy walk and mostly flat. I joined Judyta for breakfast before starting the day – it had gone 0900h, certainly the latest start on this Camino. I realised I had left my water bottle in the albergue,…
Camino del Norte Day 34 – A Lagoa to Sobrado dos Monxes
A wet morning in the hills, a cafe that had deliverance vibes and a night in a monastery, not to mention the highest point on the Norte done – quite an eventful day. Just after 0800h I was out the door with the promise of breakfast in 2km. It was warm and dry at first…
Camino del Norte Day 35 – Sobrado dos Monxes to Arzúa
The Camino gave us a perfect day in all respects, for the last one on the Norte before it joined the hustle and bustle of the Frances. It was the coldest start of the Camino so far – gloves cold! We all met for breakfast at a cafe just outside the monastery. The place was…
Camino del Norte Day 36 – Arzúa to O Pedrouzo
It really was a culture shock today after spending weeks seeing so few people and little places to stop. The way being full of peregrinos and cafes almost every 2km, feels like a different world. Another very late start. We were the last out the albergue and we headed straight to a cafe for breakfast.…
Camino del Norte Day 37 – O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela
It had to be the quickest 20km I had done, the last day was over in a blink of an eye. The best thing is, we beat the rain! We had to be out of the albergue by 0800h, and due to some early risers, we were out the door by 0715h. The route is…
Camino del Norte Day 38 – Santiago de Compostela
Despite having a room to myself and the chance to stay in bed, I was still on the Camino clock and up at 7am. I had a shower, a luxury to have first thing in the morning. It seems an age ago since I was able to start the day with one – it was…
Out of the Comfort Zone
It has been a manic couple of months since finishing the Camino del Norte and over the last week I have finally found time to put together a video of this amazing journey. In the past I have thrown together a few clips, slapped some music on and posted it to the interweb. However this…
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Stu's Camino 