Trip ID :

Northern Way - Section 1 - 8 Days/7 Nights - 120 km - From €560 -
From San Sebastian to Bilbao

This Walking Holiday explores the first section of the Camino Norte / Northern Way, following the iconic Camino de Santiago de Compostela; the famous Way of Saint James.

Beginning in the beautiful town of San Sebastian & finishing in Bilbao, famous for its Guggenheim museum, you will travel through the lush and mountainous landscape of the Basque coast & pass historic Gernika.

Everyday, during the walk, you are guaranteed a high level of comfort and gastronomy. This section requires a reasonable level of fitness. However, it’s a highly rewarding walk that includes numerous cultural highlights.

Northern Way - Section 1 - 8 Days/7 Nights - 120 km - From €560 -
From San Sebastian to Bilbao

Day 1 : San Sebastian
Day 2 : San Sebastian to Getaria (25km)
Day 3 : Getaria to Deba (17km)
Day 4 : Deba to Markina (19km)
Day 5 : Markina to Gernika (25km)
Day 6 : Gernika to Lezama (21km)
Day 7 : Lezama to Bilbao (13km)
Day 8 : Bilbao, end of the walking holiday

View Camino del Norte in a larger map

DAY BY DAY

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DAY 1 - San Sebastian You will be booked in a hotel in the heart of the town. The rooms are en-suite. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: B&B DAY 2 – From San Sebastian to Getaria (25km 7h30 +380m -480m) Leaving San Sebastian and the magnificent Bay of Biscay, the Camino follows the beautiful coastline along grassy fields on rolling hills. First, we find the Roman Church of San Martin de Tours, then we pass through ancient whale-fishing villages. Finally, we arrive in the picturesque village of Getaria, perched on a rock above a small harbour. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: Half Board DAY 3 – From Getaria to Deba (17km 6h30 +400m -400m) The Camino starts on a small countryside road, following the coast. Arriving in Zarautz, we take a small footpath into farmlands. Passing the church of Santa Maria la Real and the village of Juan Sebastian Elcano, we continue our stroll to the coast. The last stop is the pleasant coastal resort of Deba. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: Half Board DAY 4 – From Deba to Markina (19km 5h +-640m) Today we abandon the sea for more mountainous landscapes and we won’t see it again until Bilbao. The Camino crosses a river and starts climbing steeply into dense vegetation, until it reaches the Hermitage of El Calvario. From here, we will follow a narrow footpath (GR-121) passing through many hamlets. Finally, the Camino goes steeply downhill to Markina; a village with strong Basque traditions. Town: Shops, restaurants. Meal: Half Board

DAY 5 – From Markina to Gernika (25km 7h30 +300m -400m) Leaving Markina, the Camino follows a country road and crosses the river in Bolivar (28 km). It ascends to the medieval monastery of Cenarruza. Leaving the monastery, we take a path into a dense forest, to the top of Gontzegarai, and onwards to the village of Gerikaitz. At the Hermitage of Santiago, a steep footpath leads downhill to a creek and finally, to Gernika. Town: Shops, restaurants. Meal: Half Board DAY 6 – From Gernika to Lezama (21km 6h30 +320m -220m) The Camino leaves Gernika by the hermitage of Santa Luzia Zallo. Shortly after, we start a climb to reach a road (PR-173), and then a cobbled path leads to the the top of the village of Morga. Here, we leave the farmlands and enter a forest, following a steep descent to the traditional villages of Goikoletxea, Larrabetzu and finally, Lezama. Town: Shops, restaurants. Meal: Half Board DAY 7 – From Lezama to Bilbao (13km 3h30 +150m -110m) This is a relatively short stage across the farmlands. First we pass Zamudio and the interesting Roman church of San Maarten. The Tower of Malpica is visible above us. Slowly climbing to reach the summit of Mount Avril, we are rewarded with spectacular views of Bilbao and the valley below. On arrival in the suburbs of Bilbao, don’t forget to visit the beautiful Basilica of Our Lady of Begoñ. Finally, we come to Place de Unamuno, in the old quarter of Bilbao. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: B&B DAY 8 –Bilbao After breakfast we bid you farewell. Meal: Breakfast

WEATHER

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Northern Way - Section 1 - 8 Days/7 Nights - 120 km - From €560 -
From San Sebastian to Bilbao

 FLY IN AND OUT

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It is best to fly to Bilbao, Santander or Madrid.

1)    FLY IN

• To Santander

Direct connections to Santander only with Ryanair : from London Stansted, Dublin, Frankfurt, Milan and Rome, as well as Reus and Madrid in Spain.

Internal connections with Iberia from Alicante, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Seville and Valencia.

• To Bilbao

Internal connections to Bilbao : A Coruna, Alicante, Barcelona, Badajoz, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Jerez, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tenerife, Valencia and Vigo.

European connections to Bilbao : Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Milan, Munich, Paris and Stuttgart.

See with EasyJet, Iberia and AerLingus :
- EasyJet : daily flights to Bilbao from London Stansted Airport
- Iberia : flights from Gatwick or Heathrow via Madrid
- AerLingus : operates out of Dublin.

• To Biarritz

With Ryanair, easyJet, Air France (via Orly)
Biarritz airport info: www.biarritz.aeroport.fr

• To Paris

With almost all companies

2)    FLY OUT

See above.

GETTING AROUND

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1)    GETTING THERE

• From Bilbao airport

By direct bus to San Sebastian :
- 1hr15 journey
- Several buses a day

•  From Biarritz

First : Train to Handaye
- 45mins journey
- Several trains a day

Then : Bus to San Sebastian
- 45mins journey
- Several buses a day

• From Santander

First : Bus to Bilbao
- 1 hour journey
- Several buses a day

Then : Bus to San Sebastian
- 1hr15 journey
- Several buses a day

 2)    GETTING BACK

•  To Bilbao airport

See above.

• To Santander airport

By bus :
- 1 hour journey
- Several buses a day

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FLIGHTS

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• see our Flight Search Map

•  www.skyscanner.net

Searches most Airlines for best available connections and prices

• www.spanish-airport-guide.com

Northern Way - Section 1 - 8 Days/7 Nights - 120 km - From €560 -
From San Sebastian to Bilbao

HOTEL AND GUESTHOUSE GRADES - HOW WE CHOOSE YOUR ACCOMMODATION

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Our accommodation is selected based on a number of criteria, including location, comfort, services, price and character. We always try to book accommodation that is both on/near the Camino and also close to the historical quarter or centre of the town/city. This is facilitated by the fact that the Camino usually goes through the heart of each town and/or city.

In larger towns, which are usually at the beginning and end of each section, we book hotels of a 3* standard. In smaller towns/villages/hamlets in between the larger towns, we choose hotels or guesthouses of a 2* standard. However, there could be some exceptions to this rule, for example, in some small villages, our selection depends on local infrastructure and it may happen that the only possibility is a non-rated guesthouse. This does not mean it is not up to our standards only that it does not have an official classification, which is usually due to the rural and remote nature of parts of the Camino.

Given the reasons stated above, we do believe that a 2* hotel located in the historical centre is a better choice than a 3* hotel located in the outskirts of the town at a distance from the Camino. If our first choice is not available, we will use another accommodation of the same standard and price. If there is no such accommodation available, we may contact you to offer either an upgrade at a premium, or a downgrade with a refund, again based on local infrastructure in each area.

We are determined in our motto: to provide our customers with the best available on the Camino.

Northern Way - Section 1 - 8 Days/7 Nights - 120 km - From €560 -
From San Sebastian to Bilbao

Northern Way - Section 1 - 8 Days/7 Nights - 120 km - From €560 -
From San Sebastian to Bilbao

 

 

LIST OF PRICES AND OPTIONS

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	Base Price (€)	Double/Twin Room (pps)	Single Room	Solo Departure
	High Season Apr, May, Jun, Sep	750	909	1046
	Mid Season Jul, Aug, Oct	680	816	952
	Low Season Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec	560	673	832

 

Options	Picnic Lunches	€60 (per person )	Includes all walking days
	Airport Transfer 2 - 8 people	€50 (per person)	Transport to San Sebastian from Bilbao For information on transfers for more passengers or from other airports, please ask us.

 

	Extra nights (€) San Sebastian / Bilbao	Double/Twin Room (pps)	Single Room
	3* Hotel B&B	60	95
	4* Hotel B&B	100 or upgrade last night + 35	175 or upgrade last night + 80

Special rates for group of 6+

INCLUDED Luggage transferred from hotel to hotel Rooms en-suite Half Board during the hike Detailed Walking Notes Map Pilgrim passport

NOT INCLUDED Flights Insurance (recommended) Drinks Dinner first and last nights Transfer from/to airport

 

If you have any questions about prices, please consult our FAQ's or Contact us.