Trip ID :

Northern Way - Section 2 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 113 km - From €474 -
From Bilbao to Santander

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

Start in Bilbao, famous for its Guggenheim museum and finish in Santander. This section boasts inviting beaches and impressive Rias (fjord-like inlets), enjoy the contrast between modern seaside towns & traditional fishing villages.

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 2 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 113 km - From €474 -
From Bilbao to Santander

Day 1 : Bilbao
Day 2 : Bilbao to Portugalete (18km)
Day 3 : Portugalete to Castro Urdiales (27km)
Day 4 : Castro Urdiales to Laredo (25km)
Day 5 : Laredo to Escalante (16km)
Day 6 : Escalante to Santander (27km)
Day 7 : Santander, end of the walking holiday

View Camino del Norte in a larger map

DAY BY DAY

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Day 1 - Bilbao You will be booked in a hotel in the heart of Bilbao. The rooms are en-suite. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: B&B DAY 2 – From Bilbao to Portugalete (18km 3h +-260m) First, a relatively short stage, going through the old industrialised Bilbao. After passing the suspension bridge, the Camino enters the industrial heart of the Basque Country; despite this, it is a place of peace and calm along the Cadagua River.  Crossing the historical “Devil’s bridge”, the Camino arrives at the hermitage of Santa Águeda.  From there, we take a deep breath before the steep ascent to the town of Barakaldo. Following a footpath along the Galindo River, we arrive in Portugalete. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: Half Board DAY 3 – From Portugalete to Castro Urdiales (27km 7h30 +430m -450m) What a wonderful stage! The Camino now leaves the coast, ascending to Otañes with beautiful views of the craggy coast below. From here the Camino enters a forest track that brings us to Robredal and its church of San Nicholas. Finally we arrive in the coastal town of Castro Urdiales, passing the bullring and the beach. Castro Urdiales is an interesting town with a mix of medieval and modern architecture. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: Half Board DAY 4 – From Castro Urdiales to Laredo (25km 7h +-200) Today, the Camino passes a medieval castle/lighthouse and follows the coast along spectacular cliffs, overlooking the Cantabrian Sea. Reaching Guriezo, we continue on the main Camino to Rioseco, passing the Chapel of Santa Isabel, crossing the bridge over the River Aguera and on to the Church of La Magdalena. From Guriezo the Camino continues to Liendo where there are two route choices to Laredo; either crossing the valley and passing the Church of Nuestra Senora de Liendo in Hazas, or following paths up to the Chapel of St Julian, and finally to Laredo. Laredo is a popular town reputed for its beautiful beaches, medieval quarter (Puebla Vieja) and lively atmosphere. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: Half Board

DAY 5 – From Laredo to Escalante (16km 3h30 +40m -20m) The Camino continues from Laredo in the direction of Colindres (where it is possible to cross to Santona by boat). We continue by road, following Santoria’s Marshes. This marshland is of considerable importance to the migration and wintering of numerous aquatic birds. Although today's walk is flat, the scenery is exciting. Survey the coast and mountains as you continue towards Escalante. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: Breakfast DAY 6 – From Escalante to Santander (27km 7h30 +180m -200m) From Escalante, the Camino continues via the beaches of Berria and Helgueras until reaching Noja. From there, the Camino heads south towards San Miguel de Meruelo, or, an alternative Camino can be taken that continues north along the coast to continue through the town of Isla. Both Caminos converge in Bareyo where it is worth stopping to admire the beautiful Romanesque Church of Santa Maria. From the village of Somo, you can catch a "pedrenera", a traditional boat used to connect the two sides of the bay. Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities. Meal: B&B DAY 7 –Santander After breakfast we bid you farewell. Meal: Breakfast

WEATHER

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Northern Way - Section 2 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 113 km - From €474 -
From Bilbao to Santander

 FLY IN AND OUT

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It is best to fly to Bilbao or Santander.

1)    FLY IN

• 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 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.

 2)    FLY OUT

 See above

GETTING AROUND

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1)    GETTING THERE

Shuttle bus from the airport to the centre of the town :
- 20mins journey

2)    GETTING BACK

Shuttle bus from the centre of town to the airport :
- 15mins

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 2 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 113 km - From €474 -
From Bilbao to Santander

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 2 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 113 km - From €474 -
From Bilbao to Santander

Northern Way - Section 2 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 113 km - From €474 -
From Bilbao to Santander

 

 

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	650	790	830
	Mid Season Jul, Aug, Oct	580	700	740
	Low Season Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec	490	590	630

 

Options	Picnic Lunches	€50 (per person )	Includes all walking days
	Airport Transfer 2 - 8 people	€10 (per person)	Transport to Bilbao Hotel from Bilbao Airport For information on transfers for more passengers or from other airports, please ask us.

 

	Extra nights (€) Santander / Bilbao	Double/Twin Room (pps)	Single Room
	3* Hotel B&B	60	98
	4* Hotel B&B	100 or upgrade last night + 35	175 or upgrade last night + 80

Special rates for groups 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.