 Explore the beautiful coast of the Basque country.
Discover the Real Basque Country, with all its traditions.
Indulge yourself in rooms en-suite in selected hotels along the way and
enjoy a high level of comfort.
Time travel along 1000 years of history and meet people from every horizon.
Printable file
Departures:
>Self-Guided
Any time, all year round!
>Guided
See Guided Departures page
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French Way
Camino Frances
       
Northern Way
Camino del Norte
   
Original Way
Camino Primitivo
 
Aragonese Way
Camino Aragones
English Way
Camino Ingles
Fisterra Way
Camino Finisterre
Portuguese Way
Camino Portugues
    
Via de la Plata
Camino Via de la Plata
         
Le Puy Way
Camino Le Puy
     
French Way By Bike
Camino Frances by Bike
  
Camino Rustic
 French Way
 Finisterre Way
 Via de la Plata
 Portuguese Way
 Original Way |
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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. |
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| maps |
Northern Way in Blue
Use the navigation tools on the left to zoom-in |
| 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.
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Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities.
Accomodation: 3* hotel, en-suite.
Meal: B&B |
DAY 2 – From Bilbao to Portugalete (14km 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.
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Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities.
Accomodation: 2* hotel, en-suite.
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.
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Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities.
Accomodation: 2* hotel, en-suite.
Meal: Half Board |
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DAY 4 – From Castro Urdiales to Laredo (24km 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.
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Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities.
Accomodation: 2* hotel, en-suite.
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.
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Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities.
Accomodation: 1* hotel, en-suite.
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.
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Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities.
Accomodation: 3* hotel, en-suite.
Meal: B&B |
DAY 7 –Santander
After breakfast we bid you farewell.
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| how to get there |
Fly
It is best to fly to Bilbao and then back from Santander
- To Bilbao
A large amount of the passenger traffic at Bilbao Airport is from internal destinations and you can fly from Bilbao to any of the following Spanish airports: A Coruna, Alicante, Barcelona, Badajoz, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Jerez, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tenerife, Valencia and Vigo.
There are also European flights to Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Milan, Munich, Paris and Stuttgart.
At the moment easyJet, Iberia and AerLingus fly from the UK and Ireland to Bilbao. easyJet offer daily flights to Bilbao from London Stansted Airport. Iberia flie from Gatwick or Heathrow via Madrid and AerLingus operate out of Dublin.
- To Santander
Ryanair are the only low-cost airline that currently offer direct flights to Santander. They offer flights from London Stansted and now Dublin, Frankfurt, Milan and Rome as well as Reus and Madrid in Spain.
Iberia offer a good selection of internal flights from Alicante, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Seville and Valencia.
More info see: http://www.spanish-airport-guide.com/
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To start your walking holiday:
Bilbao
There is a shuttle bus from the airport to the centre of the town which takes 20mins |
Back home from Santander
There is a shuttle bus from the centre of town to the airport which takes 15mins |
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| WEATHER |
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| about the walking holiday |
| hotels |
| Hotels have been carefully selected for their comfort, location, friendliness
and character, and are subject to availability. If the hotel described
is not available we provide an alternative with the same standard
of comfort & price. |
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| Luggage |
We will transport your luggage from one
hotel to the next. You only need to carry your backpack during the
day!
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| Included |
Not Included |
- Luggage transferred from hotel to hotel
- Rooms en-suite
- Half Board during the hike
- Detailed Walking Notes
- Map
- Pilgrim passport
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- Flights
- Insurance (recommended)
- Drinks
- Dinner 1st and last nights
- Transfers from/to airport
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| prices & Options |
| Period |
Price
(€) |
Single Room
(€) |
Solo departure
(include single room)
(€) |
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High Season
April, May,
June, September |
634 |
140 |
259 |
Mid Season
July, August,
October |
564 |
120 |
238 |
Low Season
January, February, March, November,December
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474 |
100 |
238 |
| Options |
Transport
To Bilbao hotel from airport
(€pp) |
Extra Night in Bilbao |
Extra Night in Santander |
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Picnic lunches
(€) |
3*Hotel
B&B (€) |
4*Hotel
B&B (€) |
3* Hotel
B&B (€) |
4*Hotel
B&B (€) |
Single |
Double
(pps) |
Single |
Double
(pps) |
Single |
Double
(pps) |
Single |
Double
(pps) |
| For info on transfers for more passengers or from other airports, please ask us. |
95 |
60 |
175 |
100 |
98 |
65 |
175 |
100 |
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50 |
2-8 people
€10pp
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or Upgrade first night +80 |
or Upgrade first night +35 |
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or Upgrade last night +80 |
or Upgrade last night +35 |
| Special rates for groups of 6+ |
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