Camino del Norte, the Camino de Santiago that hugs the sea.

What is the Camino del Norte?

The Camino del Norte is the Camino de Santiago that follows the Cantabrian coast. It starts in Irún, on the French border, and runs through the Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias almost always within sight of the sea; at Ribadeo it enters Galicia, leaves the coast and crosses inland Lugo to Arzúa, where it joins the Camino Francés for the last kilometres to Santiago de Compostela. It is about 820 km, which pilgrim guides divide into 33 or 34 stages of roughly 20 to 30 km. Since 2015 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the other northern Spanish routes.

It is a harder and less crowded route than the Francés. It climbs and descends constantly between beaches, rías and capes, passes through big cities, such as San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander and Gijón, and has stretches of tarmac and industrial estates on the way out of each one. In return, it links some of the prettiest fishing towns on the Cantabrian coast and lets you swim almost every afternoon in summer.

How is the Camino del Norte walked?

On foot, in about five weeks if done in full, with the odd rest day. Many do it in sections, a week each year, because each region has good train and bus connections for starting and finishing. By bicycle it is more demanding than the Francés because of the hills, and some stretches of coastal path cannot be cycled; with stages of 60 to 80 km it takes about two weeks.

To reach the start there is an airport at Hondarribia, next to Irún, and at Bilbao, Santander, Asturias and Santiago. By train, Euskotren links Irún with San Sebastián and Bilbao, and Renfe's metre-gauge line, the former FEVE, follows the coast from Bilbao to Santander, Oviedo and Ferrol, very useful for getting back to your car or skipping stretches. By car, from Irún to Santiago it is about 700 km along the Cantabrian motorway, about eight hours.

There are three boat crossings: at Pasaia, between Pasai San Pedro and Pasai Donibane; between Laredo and Santoña; and between Somo and Santander, across the bay. After Villaviciosa there is a variant via Oviedo, about 17 km longer than the coastal one via Gijón, which links up with the Camino Primitivo.

What is there to see along the way?

In the Basque Country, the start over Monte Jaizkibel above Hondarribia, La Concha bay in San Sebastián, the stretch through Zarautz and Getaria, the flysch cliffs of Zumaia and Deba, the town of Gernika in the Urdaibai reserve, the Guggenheim in Bilbao and the Portugalete transporter bridge.

In Cantabria, Castro Urdiales, the boat between Laredo and Santoña, Santander, the medieval town of Santillana del Mar, Gaudí's Capricho in Comillas and the ría of San Vicente de la Barquera.

In Asturias, Llanes and its beaches, Ribadesella and the mouth of the Sella, Villaviciosa and its ría, and Gijón or, by the variant, Oviedo. West of Avilés the route passes near Cudillero and continues through Luarca to the Eo estuary.

In Galicia, Ribadeo, Mondoñedo cathedral, the flat land of Vilalba, the monastery of Sobrado dos Monxes and, already on the Francés, Arzúa and the arrival at the Obradoiro square.

When to go and what changes with the season?

May, June and September are the best months: long days, mild temperatures for walking and hostels with space. In July and August the weather is good and you can swim, but the coastal towns are in high season, accommodation fills up and the public hostels put up the full sign early; it is wise to book or set out early. October is still good, though it rains more.

From November to March many private hostels close, the days are short and the Cantabrian brings rain and wind for days on end. On the Cantabrian coast it rains in any month, so the rain jacket always goes in the rucksack.

How many days and how to divide them?

In full, five weeks. If done in sections, a practical division is by region: Irún–Bilbao in a week, Bilbao–Santander in four or five days, Santander–Ribadesella in a week, Ribadesella–Ribadeo in another week and Ribadeo–Santiago in eight or nine days. To obtain the Compostela it is enough to walk at least the last 100 km, or 200 by bicycle, and on the Norte that means starting at Vilalba or earlier.

What to know before you go?

To sleep in the pilgrim hostels you need the credencial, which is stamped at each stage and also serves to request the Compostela in Santiago. The stages between Castro Urdiales and Santander and those in western Asturias have long stretches without services: carry water and food. On the sands and for the boats, allow for the tides and timetables, which change with the season. The big cities lengthen the stage with several kilometres of tarmac; many pilgrims cut them out by train or bus.