I wrote yesterday about a couple of small, easy coastal detours to consider on the Norte. Today, I offer another detour, but it’s more substantial, and it’s a bit controversial. Many consider it too dangerous to consider. I think that’s over-stated; I led a group of high schoolers on it this past summer and, while we were quite eager for a well-earned break at the top, we never felt imperiled.
The variant in question begins shortly after El Pontarrón de Guriezo, a village down the road from Castro-Urdiales. You have a lot of options through this section, so here’s a quick overview:
- Inland, ‘official’ Camino from the route split before El Pontarrón: 13km to Liendo + 2.8km where this variant joins it
- The commonly preferred shortcut, sticking with the highway from the route split to the highway turnoff for Liendo: 7.1km to Liendo turnoff (+1km into Liendo proper) + 1.5km to where this variant joins it
- This variant: 8.7km (the green dashed line above)
In other words, this variant and the highway shortcut are equidistant, around 8.7km total, but they bypass the center of Liendo, where the albergue is located. The inland, ‘official’ approach is considerably longer.
While the coastal variant isn’t shorter than the highway, it does save an awful lot of pavement–more than 6km of it is offroad. Here’s how it breaks down:
1km – Follow the highway through El Pontarrón de Guriezo, cross the Ría de Oriñón, and then take the very first turn, onto a dirt road forking right off of the highway
2.5km – Walk along that dirt road, generally parallel to the river. Soon after passing under the expressway, the road curves inland, before swinging back to the right. As it winds, you’ll continue to work in a northward direction, eventually joining a paved road. Note: there has been a lot of logging activity in this area, so you may have some confusion, but generally work northward and it’ll work out
1.5km – Follow the paved road northward, first skirting the edge of Oriñon (restaurant, campground) and then arriving in the village of Sonabia (restaurant). After passing a bus stop shelter in the middle of the village, take a sharp left downhill
1.5km – Now comes the climb. The paved road quickly becomes a dirt road and then dwindles into a footpath. When it splits, continue straight, ignoring the right turn towards the beach. Up you go! It’s around 230m of elevation gain from here to the top. The trail is narrow and you’ll want to take care with the footing. Some will find this unnerving–you would tumble quite a ways should you take a very bad step. Near the top, some scrambling may be required, shifting into four-wheel drive to complete the final ascent. That payoff, though, is remarkable:
2.2km – Enjoy a short walk along the top of the bluff, with spectacular views in every direction. (The so-called Ojos del Diablo are above–a natural rock arch near the mountaintop.) Then, hit the other part that makes people nervous–a narrow walkway along a rock face, complete with a cable to hold onto for security (see the pic below). We had one person with a fear of heights who wanted to keep moving through here; it wasn’t bad enough to scare him off, but it certainly meant he didn’t want to linger! Everyone else felt comfortable with pausing, taking pictures, and enjoying the view. After that, the descent begins. To me, this was the nastiest part of the whole walk. It is a sustained, sharp descent, often quite rocky. You will want to take great care. Eventually, you’ll reach the ruins of the Ermita de San Julián, which is where the other routes intersect. At this point, you’re 4.4km from Laredo, though you could also double-back into Liendo, some 2.5km inland.
Should you walk it? Well…
One answer: I’ve walked the Norte a bunch at this point and I’ve tried a lot of different coastal variants. This route offered the most stunning views that I’ve experienced on any of them. No exaggeration–it’s exceptional. I loved every second of it, aside from that descent. (And the moment when thunder roared soon after we reached the bluff, creating more urgency than we wished for at that point in our walk!)
Accompanying equivocation: You’ve got to know your body and what you’re comfortable with. As I said, aside from a couple of moments of accelerated heartbeats, my group never felt unsafe, but (aside from me) we’re all young, with springy knees and little sense of mortality. A narrow path combined with some unreliable footing and a sharp drop-off may be a deal-breaker for you. Some limited scrambling might be a no-go. The short rock crossing might rule it out. And if your knees are aching, that descent would be a real bummer. Lots of pilgrims have written about their experience with this route–and their choice to ultimately bail or the significant fear they faced navigating their way through it. Read those.
Aside from all of that, I certainly wouldn’t do it in inclement weather. The rewards wouldn’t be there to justify the heightened risk.
If you can swing it, though, and the sky is clear, and your tolerance for risk and physical capabilities are in sync… oh man, it’s just incredible. It’s a walk I will remember with joy.
