This is my first time back on the first half of the Norte since COVID. It’s good to be back! The walk remains as stunning as ever. Some assorted observations on developments, changes, and other stuff on the stages I’ve walked (Irún-Ribadeo). I’ll revisit some of this down the road, once I’m home and can dig into it in more detail:
- It sure looks like they’ve re-routed the “official” route in Stage 1 through Leko, instead of staying at the high level until the final descent to Pasaia. I don’t get it. They’ve also wiped out the old yellow arrows, at least near the turn-off. My recommendation is to ignore the yellow arrows calling for that detour through Lekos. If you can handle an extra kilometer and a bit more up-and-down, stay with the GR into Pasaia. If you can’t, follow the old Camino by following the GR until it forks left uphill soon after the Leko split. Instead, follow the trail into the trees. Eventually, it’ll dump you out on a paved road. Turn left onto that road and stick with it for a bit. When it makes a hairpin turn to the left, go straight onto a minor paved road. You’ll be seeing old yellow arrows at this point
- There are two new pilgrim rest areas en route to Orio. The first comes just as the pavement (finally) ends after Barrio Igeldo–it’s a small, wooden kiosk on the edge of the woods with coffee and tea. The other comes after the pavement resumes, just after you’ve crested a small hill–it’s a personal home on the right, with lots of comfortable seating. Really nice spot
- If you follow the GR into Deba–and you should!–it has kind of an annoying ending, doubling back inland after the Ermita de Santa Catalina and rejoining the Camino for the final descent. Well, it wasn’t always that way–some erosion concerns forced the closure of a more direct approach. I was walking this on a Saturday, and I saw tons of locals coming up that route, so I checked it out–looks like it’s totally viable once again! To do this, pause as you approach the Ermita de Santa Catalina. Before you step across the fence posts into the shrine’s grounds, turn around, and look for the footpath descending to your left. That’s the way. It will drop you right by the beach in Deba and save some distance in the process
- It’s a common complaint (or sad observation, maybe) that bars often open later on the Norte than the CF. Well, there’s a bar in Deba directly across from the albergue that opens at 06:00 every day, even Sunday!
- I’ll need to calculate this out when I get home and have access to a proper computer and all of my notes, but it sure felt like a *lot* more of the walk through the woods to Markina has been paved. (Also, I’ll once again plug the old approach into Markina. When you arrive at a gravel road atop the hills overlooking Markina, and the waymark calls for a sharp right turn, note that there’s another trail splitting off to the left at that point. It’s steep in places, for sure, so maybe not best for those with balky knees, but it trims off a kilometer.)
- Due to albergue closures in Gernika and Eskerika, the albergue in Olabe has become a pinch point. Totally caught me by surprise. From Markina, people are looking at 18km to Olabe or 30ish km to Pozueta/Gerekiz, so they’re leaning heavily towards the former. A lot of people were turned away because all of the beds were already reserved
- One of the new things I was most excited to try this time was the coastal approach from Gernika to Portugalete. This follows the GR123 and it’s well waymarked most of the time with the red/white blazes. There’s a surf hostel in Bakio, 25km from Gernika, that is definitely much pricier than a pilgrim albergue, but still cheaper than a hotel–and the attached restaurant is buzzing with activity. The major highlight of this variant is getting to see Gaztelugatxeko (note that a reservation is required to access the church!). The train from Bilbao connects with Plentzia, further on this walk, so you could potentially stay in Bakio, then stay in Bilbao for one or two nights while commuting by train. On the whole, I was glad to do it. The walking was lovely–harder surfaces at the beginning and ending, but tons of fantastic coastal scenery in between. After so many tourist-focused towns early on the Norte in the Basque Country, it was kind of nice to see some quieter Basque beach towns
- I had also mapped out plans to follow the GR from the Portugalete side of the Puente Colgante to Playa de la Arena. Alas, I just didn’t have the juice to walk those this time–they go atop those two big hills and I think the views would be awesome. But it was cloudy, and I was tired. I followed the bike track and wished as always for something more exciting
- A detour is currently in effect between Pobeña and Covarón. That bummed me out–hope it’s fixed up soon. (Judging by the fence “blocking” the official route, I don’t think many locals are following the rules.)
- They’ve done a better job of waymarking the route split in Ontón. Much appreciated.
- On the flip side, they’ve now changed the waymarks so that you’re steered back inland from the beach in Mioño, instead of following the wonderful coastal walk. This is ridiculous. I think it’s intended to drive more traffic past the newer albergue in Santullan, and I appreciate that, but covering up the old waymarks to steer everyone that way? That’s annoying. Follow the coast if you don’t want to stay in Santullan–stay on the road as it winds around the water, then fork left uphill on the road past the restaurant. Some waymarks survive after that and it’s otherwise intuitive
- For some odd reason, the waymarked approach through the town of Castro-Urdiales mostly follows the main road, especially after the church. That’s miserable. Just stay to the coast. As you approach the end of the last beach, loop inland. Aim for the plaza de toros–the Camino moves inland just behind that (same target for the albergue)
- I finally had the chance to walk around the Santoña peninsula! It adds around 8km to the walk. A lot of this walk is in thick tree cover, so there are fewer views than I expected, but when things opened up it was great. The route drops you in just above the Playa de Berria, slipping in between the prison and the cemetery, cheerily enough
- The inland variant to Isla is now waymarked from Noja. I prefer the coastal approach, of course. Still, I hope Isla is getting enough traffic to keep that albergue alive
- There is so much asphalt in Cantabria–don’t miss the opportunities to get off it! After Galizano, you’ll see multiple options for continuing onto Somo, but my goodness, it’s not worth saving a few km to follow the highway, or even the inland road route. Head to the cliffs, and when they run out, just keep walking on the beach all the way to Somo!
- Throughout Cantabria, the most prominent waymarks these days are blue signs. They’re your best option for finding your way in Santander, but they’re limited. If in trouble, find your way to the cathedral–the Camino passes just below it
- I had to detour to a Decathlon/Forum Sports to buy new shoes after Santander. The mall isn’t terribly far off route, kind of in the Penacastillo area. Imagine my surprise when there was a Camino waymark in front of the mall, and then more after that, leading me back to the route!
- Related to pavement in Cantabria… I cannot strongly encourage you enough to make the time to follow the unmarked coastal route between Santander and Boo. It’s a great walk, but it also helps offset all of the pavement that follows (and that includes the official route to Boo).
- Speaking of Boo, the Camino officially bypasses Boo center these days, though the route to Albergue Piedad is clearly signposted and not too far off
- What’s clear is that they’re moving people away from the long-time approach that involves the train from Boo to Mogro (or, before that, walking across the train bridge, which was so fun, alas). Instead, the official, strongly encouraged approach heads down to Arce, across the pretty old bridge, and then back up to Mar. And… woof. More pavement, more kms, more exposure. More bars, I suppose, so there’s that. Still, I’d recommend doing the Boo-Mogro skip (when I feel bad about getting on the train, I ask myself why I don’t feel similarly bad about taking the ferries, given that they’re both just water crossings) and then follow the old route direct to Mar.
- The tiny albergue in Polanco is open again. I couldn’t believe it when I arrived there around 5pm and discovered only a single pilgrim. We each got a private room, with our own bunkbed. They’ve even built a giant new Lupa supermarket just down the road
- Waymark wars, part 1: After crossing the bridge in Barreda, by the Solvay factory, very insistent waymarks encourage you to turn left for Santillana del Mar, whereas the traditional route goes right. I’ve been skeptical of that left turn, but I figured I should try it this time. It’s ok at first, but before long you’re on the CA-131 highway, following it all the way to Santillana. And a funny thing: the waymarks are consistent until Albergue Osa de Andara, and then they evaporate immediately after. The route is certainly shorter than the official approach, and the official approach is paved the whole way too, but the latter is much quieter
- Waymark wars, part 2: The waymarks leading to Playa de Oyambre after Comillas have been obliterated, in favor of the old, interior route. If you keep following road signs towards Oyambre, though, you’ll eventually see some waymarks reappear
- When you get to Playa de Gerra, abandon the road! Join the beach and follow it around to Meron. Finally a small break from the pavement
- The San Vicente albergue had a brief reemergence, but almost immediately it seems to have been sold and rebranded as a hostel–open to pilgrims, of course, but geared towards a much wider audience. Better than nothing, though… albergues are very limited in this stretch, given that Serdio remains closed
- Some current prices: 1.10 for Pasaia ferry, 0.50 for Puente Colgante, 2.50 for Laredo ferry (first crossing at 9am), 3.30 for Somo-Santander ferry
- There’s a new alt route “forestal” before La Acebosa and just after the expressway bridge. Turn right–you’ll see two small yellow arrows leading you onto a dirt track. It’s great–highly recommended, offroad the whole way, and shorter to boot. Inconsistent waymarks, but generally keep going straight and you’ll be fine. Follow signs to the bar in Serdio
- The Serdio albergue remains closed, unfortunately, but the former proprietor is offering some beds in the neighboring village
- Waymark wars, Part 3 – Maddeningly, someone has obliterated the waymarks calling for a turn onto the coastal variant (and off the highway) before Pendueles. Curiously, the waymarks on that coastal variant suddenly reappear after Buelna. Huh. Anyway, watch the pavement closely on the right side of the road and you’ll be able to spot the turn off, not too long after you’ve joined the highway. It’s far superior
- What’s old is new again: the route used to bypass Munoroderro (sorry, can’t get the tilde to work), then some years ago it was re-routed to pass through the village, and now it bypasses it once again. This means that the Lebaniego split comes a little earlier, on the road from Serdio
- There are construction signs on the route after Pesues to Unquera, suggesting one should detour to the highway… but it’s fine. Stick with the official route. It’s far superior
- There are basically no waymarks now for encouraging the climb to and walk along Llanes’s walls… that’s a shame. A lovely walk to Poo
- Also, the GR E9 from Andrin is really nice… and also hillier than I remembered! Impressive views, though, and I think worth the trade-off in extra distance to stay off the highway
- Waymarks are all over the place in Ribadesella. They can’t seem to decide on how they want pilgrims to move through the city center once you’re there. Ultimately, get to the bridge across the river, and then I suggest following the beach all the way around–a waymark will catch you at the end
- There’s a newish donativo albergue in Duesos, 1km off-route from Playa de la Espasa. You’ll see small yellow arrows with an A to guide you there. A very comfortable stay with pilgrim hosts in a nice village
- La Isla remains officially off route, with a clearly marked detour
- There’s now a giant Mercadona supermarket when exiting Villaviciosa. Complete with poke bowls, burgers to go, and a seating area with microwaves. Fancy
- The variant leading into Gijon from Camping Deva is completely unmarked at the split. Annoying, as I think the variant is much better–off road a good bit, and more pleasant scenery. Turn left at the camping, follow the road as it curves right, and then at a T you’ll find waymarks that will lead you in
- I’ve been trying to find better options for the Gijon-Aviles stage, as it’s… underwhelming. I’m really excited to note that I developed an alternative from Tamon to Aviles that passes the southern edge of the Embalse de Trasona and then joins the Oviedo route in Villalegre for the final approach. Not a great walk, by any means, but it gets you off the highway. I’ll make a map and gpx tracks when I get home
- My plan had been to follow the coast from Salinas, after Aviles. (The Norte doesn’t officially pass through Salinas anymore, but it’s easy enough to follow the old way.) Then I got to Salinas and discovered the coastal access was blocked by tunnel construction! Well, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as there’s a waymarked walking path called the Senda Costa Norte. It’s a really good walk, mostly off road, that is much better than the official Camino in this stretch. Goes through Arnao, Santa Maria del Mar, and a few other small beaches. Later, I cut down to join the Playa de Requesinos, and then just walked along the beach all the way to San Juan de la Arena. It’s a short walk from there to El Castillo
- Of course, my plan had been to take the summer ferry across from San Juan de la Arena to San Esteban de Pravia. Alas, they cancelled it five days before I got there. Would be a cool option if it were running!
- I made the small detour to Cudillero once again, this time to spend the night at the new albergue, Albergue La Concha. Very easy, and a lovely little fishing town
- This was my second time taking the high-level route from Soto de Luina to (after) Cadavedo. Love it. It definitely doesn’t get used much–I didn’t see a soul. You may read that it’s overgrown. Here’s the thing: you don’t have to follow those overgrown footpaths! The first two times that waymarks deviate off the gravel road onto footpaths, just stay on the gravel road! It rejoins soon after. The third time is a little trickier–the Camino forks right at the base of the hill, while the road/path also continues straight up ahead of you. It’s possible to just keep going straight, and you’ll have a clearer (and shorter) path. It’s just a wicked hill. Same thing later, when you’ll see a maddeningly steep ascent ahead of you on the road (vehicles can do that?!). If you can swing it, you can just go straight, ignoring the left turn onto a footpath. The views are much better if you do. (The footpath is climbing to the same point, so the uphill is non-negotiable–it’s just more gradual over there.) The one place you must go onto a footpath is when it forks right, through a gate, just before the radio tower. Last time I walked, I mentioned that the last 2km were miserable–soggy and overgrown. The first 25m were absolutely the same, but after that it was much improved! Note that water refills remain a problem, and you will have to backtrack to Cadavedo if you want to stay there.
- From Hotel Canero, I followed the white/yellow blazes to Playa de la Cueva, and then from there I followed what became labeled as the Ruta de la Cangrexa. Awesome walk! So much better than the official Camino, and maybe not even a full km longer. Definitely some additional ups and downs, as you’re going down to beaches, up to cliffs, etc. But it leads you directly into Luarca and makes for a great last part of this stage
- The route through Tapia felt longer than it should have been. Once I get home, I’ll compare tracks and see what’s changed. For one thing, though, they really don’t need to force this route through Figueras. It makes no sense. Maybe they really want to promote having pilgrims take the boat across to Ribadeo? Dunno.
- Similarly, waymarking through and out of Tapia remains super inconsistent. Just be aware that, leaving Tapia, you’ll also be following the red/white blazes for a while (though not the whole time, necessarily!). They’re much more consistent
That’s it for me on the Norte this summer! I’m heading now onto the Mar, to make a complete loop around to Ferrol.
