The North Way of St. James

The North Way of St. James

Table of Contents

CAMINO OF THE NORTH

From Galicia Travels we are bringing you the different ways that allow you to do the Way of St. James.

Beyond the Portuguese Way of St. James and the French Way of St. James there are other options such as the northern way. These are detailed below.

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Details about the North Way of St. James

So, the north Way of St. James is the longest way of the different options that can be taken to Santiago de Compostela. It was the road taken by kings from different parts of Europe who sought to make the road safely in the Middle Ages, without renouncing the great beauty of its landscapes.

It is a road that crosses the Cantabrian Sea area, as well as the regions of the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia. This route is experiencing a resurgence thanks to the beauty of the landscapes and the possibility of walking this route with the sea in the background at certain points.

The highlights of the North Way of St. James

If we go region by region we can see that the most outstanding points through which the Way of St. James of the North pass are the following.

Basque Country

The road passes through the Basque Country

The Camino del Norte in Spain starts in Irún, which runs from the Basque Country to Cantabria. This is the inland section of the route towards the Way of St. James, although there are also points with views of the sea in areas such as Zarautz or the ports of Getaria and Zumaia.

This route takes you through cities such as Donostia-San Sebastián and Bilbao, stopping off at areas such as La Concha beach, the Guggenheim Museum and towns such as Gernika-Lumo. This road passes through the inland area of Bizkaia and runs through mountainous areas of great beauty.

Cantabria

Around 170 kilometres are covered in Cantabria. En Cantabria se hace un recorrido pegado al mar Cantábrico. The route passes through different seaside towns such as Castro Urdiales, Laredo, Santander and San Vicente de la Barquera. Also in areas of great beauty and history such as Santillana del Mar and Comillas.

Here you will have the chance to taste high quality products such as anchovies from Santoña and crab from Noja. Undoubtedly, it is also a good time to enjoy the best gastronomy.

During your free time in this region you can visit areas such as the Altamira Cave in Santillana del Mar, the Neocave of the Altamira National Museum and Research Centre.

Asturias

Around 280 kilometres are covered in Asturias. Here we pass through areas such as Llanes, the beaches of San Antolín or Gulpiyuri, Cabo de Busto. This is a route that takes you through incredible natural landscapes and areas such as Avilés and Gijón, as well as areas of great beauty such as Cudillero and Luarca in the final stretch.

In this area you can visit areas such as the prehistoric caves that are part of the World Heritage of Rock Art of the Cantabrian Coast or in the surrounding areas. Specifically, there are the Pindal Cave, the Tito Bustillo Cave and the Caverna de la Peña Cave.

GALICIA

Finally, in Galicia, a route of some 220 kilometres awaits you. It starts from Ribadeo and allows you to pass through natural sites of great beauty such as the biosphere reserves of Terras do Miño and the river Eo, Osco and Terras de Burón before reaching Santiago de Compostela.