Pilgrim walks in Santander

13th of 30 stages on the coastal route, the Way of St. James from Irún along the coast to Ribadeo Part 178 of my Way of St. James from Saint Petersburg to Santiago de Compostela My adjacent routes: before: Western Pyrenees / GR10 afterwards: Camino del Norte

The Camino del Norte (also called the Coastal Route) leads us westward along the northern Spanish coast from the French/Spanish border at the Bay of Biscay, and then shortly before Santiago merges into the Camino Francés.

The Camino del Norte (also called the Coastal Route) leads us westward along the northern Spanish coast from the French/Spanish border at the Bay of Biscay and then joins the Camino Francés shortly before Santiago.

A long and varied stage along the rugged coast of Santander, with beautiful and diverse views all along the route; in some sections, we had to bypass closed trails by taking side roads with very little traffic. Stayed at the "Piedad" Albergue (very nice).

This stage of the Northern Way is very short, so we recommend taking it easy and enjoying it. Once again, there are two alternatives to choose from: the first is the official route, linking Galizano with Somo over 7 km parallel to the road (you can see this route here). The second option is the coastal variant, also signposted and shown here, which rejoins the official route shortly before Somo, near the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Latas. This variant is about 4 km longer, but follows the coastline and passes through the villages of Langre and Loredo. Both variants meet in Somo. Once there, head to the pier to take one of the boats, popularly known as pedreñeras, which operate year-round on a regular service linking Somo and Santander across the bay. Upon arrival in Santander, you will find a welcoming and peaceful coastal city with its wide harbour, one of the most beautiful bays in Spain.

This stage of the Northern Way is very short, so we recommend taking it easy and enjoying it. Once again, there are two alternatives to choose from: the first is the official route, linking Galizano with Somo over 7 km parallel to the road, which is the one shown here. The second option is the coastal variant, also signposted, which rejoins the official route shortly before Somo, near the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Latas. This variant is about 4 km longer, but follows the coastline and passes through the villages of Langre and Loredo (you can see it here). Both variants meet in Somo. Once there, head to the pier to take one of the boats, popularly known as pedreñeras, which operate year-round on a regular service linking Somo and Santander across the bay. Upon arrival in Santander, you will find a welcoming and peaceful coastal city with its wide harbour, one of the most beautiful bays in Spain.

As with all stages that leave a city behind, the initial stretch is monotonous and not very attractive while crossing the metropolitan and built-up area. After this section, the route continues along gently rolling and more pleasant paths. Soon, pilgrims must make a detour to get around the Pas estuary (or Ría de Mogro), as crossing via the railway bridge there is prohibited. The only option is to walk upstream until reaching the village of Arce, where you can cross the Pas over a stone bridge with five centuries of history. Some walkers prefer to continue to Mogro, which is not strictly on the Northern Way but offers more services than this small village.

Irun-Bilbao-Santander-Gijon-SDC-Muxia-Fisterra My Way of St. James 2016 via SDC to Fisterra Walked in 37 days A few very small sections are missing in the GPX. This happened when I forgot to record. I followed the route according to the Outdoor hiking guide. I chose many alternatives that were well described in the guide.

Returning to Santander by bus from Hendaye we watched the Easter procession at the cathedral before setting off through the suburbs and the countryside to Boo de Piélagos.  For more photos, see Angus & Sue's website

Güemes - Santander