The Besaya Route: Historic Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela

Playa de Tagle, Suances - Wikimedia Commons/LBM1948

What is the Besaya Route?

This route of the Way of St. James has its origins in the groups of pilgrims who came from the north of Europe to the port of Santander. Many of them preferred to go inland to follow the French Way.

The Besaya Route is noted for the beauty of its landscapes and its romantic monuments, which is why it is also known as the Romantic Route. These monuments were built around a Roman road that is still preserved today.

The Besaya Route: stages

The Besaya Route has two different routes, both of which start in the Autonomous Community of Cantabria and link up with the French Route. The difference lies in their starting point, one of which begins in Santander and the other in Suances.

Route of the Besaya from Santander

• Stage 1: Santander - Torrelavega (35.1 km)
• Stage 2: Torrelavega - Los Corrales de Buelna (15.3 km)
• Stage 3: Los Corrales de Buelna - Bárcena de Pie de Concha (23.2 km)
• Stage 4: Bárcena de Pie de Concha - Reinosa (22.2 km)
• Stage 5: Reinosa - Aguilar de Campoo (33.32 km)
• Stage 6: Aguilar de Campoo - Herrera de Pisuerga (32.4 km)
• Stage 7: Herrera de Pisuerga - Castrillo de Villavega (26.2 km)
• Stage 8: Castrillo de Villavega - Carrión de los Condes (20.5 km)

Route of the Besaya from Suances

• Stage 1: Suances - Los Corrales de Buelna (32 km)

Once you reach Los Corrales de Buelna, both routes converge into one until you reach Carrión de los Condes, where pilgrims must join the French Way and continue to Santiago de Compostela.

Why choose the Besaya Route to do the Camino de Santiago?

Pilgrims who decide to do the Way of St. James along the Besaya Route can enjoy the largest collection of Romanesque monuments in Europe. In addition to places like the Marian shrines of Los Corrales de Buelna and the Roman road that goes from Herrera de Pisuerga to Suances.

On the other hand, this route is in the process of construction and improvement of infrastructure, so pilgrims may find it difficult to find accommodation at some points along the route.