The Stages of The Northern Way

Northern Way stages

The Northern Way, also called Cantabrian Way or High Way is one of the most spectacular routes if we decide to do the Camino de Santiago. If the pilgrim chooses this route, he will be safe from the massification of the French route, which runs along the south and with the Bay of Biscay, and the landscapes of the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia.

Despite its scenic beauty, the Northern Way is a greater difficulty for the pilgrim, as well as being more often exposed to inclement weather (nothing a good preparation and a raincoat can not solve). This is one of the reasons that, although it was at the beginning of the pilgrimages, the route most traveled by the kings astures to Santiago de Compostela, as the Reconquest moved southward, it was decided to replace it with the French Way.

The Northern Way starts from Basque Country, specifically from Irún, to continue to San Sebastián, visiting such iconic towns as Zarautz, Guernica or Lezama until arriving in Bilbao. The pilgrim will find unequaled landscapes where the green of nature merges with the blue of the sea. Later the pilgrim will visit Cantabrian localities like Castro Urdiales or Laredo before arriving at Santander, later to pass by Comillas and to reach Asturias, with Llanes like one of the first obligatory visits.

Once in Asturias, and having visited Gijón, the Northern Way allows the pilgrim to link to Oviedo to continue along the Primitivo Road, which runs through the interior. However if we decide not to deviate, we will enter the Camino de la Costa, which continues through Avilés and enters Galicia through the well-known town of Ribadeo. Once in Galicia, the pilgrim will walk past localities such as Lourenzá, Vilalba or Baamonde until arriving at Arzúa, where the Camino del Norte joins the Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela.