The Camino de Santiago from Santander
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142 km
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8 days / 7 nights
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We start by leaving the majestic city of Santander and we will end up in the coastal town of Ribadesella.
The northern mountains along the Camino del Norte to Santiago will be in striking contrast to the coast.
On this route you will also be able to enjoy the region’s spectacular cuisine, undoubtedly turning your time here into an unforgettable culinary experience.
This section is relatively physically demanding, so a reasonable level of fitness is required. However, it is one of the most beautiful sections due to the amazing landscapes and the area’s cultural richness.
The beautiful city of Santander is the starting point for this section of the Camino de Santiago on the Camino del Norte. Santander, the capital of Cantabria, is an elegant and fantastic place to relax for a couple of days.
In Santander we can enjoy incredible beaches, parks, nature, architecture and food. What more could we ask for?
Overnight: Santander
From Santander we head towards the interior region of Cantabria, passing through the villages of Santa Cruz de Bezana, Mompia and Boo de Pielagos. Later we will pass by the Boo de Piélagos estuary, ending this leg of the trip in the town of Arce.
Length: 16,1 km
Overnight: Arce
During today’s stage, you will get to see the beautiful mountainous landscape along the northern coast. Along the way we will pass by the town of Miengo. Suances is a beautiful little town and it is well worth taking some time to visit.
Your destination for today is the medieval village of Santillana del Mar. You will have the chance to walk through lovely meadows and quiet villages along the way. The town of Santillana del Mar is one of the most popular in Cantabria, famous for the Altamira Caves.
Length: 20,5 km
Overnight: Santillana del Mar
From Santillana del Mar you will continue to travel throughout the area’s natural habitat, the rugged Cantabrian coast. On your way to Comillas you will walk through magnificent villages such as Cobreces with its Cistercian monastery.
Comillas has fantastic beaches and incredible architecture. We recommend taking your time to visit Comillas and explore its landmarks, like the Pontifical University, the Sobrellano Palace with its pantheon chapel and the El Capricho building designed by Antoni Gaudi.
Length: 22 km
Overnight: Comillas
We will continue along the coast to the Oyambre National Park. The park is extremely important because of its wildlife and marine ecosystem, which is home to many species of birds, molluscs and fish.
From here we will head through fields and green forests to Unquera, passing the village of San Vicente de la Barquera and a few small estuaries.
Length: 26,6 km
Overnight: Unquera
When departing from Unquera, we leave the autonomous community of Cantabria behind and enter Asturias, crossing a bridge over the River Deva in Bustio.
On the way to the town of Colombres you will climb the “I Can’t Hill” before descending along the Sierra de la Borbolla.
From here, the Camino enters Pendueles along a narrow trail that continues uphill to the Jorcada Pass after crossing the Andrín road.
After this there is another descent to La Portilla from where we will continue until arriving at our destination for today: Llanes, a lively town located between the coast and the Picos de Europa mountains.
Length: 25,2 km
Overnight: Llanes
The first part of today’s stage takes place along the coast and the fantastic beaches of Palombina and Barro. After crossing the River Niembro we will begin the ascent until reaching the Church of San Pedro de Pria.
The church sits on top of a hill overlooking the seven villages of the area. From here you descend to the River Guadamia where you will cross the medieval stone bridge.
We will pass through Sobares on our way to the town of Ribadesella, a beautiful town that is worth exploring.
Length: 31,4 km
Overnight: Ribadesella
Ribadesella is a beautiful town bordering the sea that is well worth exploring.
End of our services.
All the rooms you book with Santiago Ways to do the Camino de Santiago have a private bathroom and all the necessary services to ensure your best comfort.
Our team checks on site the quality of all the accommodation offered in order for pilgrims to have a comfortable and unforgettable experience on the Camino de Santiago.
When working with quality accommodation with limited capacity, the exact name of the accommodation will be provided 30 days before the start of the Camino.
All accommodation on the Camino de Santiago is subject to availability. In case we can’t offer any of them due tolack of capacity, we’ll accommodate you in one of equal or better quality.
Single rooms are subject to availability. Reservations must be made in advance and come at an additional cost.
All our accommodation has been selected to ensure tranquillity, rest and enjoyment during your Camino de Santiago:
Accommodation in Hotels and Country Cottages.
Rooms with private bathroom.
Meal plan of your choice.
Baggage transfer between stages.
24 hours Telephone assistance on route.
Travel navigation app made for each traveler.
Complete route itinerary.
Assistance vehicle in case of emergency.
Information pack for the Camino de Santiago.
VAT.
Additional single room
Extra night in Ribadesella
Transfer from Ribadesella to Santander (includes airport)
Travel assistance insurance
Cancellation insurance
In order to resolve pilgrims’ doubts, here we answer the questions that are most frequently asked when we receive your enquiries.
If you have any other questions, you can contact us and we will be happy to help you resolve all your queries.
The Camino de Santiago can be started on any day of the year, always taking into account the weather and the season in which you want to travel, so that your clothes are the right ones.
The best way to get to the starting point of your Camino de Santiago is to arrive at the airport, train station or bus station nearest to the town from where you will start walking.
Once you confirm your Camino, you will send us the arrival information for your flight, train or bus and, from there, we organize a private transfer to the town where you should start your Camino.
Yes, you can. All the routes on the Camino de Santiago are suitable for pilgrims to travel solo.
Also, whether you are travelling alone, or travelling accompanied but want to sleep in a single room, Santiago Ways offer this option to you.
We can book all your nights of accommodation in single rooms at an additional cost. We suggest you book well in advance since they are usually in high demand.
On the Camino de Santiago, you will find hundreds of pilgrims walking on their own. Many of them may have come to the Camino alone; others have probably moved away from their fellow travellers for a few hours because of the difference in speed when walking.
In any case, all the routes on the Camino are very well signposted, so you will have no problem if you go on your own.
Most routes on the Camino de Santiago are done in a self-guided mode. Thus, each traveller has the opportunity to advance on their own and at their own pace along the routes marked on the complete itinerary of the route, which is sent one month before starting the Camino.
The complete route itinerary of the route is a guide that we prepare for you with information about the maps, route profiles and places of interest, kilometre by kilometre on each of the stages that you will go through on the Camino de Santiago.
The travel distances and travel times indicated for each route on both the website and the itinerary we send you are based on reference values. It depends on each pilgrim exactly how they carry out these times and distances, according to the speed at which they progress.
You will receive it by email one month before starting your Camino along with all the documentation for the trip: accommodation reservations, baggage transfers, among others.
In Santiago Ways, we adapt each stage to the needs of our pilgrims, so that they can travel according to their physical capability and the number of days available.
On average, a stage of the Camino de Santiago has 15 to 20 km. On most routes, however, we can organize your Camino so that you walk fewer kilometres, dividing some stages into two parts, depending on what is most comfortable for you.
We’ll now talk to you about one of the sections of the so-called Camino del Norte or the North Coast Way. We refer to the Camino de Santiago from Santander to Ribadesella.
It is one of the most spectacular and beautiful routes of all that can be done on the adventure of the Camino de Santiago . So, we will give you all the information about it so that you can organize your own route or enjoy it with Santiago Ways. We hope it helps.
Although it is true that each route has its own charm and its own reasons to take place, we want to point out what we consider most important on the Camino de Santiago from Santander. You can find yours yourself as each route always has some points in favour over others.
1.-The beauty of the environment: One of the highlights for the pilgrims who do the Camino de Santiago from Santander is the great beauty of its landscapes. In fact, along this route, we will not only cross areas near the coast with the greenness so characteristic in the north of Spain, but we also pass through areas of beautiful hills that meet the sea.
Therefore, beauty is everywhere in the case of this route from Santander, one of the most important reasons not only to do it, but even to repeat it.
2.-Little overcrowding: The Camino del Norte is synonymous with tranquillity. It Is a route that has nothing to envy with the most popular route, the Camino Frances, in terms of beauty. However, it has the advantage that it is not so busy so we can avoid possible agglomerations.
The Camino Frances is, in general, a great opportunity to enjoy nature in its maximum splendour and with all the tranquillity possible.
3.- Good infrastructure: When it comes to doing the Camino de Santiago and especially if it is our first time, we must look for routes that have a good infrastructure. This depends in a large part on the autonomous government and on its investment in implementing the quality of the routes.
Therefore we must look for routes with good communications, well signposted and with everything necessary for obtaining supplies and rest for the pilgrim.
4.-Gastronomy: In general, gastronomy is an attraction to visit the north of Spain in general. However, in the case of the Camino de Santiago from Santander to Ribadesella, this motive has even more influence.
We will pass by some of the best localities in terms of gastronomic resources: Llanes in Asturias, and San Vicente de la Barquera or Ribadesella itself. Later we will give you some recommendations for the best places to eat.
5.-Heritage: All the pilgrims who do the Camino del Norte emphasize the beauty of the villages besides that of their natural surroundings. We will go through one of the most beautiful areas of Spain that include fishing villages with small colourful houses.
All this, along with all the history they have, constitutes another of the strongest reasons to complete the Camino de Santiago from Santander to Ribadesella.
El Camino de Santiago from Santander forms part of the itinerary on the Camino del Norte. It is the third stage, so it can be continued previously from Bilbao and can, in fact, continue to Santiago.
However, for this stretch, we will say that it begins in the beautiful city of Santander to finish the tour in the coastal town of Ribadesella. On the way, we can enjoy the majestic mountain scenery. It’s a somewhat more demanding route than others, but it’s worth it.
We now enclose the maps of the route of the Camino del Norte from Santander to Ribadesella in order to access all the necessary information to plan your route and at the same time, you can find out in advance the places you will visit.
Santander – Arce
Stage map from Santander to Arce
Arce – Santillana del Mar
Stage map from Arce to Santillana
Santillana del Mar – Comillas
Stage map from Santillana to Comillas
Comillas – Unquera
Stage map from Comillas to Unquera
Unquera – Llanes
Stage map from Unquera to Llanes
Llanes – Ribadesella
Stage map from Llanes to Ribadesella
We want to show you now the profile on this stretch of the Camino del Norte so you can see its difficulty for yourself. This is often not on the slopes, but over the rugged terrain. In spite of that, nothing is impossible and it is indeed an adventure which you will enjoy to the maximum.
Santander – Arce
Stage profile from Santander to Arce
Arce – Santillana del Mar
Stage profile from Arce to Santillana
Santillana del Mar – Comillas
Stage profile from Santillana to Comillas
Comillas – Unquera
Stage profile from Comillas to Unquera
Unquera – Llanes
Stage profile from Unquera to Llanes
Llanes – Ribadesella
Stage profile from Llanes to Ribadesella
We enclose all the stages on foot that you will travel with Santiago Ways on this adventure of the Camino de Santiago from Santander to Ribadesella.
Stage from Santander to Arce
Stage from Arce to Santillana del Mar
Stage from Santillana del Mar to Comillas
Stage from Comillas to Unquera
Stage from Unquera to Llanes
Stage from Llanes to Ribadesella
The Camino de Santiago from Santander to Ribadesella has a length of 116 kilometres that are divided between a total of 8 stages with their corresponding 7 nights.
It is a perfect length and duration to carry it out in one of the holiday periods that are presented throughout the year, like Easter for example. Now, we will talk about when to do the Camino de Santiago from Santander .
While it depends on each person’s taste in deciding the time when to complete the Camino del Norte, we must say that each route has some advantages in each season.
That is why we want to talk to you about each season in turn and with it, the advantages and disadvantages you have regarding the others when doing the Camino del Norte from Santander
In the springtime, there can be instability in terms of precipitation. The temperatures are mild but the risk of rain increases. So we must ourselves, in turn, increase our planning by wearing the proper clothing.
On the other hand, it is one of the most popular seasons that is gaining popularity in recent times among pilgrims. Especially for routes of a few days like this one on the Camino del Norte from Santander to Ribadesella, which can be done during Easter period.
Summer is the time in which more pilgrims are encouraged to do the Camino de Santiago in general and the Camino del Norte desde Santander in particular. They do it because in the first place it is the time of year in which they have more free time.
On the other hand, it is also a time when temperatures are mild and we can enjoy good weather due to the proximity of the sea and the oceanic climate in the area of the Camino del Norte.
The drawback is that precisely as a consequence of these advantages, the number of pilgrims that walk on the Camino del Norte increases: However, ahead of other possible routes like that of the Camino Frances de Santiago, this is not an inconvenience in the case of this route. Much less if we do it with the help of Santiago Ways.
In the autumn, instability returns and with it precipitations can increase. However, the abundant vegetation of this area sees as its leaves fall and all the landscapes are tinged with beautiful colours. So it is the favourite time for nature lovers, but we will have to be very careful with potential rains.
In Winter there are few pilgrims who are encouraged to do the Camino de Santiago in general. This affects also the Camino del Norte , on which the influx falls considerably. However, there is the possibility to take advantage of the Christmas break to complete our route.
While this would not be advisable for paths such as the Camino Primitivo, the mildness of temperatures on the Camino del Norte helps us also be able to complete it during this time of year.
Yes: If you do not do it with Santiago Ways keep in mind that most accommodations, including private ones, close their doors during this season.
We have also prepared a selection of sites of great interest to check on the Camino del Norte from Santander . Among them, there are not only places of historical, cultural and artistic interest but also some recommended restaurants on the route as well as the accommodation where you will stay and rest with Santiago Ways.
First we want to talk about the different points of interest that exist in this route related to the heritage, culture and history of the area.
Arce is a town belonging to Pielagos, considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain when you visit on this route between Santander and Ribadesella. Among its attractions, we must highlight the Palacio de los Marqueses de la Conquista Real, a magnificent building from the Middle Ages with a view over the valley that it dominates.
This town is popular for good reasons. It must be said that, as we mentioned among the reasons to do the Camino de Santiago from Santander, is the beauty of the urban areas that we pass through. This beauty is especially reflected in this municipality.
Apart from its old town, of unequalled beauty and perfect to be taken along its streets, we will also be able to plan our route to visit the Altamira Caves, located near this wonderful corner.
Finally, Llanes is a beautiful town in the Principality of Asturias. It has a fishing tradition and therefore we can say that its port is the absolute star of its architecture and disposition with its unmistakable colourful houses.
It is a stop at which you should take some time also to try some of its specialities in one of the restaurants that we will discuss later.
With Santiago Ways you’ll be in the best hands especially at the time of your break. Throughout the year you will be able to book with us and stay in the best hotels along the whole route from Santander to Ribadesella. Here, we leave some examples.
We have also prepared a selection of the best restaurants where you can enjoy rich and generous gastronomy typical of the lands of Cantabria and Asturias. Here are our recommendations.
Restaurante Gran Duque
Located in Santillana del Mar, this restaurant has excellent value for money with which we will be able to enjoy the main specialities in Cantabrian cuisine. Highly recommended to top off our visit to this beautiful town.
Sidreria El Antoju
If you want to taste one of the tastiest drinks in the province of Asturias, we cannot miss this cider house located in the municipality of Llanes. In it, we will also be able to delight in some specialities of local gastronomy such as seafood, and locally sourced products from the surrounding land and mountains.
Restaurante El Texu
To finish with good taste on our pilgrimage, we recommend this restaurant with a family atmosphere in Ribadesella. Very cosy and at the same time with a great menu and an excellent deal for all who visit it. You can’t miss it if you finally do the Camino de Santiago with Santiago Ways.
The Camino del Norte has its origin in the Middle Ages. It was the route that many pilgrims chose to stay close to the coast and avoid the possible wars that occurred during the times of the “Reconquista”. However, when the Camino Frances was becoming more popular, it was taking prominence for being less rugged than the Camino del Norte.
Thus, this route was long forgotten until fortunately and for all lovers of beauty, it has since recovered and has come back with more strength than ever.
We also want to offer you the opinions of other people who have already done with us the Camino de Santiago so that you can know their impressions first-hand and encourage yourself to enjoy this unforgettable experience.
Finally, we leave you here some pictures and videos of the Camino so you can get an idea of everything that awaits you on this route.
Here you can see all the stages of the Camino de Santiago.
In Santiago Ways, we will advise you on which route of the Camino de Santiago is the best fit for you.