After yesterday’s intense first stage, it is normal that today we find ourselves quite tired. The body needs about four days to get accustomed to travelling long distances. However, the Camino de Santiago today brings us a much more relaxed stage than yesterday.
Let’s continue on the Camino del Norte!
Today we will continue ascending towards Mount Igueldo, enjoying magnificent views over the Ria de San Sebastián. The highest point of today’s stage will be reached in Munioetazar, almost three hundred metres above sea level.
Then we descend to the beautiful Orio, declared a place of Cultural interest and continue, surrounded by the fragrance of Txakolí, to nearby Zarautz, where we can enjoy one of the largest beaches in the province.
If you are thinking about walking the Camino de Santiago from San Sebastian tell us what your plans are for the Camino de Santiago and we will contact you to advise you on everything you need.
Itinerary stage San Sebastián – Zarautz
Today we do not face a very long journey, a little more than 20 kilometres. Although along the stage we will find some slopes, both positive and negative, these are not very pronounced. The most complicated one of the day is the ascent to Igeldo.
San Sebastián (Km. 0). Beginning of stage
Practical tips for this section: at Number 24 Calle Amezti de Igeldo, pilgrim José María Soroa places a couple of chairs and water bottles at the door of his house. He serves the thirsty pilgrims, provides information and seals the credential. Buen Camino!
To start the day, we head to Paseo Igeldo, crossing Avenida Zumalacarregui and then Pamplona or its parallel Brunet. From Calle Marbil We go up the slope by stairs and neighbourhood paths, to a parking lot, which we cross towards Hotel Leku Eder (km. 1.4). We continue along the hard shoulder of the road, with magnificent views of the Cantabrian Sea and the Igeldo Lighthouse. At the detour to Buenavista parking, we leave the road and go onto Calle Amezti de Igeldo.
After a change of direction, indicated by the arrows on the road, we pass on to Call Camino Matantrum (km. 2.7) and then we continue along the roads of Arritxulo (km. 4.3) and
Buztintxuri (km. 5.4). We pass by a steakhouse and we enter a sheltered path (km. 6.6). Advancing along a stretch of roadway and crossing some streams, we end up on a path that runs uphill along the slope of Mendizorrotz for 450 metres.
Then, the pilgrim path continues straight ahead into a wooded section, which leads us next to a farmhouse, where we briefly resume walking on the asphalt (km. 9.1), dodging a hatch and flowing into the road. After passing the hamlet of Munioetazar (km. 10.1), we leave the road on a curve and descend along a path, next to the sign that indicates 787 kilometres to Santiago. We pass by a fountain and continue down to the tunnel of the A-8 (km. 12.5).
At the exit, we take a hard climb to the Chapel of San Martín de Tours. After the view of the Chapel, we begin a descent to the beautiful main street of Orio, passing by the Church of San Nicolás de Bari.
Orio (Km. 14)
Practical tips for this section: Orio has a historic district declared as a place of Cultural interest, do not forget to walk through its streets. Buen Camino! Already in the centre of Orio, we turn left to cross the estuary by the bridge, towards Zarautz. We continue to the foot of the N-634, bordering the estuary and take a turning on the right towards Txurruka and Puerto.
By road, we reach the impressive viaducts of the A-8 and the Txurruka youth hostel (km. 16.1). After passing the latter, we turn left onto a wide pavement track that ascends between Txakolí vineyards and leads to Talaimendi and the Gran Camping de Zarautz (km. 17.4). From here begins a descent to our destination today.
We start by going down the road, with a panoramic view of Zarautz and Getaria, and then we take a road along the right hard shoulder that leads us to the entrance of the town. We continue along Avenida Navarra for a kilometre and turn left on any of its streets to access the old town of Zarautz.
Zarautz (Km. 20,3). End of stage
Practical tips for this section: Enjoy the vacation spot of the Royal Family. See you tomorrow!
Zarautz has one of the most beautiful and longest beaches on the Cantabrian coast, almost three kilometres long. For good reason, it was a destination very frequented by royalty and the aristocracy to enjoy the sun. In the city, you can visit various temples, such as the Convents of Santa Clara and the Good Shepherd, the Church of Santa María la Real and the Chapel of San Pedro de Elcano, Santa Bárbara, Santa Marina and San Martín de Ibaieta.
Or, various expressions of civil architecture. The oldest is the Palacio de Narros and the Torre Luzea since both belonged to the Zarautz family, gentlemen to whom the origin of the locality is linked. But it is also of interest the Palace Villa Munda and Palacio de Sanz-Enea, as they constitute samples of holiday houses used by the high bourgeoisie in the 19th century. In addition, Zarautz has the Museum of Art and History, located in the emblematic Torre Luzea, and the Photomuseum.
Comments stage San Sebastián – Zarautz
Next, we make some suggestions for you to complete the stage without problems and enjoy both the gastronomy and the places of interest that you will find along the route.
Precautions stage San Sebastián – Zarautz
Today’s stage, although it faces many ups and downs, which are not very pronounced, should make the day is more bearable than yesterday. The only drawback that the pilgrim will find is that in the rainy season it is very likely that many of the sections are muddy. In this case, you should advance carefully, especially during descents.
Food stage San Sebastián – Zarautz
Here are some typical gastronomic suggestions from today’s stage.
- Basque style Hake
- Baby squid with onion sauce
- Biscay style cod
- Suckling Lamb
- Txangurro – Baked Crab
- Mamia – Basque sheep’s curd dessert
- Curd
- Txakoli wine, always.
Services stage San Sebastián – Zarautz
Meet the main health care services, cafes, ATMs, restaurants and are in this stage of the Camino del Norte.
Map stage San Sebastián – Zarautz
Consult the map with the route, points and towns along the stage.
Profile stage San Sebastián – Zarautz
Consult the profile of the stage: altitude and degree of difficulty of each section.
What to do stage San Sebastián – Zarautz
Throughout the stage today you will cross Orio and arrive in Zarautz, both locations have different places of interest. Next, we provide you with information about them.
Ermita de San Martín de Tours
The Chapel of San Martín de Tours is located at the foot of the Camino del Norte, in the parish of Orio. The temple dates back to the 13th century, although it was rebuilt in the 16th. Its structure consists of a single nave divided into four sections.
Inside, it houses an altarpiece of the original temple that shelters the image of Saint Martin de Tours, patron of the pilgrims.
Casco histórico de Orio
The town of Orio has a historic quarter formed by buildings and houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, in a very good state of conservation. The architectural collection and its steep, totally paved streets were declared to be of Cultural Interest.
In its narrow streets, the visitor can visit the Interpretation Centre of the Camino de Santiago and the Church of St. Nicholas of Bari.
Centro de Interpretación del Camino de Santiago
The Interpretation Centre of the Camino de Santiago is located in the old town of Orio, in an old house. The purpose of this place is to inform pilgrims and visitors about the history of Camino de Santiago, as well as providing information on other routes that cross the Basque Country (Camino del Norte and the Camino Primitivo).
Practical information:
Opening hours: In summer it opens every day, from Monday to Saturday (from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00) and Sundays (from 10:00 to 14:00).
In winter it closes Mondays, Tuesdays (from 9:30 to 13:00), from Wednesday to Friday (from 9:30 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00), Saturdays (from 9:30 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00) and Sundays (from 10:00 to 14:00).
Entrance: General (€2.00), under 10 years, over 65 and groups (€1.50).
Iglesia de San Nicolás de Bari
The Church of San Nicolás de Bari is located in the old town of Orio. The temple dates back to the 17th century and is Baroque in style. Its construction was carried out on a previous church, of which one can still observe some vestiges, such as the sepulchres.
The structure of the present church stands out for its dimensions and elegance. Inside the temple you can see a niche, resting on spiral columns, which houses the image of San Nicolás de Bari. To the left of the cross, you can also admire the image of Saint Catherine of Siena.
Zarautz
The municipality of Zarautz belongs to the province of Guipúzcoa and has almost 23,000 inhabitants. The town has one of the most beautiful and longest beaches on the Cantabrian coast, almost three kilometres long.
The most emblematic buildings of the city are the Palacio de Narros and the Torre Luzea, since both belonged to the line of the Zarautz family, gentlemen to whom the origins of the city are linked.
In addition to its promenade are located various palaces from the 19th century, used by royalty and the high bourgeoisie as a summer house: Palacete Villa Munda and Palacete de Sanz-Enea. Other examples of civil architecture are Casa Makatza, Casa Portu and El Torreón.
As examples of religious architecture, you can visit the Convents of Santa Clara and Buen Pastor, the Church of Santa María la Real and the Chapels of San Pedro de Elcano, Santa Bárbara, Santa Marina and San Martín de Ibaieta.
In addition, the city has the Museum of Art and History, located in the Torre Luzea, and the Photomuseum.
Casa Makatza
The Makatza House is located in Zarautz and is in a Gothic style, preserving its fortress-like appearance. This tower house had as a function, along with others of the locality, to control the local area, since it did not have defensive walls. The most noteworthy of the construction are the semicircular arches that preside over the lateral façade.
Casa Portu
The Portu House houses the Zarautz Town Hall. The building dates back to the 18th century and is Baroque in style, although it features some classic elements such as the great door, presided over by fluted columns on which the base of the central balcony rests.
Convento de Santa Clara
The Convent of Santa Clara is located on the outskirts of the city of Zarautz. The religious ensemble was founded in the century, by Doña María Ana de Zarauz y Gamboa with the intention of converting it into their residence. In 1794, it was besieged by the French troops being abandoned until 1985, when it was restored.
The monastic ensemble is composed of the convent itself, a church from 1656, of the Baroque style, and the orchards. On the façade of the church, you can see a three-hole belfry, where the bells are located, and a niche at the entrance that houses the image of Santa Clara.
The interior is distributed around a courtyard. The altarpiece from the 18th century, made of polychrome wood in honour of the patron saint of the temple, stands out. The image of the saint is flanked by the sculptures of Santa Ana and San José.
Convento del Buen Pastor
The Convent of the Good Shepherd of Zarautz is managed by the order of the Barefoot Carmelites. The religious ensemble is formed by the convent and a church. Its construction was made in simple rustic rigging and is the work of the architect Marcial Dagorette.
The church presents a cross-plant with under-developed cross arms and is topped by a tower of Baroque influences that houses an image of the Good Shepherd. The chancel of the temple extends with a gate to the convent, so that the nuns can listen to the mass.
El Torreón
The Vista Alegre Tower rises in the same estate where the palace of the Counts of Villapadierna was located. It is one of the few constructions built in reinforced concrete in Guipúzcoa and one of the few examples of circular towers that are preserved today.
The Neoclassic-style construction is supported on a base of sandstone ashlars on which an outer semicircle is supported, formed by ten columns in a classic style arranged throughout the space and that support the architrave and top floor balustrade.
Ermita de San Pedro de Elcano
The Chapel of San Pedro de Elcano was the first parish church of Zarautz. The temple dates back to the 14th century and was built from sandstone. Today the chapel still retains a defensive aspect.
From the outside, the peculiar Gothic-style windows and the rosette of the chancel stand out. Inside, a baptismal font built in 15th century stone is preserved.
Ermita de Santa Bárbara
The Chapel of Santa Bárbara is located in the town of Zarautz. The temple was completely refurbished in 1995. It stands on a rectangular floor and has whitewashed masonry walls and a belfry that tops it. Inside, it houses an altarpiece of small dimensions and a painting in which Santa Barbara is represented.
Ermita de Santa Marina
The Chapel of Santa Marina is also located in Zarautz. The original temple dates from 1610 and built by order of Marina Alzuru. However, this was replaced by the construction that we can see today, in 1931.
The present Chapel presents an eclectic style. The façade protrudes from the exterior, with pinnacles and pointed arches that give access to the interior.
The interior highlights the image of the Virgin of Santa Marina, an image of Santa Apollonia and a crucified Christ. At present, the chapel is only used on May 21st of each year to perform a single liturgical event.
Iglesia de Santa María la Real
The Church of Santa María la Real is part of the monumental archaeological site of Santa María la Real, along with the Torre de Zarautz. The temple dates back to the late 15th century and is Gothic in style.
However, the church has undergone several renovations throughout history, the most outstanding being the one that was completed in the 16th century and during which the side chapels were added.
Inside you can visit a Baroque altarpiece from 1560, made by Andrés and Juan de Araoz. In the central street is located a gothic image of Nuestra Señora de la Real, as well as various scenes of the Passion of Christ.
Also noteworthy are two small altars from the 17th century, one dedicated to the Virgen del Rosario and another to San Exuperio.
Practical information:
Opening hours: Open in July and August, from Tuesday to Saturday (from 10:30 to 11:30 from 12:30 to 14:30 and from 16:30 to 17:30).
Museo de Arte e Historia de Zarautz
The Museum of Art and History of Zarautz is located in the Belfry-Tower of Zarautz, the oldest building in the municipality. The museum space aims to disseminate the history of the Basque coast, through a chronological journey of its history and an exhibition of works of sculpture, painting and photography of contemporary artists.
Beneath the walls of the building are the archaeological remains of a medieval necropolis, divided into three levels, one from the 9th to the 10th centuries, the other from the 11th to the X12th and the most recent, from the 12th to the 14th.
Palacete Villa Munda
The Villa Munda Palace is located in the place where the cemetery was formerly, surrounded by lush gardens. The building dates from the 19th century and was erected by order of the Doctor Pedro González de Velasco, anatomist and founder of the National Museum of Anthropology.
For its construction, the doctor had to pay 14,500 reales to exhume the bodies that were located on the farm and move them to the current cemetery. Since then, it has undergone several reforms, such as the two smaller bodies, which were added to the south façade, creating a U-shaped courtyard.
The Villa Munda Palace, together with Sanz Enea’s Palace, is one of the only examples of summer palaces that are preserved from that time. Today, the building houses the Casa de la Musica.
Palacio de Narros
The Palace of Narros is also known as the Palace of the Zarautz or Corral. The building, located in front of the beach, was built in 1536 with the purpose of being the second residence of Queen Isabel II and of Father Coloma. In 1964, it was declared an Artistic Historical Monument.
The building has a central structure with two lateral wings built with sandstone ashlar. On the main façade, you can see a large arch-shaped doorway, on which stands the coat of arms, in which you can read: “Zarauz before Zarauz”.
Currently, the palace is a private house so you cannot visit the interior, however, you can take guided tours of the outside, which explain the history of the place.
Practical information:
Timetable for guided tours: In July and August, from Tuesday to Saturday (11:30). The rest of the year, the third Saturday of each month (12:00) or concerted visits.
Palacio de Sanz-Enea
The Sanz-Enea Palace, together with the Villa Munda Palace, is one of the few specimens left in Zarautz of summer palaces from the late 19th century. The building was built by C.H. Besoin, although in 1985, it underwent some profound renovations, under the direction of Jorge Caballero Bustamante, to adapt it as a space for cultural uses.
Photomuseum
The Photomuseum Argazki & Cinema Museum of Zarautz is destined to explain the history of art and photographic techniques from its origins to the present day. The museum space has a wide exhibition of cameras, ancient daguerreotypes and artistic photos from different eras.
Practical information:
Timetable: Closes on Mondays. From Tuesday to Sunday (from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00).
Entrance: General (€6), Reduced (€3).
Playa de Zarautz
The Zarautz beach is the most extensive in Guipúzcoa, almost three kilometres long. The beach is divided into three areas. The western part, used mainly by families and bathers, the central part, reserved for surfers, and the eastern part, where there is a set of dunes inhabited by numerous plants and animal species.
Ermita de San Martín de Ibaieta
The Chapel of San Martín de Ibaieta is located in the district of Talaimendi. The temple dates from the 16th century, although throughout history it has undergone various extensions and modifications. In the past it worked as the headquarters of the forces of Don Carlos, being quite deteriorated during the First Carlist War.
Torre Luzea
The Luzea Tower is situated in a small park in Zarautz. The building dates from the 15th century and is the biggest gothic exponent of civil architecture in Guipúzcoa.
Its structure has a peculiar façade made of ashlar stone and is divided into three floors. On the ground floor, there are several Gothic-style windows and it is the coat of arms of the Zarautz family. In the interior of the tower, magnificent 16th-century paintings are preserved.
In the park surrounding the building, you can visit various sculptures, such as the Bertsolari Basarri and the poet Lizardi.
