Camino del Norte

Camino del Norte

Irún to Santiago along Spain’s Northern Coast

The Camino del Norte is one of the oldest caminos, reaching its zenith in the 9th and 10th centuries as the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula gained ground northward. The far north of Spain remained under Christian control, and the kingdom of Asturias remained one of the last bastions of control with its capital in Oviedo. Pilgrims from throughout Europe arrived by ship to the coast and made their way to Santiago via Oviedo or, alternatively, by traveling further west to avoid crossing mountainous terrain. After the Reconquest of Spain in the 11th century, the royal court shifted to León and the Camino Francés became the preferred route to Santiago.

Today, the Camino del Norte begins in Irún, Spain, a coastal city along the French border, and follows Spain’s rugged northern coast to Ribadeo in Galicia, where the route turns inland toward Santiago and connects with the Camino Francés in Arzúa. Pilgrims who want to pair the Camino del Norte with the Camino Primitivo can leave the Norte route just after Villaviciosa, connecting with the Primitivo in Oviedo.

Major cities on the route include Irún, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander and Gijón. The Norte route is well marked and outfitted with a network of pilgrim hostels, though the distance between them is greater than on the Camino Francés.