Difficulty level: medium to high.

We start our Camino del Norte from San Sebastián. We leave the ascending Monte Igueldo, which closes the Bahía de la Concha. It's an important slope, so you have to face it in a good mood, a spirit that, without a doubt, doesn't offer the wonderful view of the city that we left behind. This is a phase in which good prospects will prevail, both from Igueldo and from the descent to Zarautz, the end of today. We drive through the fishing village of Orio with an interesting old town, in which the church of San Nicolás de Bari stands out.

Difficulty level: medium to high.

Stage similar to that of the previous day, in which ascents and descents predominate again, but also the wonderful view of the coast, which is dominated by the Cantabrian Sea. We will have to consider three climbs, one at the beginning and one towards the end, although we will end the stage with the descent from Itziar to Deba, a descent in which precautions have to be taken with slips during the rainy season.

Difficulty level: high.

The route gets harder when we leave the coastal landscape and enter mountainous areas inland. We will visit beautiful valley areas that are typical of the Basque Country. It is an area without important cities, we will find only a few farmhouses here and there, so it is advisable to get used to it well.

Difficulty level: high.

Again we face significant ups and downs. The most difficult part of the stage is the ascent from Bolibar to Ziortza. In this city we can take a short break to relax and visit the Zenarruza monastery and its cloister. Upon arrival at our destination, it is recommended to visit the meeting house and the Guernika tree.

Difficulty level: medium to high.

We start the day with the most important climb of the day with a gradient of about 300 meters. We are in the heart of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, so it is worth quietly enjoying the natural landscapes that accompany us, even though we are still in a difficult geographical area. In today's phase we come through the city of Larrabe, where Eneko Atxa operates its two restaurants with a Michelin star, Azurmendi (***) and Eneko (*).

Difficulty level: medium.

After several stages with around twenty kilometers, we face a much shorter one. We will also have only one climb, Mount Avril, with a 300m gradient, but quite progressive so it is not overly difficult. The descent leads us to the historical center of Bilbao, past the Basilica of Our Lady of Begoña. In Bilbao, besides Santiago de Compostela, we find the only cathedral on the Spanish mainland that is dedicated to Santiago Apóstol. Visits to the old town's taverns are also essential for a traditional pintxo tour and of course for the Guggenheim Museum.

Difficulty: easy.

The beginning of today's stage covers a large part of the city of Bilbao. It is an urban part of the Way of St. James, which is quite surprising for some pilgrims. You can make two sections, the official one, longer, or you can follow the Nervión along its course, which saves us several kilometers. Each of the sections is fairly simple and flat. We reach Portugalete via the impressive Vizcaya Bridge across the river.

Difficulty level: medium.

In today's phase we will enter Cantabria and restore the sections of the Camino next to the Cantabrian coast for the following days. If we leave the city of Ontón, we will find two variants, the official one or the one that follows the national road, which used to be very busy and is now quieter thanks to the motorway. The national variant is shorter than the official variant. However, we definitely recommend taking the appropriate precautions for the sections along the roads when selecting this second option. We will end up in the beautiful fishing village of Castro Urdiales.

Difficulty level: medium.

Again we find the opportunity to shorten the stage along the national road, although on today's trip it is worth following the official path for the beauty of the passages that crosses it between the Cantabrian coast and the inland valleys with green forests. On the official road we find a second variant that saves us about three kilometers, the crossing of La Magdalena. All options are perfectly marked and it is the pilgrim's choice which one he prefers. The end of our stage, Laredo, is a tourist town with wonderful beaches.

Difficulty level: medium.

At the beginning of today's stage, from March to November, we have the opportunity to take a boat between Laredo (from El Puntal) and Santoña (every 10/15 minutes). From December to February, you have to bypass the estuary and swamps along the official road, with the Colindres variant obviously being the longest. The greatest difficulty of the day can be found on the almost 100-meter-high Brusco hill, whose path must be followed with caution given its narrowness and its somewhat slippery terrain with rain. There's an option to get around it, but we'd miss out on some great prospects. After the beautiful beach of Noja, we return inland until we reach Güemes.

Difficulty level: medium.

Once we get to Galizano we can follow the official path or, if we prefer to bypass the entire coast, a longer option but with great views. On the internal route we pass the sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Latas (16th century). Both routes lead to the city of Somo. We will end the stage with a boat that will take us from Somo to Santander. In the Cantabrian capital we can visit the beach of Sardinero, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption or the Magdalena Palace.

Difficulty level: medium.

After yesterday's easy and short stage, we have a long day ahead of us. Although the route starts in an urban section with no particular interest and this can be a little difficult, we will end in one of the most monumental cities in the Cantabrian Sea, Santillana de Mar. Nearby are the Altamira Caves, whose museum is open to visitors.

Difficulty level: medium.

The route that awaits us in its originality today runs away from the sea and is mostly paved. Fortunately, they reformed part of the route and now we get to Luaña Beach, where we enjoy a few kilometers offshore. For those who prefer it, they can choose the original route. In general, it is a stage with moderate climbs without any significant difficulties. We come through cities like Cóbredes, where we can see the Cistercian monastery. The day ends as soon as we reach Comillas. Comillas a charming city, it is worth walking the streets to discover this beautiful city. Sights include Gaudi's Capricho and the Palace of Sobrellano.

Difficulty level: medium.

On this day we experience the opposite of yesterday. Above all, we cross through a completely rural environment. We start the day with a walk through the Oyambre Natural Park near the coast towards San Vicente de la Barquera. As soon as we cross the Ría de San Vicente, we reach the fishing village, one of the biggest attacks of the day. We can go to the old town of San Vicente to see the church, the castle and the remains of the old wall. In the meantime, we will find that the bumps become more and more important at this stage, although they are still not excessively large. We continue towards Unquera and gradually leave Cantabria. We crossed the bridge over the Deba river to end the stage in Colombres, already on Asturian land.

Difficulty level: easy.

A day with beautiful landscapes awaits us. We walked the first few kilometers until we reach Pendueles, where, as in previous stages, we can choose whether we want to follow the official path or take the coastal path. This path is marked with red and white markings. We recommend following the path as it is much more beautiful at the landscape level. Today we have the most difficult climb when we pass Andrín. A few kilometers away is Llanes, the final destination of today's stage. Llanes has a monumental complex of particular interest, but the "Cubes of Memory", an artistic work in the port, should also be highlighted as a mandatory stop.

Difficulty level: medium.

With charged batteries we fill up energy for a long stage. We are again rewarded with beautiful landscapes. The first half of the route takes us to the coast, where we come along beautiful beaches such as Torimbia and Barro. Before we reach the beaches, we also pass Celorio, with its monastery. We cross the Bedón River and continue towards the second part of the day, which leads inland. The rural landscape dominates. The stage ends as soon as we arrive in Ribadesella, a fishing village at the mouth of the Sella River.

Difficulty level: easy.

We cross the Sella river towards Santa Marina Beach. Today's tour goes through many beaches. We go uphill towards Vega de Ribadesella. We cross the Vega River and find La Vega Beach. We pass Berbes and follow the path through the beach of Arenal de Morís and Playa de la Espasa. Our destination today is Colunga, a few kilometers away.

Difficulty level: easy.

One of the shortest stages of the entire journey with a few kilometers is practically a break today. We left the coast completely to take a tour inland and combine the mountainous landscape of the north with asphalt paths. The most important climb of the stage leads us from Pernús to Priesca. Still, it's not a significant difference. The day ends in Villaviciosa, a city known as Comarca de la Sidra.

Difficulty level: high.

After the short “break” from the previous day, we are now facing one of the most difficult stages of the entire journey. This is because there are two significant actions. The first is a few kilometers before the start of the stage in Niévares, Alto de la Cruz, where we have to climb more than 300 meters. The second, the Collado del Infanzón, immediately after the descent to Peón, where we climb again, this time only 200 meters, a more pleasant and easier ascent. We continue our way to Deba and walk the last kilometers to Gijón. Gijón is the most populous city in Asturias. It is worth getting lost in the old town and enjoying the Plaza Mayor, the Casa Museo de Jovellanos, the Church of San Pedro and the Palacio de Revillagigedo.

Difficulty level: medium.

We leave Gijón to enter a green and rural landscape. The profile of the stage is quite simple, without much worry. We drive through small towns like Pavierna and Santa Eulalia, where the Church of Santa Eulalia is located. The rest of the route follows the course of the Ría de Avilés. Avilés ended today's stage. It is an industrial city, but also has an interesting old town. As sights we can mention the Plaza de España with the town hall and the Palace of the Marquis of Ferrera (currently a hotel), the Church of San Nicolás de Bari and the Palace of García Pumarino.

Difficulty: easy.

It is a fairly long stage, but of a low level of difficulty. We encounter quite a few, but moderate bumps .. For the first few kilometers we approach the coast in Salinas, but almost the entire route runs inland and on asphalt paths. Several rivers cross our path. To get to Muros de Nalón we have to cross the Nalón river. As soon as we have passed the river, we go through the interior again until we reach the coast in Cudillero. Cudillero is a picturesque and charming fishing village.

Difficulty level: easy.

The first part leads through the interior, but as soon as we reach Soto de Luiña, the profile changes completely. The second part of the day runs near the coast with beautiful green landscapes without large bumps, a well-marked section with numerous cities and access to impressive beaches. The inconsistencies are common again, but moderate. It is a day full of great natural beauty. The day ends in Ballota.

Difficulty level: easy.

As at the end of the previous day, the first kilometers of this new day take us close to the coast, with a view of the beaches and towering cliffs as far as Cadavevo. From here we return to go through further inner landscapes. It is a fairly quiet and easy stage, we come through small towns such as San Cristóbal or Querúa. The only notable difficulty on the stage is the short but steep climb at the exit of the Hotel Canero, which once passed the small town of Chano de Canero. Once that climb is over, the rest is a breeze. We are a few kilometers from the end of the stage, Luarca. It is a small but nice fishing village.

Difficulty level: easy.

The first kilometers from Luarca are ascending but moderate. We cross the Barayo River and descend to Villapedre. The stage is far from the coast, we cross numerous cities and spend a large part of the route near a national road. Nevertheless, the rivers will continue to be our travel companions. Our destination today in Navia.

Difficulty level: easy.

Today's stage begins with a choice: Tol or Tapias de Casariego? The Tapias de Casariego option takes us along the coast, while Tol leads us inland. Both itineraries have no unevenness problems, but it is advisable to choose Tapias de Casariego as this option offers more cities and therefore more services. In addition, Tapias de Casariego is a fishing village with a beautiful harbor. In each of the two routes we have to cross the Ría del Eo to get to Ribadeo and therefore to spend our first night in Galicia. We are getting closer.

Difficulty level: medium.

First day in Galicia. We move completely away from the coastal landscapes to start again with the mountainous arrangement. It is a short but intense stage. The first few kilometers of the day lead through flat terrain or with moderate slopes, but as soon as we reach A Ponte de Arante, we start a steep climb from 100 meters to almost 360 meters. As soon as we have overcome the ascent, we are only a few kilometers from today's destination, Villamartin Grande.

Difficulty level: easy.

The day begins with a flat descent to Gondán. After the day before, it will be an agreeable stage. We climb a bit to the church of San Xusto and continue on the Batán river to Vilanova de Lourenzá. We have an ascent again that leads us to Arroxo. The rest of the route has very moderate gradients. We finally arrive in Mondoñedo. The cathedral and old town of Mondoñedo have been declared a historical-artistic site.

Difficulty level: easy.

Today's stage leads us through the inner plateau of Lugo, known as Terra Cha. On this day we only climbed moderately from 100 to over 500 meters, so that no great effort is required. On our way we pass small villages like O Vilar or Lousada until we reach Abadín.

Difficulty level: easy.

Pleasant stage through flat land, green meadows and forests that run parallel to a national road. The Anllo River and the Arnela River cross our path as well as small towns like As Paredes, Martiñan or O Campo do Cristo. We spend the night in Villalba, the capital of Terra Chá. It is very worth seeing, the Torreón de los Condes de Andrade (currently it is a Parador).

Difficulty: easy.

Today's stage is presented to us without difficulty, with few bumps and a pleasant rural environment. The road leads us on dirt roads, today we no longer step on solid asphalt. The end of the stage is in O Seixón.

Difficulty level: medium.

We have completely changed the profile of the route, today bumps are the order of the day. Although they are moderate, they are continuous, which makes the stage a little difficult. Following the example of the past few days, the environment that accompanies us is rural. In this phase we reach the maximum height of the entire north route of 700 meters. Then we go to O Mesón and begin the descent to Sobrado dos Monxes. In Sobrado dos Monxes, we cannot miss his jewel, the Cistercian monastery of Santa María de Sobrado.

Difficulty level: easy.

Last stage on the north route. We say goodbye with a simple tour without major complications. We leave the dirt roads that have accompanied us in the past few days to re-enter paved roads. The rural landscape that has guided us is also changing to make way for more urban areas. Our stage ends in Arzúa, where we should not miss the opportunity to try the famous cheeses.

Difficulty level: easy.

Today we start on the French way. We have a short and quiet stage ahead of us to record everything that was lived during the trip before arriving in Santiago the next day.

Difficulty level: easy.

Nerves on the surface. Strange sensations It is the last stage. We recommend leaving early to take part in the pilgrimage, which is celebrated at 12:00 p.m. First we reach Lavacolla and continue climbing Monte do Gozo, where we can catch a glimpse of the long-awaited cathedral from a distance. Finally the Plaza del Obradoiro and the well deserved personal satisfaction of having reached this point.

Buen Camino & see you next time!