The Camino de Santiago (Pilgrim’s Way or Way of St James) becomes more popular every year, as it is much more than a route of paths that cross the landscape as far as Santiago de Compostela. It is a real personal experience, an opportunity to get to know people and places that transforms pilgrims and leaves long-lasting memories.
The Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in Europe, one that can also be followed by bicycle. It consists of different sections or ‘Caminos’ depending on where the pilgrim starts out.
In the case of Euskadi, we are fortunate to be part of the Camino de la Costa (coastal route), one of the most important of the Camino del Norte (northern route) that is also recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
On its way through Biscay, the Camino de Santiago is a part of the Camino del Norte that is not too crowded. It has attractive options in each stage, with delightful walks. The experience is not only recommended for pilgrims but for anyone who wants to discover our culture, history, landscapes and gastronomy.
The stages of the Camino del Norte through Biscay have a difficulty level of ‘easy’ to ‘moderate’. They are:
- Markina – Gernika (Points of interest: Collegiate church of Ziortza and the route between Zarra and Elexalde)
- Gernika – Bilbao (Points of interest: Gernika: Casa de Juntas (Assembly) and Tree of Gernika. Museo de la Paz. Bilbao: Basilica de Begoña, Calzadas de Mallona, Cathedral of Santiago, Old Quarter and Guggenheim Museum)
- Bilbao – Portugalete (Points of interest: Bilbao: Bridge and church of San Antón. Portugalete: Biscay Bridge, Old Part, Basilica of Santa María)
- Portugalete – Kobaron (Points of interest: Beach of La Arena and Itsaslur greenway).
Discover each stage (with routes and useful information) and its attractions on the ‘Peregrinos por el Norte, de Hotel en Hotel‘ website. This portal, the result of collaboration between the Catering and Tourism Associations of the whole northern coast also contains hotels with special services for pilgrims, and places to sleep and get your energy back along the Way.
We also give you this list on Spotify so you can enjoy that moment of disconnection with our selection: