The Northern Way of the Camino de Santiago

The author of the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century guide to the Camino de Santiago, didn’t think much of his walk through the Basque region. “The language spoken here is incomprehensible. The terrain is woody and mountainous with a serious shortage of bread, wine and other food supplies, except for plenty of apples and cider and milk.” He goes on to cast some (unprintable here) aspersions about its people.

Things have changed 800 years on from the publication of the ‘world’s first travel guide’. From its tapas to its chic seaside cities, the world loves the Basque region. But the language is still incomprehensible to many, and the hilly terrain can still be a challenge.

The 800km-long Northern Way, a branch of the Camino de Santiago, runs along the most famous part of the Basque Country – its coast. Then it continues into Cantabria, Asturias and then Galicia before dropping down to the city of Santiago de Compostela.

Keeping it responsible

Make your trip to northern Spain low carbon, and low on food miles. If you’re traveling from the UK, you could arrange train travel to reach Bilbao before taking a bus to get to the actual start of the walk. Once you reach a village on the route, make the most of it; support small, locally owned shops and cafes as you seek out their most popular specialities. In San Vicente de la Barquera it’s easy to forget about your sore feet when a fresh lobster from the Bay of Biscay is sitting on your plate.