Camino de Santiago del Norte
INTROThe Camino de Santiago is a network of long distance pilgrimages throughout Europe, primarily Spain, leading to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Enjoying the rain and beautiful views?
This is about the North route (del Norte) which I began in San Sebastián, Spain. This route is roughly 500 miles (800 kilometers). This is different from an other backpacking I’ve done; less wilderness, more showers/town food. This comes after my completion of the Camino de Santiago Frances.
Day 4 - 7 took me from Markina - Xemein Spain - Islares, Spain.
OVERVIEWDAYS4
MILES/kilometers69.2/111.4
TOTAL ELEVATION GAINED9659 ft
TOTAL ELEVATION LOSS9835 ft
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Meeting lovely, strong women in the outdoors space
Great coastal views with albergues nearby
Cheerful lunches!
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Consistent rain leading to muddy trail conditions
Albergue problems with inconsiderate people
A lot more pavement walking than I expected
Only a little further to Santiago de Compostela
In Depth
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Accommodation: Albergue Pozveta
Distance: 19.2 miles/30.9 kilometers
Elevation Gain: 3381 ft
Elevation Loss: 2949 ft
I woke up in a pitch black room with loud music playing specifically Ave Maria. This tune is historically played funerals in my family – including my dad’s funeral in October 2024 by me on the violin. So when I open my eyes and it was still dark, I wondered… was this my funeral? Turns out at the monastery in Markina, I was staying at this is the morning alarm.
This albergue offered “breakfast“ which was a piece of toast and coffee. This again proves that I do not know if it is possible to be on Camino‘s long-term while gluten-free. I got wrapped up for the day a large group of us left at the same time (Steve myself three American women, Jess, MJ, and Steph, and David) We hiked together through farmland and climbs. Along the way, we saw real farmers working and all chatted about much deeper stuff than you would normally chat about with people you just met.
Eventually, we stopped for more coffee and breakfast. David had a different schedule so he stayed back while the five of us carried on. It began to rain immediately upon our departure and this section would then be marked by rain henceforth. Luckily Alex (Camino Frances) had given me for her very effective poncho (as seen in pictures below) so the rain did not scare me anymore. What the rain did do was create a lot of mud. So anytime the trail was actually a trail, it was often a mud pit.
We all eventually made the descent into Guernica, which is the historical stage stopping place, but I need to go a little bit further for the night and accommodation was scarce. We stopped for a quick snack and drink before the last 5 to 7 miles of the day, but Jan and Andrew from Ireland arrived and it was a celebration.
I was staying at a highly rated albergue that night and I had signed up for dinner, but they did not give me a time for the meal. I left before the rest of the group and had a miserable last five miles of the day. There was a lot of climbing and even more mud. My normal pace on the Camino was anywhere from 18 to 20 minutes per mile but with this mud it was a solid 25 to 28 minutes. Eventually, the mud trail dumped out onto a road for the last half mile. I wish that the resident that lived at this junction would put up a camera to see hikers spilling out from the mud slipping, and then hitting actual pavement and traction. I bet it would be entertaining because my landing onto the pavement was a bit aggressive.
I arrived at a highly rated albergue and it was a very cute setting. Unfortunately, dinner was at 8:00pm so I could have stayed and spent more time with the group. The dorm areas were very tight and instructions were somewhat unclear. I met a lovely group of women who I chatted with the whole night and would be around for the next few days and a pair that I would be with at the end of the trail as well! Denise, Dianna, Lily, Marikah, and Ann had met on the Frances and we’re doing all or some of the Norte together. It was nice to see that Camino relationships can persist across countries and years.
The dinner was good overall but did not get done until around 10:00pm which is much past my bedtime.The last person to arrive around that time then proceed horrifically the whole evening.. lovely
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Accommodation: All Iron Hostel
Distance: 14.9 miles/24 kilometers
Elevation Gain: 2193 ft
Elevation Loss: 2501 ft
After little to no sleep because in addition to the snoring, one of the other women in the room shut the window around midnight therefore it became a sauna. The Camino’s best part is the people and it’s worst part is also the people.
I had an interesting breakfast at the albergue, again could never be gluten-free at some of these spots. Though the place was highly rated specifically for the welcoming environment and the hosts - I barely saw either of those things. They served dinner, but did not engage with any guests other than that.
I had planned to meet up with MJ, Steph, Jess, and Steve at their albergue a few miles ahead but our paths/timing were off so I ended up waiting on the side of the trail ahead for about 30 minutes in the rain. They eventually arrived and we hiked the remaining bit until Bilbao together. There was a lot of road walking the last few miles into Bilbao and I skipped the final muddy ascent in decent to the city and went straight to my hostel.
I arrived with the hostel and it was in fact, a hostel rather than an albergue. This indicated that other travelers and backpackers could stay there as well, which just changed the feeling of the space. I was in the most undesirable room with the most undesirable people so although the hostel was very nice, people in my room made the night somewhat miserable.
I went out to dinner with Trish and Greta (USA) to a kebab place - a meal which would end up being my go to. I attempted to meet up with the four I hiked with earlier in the day as they were getting off trail and Bilbao but the traffic and some uncomfortable interactions with people made going out alone at 8:00pm an unwise choice.
The majority of people in my room for the night were either out clubbing until 2:00am, taking work calls in the room until 11:00pm, or entering/exiting every hour as if they were nocturnal.
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Accommodation: Albergue de Pobeña
Distance: 20.4 miles / 32.8 kilometers
Elevation Gain: 2206 ft
Elevation Loss: 2575 ft
I felt no shame in turning on the light or making noise by packing up at 6:30am as everyone else in the room showed no consideration for quiet hours the night prior. I had met up with Sophie (German), who had plans to go to the same spot as me this evening. We wanted to explore a little bit of Bilbao, but then take the metro through a notorious industrial section up to Portugalete. Sophie and I walked around Bilbao and again got an uncomfortable feeling so we cut our touring short and got on the metro early. They saved us a few miles by taking the metro off to Portugalete.
Our goal for the evening was Pobeña, which only albergue. It was first come first serve and there was accommodation drought for 12 miles before that from Portugalete. So we aimed to be there relatively early to get a spot in line for a bed.
It rained on and off throughout the whole day both misting and down pouring. It was about half on roads and half through farmland with some good animal interactions. We did reach the coast again just before Pobeña where we bought groceries. By the time we got to the albergue there was already a queue for beds.
It started raining in sincerity when we were in line outside so hovering under a building overhang to stay out of the rain while waiting for a bed with something to experience.
This albergue was Donativo, which means you donate what you can.. but they were requiring at least a €10 donativo therefore making it not donation based? I have no problem pain at least €10 for accommodation but do not call something a donation base system when there is a minimum requirement.
I got a bed a bunk with Sophie and the bunkbeds were immensely tight. Luckily there were two lovely gals right next to us that were understanding of how tight it was and were considerate of our space as well. Both Marina (Switzerland) and Sonya (Australia) and I would continue to connect with for several weeks.
Sophie realized that she forgot her passport back in Bilbao so she had to take the metro back to retrieve it. So I had dinner in the very small dining space where for some reason zero people talked to me this evening? I don’t normally have this problem of needing to fully interject myself and then being rejected, but no one was interested in talking to an American woman this evening. Sophie returned with her passport and we all tucked in.
*Daily mileage listed includes metro. Total in summary section subtracts any public transport.
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Accommodation: Islares Hostel
Distance: 14.7 miles / 23.7 kilometers
Elevation Gain: 1879 ft
Elevation Loss: 1810 ft
The weather forecast for the day was dismal - thunderstorms with high winds. Sophie left early and we had plans to meet later in the day as we were booked at the same hostel in Islares. I left and was promptly greeted by a deluge. As I was hiking up some miserable stairs up to a tree tunnel to the coastal route, I saw a woman coming back down and she said that it was unsafe to hike there. The high winds in combination of the proximity to sharp rocks leading to a drop off into the ocean… I followed her. Zuzana (Slovakia) went back into Pobeña and into a coffee shop and found two other women, Koral (Canada) and Maria (Spain). The four of us decided to take the inland alternate that included a highway. But with four of us highway walking was a bit safer.
Despite the rain, this ended up being a very fun morning with many rainbows and beautiful expensive views. Koral, who previously worked on a sailboat charter in Australia for a few years, saw that there was some more weather coming in over the ocean, and it looked a little tumultuous. So we were running/debating of where to take shelter for this impending storm. It began swirling as the winds with the mountains up against the coast changed its direction. We sat in a petrol station for 30 minutes and missed the majority of it.
Around lunchtime, we got into Castro Urdiales. There the group met up with Silvia (Germany) and Kateřina (Czech Republic) and we went out for pinchos and drinks. It was slated to rain more that afternoon so we were waiting out the storm. There was a table of us (pictured below) that had six different countries represented by each of the women. To be able to have women of similar ages from all over the world enjoy and understand a meal together was pretty impactful.
We eventually arrived in our destination of Islares at a beautiful hostel. One my favorite hostels of the entire trail. Sophie was there already waiting so four of us decided to go down to the beach and do some exploring along the rocks. I watched waves crashing loudly against jagged rocks for at least an hour, and it was peaceful.
Zuzana eventually arrived as well, and they all went out to a bar down at the other end of town. But I was tired/overstimulated so I decided to stay in in my comfy bunk. It felt like a luxurious evening.
*Daily mileage listed includes metro. Total in summary section subtracts any public transport
GALLERY
