Camino del Norte Walking - Stage 2 - Bilbao to Santander Walking Self-Guided

Enjoy the city and the food and get your first stamp in your Pilgrim´s Passport. Visit the Guggenhiem Museum on the banks of the River Nervion. Explore the old town and eat some pintxos in the little taverns

There are several options for leaving the city. We recommend the East Nervion one as it is the shortest and passes Bilbao's most scenic spots such as the Guggenheim Museum.The trail crosses the suspension bridge and travels along a quiet route on the banks of the River Cadagua. 

From Portugalete the Camino continues to follow the beautiful rock coastline. If you start early enough you can enjoy a beautiful sunrise. In the village of La Arena you will pass by a fine red sand beach. There are few steep walks up but you are rewarded with a stunning walk along the coastal hillside. Castro Urdiales has the perfect mix of modern and medieval architecture.

The Camino will take you along the stunning coastal cliffs of the Cantabrian Sea and past a medieval castle. You will pass by the Chapel of Santa Isabel and the Church of La Magdalena on your route to Liendo. You can then either walk the route that runs through the valley passing the Church of Our Lady of Liendo in Hazas, or you can take the alternative route going up to the Chapel of San Julian. Laredo is famous for its superb surfing beaches and medieval old town.

From Laredo, you can choose to follow the coastal route through Santoña to Guemes or the inland variant to Escalante. In the summer months when the ferry is running we recommend the coastal route. From Laredo, you walk along the vast beach for 2km to the ferry jetty enjoying the sunrise on the way if you´re an early starter. After the short ferry ride to Santoña you walk along the impressive surf beach of Berria for about 1km before heading slightly inland towards your overnight destination of Guemes. The inland variant avoids the ferry and takes you through the salt marshes of the Santoña wildlife sanctuary to Escalante.

Arriving at major cities is often a challenge on The Camino as you have to walk through industrial sprawl for several kilometres. Santander is that rare occasion where your approach to the city is an experience in itself to be savoured. From Guemes, The Camino takes you straight to the coast where a footpath running parallel to the cliff´s edge will take you straight to the stunning surf beach of Somo. From there you pick up the traditional ferry (pedreñera) across the bay which delivers you to the shores of the elegant city of Santander.

After breakfast you say farewell for now to Santander - unless you want to stay an extra night or continue on to your next stop which would be the beautiful medieval town of Santillana del Mar...