Northern Way self guided walking holiday, Spain
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Wedged between the Cantabrian Sea and the mountains, wrapped up in the refreshing breeze and the sound of the seagulls that nest on the cliffs, bathed in the scents of seaweed and salt coming from huge deserted beaches, the Northern route option is the freshest and most natural of all routes leading to Santiago de Compostela.
Since 2004 and with the help of the Spanish Friends of Saint James, the Northern route is now as well marked as the French Way. This enables modern pilgrims to stay as close as possible to the ancient route used in the medieval times and it also protects the area, limiting the impact on local environment made by the increasing number of people reaching Santiago via the Camino del Norte.
By discovering the area in an environment-friendly manner (walking), you will have plenty of time to enjoy the peaceful nature along the Northern Way, while minimizing the impacts on the surrounding landscapes.
We make available a Travelers Code of Conduct and all our documents are printed on recycled paper. Our staff also follow an Environmental policy (e.g: only using hard copies when necessary or switching off the lights where the areas are not in used.)
Last but not least, as hikers by passion, we have a strong ethic about respecting the places we go to and their environment, either for business or personally (e.g: not leaving any rubbish behind us during a day walk or using reusable water containers), and we encourage our guests to act responsibly while traveling.
Community
We are committed to work with local hotels and restaurants only. Actually, we personally know each person we deal with as we go on ground to tailor make these holidays for you.
The Northern Way (or Camino del Norte) partly runs through the Basque Country, and modern pilgrim will get a chance to embrace this well alive culture as you walk from town to town at your own pace. As we work with local and family run hotels and guesthouses, you will also get a chance to interact with local people, most of them being from the region for generations and keen to share information about their land. A land of tradition which still hosts many typical houses (both Basque and Cantabrian) and medieval churches, as well as a region open to tourism with history and influences from both the sea and the rural countryside.
Restaurants cook meals from local products only, and in this part of Spain, you should expect some nice and fresh fish and seafood of course, but this region also produces some nice meat which may also end up under your palate!
Every day, your luggage will be brought from hotel to hotel by our local transporter, who knows the area better than anybody else and will ensure your bags are transferred in a professional and timely manner. By dealing directly with local professionals, we also ensure them maximum benefits.
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