The Northern Way walking short break
Description of The Northern Way walking short break
This short four day hike on the Northern Way is fast-becoming one of the best-loved alternatives to the other more popular Camino trails. Known as El Camino del Norte, this excellent section of the hiking route takes travellers through Cantabria before completing at the Santiago de Compostela.
Running from east to west from the town of Irún, adjacent to the border with France, the Northern Way represents a much less busy experience where authenticity has been retained over commercialism and a variety of natural and historic landscapes mark the trail over relatively flat gradients
From charming seaside fishing villages and Cantabrian coastal scenery to medieval heritage and mountains giving way to beaches, this is a beautiful walk for those looking to really get to understand the essence of northern Spain. Daily distances are easily achievable for those who favour a slow and steady pace.
On arrival day, you will make your way to the pretty village of Santillana del Mar. Starting the walk, proper, on Day two lets you get orientated after a good night's rest with the scent of sea breeze and flower-filled pastures ensuring the 23km stretch to Comillas always invites a hearty appetite for the evening's local fare.
Your second and final full day of walking is about half the distance of the first and provides a unique glimpse at life on the coast as you take in the sandy stretches at Oyambre before booking into San Vicente de la Barquera backed by the sea and views of the Picos mountains.
Although this is just a section of the Northern Way it absolutely encapsulates the essence of Cantabria as well as providing walkers who are short on time with an easy going experience on flattish terrain at a slow to medium pace.
As part of this four day Northern Way walking holiday you'll find featured three nights in comfortable locally-owned hotels with breakfasts and luggage transportation between accommodation. Don't forget to bring a day pack and refillable water bottle. Around-the-clock emergency assistance is also included which adds confidence to the detailed walking route notes that cover landmarks, distances and things to see over the course of two days walking.
Trip Includes:
- 3 nights in a 2 or 3 star Hotel
- 3 Breakfasts
- Luggage transfer between hotels (one bag per person, up to 20kg)
- Pilgrim's Passport
- Camino Information Pack
- Walking Notes
- 24 hour phone assistance
- Transfer in case of emergencies
Price information
Departure information
Travel guides
Holiday information
Responsible Travel
Planet
We focus on selecting local suppliers who are committed to preserve the environment. The transport companies we hire use modern vehicles with low CO2 emissions. We also rationalise transport so we minimise the number of vehicles in use.We primarily use electronic format for trip documentation. Our paper use is restricted to the Pilgrim's credential as this is necessary for them to collect their stamps in the different towns where they are staying.
Travellers are briefed on local environmental considerations including appropriate waste disposal. They are asked to be considerate not only with the local customs but with the environment they visit. For example, they protect their environment by not wasting their running water, disposing of rubbish in the appropriate bins and to re-use materials when possible. Also, as they are walking trails in Northern Spain, they are encouraged to pick any litter they encounter in the forest areas and National parks to help keep these beautiful environments clean.
We encourage clients not to use plastic bags in supermarkets and either use ecological re-usable bags or to put items directly inside their rucksack when possible, re-use plastic water bottles, respect all animals that they may encounter as well as trees, plants and flowers. We also encourage our clients to stick to the sign posted path.
To reduce international travel:
- We encourage clients to consider taking the train to get to the start of their Camino, when possible.
- We provide details of public transport options to clients for all our trips.
- We use family run accommodation providers and hire local guides.
People
Our business model supports suppliers at a local level so the majority of your money goes directly towards helping local businesses and their families in the Asturias and Cantabria region. We believe this is the best way to benefit the local economy. For example, we work primarily with family run/own hotels in these regions, avoiding large hotel chains.For transport we work with local taxis/drivers who are self employed and receive a fair price as regulated by the regional Government instead of large transport companies which tend to pay low wages to their drivers.
In each town where they spend the night, we recommend three local restaurants so that clients can enjoy the regional cuisine as well as benefiting the local community, avoiding large franchise restaurants. For example, in this package clients can dine in local seafood restaurants in the fishing town of San Vicente de la Barquera or the Cantabrian food specialities of the town of Comillas.
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