Day 16: Arce to Santillana del Mar – 12.41 miles (19.97 Km)

Today we met three new pilgrims—two from the U.S. who started their journey in Bilbao, and one from Romania who began in Santander.

This Camino feels different from others. Many pilgrims start or stop in various cities—some in San Sebastián, others in Bilbao or Santander—so it’s harder to form connections. El Camino del Norte has more paths than other routes, where we often walk alongside the same people for days. This time, passing through cities or villages, with short or long routes, it is very common not to see the same people for days.