El Camino de Santiago and other trails.
Day 12: Castro-Urdiales to Liendo – 16.8 miles (27 km)
The weather remained cloudy and refreshingly cool. Today’s route covered a moderate distance and was mostly flat, winding through charming towns and villages. We enjoyed scenic coastal views and gentle rolling hills along the way.
We got lost a couple of times. Navigating with electronic maps and yellow arrows can be tricky, as they don’t always align or point clearly. Still, it added a bit of adventure to the day!
Day 4: San Sebastian to Zarautz 13.29 miles (21.38 Km)
We spent an extra day in San Sebastian and had a nice dinner in a local restaurant. San Sebastian is known for its food scene.
On our way to Zarautz, we stop in an albergue for coffee. The 12 Tribes organization owns this place, and the people running it take donations for their services.
Here, we had the opportunity to talk with other pilgrims and meet Jonathan from Oklahoma. We walked with him to Zarautz and learned about his job in Tulsa. Like me, he believes in equity in education. We had a fantastic conversation. He has a big QR code hanging outside his backpack that links to the school where he works, which helps students from challenging environments.
In Zarautz, we said goodbye and Buen Camino. Maybe we will see him again, but at least I have information about the school he supports.
Stage 2: Saint Jean de Luz to Hondarribia, 9 miles (14.484 Km).
We began the hike today at Église Saint Jean Baptiste, where we received the second stamp on our pilgrim credentials.
We followed a map from the All Trails app to walk toward the Spanish border. Someone had previously completed this route and shared the map on the app. It proved helpful, as we spotted some El Camino markers along the trail. However, we encountered some challenges: the grass along the route was overgrown, and some sections were closed due to landslides, forcing us to walk along the freeway.
Finally, when we arrived at Domaine d’Abbadie, we enjoyed a pleasant walk to the sea. I should mention that a heat wave has affected the area for the past two days, with temperatures ranging from 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity at 90%. Walking on the asphalt felt like being in an oven.
Upon reaching the town of Hendaye, we took a ferry to cross into Spain, we wanted to avoid walking to Irún in the heat and on the asphalt.
Stage 1: Bayonne to Saint Jean De Luz, 15.86 miles (25.5 km).
We began our hike at the Cathedral of Sainte Marie in Bayonne.
The trail from Bayonne to Saint Jean de Luz was 90% concrete, with some unsafe sections next to the highway. In France, El Camino markings are quite discreet, typically using only small decals. As a result, we found it safer to rely on an electronic map for navigation.
The route changed significantly when we reached Lac Mouriscot, where the terrain improved. From this point onward, we continued to the beach.
We enjoyed walking along the shore at the beach, where many restaurants lined the coast and people happily celebrated the holiday. Overall, the hike was challenging, as much of it occurred on city streets and highways, and there were few clear trail markings.
The final stage to Santiago is 20 km. We were excited to reach Santiago, but we felt sad that it was the last day of our journey. All morning, it was raining and foggy.
Our hotel host recommended that we take an alternative route to Santiago to avoid the busier sections of El Camino. We hiked along the freeway towards Santiago and rejoined the main route when we reached the airport. From this section to the cathedral was busy, but when the rain got heavy, people found shelter in the cafes, and we kept walking. That was when we could enjoy the silence and the foggy day. As we arrived in Santiago, we started planning our next Camino.
After a long lunch, we reached Santiago in the early afternoon. We stayed outside the cathedral for an hour before going to the pilgrim’s office for our Compostela. We know we will return to Santiago; there are more Caminos to explore..
Today’s hike was 18.5 km (12 miles). The terrain in this area is mostly flat.
As we left Arzúa, we observed the numerous pilgrims on various routes walking toward Santiago. It’s incredible to see the number of people hiking. While some are respectful of their surroundings, others blast music. For this segment of El Camino, it’s best to start hiking early in the morning to avoid the “rush hour.”
The distance we walked today was short, only 14 km (8 miles). The hike was relatively easy; we did this route in 2017 for our first Camino. We notice how the villages have changed over the years and how positive the tourism from El Camino de Santiago has been for the local economy.
Today, we stayed at Pazo de Brandeso, near Arzúa. It is a historic manor constructed in 1554; the Pazo showcases the architectural elegance of the period. We had the opportunity to tour the property and learn about its history and its owners.
Today, we hiked about 20 km to Melide from Ponte Ferreira. We crossed a historic Roman bridge outside Ponte Ferreira, and at this point, I lost track of how many Roman or archeological zones we passed en route to Santiago.
The hike was easy. We walked through rural towns and villages, and a sense of tranquility was around us. We are approaching Melide, where the French Way and El Camino Primitivo cross. The trail will be busy in the coming days with people doing the last 100 km and those doing the French Way. Today is the last day to enjoy a quiet hike.
We arrived in Melide around lunchtime. It was busy; it was market day, and hundreds of pilgrims were walking on the streets. Some would spend the night here, and others were walking through. I have a feeling about how our hike will be tomorrow.
We spent one day in Lugo and had the opportunity to tour this walled city and learn about its importance during the Roman Empire.
In Lugo, several people have begun their journey to Santiago. We found more people and groups of recent high school graduates on the trail. Unfortunately, this group has been the loudest and listening to music on the trails.
The trails are now flat, with very little change in altitude, as in the Asturias area. Today is Sunday, and several bars and restaurants are closed, making it impossible to find a place to rest and drink coffee. We only found one restaurant, where we had to wait about 45 minutes until they opened the kitchen. While waiting, a group of English hikers told us that two of their friends had been attacked by a loose dog, and they had to call an ambulance to take them to the hospital.
In all the Caminos we have done, this is the first time we have heard of a dog attacking hikers on the trail.
TrekTok 