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Camino del Norte · ItineraryMost Popular

San Sebastián (Donostia) to Santiago de Compostela

Most popular Norte start. Skips the Irun-to-San-Sebastian stage (brutally hilly). Starts in Europe's food capital.

34 stages810 km32-36 days20,500 m ascentBest May - Jun, Sep
Build my Camino from San Sebastián (Donostia)See all 34 stages
Back to the Camino del Norte and its other starting points
to Santiago de Compostela
810 km
walking days
34 stages
with the arrival night
35 days
total ascent
20,500 m
places to stay
2,019
OverviewStage by stageElevationOther startsPlan it
Overview34 stages · 810 km

Walking the Camino del Norte from San Sebastián (Donostia)

From San Sebastián (Donostia) it is 810 km to Santiago de Compostela along the Camino del Norte, walked here in 34 stages at an average of 24 km a day. Most pilgrims arrive the afternoon before, sleep in San Sebastián (Donostia) and set off early on day one, so plan for 35 days plus any rest days you want.

Day one goes from San Sebastián (Donostia) to Zarautz, 21.5 km with 450 m of climbing. The last day into Santiago de Compostela starts in O Pedrouzo, 19.5 km. The longest stage is Baamonde to Sobrado dos Monxes at 40 km, and the biggest climb is 1,060 m on the way to Abadín.

The walk passes through 4 regions: Cantabria (1 stage), Portugalete to Castro Urdiales (7 stages), Asturias (11 stages), and Galicia (9 stages). It covers more than the 100 km on foot the Pilgrim Office needs to issue your Compostela.

Week by week5 weeks · 34 stages · 810 km

The walk from San Sebastián (Donostia) in weeks

Each block on the strip is one stage, sized by distance. The cards below group the stages into weeks, with the climb and the time each day takes. Flip a card for that week on the map.

34 stages, 810 kmEach block is one stage, sized by distance. Move along the strip.
Week 1 · days 1 to 7San Sebastián (Donostia) to Portugalete7 stages · 143 km · up 4,500 m
1Zarautz450 m660 mabout 4-6 hours21.5 km2Deba820 m790 mabout 5-7 hours22 km3Markina-Xemein950 m800 mabout 6-8 hours23.5 km4Gernika Lumo750 m830 mabout 6-8 hours25.5 km5Lezama590 m600 mabout 4-6 hours20 km6Bilbao340 m340 mabout 2-4 hours12.5 km7Portugalete600 m500 mabout 4-6 hours18.5 km
Week 2 · days 8 to 14Portugalete to Colombres7 stages · 195 km · up 4,660 m
8Castro-Urdiales790 m770 mabout 6-8 hours25.5 km9Laredo880 m900 mabout 7-10 hours32.5 km10Güemes530 m420 mabout 6-8 hours29 km11Santander330 m380 mabout 4-6 hours20 km12Santillana del Mar730 m680 mabout 8-11 hours38 km13Comillas510 m570 mabout 4-6 hours21 km14Colombres870 m800 mabout 6-9 hours29 km
Week 3 · days 15 to 21Colombres to Muros de Nalón7 stages · 172 km · up 4,130 m
15Llanes380 m420 mabout 5-7 hours25.5 km16Ribadesella / Ribeseya720 m670 mabout 6-9 hours30 km17Colunga590 m500 mabout 4-7 hours21.5 km18Gijón / Xixón810 m890 mabout 7-9 hours30 km19Villaviciosa520 m430 mabout 4-6 hours18 km20Avilés450 m500 mabout 5-7 hours26 km21Muros de Nalón660 m560 mabout 5-7 hours21 km
Week 4 · days 22 to 28Muros de Nalón to Abadín7 stages · 159 km · up 4,580 m
22Soto de Luiña560 m580 mabout 3-5 hours15.5 km23Cadavéu (Cadavedo)680 m510 mabout 4-6 hours18 km24Luarca / Ḷḷuarca350 m450 mabout 3-5 hours16.5 km25A Caridá660 m590 mabout 6-9 hours30.5 km26Ribadeo320 m340 mabout 4-7 hours24 km27Lourenza940 m950 mabout 6-9 hours27 km28Abadín1,060 m880 mabout 6-9 hours27.5 km
Week 5 · days 29 to 34Abadín to Santiago de Compostela6 stages · 140 km · up 2,640 m
29Vilalba320 m360 mabout 4-6 hours20.5 km30Baamonde340 m370 mabout 4-5 hours19 km31Sobrado dos Monxes810 m750 mabout 8-11 hours40 km32Arzúa350 m450 mabout 4-6 hours22 km33O Pedrouzo450 m490 mabout 4-6 hours19 km34Santiago de Compostela370 m440 mabout 4-6 hours19.5 km
ElevationFrom San Sebastián (Donostia) to Santiago de Compostela, with the route before your start in grey

810 km of ups and downs

Move along the profile to read the height at any point.

Elevation profile20,500 m up and 20,160 m down from San Sebastián (Donostia), high point 720 m
Before San Sebastián (Donostia)IrunSan Sebastián (Donostia)BilbaoSantanderGijón / XixónVilalbaSantiago de Compostela
Biggest climbsPlan a short day before or after
28Lourenza to Abadín1,060 m3Deba to Markina-Xemein950 m27Ribadeo to Lourenza940 m9Castro-Urdiales to Laredo880 m14Comillas to Colombres870 m
Longest daysOr split them with a bed in between
31Baamonde to Sobrado dos Monxes40 km12Santander to Santillana del Mar38 km9Castro-Urdiales to Laredo32.5 km25Luarca / Ḷḷuarca to A Caridá30.5 km16Llanes to Ribadesella / Ribeseya30 km
Other starting points5 more ways to walk the Camino del Norte

Fewer days, or more?

Pick a start further along for a shorter walk, or earlier for the whole road.

Compare them all on the route page
Full RouteIrun to Santiago de Compostela35 stages · 835 km · 33-37 daysOpen itineraryVilalba to Santiago de Compostela5 stages · 120 km · 3-7 daysOpen itineraryGijón / Xixón to Santiago de Compostela15 stages · 347 km · 13-17 daysOpen itinerarySantander to Santiago de Compostela23 stages · 560 km · 21-25 daysOpen itineraryBilbao to Santiago de Compostela28 stages · 685 km · 26-30 daysOpen itinerary
Build my Camino

Turn this route into your plan, night by night.

Reading about the Camino del Norte is the easy part. Build my Camino gives you a day by day plan with a bed to book for each night, so the only thing left is to walk it.

  1. Pick a start and a dateAny of the 6 starting points, or any town on the route. Day 0 is the night you arrive.
  2. Shape your daysShorten a long stage, add a rest day or split a hard climb in two. The plan redraws as you go.
  3. Book a bed for each nightLive prices for the dates you chose, in one tap. Walk-in albergues and donativos are marked, so you know where you can simply turn up.
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Your saved Camino opens in the app with every town, date and stay exactly as you left it, and keeps working when the signal does not.

Day by day itinerary, offlineLive trail map and your positionToday: distance and climb leftBook a bed from the pathReplan mid walk, rest days includedDaily Cast, one episode per stage
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