Camino del Norte (Northern Way) to Santiago de Compostela
The Camino del Norte hugs the Cantabrian coast of northern Spain before turning inland at Ribadeo toward Santiago de Compostela. Also known as the Northern Way, it’s the route pilgrims choose after the Camino Francés — coastal cliffs, fishing villages, and noticeably fewer crowds, at the cost of a few more hills.
All the distances for the main routes in one place: How Many Miles Is the Camino de Santiago?
It is far less crowded than the Camino Francés and the Camino Portugués, and since 2015 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Camino Primitivo, as one of the Routes of Northern Spain. For anyone who wants to live the Camino de Santiago away from the crowds, it is also one of the routes on which Ultreya Travel prepares self-guided itineraries.
Camino del Norte from Ribadeo
The full Camino del Norte starts in Irun, on the French border, and covers more than 800 km along the coast of the Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias. At Ribadeo, on the Eo estuary, it enters Galicia and leaves the sea behind. From there to Santiago it is about 194 km in 9 stages — the Galician stretch of the Camino del Norte, comfortably over the minimum distance for the Compostela.
Where the Camino del Norte starts and ends
The traditional start is Irun, in the Basque Country, but many pilgrims walk only part of the route — such as the Galician stretch from Ribadeo, or from Vilalba or Baamonde. At Arzúa, the Camino del Norte joins the Camino Francés for the last two days of walking.
And like every Camino, it ends in Obradoiro Square, in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Main towns on the Camino del Norte in Galicia — distance and days to Santiago
- Ribadeo – about 194 km to Santiago – 9 days of walking (where the Camino del Norte enters Galicia)
- Vilalba – about 122 km – 6 days
- Baamonde – about 103 km – 5 days
- Sobrado dos Monxes – about 62 km – 3 days
- Arzúa – about 40 km – 2 days (where it meets the Camino Francés)
- Santiago de Compostela – arrival
From Ribadeo to Sobrado: rural inland Galicia
After Ribadeo, the Camino del Norte leaves the coast and climbs inland: the monastery at Lourenzá, the small cathedral town of Mondoñedo, and the open fields of the Terra Chá to Vilalba, watched over by the medieval tower of the Andrade family.
“The Camino del Norte ends with the same Pilgrim’s Mass and the same Botafumeiro — and for those who arrive this way, the sense of having the path almost to yourself only deepens the emotion of arriving.”
2027 is a Holy Compostela Year — the Holy Door opens, and every pilgrim who crosses Obradoiro Square carries the chance of the plenary indulgence, no matter which route brought them there.
Between Miraz and Sobrado dos Monxes lies the most solitary stretch of the route, ending at the great Cistercian monastery of Sobrado — one of the quietest and most memorable places on the whole Camino del Norte.
Flavors of the Camino del Norte: from the Cantabrian Sea to Galicia
From the Asturian and Cantabrian coast to Galicia: freshly caught fish and seafood, Cabrales cheese, Asturian cider poured the traditional way — before arriving at the Galician flavors of pulpo à feira and Ribeiro wine in the final days before Santiago.
In Arzúa, where the Camino del Norte meets the Camino Francés, the must-try is Arzúa-Ulloa cheese, soft and creamy, with a slice of Galician bread.
“Buen Camino, pilgrim. Arriving in Santiago, the Camino has only just begun.”
From Arzúa to O Pedrouzo and on to Santiago, pilgrims on the Norte walk alongside those arriving by every other route, through eucalyptus groves and Galician villages, until the Cathedral towers appear from Monte do Gozo.
Entering Santiago, the Camino del Norte pilgrim arrives in Obradoiro Square, in front of the Cathedral, just like every other route.
How long does the Camino del Norte take?
The full Camino del Norte from Irun takes about five weeks of walking. The Galician stretch from Ribadeo, about 194 km, takes 9 days.
Want to know how many days each route takes? See: How Long Does the Camino de Santiago Take?
The Camino del Norte with Ultreya Travel
Pablo Machado Soares walked the Camino de Santiago twelve times before founding Ultreya Travel, and he has lived in Spain, near the routes to Santiago, for 17 years. That experience is what guarantees the Camino del Norte — with its coastal terrain — gets the same care as every Ultreya route: the right accommodations, reliable luggage transfer, and attention to the details that make the difference between walking and truly living the Camino.
On the self-guided package from Ribadeo, you walk at your own pace, with accommodation booked on every stage, daily luggage transfers and 24/7 emergency assistance throughout your journey.
Want to compare it with other routes? See all our Camino de Santiago tour packages on one page.
Camino del Norte from Ribadeo — Self-Guided
11 days/10 nights: the final ≈194 km of the Camino del Norte, from the Galician border to Santiago de Compostela.