Overview - Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago de Compostela

Day 1: Irun to Pasajes San Pedro
Polished brass scallop in the pavement in Irun, showing us the way to go	Heading for the hills
Day 2: Pasajes San Pedro to San Sebastian
Camino running along the coast	Street scene in San Sebastian
Day 3: San Sebastian to Orio
	Most of the day was off road (left) but with some very steep cobbled paths
Day 4: Orio to Zarauz
Approaching Zarautz	Church of Nuestra Senora la Real at Zarautz
Day 5: Zarauz to Icair
Amisty start for the day	Sheltered campsite with excellent bar and restaurant, just outside Iciar (Itziar)
Day 6: Icair to Ondarroa
The detail on the highly decorated entrance to the Church of Nuestra Senora de La Asuncion	Main Church in Marquina-Jemein
Day 7: Ondarroa to Zenaruzza
This part of the Camino is a roman road	the monastery of Zenaruzza
Day 8: Zenaruzza to Guernica
Church with a welcome portico providing some shade for a rest	The Church of Santa Maria, Guernica
Day 9: Guernica to Lezama
Waymark sign to supplment the yellow arrows	Portico of the church of Santa Maria de Lezama
Day 10: Lezama to Bilbao
The entrance to the Bilbao municipal cemetry	View over the Rio Nervion from our room in the Youth Hostel
Day 11: Rest day in Bilbao
The entrance to the Cathedral	The interior of San Anton Church, Bilbao
Day 12: Bilbao to Portugalete
Leaving Bilbao along the river. This is a very busy road but has a footpath	The transporter bridge at Portugalete
Day 13: Portugalete to Onton
	Church at Onton
Day 14: Onton to Castro Urdiales
Another wet day on the Camino	Castro Urdiales is a very picturesque fishing town with many attractive buildings
Day 15: Castro Urdiales to Rioseco
Most of this part of the camino was off the road	A glimpse of the sea again
Day 16: Rioseco to Santona
Steep ascents and fantasticviews	Arrival at the beach (at the end of the promontory, 4 kms from Laredo centre) for the ferry to Santona
Day 17: Santona to near Galizano
Small Shrine built into garden wall	the 12th century Church of Santa Maria de Bareyo
Day 18: Near Galizano to Santander
	Approaching Somo where a ferry can be taken to Santander
Day 19: Rest day in Santander
The highly decorated interior of the Jesuit Church	Bunks in the very welcoming refugio
Day 20: Santander to Polanco
	The arrow leads the way from Polanco
Day 21: Polanco to Cobreces
The long and winding road! Another valley, another ascent	The colourful exterior of the Church at Cobreces
Day 22: Cobreces to St Vincente de la Barquera
The main square of Comillas	Old street in St Vincente de la Barquera
Day 23 - St Vincente de la Barquera to La Franca
A 'torre' at Estrada	Country lane with waymark
Day 24: La Franca to Llanes
There's the next hill ahead! It was a steep but pleasant walk through the woods	The sea came into view on the other side of the hill
Day 25: Llanes to Pineres de Pria
Pleasant off-road part of camino	A stunning location for the neo-classical Church of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores of Barro
Day 26: Pineres de Pria to Leces
Pilgrims used to cross the Ria Sella by ferry but now there is a modern bridge ...	The coloured exterior of the refugio at Leces
Day 27: Leces to Sebrayo
Good views of the mountains	... and of the sea
Day 28: Sebrayo to Valdedios
Entering the district of Villaviciosa	The double waymark at the junction where one branch of the camino goes to Oviedo (Camino Primitivo) and the other stays on - Camino del Norte - part of the Camino de Santiago, continuing to Gijon
Day 29: Valdedios to Gijon
This was a very long and very steep climb on a very hot day!	But the resulting views were staggering and this was probably the highest I had been on the camino
Day 30: Rest day in Gijon
	Gijon beach (right) Statue of St james in the Church (left)
Day 31 Gijon to Aviles
Leaving Gijon with plenty of waymarks
Day 32: Aviles to Soto del Barco

Day 33: Soto del Barco to Soto de Luna
The very narrow walkway on the long bridge over the Ria
Day 34: Soto de Luna to Luarca
	The Camino returns to the sea
Day 35: Luarca to Pinera
The view down the valley from one side of theSan Timoteo viaduct .....	..... and the other side.
Day 36: Pinera to La Caridad
The traditional red cross as a huge waymark	The refugio at La Caridad
Day 37: La Caridad to Ribadeo
Good weather and fantastic sea views	A good view of Ribadeo town and its harbour
Day 38: Ribadeo to Gondan
A typical Galego storage building similar to those I found in Asturias but with a slightly different design	Refugio at Gondan, the first refugio in Galicia and only 175 km. to go!
Day 39: Gondan to Mondonedo
Today's walk was a very pleasant one through the woods, albeit steep in places	Good walking country
Day 40: Rest day in Mondonedo
18th century Sanctuary of Nuestra Senora de Los remedios at Mondonedo.	Statue of St James in the Cathedral of Santa Maria
Day 41: Mondonedo to Abadin
Traditional Galician stone roof
Day 42: Abadin to Vilalba
After yesterday it was a releif to walk on this pleasant track	There are many roadside crosses in this area
Day 43: Vilalba to Baamonde
More good off-road walking	A typical Galician "multi-storey" graveyard
Day 44: Baamonde to Sobrado
Camino waymark built into a wall, with an added yellow arrow just to make sure.	Broad tracks and very wide views
Day 45: Sobrado to Arzua
	Comfortable bed in the privately run hostal at Arzua. (top) Interior of the monastery Church at Sobrado (left)
Day 46: Arzua to Labacolla
	The route is still hilly! (top) but at least it is now mostly off-road (left)
Day 47: Labacolla to Santiago de Compostela
The Camino is still off-road even though santiago is now very close. We have now been joined by all the pilgrims on the Camino Francés	A very quiet, old fountain that had a real atmosphere of peace
Day 48 - Journey's End - the city of Santiago de Compostela
The cathedral at last!	... and plenty of people from all over the world to share it with