One week Camino del norte - start from Bilbao or Santander?

peregrina2000 said:

If you walk from Santander, I would highly recommend the coastal alternative over the mostly asphalt official stage that goes alongside a long pipeline for kms and past some pretty heavy industry. It’s a beautiful walk and people have both walked it in one day (Santander to Boo) or broken it up by staying on the coast for the first night.

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Pathfinder075 said:

Depends where you are coming from.

Santander is more forgiving and less hilly. From Bilbao is a lot harder walking.

If you want an interesting alternative of sorts, walk Santander to San Vicente de la Barquera and walk the Lebaniego to Potes and claim your certificate from the Santa Toribio Monastery. That would be a 6 day walk if you use the Gronze stages and include three days of walking in the mountains. The last day could be spent walking the hill trails above the Monastery if you wanted.

But overall I would say start from Santander, it's definitely nicer. If you want, you can shorten the first day by talking the train to the outskirts of Santander (saves an interesting walk through industrial areas) to the station at Barreda. After that you are out in the countryside away from the motorway and fumes.

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