Joe's Camino Norte

Tomorrow — Sun Oct 4

San Sebastián → Zarautz ↗ Map

Stage at a Glance

22 km

Distance

~6 h

Walking

+560 m

Climb

Coastal

Terrain

Route Waypoints

0 km

San Sebastián — Catedral del Buen Pastor Start

Traditional stamp / sellos here. Head west through Ondarreta and over Monte Igueldo.

3 km

Playa de Ondarreta → Monte Igueldo base

Scenic coastal walk past La Concha beach. The climb up and over Igueldo is the hardest section of the day — steep but short (~200m elevation). Great views back over the bay.

7 km

Orio Lunch

First real town. Good bar/café options. Bar Txirri on the main square is popular with pilgrims. Cross the estuary on the modern footbridge.

12 km

Zarautz End

Longest beach in the Basque Country (3km). Good albergue options. Lively pintxos scene on the main street (Zigordia kalea).

Breakfast in San Sebastián (West Side / Antiguo)

Bar Rekondo (Paseo Rekondo)

Gros / Ondarreta area — near Igueldo base

Reliable Basque breakfast — café con leche, tostada, zumo. Opens early. Good launch point before the Monte Igueldo climb.

Café de la Concha

Paseo de la Concha, west end near Ondarreta

Right on the beach promenade, westernmost café strip. Classic tostada con tomate + café cortado. Views of La Concha before you leave.

Bar Ondarreta

Barrio de Ondarreta, near the beach

Local neighborhood bar. Cheap, no-fuss, opens around 7:30am. Churros + chocolate on weekends.

Lunch Stop (on the route)

Orio — Bar Txirri / Bar Portu

~7 km in, right on the Camino path

Both serve the standard pilgrim menú (€10–12): soup, fish/meat, dessert, wine. Bar Portu has a river-view terrace. Orio is also famous for its rowing club (traineras) — might catch them practicing on the estuary.

Dinner in Zarautz

Txirrita (Zigordia kalea)

Main pintxos street

Solid pintxos bar. Local spot, not tourist-facing. Try the bacalao pintxo and the house cider (sagardoa).

Bar Portaletas

Town center, Zarautz

Good grilled fish and the local speciality kokotxas (cod cheeks). Moderate price, no reservation needed on a Sunday.

Basque txakoli wine

Look for it poured from height

Zarautz is txakoli country — the local slightly-sparkling dry white. Ask for "un txakoli" anywhere. Goes perfectly with fish and pintxos.

Don't Miss

View from Monte Igueldo summit

~3 km from start

Panoramic view over La Concha bay and the city. There's a small amusement park up top (open weekends) — quirky and photogenic.

Zarautz surf beach

At the end of the day

Best surf beach in the Basque Country. Even if you're not surfing, watching the waves after a long walk is worth it. The beach runs the entire length of town.

⚠️ Heads up: The climb over Monte Igueldo is the toughest part — poles help. After Orio the path flattens and follows the coast. Yellow arrows are reliable throughout but keep an eye out at the Orio estuary crossing.

Mon Oct 5

Zarautz → Mitriku (~22 km)

Plan not yet added.

Tue Oct 6

Mitriku → Markina-Xemein (~22 km)

Plan not yet added.

Wed Oct 7

Markina-Xemein → Guernica (~24 km)

Plan not yet added.

Thu Oct 8

Guernica → Bilbao (~32 km)

Plan not yet added.

Fri Oct 9

Bilbao — rest day

Plan not yet added.