Advice needed on best stages near Santander

[Emmet1]

Hi There,
Looking for advice -we fly into Santander in mid August and want to walk three to four stages to get a flavour that draws us back for longer and fuller route next year.There are many stages either side and as first timers we know none of them . If we were looking for scenery ,beaches ,best towns etc which stages closeby would you recommend? Have been walking a lot at home recently and the 20 plus kms per stage should not be a huge difficulty to us .(I Hope!) However as the one organising this for the four of us - I really want to ensure that we make the most of the unfortunately restricted time that we have ....My thanks in advance to all replies posted .It is greatly appreciated .

 

[SandyBrown]

The 1/2 day prior to Santander is beautiful, with a long beach walk between Loredo and Somo. A few stages after Santander you find what is probably the most beautiful stretch on the CdN -- Ribadesella to La Isla. But the first few days after Santander are away from the beach.

I returned from the CdN (Bilbao to Santiago) just a few weeks ago. My CdN blog is at http://www.caminoist.org and the section just before Santander is at http://caminoist.org/2012/06/02/hello-s ... sebastian/ Buen camino!

 

[TerryB]

Hi Emmet1 and welcome to the Forum!
The approach to Santander from the east and then the ferry from Somo across the estuary is certainly worth considering. However, to get a 'feel' of the Camino, the alternative would be to get the FEVE (1 metre gauge railway) or the bus to Llanes and walk on from there. Llanes to Nueva (Pria) is 21k, Nueva to Ribadesella is only 12k (you could arrive in time to go down the Tito Bustillo cave but you will need to phone ahead the previous day), Ribadesella to La Isla is 19k. If you have time you could then walk on to Villaviciosa (another 21k) where there is a good bus service back to Santander.
Much of the route on this part of the Norte is still along ancient tracks used since mediaeval times. In places still known as the "Camino Antiguo" or the "Camino Real".
Our blog on this walk is at:- http://returntothecamino.blogspot.co.uk ... results=28
What you need to avoid is the walk OUT of Santander through the suburbs and industrial sites!

Let us know what you decide.

Blessings and Buen Camino
Tio Tel

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Emmet1,

The only thing I would add to what Tio and Sandy say is that you should not be tempted to just start walking west from Santander, even after you pass the industrial and suburban sites that Tio describes. From Santander to San Vicente de la Barquera, you will rarely leave asphalt, and it's a killer on your feet.

I agree that the stages around Llanes are some of the prettiest, and there's a lot of off-road walking at that point. If you're going to get on the FEVE, I'd get off before Llanes, because the walk into Llanes is gorgeous, especially from Pendueles.

Look at this map: http://www.mundicamino.com/ruta.cfm?p=T ... es=Trazado / Perfil

No matter which section you select, you're going to have some stretches of off-coast walking, but the mundicamino maps will give you a schematic idea.

buen camino, Laurie