Overview
Walk the fourth stage of Camino del Norte from Gijón to Ribadeo along the stunning Asturias coastline. The Camino del Norte (a.k.a. The Northern Way) offers a truly authentic pilgrim experience. Compared to the Camino Frances, the route is quieter, much more challenging, and a lot more rewarding. The Camino del Norte goes along the green northern coast of Spain from San Sebastián in the Basque Country, through Cantabria and the Asturias and reaches Ribadeo in Galicia.
- Gijon, with its seafood and great ciders
- Prehistoric remains and Roman ruins
- The stunning Asturias coastline
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Gijón
A bustling city with lovely beaches, attractive preserved Roman baths and a couple of great museums, there is plenty to explore on arrival in Gijon. It is worth getting lost in its old town and visiting its Plaza Mayor, the Jovellanos House Museum, the San Pedro church and the Revillagigedo Palace.
- Accommodation: Hotel Central or similar in Gijón
Day 2: Gijón – Avilés | 25.4km
After leaving Gijón, walk up Monte Areo, making a stop to take in the views and also to explore the prehistoric dolmen. Continue on through small towns like Pavierna and Santa Eulalia, the latter being home to the Church of Santa Eulalia. The rest of the route follows the course of the Avilés Estuary. Avilés is an industrial city but it also has an interesting Old Town. We recommend visiting Plaza de España and its town hall, as well as Palace of the Marquis of Ferrera (currently a hotel), Church of San Nicolás de Bari and Palace of García Pumarino. There aren’t many food spots along today’s trails, so it is advised to bring a picnic.
- Walking for the day: 25.4km, 5-6h
- Accommodation: Hotel Alda Palacio Valdés or similar in Avilés
Day 3: Avilés – Soto del Barco | 19km
Leaving the city behind, follow the trail through eucalyptus woods, green fields and small Asturian villages like Salinas and San Juan de la Arena, where we recommend stopping to try some locally caught fresh fish before arriving at Soto del Barco.
- Walking for the day: 19km, 5h
- Accommodation: Hotel Palacio de la Magdalena or similar in Soto del Barco
Day 4: Soto del Barco – Soto de Luiña | 20km
Cross the Nalón River to Muros de Nalón. Continue inland to El Pito and towards San Roque stream. The route then ascends slightly to El Rellayo and crosses the Concha de Artedo viaduct, the longest and tallest in Asturias. Continue on secondary roads and country paths to arrive at Soto de Luiña, where you spend the night.
- Walking for the day: 20km, 5h
- Accommodation: Hotel Valle Las Luiñas or similar in Soto del Luiña
Day 5: Soto de Luiña – Ballota | 12km
On this short section, follow rural trails and experience the landscapes change as you head towards the small village of Ballota. Walk to Novellana and, after a couple of kilometres, you come to the village of Castañeras. The path descends slightly before ascending again to Santa Marina. From Santa Marina, it is only 2km to Ballota.
- Walking for the day: 12km, 3h
- Accommodation: Hotel Casa Fernando or similar in Ballota
Day 6: Ballota – Luarca | 23.7km
The first kilometres of this new stage takes you closer to the coast, with a view of the beaches and towering cliffs as far as Cadavevo. From here, you head inland again, walking through small towns such as San Cristóbal or Querúa. The only notable difficulty on today’s walk is the short but steep climb at the exit of the Hotel Canero. Once that climb is over, It is only a few kilometres to the end of the day’s trail at the small fishing village of Luarca.
- Walking for the day: 23.7km, 5h
- Accommodation: Hotel Rico or similar in Luarca
Day 7: Luarca – Navia | 20.1km
Today’s walk takes you along an inland trail from Luarca, with a moderate ascent for the first few kilometres. Cross the Barayo River and descend to Villapedre. The stage is far from the coast and takes you through several small towns. Your last stop of the day is the busy market town of Navia, located on the banks of the Navia River, and a beautiful medieval spot to spend the night.
- Walking for the day: 20.1km, 5h
- Accommodation: Hotel Palacio Arias or similar in Navia
Day 8: Navia – Ribadeo | 32.8km
Today is the last day following the Cantabrian coast. Take the route that leads to Tapias de Casariego, a fishing village with a beautiful harbour. Continue on to the Bridge of the Saints over the River Eo to enter Galicia, with your final stop in Ribadeo. The town is famous its Playa de Las Catedrales (a short taxi ride away), Galicia’s second most visited sight after Santiago’s cathedral. As the walk is quite long today, we recommend booking an extra night in Ribadeo.
- Walking for the day: 32.8km, 7-8h
- Accommodation: Hotel Bouza or similar in Ribadeo
Day 9: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodations on this tour include a mix of welcoming country inns and comfortable hotels (1-star, 2-star and 3-star), located close to the route of the Camino. You will always have a private room and an en-suite (attached) bathroom. The accommodation places have been carefully selected for their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. Extra nights can be booked at any of the accommodations along the way.
Important: We aim to book you into each town listed on the itinerary. However, in case of low availability, we may book you two nights in the same town with provided transfers. Also, on some occasions, your accommodation can be located a few kilometres away from the trail, so we organise transportation to/from your accommodation.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Central (Gijón)
- Hotel Alda Palacio Valdés (Avilés)
- Hotel Palacio de la Magdalena (Soto del Barco)
- Hotel Valle Las Luiñas (Soto del Luiña)
- Hotel Casa Fernando (Ballota)
- Hotel Rico (Luarca)
- Hotel Palacio Arias (Navia)
- Hotel Bouza (Ribadeo)
Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal or higher value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included (usually a simple buffet breakfast/coffee and toast/bread/croissant) on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Where no dinner is included, most places serve hearty pilgrim menus – you can get a 3-course dinner including wine and water for about €14-18 per person.
Difficulty and terrain
This walk is graded moderate to strenuous and includes walks of up to 32km (7-8h) a day, and some of the walks are fairly strenuous with steeper ascents/descents. A reasonable level of fitness is required. This route can be challenging for those with little walking experience (read more about difficulty grades). The Camino Del Norte follows a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths. The route is marked with yellow painted arrows, but please take care at intersections. There are sections on the route where you will divert to follow the red and white stripes of the GR routes. There will always be other walkers around in case you are looking for help. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available from March till mid-November, but the best months to visit are April – October.
The weather in Northern Spain is very varied. In general, you can expect pleasant temperatures for walking of between 19C and up to about 26C in the summer months. As you will be walking near the coast for much of this walk, you can expect some rainy days, particularly in spring and autumn.
The flexibility of self guided walking holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to walk the Camino de Santiago.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
The nearest airport to Gijón is Oviedo Asturias which is 30km away.
By train or bus
Arrive in Gijón:
- There are train services from Madrid, Bilbao, Barcelona and other destinations in Spain to Gijón. For more details, see the national rail operator Renfe or use the Omio planner above.
- Alternatively, there are bus services from Madrid, Santiago de Compostela and other major cities to Gijón. For more information, visit Alsa or use the Omio planner above.
- Alsa has regular bus services connecting Oviedo Airport with Gijón. For more information, visit Alsa or use the Omio planner above.
Departure from Ribadeo:
- There are bus services from Ribadeo to Santander, Ovideo, Bilbao and other major cities. For more information, visit Alsa or use the Omio planner above.
- From Ribadeo there are train services to Madrid, Bilbao and other destinations, please note that some routes might not be direct. For more details, see the national rail operator Renfe or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 8 nights in private en-suite rooms
- 8 breakfasts
- Digital pack (general route information and simple maps)
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (one piece up to 20kg per person)
- Transfers from the trail to the hotels and back to the trailhead, if needed
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches and dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on the spot)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- Supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room / single use of a double room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights upon request
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
