What’s up travel lovers!
Welcome back,
This is episode 4 on my special
On hiking the camino de Santiago,
the northern route,
or what they’re calling the camino del Norte
This episode is going to cover
days 16 thru 20.
Starting of here in Colombres,
and hopefully making it all the way to Aviles.
Will I make it?
Well, let’s find out.
I walked out of town.
and in a few kilometers
I found myself in some forested and rural areas
before shortly arriving back at the coast.
At Playa de Buelna,
I was met with some seriously rugged coastline.
No matter how many times
I come to the northern coast of spain,
I never get tired of seeing the water.
Even in bad weather,
there is still a certain charm.
The Bay of Biscay adds one more layer
to an already diverse environment.
The majority of the other routes
of the Camino de Santiago
never come near a coast.
Which is the main reason
I was interested in doing Camino del Norte.
next I would meet up with several other peregrinos
for a quick break
in the small town of Pendueles
Out of now where
some local farmers shared
some of their apple harvest
to keep our energy levels high.
Spanish hospitality in it’s truest form.
Once back on the camino,
I would hike through some more
treed areas before meeting up
with the coast again,
at Playa Vidiago.
This was pretty much
the halfway point of the day.
2 kilometers later
I started to hear a very unusual sound,
It didn’t quite sound like thunder,
but it definitely had a deep eeriness to it.
I followed the noise
until I saw others looking deep into a hole
in the rocks.
Later, I found out that
this is called the Bufones de Arenillas,
and that on a stormy day
you can see water spit through the hole.
As I continued on my path
I would come to a river
that I followed,
and eventually cross.
I only had 5 more kilometers
until reaching my endpoint.
Right around dusk.
The next morning
I packed up
and headed out of town early.
30 minutes later I was back into nature.
With Llanes, now just a memory.
The weather was mystical.
It wasn’t raining, but there was a low fog.
A temperature excellent for hiking.
At around 4 kilometers I came across
My first beach,
Playa San Martín,
and shortly after
was Playa Palombina.
Later I would pass a charming church
surrounded by water
in the small town of Barro
For a few kilometers
I couldn’t see the coast
as I headed back inland.
Crossing through agriculture and grazing lands,
before arriving back to the coast
at Playa de San Antolín.
One breathtaking view after another.
I was starting to get hungry,
so when I saw a Sidreria,
or cider house,
come up around the halfway point
in Naves.
I had to stop.
Asturias is famous for producing Sidra,
or cider.
Not only is it a delicious
alcoholic beverage made from apples,
but it also has a special technique to pouring it.
Locals pour it from way above their head,
as it splashes down
from sometimes more than a meter,
to help the drink aerate,
A must try when in the region.
This particular restaurant
also specialized in chuletons
cooked over an open fire.
So there was only one thing I could do,
I grabbed my knife and fork
and did as the Asturians would do.
With my belly now full,
I headed back on to the trail.
Passing by more villages and churches,
as well as,
through some more pasture land.
One thing to think about
when planning your camino
Is that you get more hours of daylight
In the months closer to summer,
I was here in the middle of October.
And once again, arriving just before total darkness.
The following morning I left at sunrise,
Cause I had a long day ahead of me.
But with these views,
I might start waking up before sunrise everyday.
As I left, I was sure to take
one more glance at the magnificent view.
I would head away from the coast
for a few kilometers,
eventually coming to the super quaint,
Ermita de La Magdalena.
A few minutes later
I would meet back up with the sea
at Playa de Vega,
and continue to hike along the coast
reaching yet, another beach.
Exchanging one amazing view for another.
Grazing with my eyes, across pastures,
Perched on seaside cliffs.
Eventually arriving to Playa Barrigón,
where I would head inland once again.
6 kilometers later
I entered the small town of Colunga,
passing by another church,
and then heading further into the countryside.
Along the way
I would come across many apple trees
from which the tasty Asturian sidra is made from.
I would walk the next couple hours
in some really stunning scenery.
Before arriving to the endpoint of the day.
I just made it to Villaviciosa,
which means day 18 is complete.
This was the longest hike
I have ever done in my entire life.
37 kilometers,
and I wanted to take this moment
to tell you something
that I’ve been thinking
really for the past 18 days,
which now means we are at the halfway point,
and that is…you should do the camino
that you want to.
There are no rules,
you can choose to go off the camino,
or to take the bus one day,
or to do it however you want.
If you want to stop and have nice lunches,
or if you just want to eat at a grocery store.
Do it the way you want to.
Well, my dogs are super tired.
I will see you in the morning!
Today’s hike is considered to be
one of the hardest stages of the camino.
So I left behind colorful Villaviciosa,
and in a few kilometers
I came to the village of Casquita.
Here I would have to make a decision.
Head to Oviedo
And join the Camino Primitivo,
or keep on the Camino del Norte.
The idea of not seeing the coast again,
was enough to keep me on the path
I had started.
For the next several hours,
I would be reminded
of why they call this part of Spain,
Green Spain.
I was surrounded…
wether I was in densely covered valleys,
or climbing among the many mountains and hills.
Green was everywhere!
From the tops of the mountains
I could see for miles.
Making me feel small and the world seeming massive,
a sentiment that never gets old.
In no time, I arrived to Asturias’s
main port and largest city.
At the perfect time I might add.
The colors of sunset were dancing all around.
The next morning
I could see the real beauty of Gijón,
I just wished,
I had more time
to explore this awesome city.
Guess I will have to come back.
I left the big city
and the coast behind me
as I headed back
into the interior, of the country.
Today’s route was much easier
than the previous days.
So I just enjoyed my time as I trekked
from one small town to the next.
I would clime a few small hills
and enter some forested areas
every now and then.
I met a fellow peregrino around the halfway point,
and we hiked together until the end point.
In no time we made it to Avilés.
I just made it to Aviles!
Which means day 20 is complete!
And unfortunately this is the end of Episode 4,
on my special the Camino del Norte.
If you have any questions
about days 16 thru 20,
put them in the comment box below.
I’d be psyched answer any and all of them,
and help you plan your camino.
If you liked this video,
go ahead, please give it a thumbs up.
I’d appreciate it greatly!
Until next time, safe travels!