After a long hard day on Day 1 of the El Camino Del Norte and an early night I have a feeling my research wasn’t the best and we may be walking too much to soon……
Camino del Norte Day 2 Igueldo to Zarautz
The walk from Irun was definately hard and todays walk may prove to be just as tough.
Anyone thinking that the Camino Del Norte is similar to the Camino Frances be aware, this is much tougher.
Table of Contents
Camino del Norte Day 2 Overview
- Distance – 22 km
- From – Igueldo
- To – Zarautz
- Elevation Gain – quite steep
After a tiring day yesterday we just had a few beers with a Pizza and went straight to bed at our albergue (which was in a caravan park)
The Camino del Norte Day 2 – Igueldo to Zarautz takes us further along the Camino del Norte and a lovely day we have planned.
Day 1 on the Camino del Norte was a big distance day and a real challenge and this section is no different.
We had a bit of a sleep in and we’ve decided not to do another really long day again. We have got 12km before we can get some breakfast.
Before that we are heading upwards again and have a climb to over 315m before heading into our breakfast location.
This section is just like walking the south west coast path in the UK from Porlock to Lynmouth. The scenery is breathtaking.
It was 2 hrs hard slog before we arrived in the port side town of Orio for breakfast and I was glad to get my backpack off and rest.
The cafe con leche and pain au chocolate was amazing. I have definitely fallen in love with Cafe con Leche as its so different to the coffee in the UK.
Myself, Pilgrim Bob (below) and Pilgrim Burny are probably having about 4 a day at the moment… so nice.
Orio
Orio is a great little town on the river Oria and not far away from the mouth of the Bay of Biscay.
On the day we arrived there was a massive rowing event on and the town was covered in yellow flags.
Everyone was having breakfast outside in the sunshine in a sea of yellow shirts with everyone getting very excited.
The whole region seems to be into this sport big style. If we had spare time we would have definitely stayed and watched.
The Camino Del Norte has some amazing villages and towns on which to spend some spare time if you fancy a slower walk.
Rowing Regatas of Donostia – San Sebastián
Fishing boats competing “against the wind and the tide” for the flag of ´La Concha´.
More than a hundred years of tradition have made the La Concha trawler races the spectacle of the Basque sporting year.
Crowds of fans, each in the colour of his or her own team, throng the surrounding area, the Island, beaches and in boats of all kinds, when the first two Sundays of September arrive.
The team from Orio wear yellow and have won the most victories in the race with 32. No wonder the town was getting very excited.
‘The trawler regattas arise from a specific way of life: the open sea fishing environment. The La Concha regattas were organised for the first time in 1879 as part of the programme of summer festivities in San Sebastian.
Fishing trawlers were used for this purpose, which until then had been pitted against each other mainly in challenges for money. Now it just town and club pride.
We wished we could have stayed and watched the races but ‘The Way‘ called us back
After enjoying breakfast we walked on for a few hours eventually coming to the seaside resort of Zarautz which turns out to be a very pleasant town.
Zarautz
It is essentially a seaside town that gets very busy in season and has a lovely 2.5km beach across the whole bay. I believe it has the longest bay in the Basque Country.
The beach is divided in three different areas. The western end is dedicated to families and bathers, the center is a perfect spot for surfers and the eastern end is less sparsely packed and a good spot for those that want to bare it all. Yep, you heard me right 🙂
We had planned to walk further but decided to call it a day and this seaside town seemed like a great place to chill out as it has some great things to do:
Restaurants
The restaurants on the Camino del Norte are excellent and Zarautz is no different especially if you like fish and seafood.
Among the most typical dishes are merluza a la koxkera (hake), chipirones en su tinta (squid in its own ink) and bacalao a la vizcaína (codfish in Biscayan sauce).
Seafood is really popular all across northern Spain and the Basque coast but I’m told there is one local dish that every visitor should try. That is the chipirones a lo Pelayo (squid with onions).
I love Squid and onions so may be worth a try. Some really good restaurants are:
- Karlos Arguiñano , Calle Mendilauta 13
- Kirkilla Enea Jatetxea ,Calle Santa Marina 12
- Sidrería-Asador Izeta , Barrio Elkano 4
Bars with Pintxos on the Camino del Norte
Tapas are generally snacks given with drinks in most parts of Spain and Pintxo’s are the traditional equivalent in the Basque Country. Tapas are typically free but Pintxos normally require pYING A SMALL CHARGE FOR.
Pintxos are an integral part of northern Spanish life and are never called Tapas. I’d remember that when ordering.
They typically come in all styles and colours and are fabulous. Enjoy them they are amazing !
Local wine tours
I tasting wine and Pintxos is what you like whilst walking the Camino del Norte then why not try a wine tour whilst here. the Txakoli winery in Getaria is not too far away at all.
Accommodation in Zarautz
Finding an albergue in Zarautz can be difficult at certain times as Zarautz is a Spanish seaside resort and can get very busy at certain times of the year.
The municipal Albergue de Peregrinos Ebro-Extea is the Pilgrims choice for the main summer months but it does have a short opening season.
Whenever im walking the Camino del Norte I take my trusted copy of the Camino del Norte ‘Village to Village’ guidebook. It’s lightweight and compact and perfect as a handy day by day guide with some invaluable information
Check it out on Amazon
Mark stevens
FOLLOW THE YELLOW SHELL
Albergue de Peregrinos Ebro-Extea
- 60 Beds
- Municipal albergue – Donativo
- Amenities – shared bathrooms
- July to Sept only
- Pilgrim friendly
Zarautz Hostel
- 9 rooms of 2/3/4/5
- €25 per person with breakfast
- Amenities – shared bathrooms
- March to December
- Pilgrim friendly
There are numerous hotels in Zarautz for every budget and its worth checking ahead for availability should Zarautz be busy.
Related Articles
Check out some of my trips on the Camino Frances and the Camino Ingles.
