The Camino del Norte through the Basque Country, the coastal Way of St James from Irun to Pobeña in Turismo Euskadi's eight stages: Donostia-San Sebastián, Zarautz, Deba, inland by Markina-Xemein and Gernika-Lumo to Bilbao, then down the estuary to Portugalete and the beach at Pobeña.
Best season: All year. The Camino is walkable all year, but its pilgrim hostels are seasonal. In 2026 Markina-Xemein opened on 13 March and Larrabetzu and Pobeña on 1 April, and all three close on 18 October; Bilbao, Portugalete and Lezama open from 1 June to 30 September. From 18 October plan on hotels, guest houses and youth hostels, and ask Deba's pilgrim hostel, which publishes no dates, whether it is open. Before you go
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Checking the seasons, closures and current conditions for today…
Eight stages of 13 to 31 km, timed with Turismo Euskadi's official stage times. Stage 6, Gernika-Lumo to Bilbao, is the longest at 8 hours; until 18 October 2026 Larrabetzu's pilgrim hostel splits it. The plans end at Pobeña, the official end; our line runs on about 3.5 km to Kobaron. Several pilgrim hostels have closed for the season (Bilbao, Portugalete, Lezama) or close on 18 October (Markina-Xemein, Larrabetzu, Pobeña): pick your dates to see which are open. Choose a plan, or pick your own start, finish and nights below.
Changing where you stay suggests a new number of days: the fewest that keep each day under 8 h of walking and in daylight, where a place to stay allows.
Days end where the route has a stay, a camp or a village.
Stage 1: From Irun to Donostia-San Sebastián: 24.6 km and 6 h 45 by Turismo Euskadi, which starts the stage at Irun or Hondarribia; 24.9 km on our line, from Irun's pedestrian streets. Near the start our line takes 29 m of the Hondarribia kalea, mapped without foot access and with no pavement: cross where the waymarks cross. We found no open pilgrim hostel in Donostia: book a bed.
Donostia-San Sebastián Town or village
A city. We found no open pilgrim hostel here that we could confirm: book a hotel or hostel. The station is about 0.8 km east of the stop.
Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 2: Over the hills of Igeldo, Mendizorrotz and Kukuarri and through Orio to Zarautz: 22.8 km, 5 h 30; 22.8 km on our line.
Overnight
Hostel or bunkhouse
Pick a date to check the season.
A beach town with a station. The provincial youth hostel takes groups and youth-card holders; otherwise book a hotel or guest house.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 3: By Getaria, Askizu, Zumaia and Itziar to Deba: 21.3 km, 6 h; 22.4 km on our line. Deba's pilgrim hostel, Geltokia, takes pilgrims with a credential for one night.
Overnight
Hostel or bunkhouse
Pick a date to check the season.
A small town at the river mouth with a station (Euskotren). The pilgrim hostel Geltokia, by the station, takes pilgrims only.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 4: Inland from Deba to Markina-Xemein: 24.2 km, 6 h 30; 23.9 km on our line. Markina's pilgrim hostel, in the Carmelite convent, closes for the season on 18 October 2026.
Markina-Xemein Town or village
A small town. Its pilgrim hostel, in the Carmelite convent, is open from 13 March to 18 October 2026: 40 beds, no booking, a pilgrim credential required, open 15:00 to 22:00, leave before 08:00, a set contribution. We could not place it on the map exactly, so it is not listed as a stay. After 18 October book a hotel or guest house.
Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 5: By Bolibar and the collegiate church of Zenarruza to Gernika-Lumo: 24.8 km, 6 h 50; 25.3 km on our line. We found no pilgrim hostel in Gernika: book a hotel or guest house.
Gernika-Lumo Town or village
A town with a station (Euskotren, to Bilbao). We found no pilgrim hostel here: book a hotel or guest house.
Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 6: The longest stage, by Morga, Larrabetzu, Lezama and Zamudio to Bilbao: 29 km and 8 h by Turismo Euskadi; 30.6 km on our line, which ends at the pilgrim hostel at Begoña, above the old town. Larrabetzu's pilgrim hostel, about 16.6 km in, splits the day until 18 October 2026; Lezama's, 3 km further, closed for the season on 30 September. Bilbao's pilgrim hostel closed on 30 September too: book a bed in the city.
Overnight
Hostel or bunkhouse
Pick a date to check the season.
A city. The stop is the pilgrim hostel at Begoña, which closed for the season on 30 September 2026 (open 1 June to 30 September): book a hotel or hostel in the city.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 7: Through Bilbao and Barakaldo to Portugalete: 19.6 km, 4 h 45; 21.0 km on our line, from Begoña. In Barakaldo our line crosses the Elizateko plaza (Plaza de la Anteiglesia), 98 m mapped as private: the Camino crosses the square on foot. The pilgrim hostels of Barakaldo and Portugalete closed for the season on 30 September: book a hotel or guest house.
Overnight
Hostel or bunkhouse
Pick a date to check the season.
A town on the estuary. Its pilgrim hostel closed for the season on 30 September 2026: book a hotel or guest house.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 8, of which this day walks part: From Portugalete to Pobeña: 13.5 km and 3 h 35 by Turismo Euskadi. Our line reaches Pobeña after about 13 km and runs on about 3.5 km to Kobaron, where the mapped Basque route ends: 16.3 km in all. The plans end at Pobeña, whose pilgrim hostel closes for the season on 18 October 2026.
Longest day: day 6, 8 h.
Days end at a stage end with a refuge or a village, or in a village the route passes through. Walking times are the times published by Turismo Euskadi where a stage has one, with the time measured on the mapped line beside it; a day that walks part of a stage gets a share of the stage's time by distance and climb.Outside Switzerland our walking times often run short of the times route operators publish; treat them as optimistic. Running times use 7.5 km/h plus one hour per 700 m of climb: a steady reference, not a prediction. Daylight is sunrise to sunset where the day starts; the time left is for breaks, meals and delays.Refuge dates come from the operator's own pages; when they are not published, we say so. For villages we count the places to stay OpenStreetMap lists; we have not checked which are open. A plan is not a booking: reserve every night before you commit to these day lengths.
Where each stage ends, the 2026 and 2027 seasons the operator publishes, and how to book. Read from the operators' pages on 13 October 2026; each stage page shows the sources and the grade profile.
| Stage | Night at | 2026 | 2027 | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Irun to Donostia-San Sebastián | Donostia-San Sebastián · accommodation in town, not checked | Each host has its own season | Book with a host | |
| 2. Donostia-San Sebastián to Zarautz | Albergue Igerain | 2026 dates not published | not published | Book online |
| 3. Zarautz to Deba | Albergue Geltokia | 2026 dates not published | not published | No booking |
| 4. Deba to Markina-Xemein | Markina-Xemein · accommodation in town, not checked | Each host has its own season | Book with a host | |
| 5. Markina-Xemein to Gernika-Lumo | Gernika-Lumo · accommodation in town, not checked | Each host has its own season | Book with a host | |
| 6. Gernika-Lumo to Bilbao | Albergue de peregrinos de Bilbao | 1 June 2026 to 30 September 2026 | not published | No booking |
| 7. Bilbao to Portugalete | Albergue de peregrinos de Portugalete | 1 June 2026 to 30 September 2026 | not published | No booking |
| 8. Portugalete to Pobeña and Kobaron | Kobaron · accommodation in town, not checked | Each host has its own season | Book with a host | |
Loading the forecast for low point (-6 m) and high point (502 m)…
Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (-6 m) and the highest point (502 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Stages rated good on typical weather | 8/8 | 8/8 | 8/8 | 8/8 | 8/8 | 8/8 | 6/8 | 6/8 | 8/8 | 8/8 | 8/8 | 8/8 |
| High point, day / night | 10°/4° | 11°/4° | 13°/5° | 14°/6° | 17°/9° | 20°/12° | 22°/14° | 23°/14° | 21°/12° | 18°/10° | 13°/7° | 11°/5° |
| Low point, day / night | 13°/6° | 14°/6° | 16°/7° | 18°/9° | 21°/11° | 23°/14° | 25°/16° | 26°/16° | 24°/14° | 21°/12° | 17°/8° | 14°/7° |
| Rain, mm | 131 | 101 | 97 | 108 | 90 | 70 | 58 | 74 | 71 | 116 | 171 | 123 |
| Snow at high point | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Daylight | 9 h 18 | 10 h 29 | 11 h 51 | 13 h 22 | 14 h 39 | 15 h 22 | 15 h 07 | 14 h 01 | 12 h 34 | 11 h 07 | 9 h 45 | 9 h |
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
Before you go
Arrange your stays, food and travel first, then check conditions again near departure.
The pilgrim hostels on this coast take no bookings: one night, in order of arrival, walkers first, with a pilgrim credential. In Bizkaia they open from 15:00 to 22:00, ask a set contribution, and you leave before 08:00. Bilbao, Portugalete and Lezama closed for the season on 30 September 2026, and Markina-Xemein, Larrabetzu and Pobeña close on 18 October. The other beds are Deba's pilgrim hostel (no dates published), the provincial youth hostels at Zarautz and Hondarribia, booked online and meant mainly for groups and youth-card holders, and the hotels and guest houses of each stage town, which you book yourself. We found no pilgrim hostel we could confirm in Donostia or Gernika.
Bilbao's pilgrim hostel at Begoña (60 places) and Portugalete's (30) are open from 1 June to 30 September and closed on 30 September 2026; so did Lezama's. Markina-Xemein, Larrabetzu and Pobeña close on 18 October 2026, and their 2027 dates are not out yet. Point yourself to the other beds: Deba's Geltokia (ask whether it is open), the youth hostels at Zarautz and Hondarribia, and hotels and guest houses in Donostia, Gernika, Bilbao and Portugalete. Hospitaleros Voluntarios de Bizkaia and the Bizkaia Camino association, read 13 October 2026.
Hospitaleros Voluntarios de Bizkaia: opening datesNo booking and one night only, in order of arrival, walkers before cyclists, with a pilgrim credential. The Bizkaia hostels open from 15:00 to 22:00 and you leave before 08:00; each asks a set contribution. Bizkaia Camino association, Albergues page, read 13 October 2026.
Bizkaia Camino association: pilgrim hostelsGeltokia, by the station, takes only pilgrims on foot, by bike or on horseback, with a credential stamped on earlier stages: 56 places, one night, cyclists from 19:00 if there is room, Wi-Fi and laundry but no kitchen, and a donation of 8 euro. Deba town council, read 13 October 2026.
Deba: the Camino de SantiagoThe page starts at Irun. From Bayonne or Hendaye the Camino follows the French approach by Saint-Jean-de-Luz, which this guide does not map. On it the GR 8 coastal path between Socoa and Hendaye has been closed since a 2021 prefectural order on its old cliff-edge line, and until further notice since 25 April 2025 for ground movement along the cliff; the Txiktxak bus line 26 links Socoa beach and Hendaye. FFRandonnée, notice of 26 April 2025, read 13 October 2026.
FFRandonnée: the coast path closed between Socoa and HendayeTurismo Euskadi's leaflet gives each stage's length and walking time, worked out from the climb and descent; they add up to about 48 hours for 179.8 km. Our own times are longer on most stages. Turismo Euskadi leaflet, read 13 October 2026.
Turismo Euskadi: El Camino de la Costa (PDF)Closures and notices last checked 13 October 2026: Bizkaia Camino association: pilgrim hostels · Bizkaia Camino association: news · FFRandonnée: GR 8 closed between Socoa and Hendaye · Hospitaleros Voluntarios de Bizkaia: hostel opening dates. Check them again before you set out.
Getting there
Choose a stage or journey above to narrow the travel searches.
Google Maps journey searches, not confirmed services. A mountain endpoint may need a booked transfer or an additional walk.
The start is in Irun's pedestrian streets, about 0.6 km from Irun Colón station. Euskotren's regional trains run along the coast and list Hendaye (Hendaia) among their stations, so you can also arrive from France by train.
EuskotrenZarautz, Deba and Gernika-Lumo have stations by the line, Deba and Gernika-Lumo on Euskotren. Bilbao and Portugalete have metro and suburban trains; we could not confirm the lines on the operators' pages.
EuskotrenMuskiz station is about 2.7 km inland from Pobeña, and there is a bus stop at Kobaron. We could not confirm the train line or the buses on the operators' pages: check Renfe Cercanías Bilbao and Bizkaibus before you go.
Renfe: Cercanías BilbaoTake your trip with you
Prepare each stage while you still have a connection: on the hills between the coast towns and inland towards Markina-Xemein the signal can be weak.
Keep your route and maps on your phone for places without a signal. For multi-day trips, prepare them in the installed TrailSplits app.
Saving a bookmark is not a map download. Storage can be cleared by your device; keep a backup map for remote trips.
Turismo Euskadi gives 179.8 km from Irun to Pobeña in eight stages (180.6 km in its leaflet's heading), and its stage times add up to about 48 hours; the line here is 187.0 km, ending about 3.5 km past Pobeña. This is the Basque Country only: the Camino del Norte goes on to Santiago. Our map has it in 8 sections. The guide's day planner offers plans from 8 to 9 days on the overnight stops, and you can choose your own nights.
All year. The Camino is walkable all year, but its pilgrim hostels are seasonal.
The start is in Irun's pedestrian streets, about 0.6 km from Irun Colón station. The "Connect your journey" section has the travel details, with 2 more travel notes.
The pilgrim hostels on this coast take no bookings: one night, in order of arrival, walkers first, with a pilgrim credential.
Yes: the route on our map and every section, free, for a GPS watch or a phone. The guide also saves your plan for offline use in the app.
Closures we know of are shown on the days and sections they affect, in the day planner and on the stage pages. We watch 4 official notice pages (Bizkaia Camino association: pilgrim hostels; Bizkaia Camino association: news; FFRandonnée: GR 8 closed between Socoa and Hendaye; Hospitaleros Voluntarios de Bizkaia: hostel opening dates); the date we last read them is shown with the notices on this page. Check them again before you set off.
Route & sources
This page covers the Camino del Norte through the Basque Country only, from Irun to Pobeña, not the complete route to Santiago. Turismo Euskadi (the Basque Government) publishes this coastal Camino, the Camino de la Costa, in eight stages from Irun or Hondarribia to Pobeña: 179.8 km by its stage figures, with an official stage time for each, shown with ours on every stage. Its route page also counts a 34.2 km branch from Bilbao to Balmaseda, which this guide leaves out. The page starts at Irun: walkers coming from Bayonne or Hendaye follow the French approach by Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where the GR 8 coastal path between Socoa and Hendaye has been closed since a 2021 order on its old cliff-edge line, and since 25 April 2025 for ground movement along the cliff, FFRandonnée says. Our line is 187.0 km, cut at the eight stage ends, on OpenStreetMap relation 1116809 (from the planet of 11 October 2026). Its Bilbao stage end is the pilgrim hostel at Begoña, about 1 km before the cathedral, and it runs on about 3.5 km past Pobeña to Kobaron, where the mapped Basque route ends; stages 3, 6, 7 and 8 come out 1.1 to 2.8 km longer than Turismo Euskadi's. It keeps two short stretches mapped without foot access: 29 m of the Hondarribia kalea in Irun on stage 1, where you cross where the waymarks cross, and the 98 m Elizateko plaza in Barakaldo on stage 7, a square mapped as private that the Camino crosses on foot. Our climb is measured on terrain heights.
Official guidance and mapped-source comparison checked 13 October 2026. Map data is a route reference, not confirmation of today's path, weather or accommodation availability.
Turismo Euskadi: El Camino de Santiago por la CostaMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors · Source relation
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