San Sebastián to Zarautz
Basque coast
- Distance
- 22.1 km
- Climb
- 620 m up, 625 m down
- Ground
- 0 to 250 m
- Time
- 5 to 7 hours
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Underfoot
- coastal, forest, paved, dirt, urban
Where this day sits on the Camino del Norte
Above, the highest and lowest ground of each of its 34 stages. Below, the word each day is given.
From open-pilgrimages: each stage's highest and lowest ground and its interior theme.
The day
Today is when the Basque coast becomes real. You climb out of San Sebastián past the funicular to Monte Igueldo and the Parisian-style amusement park at the top, then drop to a ridge path that alternates forest and sea views for hours. Orio smells of fried sardines. Zarautz appears as a long golden beach full of surfers — the European Surfing Championship is held here — and the old walled quarter sits at the east end above the promenade. The rhythm of the Norte is establishing itself: climb a headland, drop to a bay, cross a river, repeat.
What pilgrims often meet here
- The funicular to Monte Igueldo — most pilgrims walk past rather than up
- First eucalyptus forest smell of the route
- Orio's waterfront and the smell of charcoal-grilled fish
- Zarautz beach full of surfers even in autumn
The route is settling into a pattern of climbs and bays. What rhythm did you arrive with, and does it match what the coast is asking?
The ground
Leaves San Sebastián via the Antiguo district and climbs Monte Igueldo (coastal ridge), then tracks the Basque coast through Orio — a fishing town at the mouth of the Oria river — before reaching Zarautz, the Basque Country's most famous surf beach.
The light
Sunrise and sunset in San Sebastián depend on the day you walk.
Walk it with Pilgrim
In Pilgrim's Honor mode you can walk this stage as it is drawn here, and save its maps for days with no signal. The morning opens with this day's word, Basque coast, and its story. When you arrive, it asks the question above, and you can answer out loud. Your walk stays on your phone.
With Pilgrim on your phone, this opens the stage, ready to begin. Without it, you'll see the stage and where to get the app.