Recently I walked a week on the Camino de Santiago northern route from Hondarribia to Guernika. It was a fantastic 6 day hike with great views along the dramatic coastline.

Donibane – the first of many estuaries I crossed. Here you cross on a water ferry across.

Lots of variety too as you pass through fishing villages, vineyards, along sandy beaches before heading inland through wood covered (seemingly endless!) hills.

City gates of Hondarribia

Hondarribia gave a wonderfully historic feel to the start of the Camino as you walk down it’s cobbled streets and leave through the old city gate.

Then came one of the toughest ascents of the whole camino as you climb up to the ridge of Jaizkibel at over 500 metres. The views as I walked along the ridge made it worthwhile though – on one side the sea stretched away endlessly and on the other limestone peaks jut out of green rolling hills.

On the summit of Jaizkibel

There are a series of defensive towers along the ridge that were built during the Carlists wars. The ridge stretches on for around 5 kilometres before you drop steeply down to Donibane – the fist of many estuaries that the Camino de Santiago crosses.

Donibane

Donibane is a narrow strip of colourful old houses running down the waters edge. Some superb fish restaurants are built over the waters edge and fish are kept in aquariums and nets hanging in the seawater below and staff catch your dish through hatches in the floor.

The Basque flag

Another steep climb out of Donibane for a lovely path that then contours around the coastline. You come out above San Sebastian for beautiful views down on to Zurriola beach.

San Sebastian is Spain’s chicest beach resort and has some of the best pintxos (tapas) in the world. It has two long beaches – Zurriola for the surfers and the famous horseshoe shaped La Concha beach.

Lookiing down onto Zurriloa beach

It was a long but fantastic first day on the Camino. 26 km with nearly a thousand metres of ascent.

More about the second day on to Orio to follow…