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Highlights
Walk an 8th-century pilgrim’s trail in northern Spain on this 5-day self-guided adventure
Discover the beautiful coastline and mountains of northern Spain on foot.
Connect with your spiritual side as you walk the 8th-century pilgrim’s route to the sacred monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana.
Discover picturesque fishing villages and ancient hamlets as you make your way through the countryside.
Walk in the Picos de Europa National Park, navigating trails surrounded by stunning mountain scenery.
This mesmerizing 5-day self-guided walking adventure in northern Spain takes you along the Camino Lebaniego pilgrim’s trail. Walking in northern Spain is an experience characterized by beautiful coastal and mountainous landscapes, culture and tradition, and lovely towns and cities along the way.
The Camino Lebaniego is a pilgrimage route that dates back to the 8th century and is now declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The route ends at the sacred monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, where the Lignum Crucis is located. The Lignum Crucis is said to be the largest piece of Christ’s cross recovered and can be found within the 18th-century baroque chapel. Making your way to this most reverent sight, you’ll be able to connect with the same trail embarked upon for centuries by dedicated pilgrims.
Setting out from the beautiful fishing town of San Vicente de la Barquera, you’ll make your way through other idyllic towns like Puente Nansa, Serdio, Lebeña, Cicera, Burio and many more. The first half of the journey is characterized by charming hinterland and scenic countryside before transitioning to magnificent mountainous terrains as you enter the Picos de Europa National Park.
Discover the authenticity and allure of northern Spain as you embark on the Camino Lebanego Walking Tour!
This mesmerizing 5-day self-guided walking adventure in northern Spain takes you along the Camino Lebaniego pilgrim’s trail. Walking in northern Spain is an experience characterized by beautiful coastal and mountainous landscapes, culture and tradition, and lovely towns and cities along the way.
The Camino Lebaniego is a pilgrimage route that dates back to the 8th century and is now declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The route ends at the sacred monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, where the Lignum Crucis is located. The Lignum Crucis is said to be the largest piece of Christ’s cross recovered and can be found within the 18th-century baroque chapel. Making your way to this most reverent sight, you’ll be able to connect with the same trail embarked upon for centuries by dedicated pilgrims.
Setting out from the beautiful fishing town of San Vicente de la Barquera, you’ll make your way through other idyllic towns like Puente Nansa, Serdio, Lebeña, Cicera, Burio and many more. The first half of the journey is characterized by charming hinterland and scenic countryside before transitioning to magnificent mountainous terrains as you enter the Picos de Europa National Park.
Discover the authenticity and allure of northern Spain as you embark on the Camino Lebanego Walking Tour!
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Camino Lebanego Walking Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in San Vicente de la Barquera
Arrive in the beautiful fishing village of San Vicente de la Barquera and receive a warm welcome from this slice of heaven on Spain’s northern coast.
If your arrival time permits, embark on a stroll through the charming old town and visit the historic port.
Overnight Location: Hotel in San Vicente de la Barquera
Distance: None
Meals: None
Day 2 From San Vicente de la Barquera to Puentenansa
To avoid a steep and uninteresting section, you will be driven with the luggage transfer part of the way, up to the village of Serdio. Here you will see for the first time the route signs for the Camino Lebaniego, the branch from the Camino de Santiago to the pre-Romanesque monastery of Santo Toribio, which was quite popular among pilgrims in medieval times because of a Lignum Crucis relic. Your route today takes you down to the river Nansa, then Southward along its shore.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Puentanansa
Distance: 4-5.5 hours, 13-17.5km, 300m of ascent, 285m of descent
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 Walk to Burio, Cicera, the Arceón Pass and Lebeña
In the morning, another short private transfer will take you into the valley of Lamasón to avoid a long stretch of tarmac on foot.
In the picturesque valley, you’ll be dropped off at the small hamlet of Burio, pleasantly located in the middle of nowhere!
Exhilarating ascents characterize the remainder of today’s trail as you make your way uphill to the Collada de la Hoz (665m, 2181ft), discovering sweeping views of the Cicera Valley below and the majestic peaks of the Picos de Europa.
Feel yourself swept back in time as you traverse rural hinterland through the sleepy village of Cicera up to the Arceón Pass (845m, 2772ft) and finally down to Lebeña. Exploring Lebeña on foot, you’ll discover the fascinating Mozarabic church, Santa Maria de la Lebeña.
A taxi transfer will then take you back to your accommodations, where you can enjoy a relaxing evening after a challenging day on foot.
Those looking to shorten today’s walk can start instead at the Collaga de la Hoz.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Tama
Distance: Full route: 6-6.5 hours, 12.7km, 680m of ascent, 820m of descent
Shortened route: 4.5 hours, 9.5km, 375m of ascent, 845m of descent
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 4 Reach the Santo Toribio
A ten-minute transfer this morning will take you to Allende, where you’ll rejoin the Camino Lebaniego on its final section.
A short ascent will lead you to Cabañes, a quaint hamlet that boasts breathtaking views of the valley. Making your way through ancient chestnut woods, you’ll make your way to the medieval town of Potes. This is your final stop before your last few kilometres of trail, which leads to your destination of Santo Toribio.
You’ll traverse some gentle hills before finally descending down to the monastery of Santo Toribio. This will no doubt be a significant moment, and you’ll want to take some time here to enjoy the achievement.
Once you’ve spent some time enjoying the monastery, a private transfer will take you back to your hotel in Tama. Enjoy dinner tonight at your hotel.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Tama
Distance: 5 hours, 12km, 620m of ascent, 575m of descent
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 5 Departure
Following breakfast, return to the airport to depart, bringing with you 5 days’ worth of amazing memories.
Please note that during high season, an extra night’s stay at the hotel in Tama is compulsory.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Departure on April 1st – June 29th, 2024:
- Solo traveller: EUR901
- Single room (group of 2+): EUR710
- Sharing a double/twin room: EUR546
- Sharing a triple room: EUR474
Departure on June 30th – July 20th, 2024:
- Solo traveller: EUR980
- Single room (group of 2+): EUR789
- Sharing a double/twin room: EUR590
- Sharing a triple room: EUR490
Departure on July 21st – September 7th, 2024:
- Solo traveller: EUR1130
- Single room (group of 2+): EUR893
- Sharing a double/twin room: EUR648
- Sharing a triple room: EUR528
Departure on September 8th – October 11th, 2024:
- Solo traveller: EUR901
- Single room (group of 2+): EUR710
- Sharing a double/twin room: EUR546
- Sharing a triple room: EUR474
Accommodation on the Camino Lebanego Walking Tour
This tour is based in 3-star hotels that offer ensuite bathrooms and basic amenities.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other, comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travellers
If you prefer a single room or you are a solo traveller, the required supplements are included in the listed prices.
What’s Included in the Camino Lebanego Walking Tour?
Meals
4 breakfasts and 2 dinners are included.
Accommodations
Accommodations for 4 nights are included.
Transportation during the Tour
All private transfers mentioned in the itinerary are included as well as luggage transfers between accommodations. Airport transfers are not included but can be arranged as a supplement in advance.
Also Included
- Digital route notes and maps
- GPS App
- 24-hour phone assistance
Not included
- Flights to and from Spain
- Visas if required
- Travel Insurance
- Tourist taxes if applicable
- Meals or drinks and snacks not previously mentioned
- Fees not mentioned as ‘included’
- Guide
Optional Extras
- Airport transfers
- Activities and excursions unless otherwise mentioned as included
- Any additional nights before or after the tour
- Extra night in high season in Tama
- Printed tour materials (in addition to digital)
- How hard is the Camino Lebanego Walking Tour?
- Do I need a visa to travel to Spain?
- Are meals included on the Camino Lebanego Walking Tour?
- Do I need insurance?
- How do I get to San Vicente de la Barquera to start this tour?
- Where does the Camino Lebanego Walking Tour end?
- Do I need special vaccines to travel to Spain?
- Are there any travel restrictions for Spain?
- When is the best time to travel to Spain for this tour?
We rate this tour a 3/5. While the tour is shorter, daily walks range from 5-6 hours on average (excluding breaks) and some terrain is hilly or mountainous. You should be comfortable walking for longer distances several days in a row.
Check with your local country about visa requirements. You could also try this website, though you should verify with your government.
4 breakfasts and 2 dinners are included.
Yes, it is mandatory to have health and medical insurance to join this trip. Get your Travel Insurance.
Fly into Santander Airport (SDR) or Bilbao Airport (BIO). Take a public bus to the city center of Santander, and from there another direct bus to San Vicente. The journey on public transport will take approximately 75 minutes. Alternatively, you can book a private transfer as a supplement in advance or arrange your own private transfer from the airport.
The tour ends in Tama. You can take a bus from Tama to Potes, which offers direct buses to Santander (SDR) Airport and Bilbao Airport (BIO). Alternatively, you can book a transfer to the airport in advance as a supplement or arrange your own private transfer.
Check with your family doctor.
Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.
The best time to visit Spain for this tour is during the summer (July and August) when daytime highs reach a warm 25 degrees Celcius and there is minimal rainfall.
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