Camino del Norte runs parallel to the original route. The hills on the coast makes it more difficult, but the sea moderates the temperature this time of year.
Most traffic used the motorway, making the national road very quiet. So I did much more distance on it than on the Camino.
I saw hundreds, if not thousands of pilgrams, nearly all traveling in the opposite direction. Quite a few were a little bit lost.
One girl even stopped me and asked “Are you doing the Camino ? Where’s the route ?”
“Yes, but right now I’m heading to a supermarket. Give me two seconds to look on my phone… We’re right on it. Just follow this roads until you get to the harbour and the tourist area. Then keep the sea on your right.”
“Is this Castro Urdiales ?”. Clearly she didn’t expected to be on the route.
“Yes. In the harbour you will even see a beautiful white sign saying ‘Castro’”.
More than a century ago, Santander Bank was founded in Santander. Since then it has grown into a global bank that employs more people than the entire population of the city it was founded in.
