Oriñón to Laredo
Distance Covered: 8 mi / 13 km
This section of steep, picturesque cliffs between Oriñón and Laredo features epic views of the Bay of Biscay on one side, and the rolling foothills of the Cantabrian mountains on the other.
I could have probably covered a lot more ground this day if I hadn’t spent so much time taking photos, but realistically, Laredo is a great town to stop in. There are plenty of stores and affordable places to stay, and with rain in the forecast, I decided to call it an early day.
If this is the first post you’re reading and want to start from the beginning, check out my Camino del Norte page which features all of my Camino posts in order. If you want to learn more about the Camino de Santiago itself, check out my post breaking down the basics.
Setting out from Oriñón
Having walked about 4 km off the official Camino route, the first order of business was getting back to where I veered off path. In hindsight, I probably could have taken the narrow trails along the waterfront, but I didn’t want to risk getting cliffed out and having to turn back around.
The misting rain and cooler temperatures were much more like the northern Spain that I knew and loved. Of course, it does get hot in the summer, but this landscape is lush green for a reason.
After backtracking to where I first turned off trail to get to this beach hostel, I was finally back on the official route. I had already grown accustomed to seeing farm animals all over the place, but seeing this many sheep sleeping on a concrete slab cracked me up.
Finally back on the right path, I was glad to have some cooler weather and light mist. The morning walking was peaceful, and though there were some steep climbs to start the day off, the clouds and light mist kept me cool. Once I was back on route, there were enough trail markers to get me to Laredo with ease. In fact, from many sections of the hike, you could even see the city off in the distance.
The morning was mainly spent walking inland, only to make my way back out to the coast by the afternoon.
Cliffs along the coast before Laredo
As the trail got closer to the coast and grew steeper, I saw dozens of cows out on the mountainside. Most of them were out grazing, but some were taking shelter in old, rundown buildings near the cliffs.
These were the most dramatic cliffs I had seen since Zumaia, and I had them all to myself. Either due to the dreary weather or the time of day, no one else was here, which meant I could fly my drone without bothering anyone.
You might recognize this winding path from the main photo on this website’s homepage. Being out here on my own was a little surreal, though I did eventually see a farmer pushing a herd of sheep up the narrow path.
I met another pilgrim on this descent who had walked all the way from the Netherlands, and we chatted about how nice the Spanish network of albergues and hostels was. The pilgrims I met who had walked through France all carried full camping set-ups, because France has a much less built-out albergue system. I was glad to have left some things behind at my friend’s place in Bilbao and was much happier with the weight savings.
Arriving in Laredo
After spending time taking photos and snacking on some fruit near the top of the cliffs, I made my way down into the town of Laredo.
Albergue in a Church
For 10 euros, I secured a bunk in a dorm with seven other pilgrims in a church run by nuns. The nuns were friendly, and led me into a back area in the convent that they had converted into an albergue peregrino.
After stepping out to buy food in the city center, I got locked out while the church clergy held mass. I explored the neighborhood near the albergue until I found a little plaza with wood benches and sat down to eat a bit. I ate outside in the seemingly ever-present light drizzle, alone in the quiet plaza aside from a group of teenagers smoking and kicking a ball around.
Catching up with family back home
I stopped at a café to mooch their Wi-Fi and to call my dad to wish him a happy Father’s Day. It was my first time talking to family since leaving for Spain a little over two weeks ago, and we caught up for a while as I sat there eating pintxos.
The café was incredibly loud, with the sound of people’s voices reverberating off of every hard surface in the place. This was to be expected, and after living in northern Spain for years, I was no stranger to loud bars and cafés. The first place I lived in Spain actually didn’t have internet, so quite literally every time I talked to anyone back home, it was in a loud café on their Wi-Fi. At least this café didn’t have a group of old men gathered around the slot machine at the front of the bar, as many Spanish cafés do.
After swapping stories for a while, I paid my tab and made my way back to the albergue before the nuns shut the door, locking me out all night.
Final thoughts
This day of walking stands out as one of my favorite days in this section of the Camino, mainly because it was so quiet. I only ran into a few other hikers, and the overcast day kept the temperatures and the UV index down, which was a welcome change.
Covering less ground on the hike meant that I could focus more on taking pictures and enjoying my surroundings. While some days are best used putting in miles, others warrant taking extra time for photography or socializing. If you’re considering hiking a Camino on your own, check out my piece on hiking the Camino solo.
Let me know down in the comments if you have ever slept in a church! I think this was actually my first time, but certainly not the last on this hike. As always, ¡Buen Camino!
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