Santoña

We set out this morning from Castro Urdiales, thinking about walking to Liendo or perhaps as far as Laredo. 38kms and about 10 hours later we arrived in Santoña.

I should clarify that this wasn't quite as hardcore as it may seem. Firstly, the 38kms includes the little boat ride from Laredo to Santoña. And secondly, we took lots of breaks and ate nice food along the way. In fact, we blame the menu del dia in Laredo for our decision to keep walking. After a nice lunch and some wine, it seemed easier to walk along the beach to the boat, than to walk around a busy tourist town to find an albergue or pension. 😊

Today's route had a number of options and everyone we met seemed to choose the road wherever possible. We took the road from Islares to Liendo, but followed the Camino arrows after that. I expect that it was longer than the road, but it was a really nice walk with some beautiful sea views.

When we eventually arrived in Santoña, I looked at the Buen Camino app and phoned a place that offered a pilgrim discount. Thinking that it was a basic pension, I expressed surprise at the price of €65 for a double room. They agreed to include breakfast, so I went ahead and booked it. Imagine our surprise when a couple of kms later we checked into Juan de las Cosa, a very nice 4 star hotel on the beach! It even has a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. And a buffet breakfast tomorrow!Read more