3rd Stage Camino del Norte from Castro Urdiales to Liendo

Today I got up really early. After a small breakfast, I started right away. Today there was no need for rain protection. It was cloudy, but also warm. Around noon, the clouds even cleared up occasionally.

So I first walked towards the harbor and old town of Castro Urdiales. Thanks to excellent signage on the Camino, I quickly found my way. There were already some pilgrims on the way, and we greeted each other warmly. Before starting my 3rd stage, I took a detailed look at the harbor and was totally surprised by how clear the water was. Slowly, I strolled along the Playa, checked Komoot again, and saw that the Camino was supposed to pass through various towns. However, there was also a direct path along the coast. Hmm, I then decided not to follow the Camino but to walk the narrow path along the coast. An older English woman spoke to me and said that this was not the Camino. We need to turn around. I showed her on Komoot that we would meet the Camino later and that this path was certainly the prettier one. She looked at me and said, 'Let’s walk'! After about 3 minutes, she stopped, looked at me, and said; 'This is so beautiful, and I’m so glad I followed you'. She thanked me and then lay down in the grass to enjoy the wonderful view of the sea. I said goodbye to her and wished her a lovely Camino.

Hmm, after a short while, I also thought about laying down in the grass. I know, who’s grinning widely now and thinks: “Not Anke!” I had to think about all the little critters and ultimately chose a large rock instead. What I found particularly nice this time was not only the smell of the sea, but there was also a pleasant floral scent in the air. Honestly, it was a very very beautiful moment to enjoy.

The path continued along the coast for a while longer, and then came a fork onto a road. After some time, I stumbled upon the Camino. Two women spoke to me and asked where I had been walking. I told them about the coastal path, and they said that the Camino hadn’t been beautiful at all. I felt sorry about that, but unfortunately, you never know in advance. I could have been unlucky too. It turned out that both were from France. One spoke perfect English, so we were able to chat well. We walked together for a bit and then wished each other a lovely path.

It was getting a bit warmer, and I had nothing left to drink. I found that really strange today. Yesterday there seemed to be a drinking fountain every 100 meters, today, however, none. The two Frenchwomen had taken a short break, and one of them filled my water bottle with her water. I thought that was really sweet. Thank you!

After about 12 km, there was finally a bar, but it was poorly signposted. Who do I see sitting there? The Dutch woman from yesterday. We ate together and chatted. She mentioned that she still had to go to Santona today. What, I was shocked. That’s more than 36 kilometers! She grinned and said she would take a taxi soon. That's okay since it's a long stretch. But we still walked together to the next town, where she ordered a taxi.

I kept walking diligently and rewarded myself with a delicious ice cream for the last kilometers. Totally exhausted, I arrived at my accommodation. Let’s see if I go out today; I don’t think so. :-)

Best wishes

Anke