Zumaia

Camino del Norte

To end of camino
778.9
Altitude
10

Askizu

2.90

Zumaia

4.00

Elorriaga (Deba)

Services
ATM
Yes
Bar
Yes
Correos
Yes
Grocery
Yes
Medical Center
Yes
Pharmacy
Yes
Train
Yes

The city is poised on the west bank of the confluence of two rivers, so there are naturally a few bridges to cross. It is after the second crossing that you get to the oldest part of town, the monuments, and the best food.

In the center stands the Iglesia de San Pedro Apostol, austere but with some oil paintings of 15th-century merchant ships and a few side chapels. On the north end of town, near the coast, is the Ermita de San Telmo.

Between these two buildings, it is at the latter where you are likely to find throngs of tourists and the occasional tour bus. Sure San Telmo has a devoted following, but the majority of these tourists are snapping selfies at a famous film location (the wedding scene in the top-grossing Spanish film Ocho Apellidos Vascos). The same is true for the fountain and statue of San Juan Iturria.

Fiesta

San Pedro on the 29th of June.

The Road

Just over this second footbridge, the camino splits. The official camino continues straight ahead and upwards through town. The alternate route again follows the GR-121 by turning right. They rejoin within 3.5km.

The alternate route, known as the Ruta de Flysch because it crosses the sedimentary rock formations characteristic of this coast, is way marked and passes the Ermita de San Telmo. Both routes pass a public restroom shortly before arriving in Elorriaga.

City Map

Comments

All Caminos App User (not verified)

there is a public toilet and a water fountain to the left just before the second foot bridge in town

All Caminos App User (not verified)

No albergue or cheap solutions for pilgrims. Only very expensive hotels (200€/night at least). The first affordable structure is in Itizar. 10km more..

All Caminos App User (not verified)

The convent is under renovations! There are no cheap options in Zumaia. Santa Klara was not an affordable option. I'm disappointed as this is my 2nd leg that had no pilgrim accommodation after San Sebastian.

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

In this section at least, the ways are posted very poorly on this app. The main (blue) path does not adhere to the actual path on the ground, and the connections that exist between the red and the blue, the littoral and the normal route, are not marked at all on your app. It would be good for people to know that there is a way to bail out at the Hermitage.

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

The flysh route is lovely and stunning but also really hard with lots of ups and downs, some quite steep and on sandy ground.
The last uphill before deba to santa catalina is brutal. You could decide to take this route and see the beautiful stuff on the coast, and then after you leave the coast and go down through a forest bit you come to a sewage treatment plant and a main road. Instead of continuing up to santa catalina through the woods, you can take the main road into deba back along the coast. I don't know the exact way but people did it with Google maps from that sewage plant.