A Super Quick Guide to the Camino Lebaniego
Everything you need to know about the Camino in Cantabria’s Picos de Europa National Park
What is the Camino Lebaniego?
Camino Lebaniego Quick Facts:
Distance: 73 km (it’s one of the shortest Camino routes in Spain!)
How many days to walk it?: 3 - 4 days (we recommend taking your time!)
Start: San Vicente de la Barquera
End: Santo Toribio de Liébana Monastery (Potes)
Difficulty: Hard!
If you’ve never heard of the Camino Lebaniego, don’t worry. Most non-Spanish people haven’t either! But that’s part of what makes it such an interesting Camino.
If you’re looking for a completely different kind of Camino that will take you (way!) off the beaten path, the Camino Lebaniego is a fantastic choice.
Understanding the Route: Camino Lebaniego
This lesser-known Camino route starts on the coast in the charming Cantabrian surf town of San Vicente de la Barquera. San Vicente de la Barquera is easy to get to by bus, but it’s actually located on the Camino Norte, which makes the Camino Lebaniego a fantastic alternative route if you want to challenge yourself or take a break from the Camino Norte.
From San Vicente the route meanders along a river route through the foothills of the Picos de Europa — one of Spain’s most stunning landscapes — eventually arriving in Potes — one of Spain’s “most beautiful pueblos.”
And it’s stunning every step of the way.
From Potes, you can walk 4 kilometers (or take the bus!) to the monastery at Santo Toribio de Liébana to view the relic of the Lignum Crucis – the largest known piece of the cross of Christ – at the Monastery, pilgrims can collect their Lebaniega certificate, which is similar to the compostela you receive in Santiago de Compostela.
Is the Camino Lebaniego Difficult?
It’s important to remember that the Camino Lebaniego is a difficult alpine route. There are several long ascents and steep descents every day, and there is less support — like cafes and restaurants — than you might find on other more popular Caminos.
But if you’re looking for stunning mountain views and a chance to reconnect with the spirit of the Camino, the Camino Lebaniego is a fantastic choice — especially if you don’t have a ton of time.
You can walk the entire route from start to finish in just 3 days, but we recommend taking your time and stretching it to at least 4 days. We pushed one day to cover 31 km and while it was beautiful, it was a bit of a mistake. Remember, vertical kilometers are a lot harder than flat ones!
According to the Camino Liebana website:
“There are said to be three types of pilgrim: those who make the journey with their feet, concentrating on the physical effort and the challenge to be overcome each day; those who make the pilgrimage with their eyes, delighting in the wonder of the nature, heritage and culture found along the way; and lastly, those who walk the Way with their heart, with a spiritual purpose, to find themselves, for a moment of reconciliation or to honor a promise.”
After having walked the Camino Lebaniego, we firmly believe it’s the perfect blend of all three types of Caminos!
When is the Best Time to Walk the Camino Lebaniego?
Summer is the best time to walk the Camino Lebaniego. The trail goes through the foothills of the Picos de Europa, and while you’re not at the peaks of any of the large mountains, it would be much more dangerous (and unpleasant) to walk the Camino Lebaniego in wet spring or cold winter conditions.
Also, many of the albergues and guest houses along the way might not be open in the shoulder season, or they will be catering to guests interested in skiing and other alpine sports in the Picos.
We walked in early June, and the weather was fantastic. If you walk in the busier summer months, we recommend making reservations ahead of time to guarantee your bed as some albergues can get booked.
Camino Lebaniego Packing Lists
Camino Lebaniego Highlights
Watch the full video of our walk if you want in-depth details about every step of the Camino Lebaniego. But some of the biggest highlights along the Camino Lebaniego include:
Starting in San Vicente de la Barquera on the coast of Cantabria. It’s an amazing little surf town with great food, good vibes, killer views (especially from the church on the hill), and loads of connection to the Camino with two routes going through it.
The river walk on the first day. Awesome little rock scrambles and a great view from the waterline.
The Picos (foothills). We were blown away by our first view of the Picos de Europa. Worth every (very vertical) step.
The albergue in Cabañes (with Miki). Miki is one of the best hospitaleros we’ve ever encountered. He was kind, funny, charming, interesting, and provided us with everything we needed for a magical night — including some privacy and space when we checked in. 10 stars.
Potes. Potes really is one of the most picturesque pueblos in Spain, but what was wild was the location of the €5 a night albergue. It was right in town, literally underneath the (great) bar where we had arrival drinks. You can’t beat that.
The Santo Toribio de Liébana Monastery. Ending any Camino outside of Santiago feels a little strange, but the monastery was beautiful, historical, meaningful, and hard to get to — so it felt pretty similar!
How to Walk the Camino Lebaniego
We loved walking from the Cantabrian coast to the foothills of the Picos de Europa, and we fully recommend walking the Camino Lebaniego if you have the time and energy. It’s a great way to see a side of Spain that many tourists never get to visit, while also exploring Cantabria at a slow enough pace to drink in all the incredible views.
We can’t wait to return someday, either on another Camino or as a way to stitch together the Camino Norte and Camino Frances.
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