Camino de Santiago LITE: Day 7 (del Norte): Orio to Zumaia

A third sunny day in a row. Since the forecast says 0% chance of rain, I risk not taking the poncho with me. Our B&B is just a couple of short blocks away from the Camino and getting out of Orio is straightforward. Waymarking continues to be excellent to Zarautz, which we reach in an hour and a half. Zarautz seems modern and sprawled out a bit and I am glad we stayed in Orio instead, unlike most pilgrims. We stop at a bar in Zarautz for fresh squeezed orange juice, which is also a restroom break, as there may be no facilities until we reach Getaria. Even this simple bar has some pintxos laid out on the counter which is mobbed by high school students during a recess. These people definitely eat well.

Orio: although lacking hot items, a good breakfast at our B&B gets us off to a good start.

Orio: leaving the nicely decorated Casa Rural Mailan

Orio: the fog is still over the river as we set out.

Kiwi fruit

Vineyards upon leaving Orio

A good spot to rest. Zarautz in view. Getaria is in the distance (right). Shortly afterwards, we almost miss a turn descending to Zarautz, which a local helps prevent.

As we leave Zarautz, the Camino splits. I decide against the recommended inland route, as it will probably take longer and be more difficult on the legs. The lower route along the sea, following a major roadway, seems flat and very straightforward. (We don't want to be late for our lunch reservation at 1pm in Getaria.) The seaside pedestrian walkway is extremely well made and the walk is very pleasant. There are occasional stairs down to the shore and even bathrooms (surprise!) and water fountains are provided. Shame it is not the official route.

Leaving Zarautz: solidly built pedestrian walkway all the way to Getaria

To Getaria: large cut stones - were Incans here?

To Getaria: this walkway is well-constructed. We see people on rollerblades and in wheelchairs enjoy themselves rolling and wheeling here.

Arriving in Getaria: Covered benches line up the walkway.

We reach Getaria with enough time to spare before lunch. We stop at the Tourist Info which is at the entrance to town, where the two variants of the Camino converge. This is also where our restaurant is located. This small town has a number of interesting things to check out. There are monuments paying tribute to their proud native son, Elkano, who is credited with the first circumnavigation of the world after Magellan was killed. There is a museum dedicated to Balenciaga, another native son, but it is closed today, which is just as well, since I am completely ignorant about couturiers. There are vineyards here where the txacoli, the white wine popular throughout the Basque region, originated. The San Salvador Church has an interesting interior. And there are excellent seafood restaurants, the star of which is where we are going today.

Elkano, a native of Getaria, was the first to circumnavigate the world.

Getaria: the main drag ending at Church of San Salvador

Church of San Salvador: if you stand inside, the tilt of the floor (higher in the front) is easily noticeable. I would call this the opposite of Santa Cruz Mystery Spot (it may look flat in the picture but there is a real tilt!)

Getaria: one of the statues of, who else, Elkano

Before leaving home, I wanted to book a restaurant for fine dining directly on our walking route between San Sebastian and Bilbao. The best candidate was a locally revered place in Getaria. It seemed to work out perfectly for a lunch stop during this leg. Its name? Well, you guessed it, Elkano, the ubiquitous presence in this town. However, its website was under construction and what little information I could gather suggested that it is closed on Mondays. So I gave up the idea but still planned to stop in Getaria for seafood lunch. Upon hearing this, Pilar, who hosted us at our first stop in San Sebastian, told us that her good friend is a chef there and proceeded to give him a call. To my pleasant surprise, the restaurant is open on Mondays these days and she went ahead and booked a table for us.

The couple sitting next to us at Elkano, who also ordered turbot as their main course, declare that this is a better experience than at Asador Extebarri they went to yesterday. Wow, you mean the one that is now considered the world's best grill restaurant and was solidly booked when I tried to make a reservation? Our meal here is also a great experience for us. For some reason, a new interpretation of their name pops into my head at this point. It can be also spelled Elcano and equals El Camino minus "mi." So you might say there is no "mi" in Elcano! I should copyright this! Anyway, thanks Pilar, for coming up with a timely assistance. In addition to your hospitality, you also impressed us by wanting to host a Syrian refugee family. You have definitely helped enrich our experience on this pilgrimage.

Restaurant Elkano, Getaria: grills are already going as it opens

Elkano: most exquisite preparation of squid I have ever tasted. The txacoli, the popular white wine in Basque, has its origin in this town.

Elkano: Turbot, their signature dish. I would call this a turbo preparation.

Elkano: the server dissects the fish to the hilt and exposes parts that even the fish probably didn't know existed. But these parts other than the fillet are the most prized.

Elkano: another look at the grill as we leave. The middle one looks like Kokotxa (hake cheek).

After a total immersion course in Getaria, we get back on the Camino, which passes right in front of Elkano. In fact, we could see through the restaurant windows several peregrinos walking by during our lunch. Watching some of them with huge backpacks and long staff, a bit of guilt comes over me, but it does not last long!

With the reassurance from the excellent staff at the TI that there is only one route from here, we confidently walk up the hill past Elkano. After passing through the small establishment of Askizu, we soon arrive at our destination for the day, Zumaia, and check into a small inn which is another very elegantly decorated Casa Rural.