Camino de Santiago LITE: Day 21 (del Norte): Castro-Urdiales to El Pontarron de Guriezo

The hotel has a decent enough breakfast buffet, but I can only stomach tea and plain bread. This is not a memorable phase of the gastronomic pilgrimage. Strength-wise I feel good enough to walk today, although occasional abdominal discomfort may cause inconvenience.

Today should be a relatively easy day, as the usual stage, Castro-Urdiales to Laredo, is broken up into two sections. I would normally arrange for a taxi to pick us up at a half-way point, but I want to be unencumbered by the specific time we agree on. Also the idea of taking the bus seemed realistic last time we had to wait for a taxi, well, from a bus stop. I get the phone number for a taxi from the hotel receptionist and tell him also that I may call the hotel if I need help getting a taxi after our walk. My skills for arranging for transportation on the Camino are ever-increasing.
By the time we leave, the drizzle stops and I might even believe the forecast of low chance of rain.

I realize this morning our hotel is located on the eastern end of Castro-Urdiales, and duh, most of the interesting sights, including the seaside promenade, the old town, and the Church of Santa Maria, are all located away from us. But fortunately, we are heading west through that area before getting out of town. We are moving very slowly and it takes us almost an hour and a half to cover about a kilometer, but what an enjoyable morning. There is even a strategically located Tourist Information Office, where we get important information on the local buses. I was willing to skip the Church of Santa Maria, but the Camino leads right onto its doorsteps and we arrive during its limited opening hours in late morning. How many pilgrims will get to see the inside? The church and the view of the city from it are both impressive. Sorry, Castro (and I don't mean Fidel), I seriously underestimated you yesterday because, well, I just didn't know.

Castro-Urdiales: leaveing the beach near the hotel, but this is not where the main action is.

Castro-Urdiales: a minor Flysch formation?

Castro-Urdiales: the main harbor, which we did not see upon arrival yesterday. Church of Santa Maria and the castle-lighthouse in the backdrop.

Castro-Urdiales has a bit of a tropical feel to it.

And a little bit of glamor as well.

Castro-Urdiales: the helpful TI (right) located on the promenade lined with attractive buildings

Castro-Urdiales: Statue of Roman Emperor Vespasian in front of Church of Santa Maria

Castro-Urdiales: Church of Santa Maria, the most important Gothic structure in Cantabria

Castro-Urdiales: Church of Santa Maria, dating back to 13th century

Castro-Urdiales: Ruins of San Pedro Church from 12th century

Castro-Urdiales: view of the harbor from Church of Santa Maria

Finally reaching the bullring, where the albergue is located, we are about to leave Castro-Urdiales. The daily stages and distance estimates in most of the guidebooks are from albergue to albergue, so we have just arrived at the starting point for today! For the next few kilometers, there is a nice paved trail that is gently downhill, i.e., it's just an ideal terrain. We go through a small charming seaside village of Cerdigo, where, you guessed it, there is no bar or restaurant.

Castro-Urdiales: the Camino sign directs us past the bullring and out of the city

Outside Castro-Urdiales, the trail is nicely paved.

And it does allow cars. Thank God we are going down instead of up.

But cows definitely outnumber cars on this road.

The sky is overcast, perfect for walking, and the diffused light at midday is conducive to photography.

Cerdigo coming into view

Now the sun is out.

Approaching Cerdigo. In the distance (left), a village near Islares is visible.

Cerdigo: a pretty village by the sea

Walking a bit in the open terrain with an ocean view, we arrive at Islares. I had originally booked a hotel here, so this would have been today's stop, except just before we left home I was notified that the hotel decided to close for season. Well, at least they gave enough of a notice so I could book a second night at Castro-Urdiales, and hence the bus-taxi routine today. And of course it's good news to the wife, who welcomes any move that minimizes the number of different places we have to stay at. This also goes to show that October is already considered off-season for del Norte route in Cantabria. I am curious what the hotel looks like. It is only a short distance from the Camino and there are even a couple of restaurants open. So we take a break here, although I can only muster up an appetite for plain bread.

Past Cerdigo, it is back to a nature trail.

We are now walking along the coast. Beyond the dried up sunflowers and a eucalyptus grove lies Islares.

Approaching Islares: a great day for hiking

Islares: peeking in - can't pass up any shrine dedicated to St. James even if it's closed.

Islares: the hotel that would have been (left) and the surrounding area where we take a lunch break

Islares: a lovely cove behind the hotel. A local man says he is going to take a swim because the water temperature is 20 degrees C (68 F).

We now push on to the next town, El Ponttaron, which is only 3-4 km away. The walk is along the highway but the view is decent. From there we find a bus stop and catch the bus back to Castro-Urdiales. We are let off right at the back of the hotel by a very considerate driver. So we save 20 euros on the taxi and feel like we had more control of our walking pace this way.