Fundación Camino Lebaniego

Who stands behind the routes

The Fundación Camino Lebaniego is a non-profit foundation in the public sector of the Comunidad Autónoma de Cantabria, based at the science and technology park in Santander. Its point of reference is the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana near Potes, which keeps the Lignum Crucis – according to the Church, the largest surviving piece of the Cross of Christ. Ever since Pope Julius II granted a jubilee in 1512, Liébana celebrates a Holy Year whenever 16 April falls on a Sunday. The foundation organises these jubilee years – the next one starts in 2028 – and in between looks after the routes that bring pilgrims to Liébana.

It builds and maintains the trails, puts up signage and railings, restores churches along the way together with the Diocese of Santander and takes part in European projects such as STEPS for LIFE, ULTREIA and RELIGHT. Since 2022 it has been a member of the Council of Europe Cultural Route “Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim Routes”. In 2025 it hosted an international congress on Beato de Liébana and the Book of Kells, two of the great illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages.

The routes

• Camino Lebaniego Castellano – 207.9 km from Palencia along the Canal de Castilla, through the Romanesque villages of the Ojeda and over the Piedrasluengas pass to Potes, a good three kilometres short of the monastery; the foundation calls it “Ruta castellana”. In 2023 Cantabria and the province of Palencia ceremonially twinned the route at Santo Toribio.

The foundation also looks after the Camino Lebaniego from San Vicente de la Barquera on the coast and the Camino Vadiniense from León, both on the Camino Vadiniense & Lebaniego, as well as the Camino del Norte on its way through Cantabria.

What the foundation does for pilgrims

Since 19 May 2026 the foundation has issued a new official Credencial. You can get it at the pilgrim office of Santander Cathedral, at the church of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in San Vicente de la Barquera, at the pilgrim office in Potes and at the monastery of Santo Toribio. At the finish, the monastery's pilgrim office, open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, issues the certificate “La Lebaniega” for a symbolic fee of €1.

On its website the foundation provides information on all routes to Liébana, on accommodation, baggage transfer and the Holy Year programme. With 2028 in view, it is preparing trails, hostels and a cultural programme for Liébana's 75th jubilee year.

Contact

You'll find everything about the routes to Santo Toribio on the foundation's website. The office in Santander is available on weekdays from 9 am to 2 pm, by email at info@caminolebaniego.com or by phone on +34 942 502 700.