San Vicente de la Barquera

Right now in San Vicente de la Barquera (as of October 2026)

• New pilgrim hostel: The town is converting the Torre del Reloj in the old town into a public hostel with around 20 beds. It was due to open in 2026; we have found no confirmation that it is open yet.

How long to stay?

An afternoon is enough. From Comillas you only walk 11.5 kilometres and arrive early. That is enough time for the bridge, the old upper town on the rock with its church and castle, and a look out over the estuary. Many pilgrims take a break and walk on; it is another 16.9 kilometres to Colombres. If you stay, you get a quiet evening by the harbour.

San Vicente de la Barquera in Ninja numbers

• 491.2 kilometres are still ahead of you to Santiago. That puts you roughly halfway along the route.
• 28 arches carry the Puente de la Maza, the bridge you take into town. Originally it had 32 openings.
• 1210 is the year King Alfonso VIII granted the town its charter.
• 63.5 kilometres separate you here from Potes on the Camino Lebaniego, and 66.6 from the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana.

Arriving: over the bridge into the estuary

After Comillas the route crosses the natural area of Oyambre to the estuary of San Vicente. Then you walk over the Puente de la Maza, a 15th-century stone bridge, towards the town. Ahead of you lie the harbour and, above it on a rocky ridge, the old upper town with church and castle. The Camino itself carries on down by the water. To see the old town you have to climb up, and it is worth it.

In brief: the town of the ferrymen

Before there was a bridge, ferrymen carried pilgrims across the estuary. A brotherhood ran the service, and the town takes its epithet "de la Barquera" from the boat. In 1210 King Alfonso VIII gave it a charter with privileges for trade and fishing. San Vicente was one of the four port towns on the coast of Cantabria, and the wall, the castle and the large church still tell of that time. There was a hospital for pilgrims here, the Hospital de la Concepción; only its façade survives.

Two routes, one town

San Vicente is not only a stop on the Camino del Norte. The Camino Vadiniense y Lebaniego also starts here. It heads south into the Picos de Europa to the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, where, according to tradition, the largest surviving piece of the Cross of Christ is venerated. From there it continues over the mountains to Mansilla de las Mulas on the Camino Francés, 219.7 kilometres from here. You can get the credencial for this route in the church of Santa María de los Ángeles.

The upper town: what to see

Everything is close together on the rock above the harbour.

• Santa María de los Ángeles: The Gothic church was begun in the 13th century and extended over the centuries; it has been a national monument since 1931. Inside is the marble Renaissance tomb of the inquisitor Antonio del Corro, who died in 1556. Of interest to you as a pilgrim: a gate in the old town wall is still called the "puerta de los peregrinos", the pilgrims' gate.
• Castillo del Rey: The 13th-century castle stands right next to the church above the estuary.
• Hospital de la Concepción: Only the façade remains of the old pilgrim hospital from the 14th to 16th centuries.
• Puente de la Maza: The bridge is the town's overture. Cross it slowly once and look back at the upper town.

Food and drink

A local speciality is sorropotún, a stew of bonito, potatoes, soaked bread and green peppers. Oysters are also farmed in the estuary. You will find bars and restaurants mainly down by the harbour.

Honestly

• No public hostel. The former municipal hostel has been a private hostel since 2023; the new one in the Torre del Reloj has not been confirmed as open.
• The old town lies off the route. The Camino runs along the water below. If you want to see the church, you have to go up and come back down.
• Don't follow the red crosses if you want to stay on the Norte. They mark the Camino Lebaniego into the mountains.

Where pilgrims sleep

There is no pilgrim hostel in the strict sense. The old municipal hostel is now the private Nómada Hostel on Calle Alta; according to our data a bed in the dormitory costs €25 to €30 (as of October 2026). Sources disagree on the number of beds and the season, so it is best to ask in advance. There is also a surf hostel and several guesthouses and posadas, single rooms from about €40 (as of October 2026).

Ninja tips

• Remember the Lebaniego credencial if you are toying with the idea of turning off here to the monastery of Santo Toribio. It is issued in the church of Santa María de los Ángeles.
• Take your break here and sleep in Colombres if you want a longer stage. From Comillas to Colombres it is 28.4 kilometres in all.
• Walk back over the bridge at the end of the day when the evening light falls on the upper town. That is where you see the town best.

Practical tips for pilgrims

• Credencial: For the Camino Lebaniego in the church of Santa María de los Ángeles.
• Post office: according to a pilgrim website, Monday to Friday 8:30 to 14:30.
• Shopping: Groceries, a bakery, a pharmacy and a cash machine are available in town.

Onward: over the Deva into Asturias

After San Vicente the route goes via La Acebosa, Estrada and Serdio to Pesués and down to Unquera. There you cross the Deva and enter Asturias. Two kilometres further on lies Colombres, 16.9 kilometres in all with 469 metres of ascent. The highest point, at 131 metres, lies between La Acebosa and Hortigal.

What awaits you tomorrow

In Colombres, Asturias begins with a flourish: brightly painted villas of emigrants who made their fortune in the Americas. In one of them a museum now tells the story of that great emigration.

Deep dive: The town of the boat

A short read, in case you want to learn more about San Vicente de la Barquera. About two minutes' reading.

Across the water

Long before there was a bridge, the estuary of San Vicente was an obstacle. Anyone heading west along the coast needed a boat. A brotherhood of ferrymen took travellers and pilgrims across, and that is how the town got its name: San Vicente of the boat. Only the long stone bridge of the fifteenth century made the crossing dry.

A town by the sea

King Alfonso the Eighth gave the town a charter in the year 1210. Fishing and trade made it prosperous, and on the rock above the harbour rose a castle, a wall and a church that is surprisingly large for such a small place. Next to the church stood a hospital where pilgrims were cared for. Only its façade remains.

A tomb and two routes

In the church lies a local man who went far: Antonio del Corro, inquisitor in Seville, who died in 1556. His marble tomb is one of the treasures of the church. Today San Vicente is a place where two pilgrim routes part. Most walk on along the coast to the west. Some turn south, into the mountains, to a monastery that keeps a piece of the Cross. When you stand here, you can choose.