Today’s walk was out of one big town, through another, and then onto our destination for the night, Piedras Blancas. A lot of industrial areas today as we exited Gijon and entered Aviles. The photos will reflect that. We met another pilgrim Michael from the Czech Republic and had a chat with him for about 20 minutes along the way.

A pedestrian walking along a sidewalk in an urban area with buildings and graffiti on the wall, suggesting the start of a journey out of town.

Exiting Gijon, we followed the main street for about 3 or 4km before hitting the city’s edge. It wasn’t quiet with the cars and buses driving by. Not a sightseeing extravaganza either walking up the road. Once we hit the edge, we were in an industrial area where we had to navigate crossing some main roads—lots of cars and trucks about.

A view of an industrial area with factories and smokestacks in the background, alongside a road lined with grass and bushes, under a clear blue sky. — Gijon industrial area

An urban street scene under a highway, featuring a red car parked by the roadside and a traffic light showing red. — Exciting stuff!

An empty road flanked by trees, leading towards a hilly area with houses in the background under a clear blue sky.

After traversing the industrial area, we encountered our only hill for the day. It was just a gradual climb of about 250 metres. Not at all like yesterday’s effort.

A view of an industrial landscape with factories, smoke stacks, and distant mountains under a clear blue sky. — Looking back to Gijon on our way up the hill

A scenic view of a green field with a distant mountain backdrop and scattered clouds in the sky.

Once at the top, we hit a plateau with a large grass field. From then on, we walked in farmland and down farm tracks. It was a very gradual descent to the next valley. This was the best part of the day for walking with the scenery and the stillness.

A dirt path lined with wooden fences, surrounded by green fields and trees under a blue sky. — Through the fields we go

A lone hiker walking along a winding road surrounded by trees and green hills, with an expansive sky overhead. — Glimpses of the valley ahead

A scenic view of a rural road leading downhill, lined with green grass on one side and houses with red rooftops in a valley under a blue sky. — A very pleasant country walk

A winding path through a green landscape, bordered by wooden fences and blooming white flowers, under a blue sky with fluffy clouds. — Cattle grazing

Two hikers walking down a busy road lined with industrial buildings and vehicles. — Ron chatting to our new Czech friend

We hit the outskirts of Aviles pretty quickly, so the serenity of the countryside was broken by the sounds of cars and trucks. We stopped for a coffee for Ron and a beer for me at a trucker stop and sat for a while.

Industrial building with a distinct design and weathered exterior under a cloudy sky. — We pass a lot of heavy industry

A person walking along a road lined with green grass and a fence, with industrial buildings and a slight hill in the background. — A lot of road walking during this stage

A person walking up concrete steps alongside a colorful graffiti wall with a blue car parked nearby, under a clouded sky. — On the outskirts of Aviles

A pathway bordered by greenery and an industrial building on the left, indicating a transition from urban to more natural surroundings. — Walking along the river with factories on the edge

A view of a pathway alongside an industrial area with power lines and trees under a cloudy sky. — Dark clouds loom as we’re making our way into Aviles

A view of a city street lined with residential buildings, greenery, and a road sign indicating directions. The sky is overcast, adding a gloomy atmosphere. — We enter Aviles

We’d walked 25km thus far, and as we entered Aviles, Ron and I decided that we’d catch a cab the rest of the way to Piedras Blancas as the clouds overhead looked ominous, and we’d had enough walking for the day. We tried to hail a couple of taxis on the street, but to no avail, so I Googled where the taxi rank was, and we walked there to get our taxi to take us to the hotel.

And that is it for today. Not a fantastic walk in regards to scenery. Even though the valley was beautiful, it was spoilt by the roads with trucks thundering past us in the industrial areas. Don’t worry. We had plenty of shoulder to walk on, so it wasn’t like it was really dangerous. A couple of times, maybe, but otherwise, all okay.

For a map of today’s walk, you’ll find it below.

That’s it from me. Over and out. Buen Camino! 🥸

Camino del Norte Day 13

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