Camino del Norte Day 14

by

Today’s walk was much better than yesterday’s as we traversed through the countryside and left Gijon and Aviles’s urban and industrial sprawl behind us. The weather was cooler as we set off, and I had my jumper on to keep myself warm.

A person taking a photo of cows grazing on a hillside with a town in the background.
Looking back to Piedras Blancas our home for the previous night
A scenic view of a lush green countryside with a tree in the foreground and the ocean visible in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.

As we head out, we get a glimpse of the ocean, which isn’t too far away. Unfortunately, that’s all we got today, a few glimpses here and there but no beaches or coastal tracks. We did have good forest and farmland walks to enjoy, so all was not lost.

A dirt pathway surrounded by trees and greenery, leading into the countryside.
Walking through farmland
A person walking along a quiet, tree-lined path in the countryside, surrounded by greenery and ferns.
A solo pilgrim up ahead
A person walking along a tree-lined path in the countryside, with a camino signpost visible to the side.
The path today was well marked
A narrow, tree-lined country road shaded by overhanging branches, flanked by grassy banks and stone walls.
Country lanes and everything looking very green
View from an overpass showing a road winding through green hills under a cloudy sky.

We leave the farmland behind and cross the freeway into a logging forest. The landscape was scarred with clearings where bundles of logs lay ready to go to the mill. The track here was boggy as the vehicle carrying everything was massive. We had to stand aside at one point to let it pass.

A large vehicle loaded with logs navigating a narrow, muddy track through a logging forest, surrounded by trees and brush.
The aforementioned truck
A serene pond surrounded by lush greenery and shrubs, reflecting trees in the calm water.
A strange coloured lake
Two goats resting on a rocky slope next to a clear blue water body, surrounded by lush greenery.
With some goats sitting idly by
A person walking along a muddy path surrounded by tall eucalyptus trees and greenery.
Bogtown
A panoramic view of San Esteban, a coastal town with colorful buildings along the waterfront, surrounded by lush green hills and trees.

We come to the San Esteban estuary with the town of San Esteban across the water. We don’t go into this town but head more inland to navigate the estuary. Here we meet our Mexican friend Alejandro, a pilot who had just started the walk in Gijon the previous day. He stayed with us for most of the day, and it was good to have his company.

A view of a countryside road winding through greenery, with a scenic hillside featuring several houses and trees in the background.
A Spanish country scene. Plenty of wires.
A scenic view of a tower on a hillside surrounded by trees, overlooking a calm body of water and a small marina with boats.
The castle of El Castellu
A picturesque view of the San Esteban estuary surrounded by lush hills and distant mountains under a clear blue sky.
The estuary and bridge we eventually cross
Three individuals paddleboarding and kayaking on a calm estuary surrounded by lush greenery.
Warm enough to be out paddle boarding and kayaking
Scenic view of San Esteban estuary, showcasing a house in the foreground with a terracotta roof, hills in the background, and the sea in the distance under a blue sky.

We crossed the estuary and climbed a little and got a good view looking back of San Esteban on the left and Ranon on the right.

A traditional orreo, a wooden storehouse with a sloped roof, situated on stilts with greenery growing on top, surrounded by trees and a road sign in the background.
An old orreo
A traditional orreo structure with dried corn hanging from the balcony, set against a blue sky with scattered clouds.
An orreo with corn drying

We’d encountered these structures quite a bit on our walking journey and often wondered what they were. Alejandro told us today that they’re called orreos, and they used to dry fruit and vegetables hanging on the outside, and then the centre is a store room to store the dried food. Mostly now, though, residents use it to store their junk.

Two hikers walking along a forest path surrounded by trees and autumn leaves.
Walking through forest

There are many chestnut trees along the route, with residents out to collect the nuts fallen from the trees.

Two hikers walk through a graffiti-covered underpass surrounded by greenery.
Passing underneath the railway
A weathered two-story building with wooden accents, located along a narrow, overgrown gravel path, surrounded by green foliage.
Old farmhouses
A scenic view of the coastline and distant islands, with greenery and colorful houses in the foreground.
Looking back down the coast

It was about here that we decided to get a cab the rest of the way. We had about 9km to go, and it was approaching 4 pm both Ron and I didn’t want to overdo it and write ourselves off for the next day. I, too, have the bug lingering, which is becoming annoying. Alejandro was still with us, so we went into a servo nearby, and he ordered a cab into our town of Soto de Luiña for the night. He was happy to share the cab too. We all had a beer while we waited for the taxi. It was good to have a Spanish speaker with us as we would’ve struggled to get a cab ourselves at that point as no one seemed to speak English at the servo.

So that’s all there is for today. Tomorrow is looking promising again as we hug the coast and get some good views of the sea and some beaches along the way.

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

Thanks for reading, and Buen Camino! 😀

Related Posts

Discover more from James Altham

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading