Stage of the Camino
Stage Description
The opening day of the Camino del Norte by bicycle, from the Bidasoa border to the Gipuzkoan coast. It combines the two walking stages Irún-Donostia and Donostia-Zarautz, but along a different line: the walking route crosses Mount Jaizkibel and gets over the bay of Pasaia by boat, unworkable with a bicycle, so the cycling route links Irún to Donostia along the inland bidegorris via Oiartzun and Errenteria. Beyond the city, the coast road climbs the Igeldo hill and drops to the Oria estuary before the final ramp up to Zarautz, whose two and a half kilometres of sand close the day with the rock of Getaria cut out against the western sky.
At around 46.8 kilometres, this stage opens the Camino del Norte by bicycle and brings together in a single day the first two walking stages: Irún-San Sebastián and San Sebastián-Zarautz. It is short in distance but carries more climbing than the map suggests, because the Gipuzkoan coast grants no flat ground: between one headland and the next come short ramps and fast descents.
Leaving Irún poses the first decision of the day. The official walking route climbs to the sanctuary of Guadalupe, follows the ridge of Mount Jaizkibel with the sea on one side and drops to Pasai Donibane, where a boat crosses the channel to Pasai San Pedro. It is the finest variant of the day, but neither the climb nor the boat crossing is practicable with panniers. The cycling alternative skirts the massif inland, following the cycle paths that link Irún, Oiartzun and Errenteria before looking down on Donostia from Mount Ulía.
San Sebastián deserves a halt even in mid-morning. La Concha bay, closed off by Santa Clara island, the promenade beneath Mount Urgull and the Old Town with its pintxo counters are reason enough to get off the bike. Leaving the city, by contrast, is the hardest part of the stage: the Igeldo road climbs some two kilometres without respite to the top, the bay falling away behind.
Once over Igeldo, the route alternates asphalt and cobbled sections as far as Orio, where it drops sharply to the Oria estuary. The port keeps the look of a whaling town and is a classic lunch stop, with fish grills along the water. Across the estuary, two moderate ramps remain before the final descent.
Zarautz appears all at once on cresting the last rise, its two and a half kilometres of sand — the longest beach in Gipuzkoa — spread out ahead and the silhouette of the Getaria 'mouse' closing the horizon to the west. It is a classic of Basque summers and one of the surfing capitals of the Cantabrian coast, with a lively seafront and enough cider houses and grill restaurants to make the first night on the Camino an easy one.
Leaving Irún poses the first decision of the day. The official walking route climbs to the sanctuary of Guadalupe, follows the ridge of Mount Jaizkibel with the sea on one side and drops to Pasai Donibane, where a boat crosses the channel to Pasai San Pedro. It is the finest variant of the day, but neither the climb nor the boat crossing is practicable with panniers. The cycling alternative skirts the massif inland, following the cycle paths that link Irún, Oiartzun and Errenteria before looking down on Donostia from Mount Ulía.
San Sebastián deserves a halt even in mid-morning. La Concha bay, closed off by Santa Clara island, the promenade beneath Mount Urgull and the Old Town with its pintxo counters are reason enough to get off the bike. Leaving the city, by contrast, is the hardest part of the stage: the Igeldo road climbs some two kilometres without respite to the top, the bay falling away behind.
Once over Igeldo, the route alternates asphalt and cobbled sections as far as Orio, where it drops sharply to the Oria estuary. The port keeps the look of a whaling town and is a classic lunch stop, with fish grills along the water. Across the estuary, two moderate ramps remain before the final descent.
Zarautz appears all at once on cresting the last rise, its two and a half kilometres of sand — the longest beach in Gipuzkoa — spread out ahead and the silhouette of the Getaria 'mouse' closing the horizon to the west. It is a classic of Basque summers and one of the surfing capitals of the Cantabrian coast, with a lively seafront and enough cider houses and grill restaurants to make the first night on the Camino an easy one.
Last updated: 31/08/2026
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