Carpe Diem

Santillana to Comillas

Miles     14.9

Total Miles     201.4

Ascent    1498’

Descent    1660’

Carpe Diem! And ‘seize the day’ we do! Up at sunrise and out the door before 9 am. Today’s hike is described as enjoyable and scenic but almost all on hard surfaces. 

The forecast for today has improved and we now have only a small chance of rain, but the skies are overcast and appear somewhat threatening as we hike. We pass numerous churches and chapels as the Camino always passes the main church or chapel in every town or village. We even see the the “Little Chapel”….of Coca-cola??

                                                        The Chapel of Our Lady

By far the most impressive is the Church of Ciguenza, built in 1058 and which represents the best example of construction in the baroque style in the region. 

After a late morning coffee stop, I find that my Mac’s Adventure app is acting up and freezing once again to the point that the GPS map is useless. We revert to our ever trusty Gaia app and decide to follow the coastal route instead of the inland route which turns out to be a great choice. While still mostly walking on  roads, the roads are smaller and infrequently traveled. We descend to the ocean and pass a lovely beach where the high surf is pounding. This route involve more ups and down, but the views and seclusion are well worth the additional effort. 

                                    Snow covered peaks in the distance, not far inland from the ocean.

Eventually we rejoin the inland route and wind our way into the town of Camillas. We head to our hotel and decide to rest for a few minutes before exploring the town. This town is home to the Palace of Sobrellano and Gaudi’s Caprice. Gaudi, the famous Spanish architect designed this house for a wealthy business man. It was built in 1883-1885, and Gaudi was only 31 years old when work started. It was once of his early works and one of a handful he did outside the Barcelona area. I will do a blog on Gaudi’s Caprice in a week or so on our next rest day. It is truly amazing. He was a man of incredible talent!!

                We see numerous examples of the Knight’s Templar cross in this section of the Camino

                                                        The Palace of Sobrellano

                                                            Trailside lunch stop!

                                            The town on Camillas in the distance.

                                        Our stay for the night, the Camillas Hotel.

Today’s hike was about 15 miles and 98% on pavement. I found it hard on the feet and am again surprised that the Camino del Norte follows such a large percentage of paved surfaces. Scot and I had hoped that we would be walking on more remote paths. But the weather continues to hold and the hiking temperature is great, so we cannot complain. Tomorrow is a low mileage day so we may explore Camillas a bit more before we depart for San Vicente de la Barquera.