The Northern Way, also known as Camiño da Costa (the Coastal way), starts in Irún, the Basque Country, and follows th Cantabrian coast. The route follows the coast line until Ribadeo, the first Galician Village, from where the route distances from the coast to follow the path towards the capital of Galicia. The Northern way is one of the historical pilgrimage routes that have been followed since the middle Ages to visit the tomb of St. James. Yet, historians agree that this has never been a crowded path du to its orography and the fewer number of villages that offered accomodation.

Nowadays the Northern Way, along with the Vía de la Plata (the Silver Way) and the Portuguese Way, are good alternatives to the French Way, which in recent years has become overcrowded, if you want to get away from the crowds or are looking for a more commited or spiritual pilgrimage. This route also offers breathtaking landscapes of the coast.