Camino Lebaniego

In short: Camino Lebaniego: from San Vicente de la Barquera to Santo Toribio de Liébana. Length: around 72 km, duration: 3 days. Best time: May to October.

Overview

According to tradition, the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana holds the largest surviving piece of the Cross of Christ. The Camino Lebaniego branches off the Camino del Norte and leads there.

In just three days you go from San Vicente de la Barquera into the mountains of the Picos de Europa. The route is short but has stiff climbs, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At the end you receive a certificate of its own. If you have only a long weekend and want to see the Spanish mountains, this is a complete small pilgrimage route.

Main stops: San Vicente de la Barquera, Cades, Cabañes, Potes, Santo Toribio de Liébana.

Three days into the Picos de Europa

On the first day you leave the coast and walk into the Nansa valley. The second day brings the longest climb, over the pass to Cicera. On the third day you reach Potes and then the monastery above the town.

The Holy Year of Liébana

When 16 April falls on a Sunday, the monastery celebrates a Holy Year of its own. That makes Santo Toribio one of the few places with this right. Many more pilgrims are on the way in those years.

Planning your stages

How long you need depends on your daily distance. The table works this out for 72 kilometres, with one rest day a week.

Who is this route for?

With some hiking experience this route is very manageable. Expect climbs and keep your days from getting too long.

What does the route cost?

With an albergue or simple guesthouse and one hot meal, 40 to 50 euros a day is usually enough. Over about 4 days that comes to roughly 150 to 200 euros, plus travel and gear. This is a guide figure.

You can find more routes under Pilgrimage routes in Europe, Pilgrimage in Spain, sorted by religion under Christian pilgrimage routes.