S03 Way of St. James (Camino) Orio to Zumaia

We set off down the hill to search for a cafe with coffee, tortilla, and omelette sandwiches for later. In the 14th century pilgrims were granted free passage on the ferry by king Ferdinand, but we used the modern bridge to cross the estuary. There followed a long climb up a hill past farms to a caravan site and then down a long flight of steps to the beach, stepping aside to let hordes of German youths trot down for their surfing lessons. Down on the modern promenade in Zarautz, we paused for coffee and sticky buns then continued along the coastal promenade by the side of the main road to Getaria. It emerged from a display in the tourist office, that the captain on Magellan's voyage round the world was born in Getaria, and as Magellan had died, he was in fact the first man to captain a ship round the world. This was a major milestone in history, of which the Basques are very proud, as it proved conclusively that the earth was round and the oceans interconnected. There was also a fascinating old church, with ramparts built into it. From there, on Roman and medieval roads to Zumaia, where we relaxed on the beach and Angus even had a swim, before finding a supermarket to top up our supplies, and finally struggling up the hill to the Santa Klara albergue, a farm guest house with a wonderful view of the ocean and a spectacular sunset.

For more photos, see Angus & Sue's website!