CaminantesCamino Lebaniego
Three days inland from the Cantabrian coast to the monastery holding the Lignum Crucis.
- Distance
- 72 km
- Typical time
- 3 days
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Total ascent
- 2,608 m
- Starts
- San Vicente de la Barquera
- Ends
- Santo Toribio de Liébana
The Camino Lebaniego is a short branch that leaves the Camino del Norte at San Vicente de la Barquera and climbs inland to the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, which holds what is said to be the largest surviving fragment of the True Cross.
It is UNESCO-listed as part of the Northern Routes of the Camino de Santiago, and it is one of very few pilgrimages that does not end in Santiago at all.
Three days of steady Cantabrian climbing bring you into the Liébana valley under the Picos de Europa. In a Jubilee Year, the monastery opens its Holy Door.
Who it suits
Best for: A long weekend, or a detour from the Norte with real history at the end.
When to go: May to October. Cantabrian rain is heavy outside those months.
Watch out for: It is only 72 km but it climbs 2,608 m. Do not treat it as a flat stroll.
Suggested stages on the Camino Lebaniego
3 stages averaging 22.1 km a day, generated from the route itself rather than copied from a guidebook. Treat it as a starting point: the whole idea of planning your own Camino is that a 27 km day someone else picked might be the wrong day for you.
| Stage number | From | To | Stage | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Vicente de la Barquera | Puente El Arrudo | 26.4 km | 26.4 km |
| 2 | Puente El Arrudo | Lebeña | 23.4 km | 49.9 km |
| 3 | Lebeña | Santo Toribio de Liébana | 16.5 km | 66.4 km |
Stage stops and distances are derived from the route geometry and from OpenStreetMap place data (ODbL). Distances are measured along the route line, so they will differ slightly from a guidebook.
Walking the Camino Lebaniego offline
There is no reliable mobile signal on large parts of this route, and the stretches without it are exactly the stretches where you want a map. Caminantes caches the route, the stages and the elevation profiles before you leave, and tracks your distance, pace and ascent while you walk. It is free, with no paywall on any of it.
Common questions about the Camino Lebaniego
How long does the Camino Lebaniego take?
3 days at a typical walking pace. Our suggested plan splits the 72 km into 3 stages averaging 22.1 km a day, and you can split or join any of them.
How hard is the Camino Lebaniego?
Moderate. It covers 72 km with 2,608 m of total ascent, and the longest stage in our plan is 26.4 km. It is only 72 km but it climbs 2,608 m. Do not treat it as a flat stroll.
When is the best time to walk the Camino Lebaniego?
May to October. Cantabrian rain is heavy outside those months.
Where does the Camino Lebaniego start and finish?
It runs from San Vicente de la Barquera to Santo Toribio de Liébana, a total of 72 km.
Does the Camino Lebaniego count towards the Compostela certificate?
Not the Compostela, because this route ends at Santo Toribio de Liébana rather than Santiago. The monastery issues its own Lebaniega certificate instead.