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Camino del Norte, Spain. French border to Bilbao.

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.

I had A.I. software remake me into a proper pilgrim. 😀

I cycled 300+km of the French Way in 2022. That was terrific. It’s the most popular of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes.

By comparison, the Camino del Norte (Northern Way) totals 817 kilometres (508 mi) across northern Spain from the border with France to Santiago de Compostela. It’s only the 6th most popular of the many Caminos. Over 21,000 pilgrims / year.

SO … in 2026 I did 6 days from French border town Irun to tourist mecca Bilbao.

The red section on the map below.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of what it’s like on YouTube.

Camino pilgrimage routes attract many different kinds of people. Much different than on other thru hikes, I find. Some are spiritual seekers & reflective travellers. The highlights for others are the food, history, and culture.

Since the Camino del Norte attracts less than 5% of the Camino Francés numbers, accommodations are not all booked. It’s not nearly as crowded.

Many feel Irun to Bilbao is the best and most scenic section of the Camino del Norte.

Steep climbs, rugged coastal cliffs, and longer stretches between services make the START of the Northern Way the most challenging.

I stayed in combination of albergues (pilgrim hostels), hostels, and emergency tent one night. Accommodation is quite inexpensive.

Flying into Bilbao

It’s easy and comparatively inexpensive to fly into Bilbao.

I arrived late night on an inexpensive flight.

More PHOTOS.

Bilbao downtown Guggenheim museum titanium metallic facade by night

I picked up my Camino de Santiago pilgrim passport (credencial del peregrino) at the Cathedral. This gains you entrance into some of the pilgrim accommodation en route.

Bus to Irún

It’s easy to find a direct bus to Irún close to the the French border.

I stayed at the Jakobi Pilgrim Hostel (Albergue de Peregrinos Jakobi) in Irun, the official starting point for the Camino del Norte. Payment is by donation.

Next morning, off and running.

The rain in Spain falls mainly in the NORTH. Over the coming week I had all kinds of weather, including lightning storm.

The Camino is well signed. I mostly used AllTrails to confirm turns. But it seemed there were many other apps in use.

There’s one ferry crossing – the Pasaia River.

First night I stayed just outside San Sebastián, a tourist city very competitive with Bilbao.

San Sebastián

Some stay 2 nights here as there’s a lot to see. I toured the town one evening and again the next morning.

This is the kind of place in Europe some feel is over-touristed.

San Sebastián is a beach town, popular with surfers.


Onward.

One problem with ALL the Caminos … you end up doing a lot of walking on concrete and cobblestone.

By day 6 I felt one of my feet was bruised.

Zarautz Beach


I did enjoy the coastal sections.

Getaria

I happened upon a hostel in Getaria that was just serving up dinner. I stayed.

Early next morning I wandered the town before many more people were awake.

Got an early start on the hiking day.

It’s a very rural area. Plenty of farm animals to keep you company.

Some vineyards.

And eventually back to the coast.

Mutriku

Sections are very remote.

No bus. You might ride a horse out. 😀

Markina-Xemein

Monasterio de Zenarruza

Everyone wants to stay at the Monastery. Paid by donation.

Meals and room are quite basic.

But the place is beautiful.

Guernica

The town of Guernica is infamous for the 1937 painting by  Pablo Picasso.

One of the best known anti-war paintings. Nazis had bombed the people here relentlessly.

Many stay over in this historic city.

Bilbao

Early enough in the day, I walked on.

Skies darkened. I decided to wild camp before the rain. This is not legal — except in emergency situations like this one.

Surprisingly, I didn’t hear much about the Basque separatist movement.

With an even more torrential rain storm looming, I caught the first bus I saw on arrival to civilization to the centre of Bilbao. Happily, I made it to my very cool Pod Hostel before the worst of a deluge.

31 litres of rain / square meter in just a matter of minutes. It does rain in Spain.

Here I am at the Bilbao Cathedral. The rest of my clothes in the laundry. 😀

Bilbao Cathedral (Basilica of Saint James)

I’m considering a return to the Camino del Norte in future. Perhaps Vilalba to Santiago de Compostela, the final 100km. It merges with the bustling Camino Francés for the final 2 days of walking.

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Arizona’s 4th National Park – Chiricahua

Trump is expected to transform Chiricahua National Monument into a new National Park.

I’m surprised as his regime has been mainly hurting the National Park system with defunding, staffing cuts, funding diversions, and widespread censorship of historical exhibits.

He’s expanded the use of public lands for grazing, hunting, and mineral exploration.

BUT Chiricahua seems to be an exception. And — for once — those who love hiking can praise the ReTrumplican party for getting this done.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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UNESCO High Altitude Ridge, Switzerland

This looks something similar to our favourite day hike in the world, Harder Ridge, Switzerland.

The UNESCO High Altitude Ridge Trail in the Aletsch Arena is an epic adventure for those with a good head for heights and comfortable scrambling up bare rocks. 

The views of the Aletsch Glacier are simply stunning and the trail, although challenging, is fun. … 

The Photo Hikes

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Survival Thriller Film – Heart of the Beast 

I saw Heart of the Beast (2026) in the theatre.

It stars Brad Pitt and an amazing dog called Odin, portrayed by a canine actor named Uber.

It’s worth seeing.

While the movie is set in Alaska, it was filmed on location across the remote South Island of New Zealand (primarily around Queenstown and Glenorchy). The crew flew via helicopter into untouched, glacial mountainous areas and dense forests that had never been captured on film before. Because they were shooting in actual wilderness, the crew had to physically haul heavy camera equipment through steep ravines and over hills in volatile weather.

Pitt actually swam in an isolated, freezing alpine lake that the crew could only access by helicopter.

HOWEVER, the wildlife attacks were entirely digital. They didn’t look realistic to me.

Reviewers like Mark Kermode noted that while the survival script format hits familiar narrative beats, the physical set pieces and the incredible performance of the dogs playing Odin make it a captivating watch. Crucially for sensitive viewers, reviews confirm early on that the dog does not die in the film.

Brad Pitt? … I’d better not say. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Camino del Norte, Spain

Arriving Bilbao, Spain on Oct. 1, 2026.

Planning on some days on the Camino del Norte (Northern Way): Irún on the French border back to Bilbao.

The red section on the map below.

That’s about 149 kilometers (92.5 miles) across rugged Basque Country.

Many feel this is the best and most scenic section of the Camino del Norte.

I’ll be an official pilgrim, using the network of albergues (pilgrim hostels), hostels, and tenting.

I hope to visit Biarritz, France, as well. It’s close to Irún.

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Quiraing Circuit, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.

It’s possible to hike both Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing Circuit on the same day by bus out of Portree, the main town on the Isle of Skye.

I decided to hike Storr. Then continue by bus to Quiraiing — tenting one night on the Circuit.

The scenery is similar to Storr. Towering basalt cliffs, jagged rock spires, and sweeping green terraces formed by ancient landslips.

More dangerous than it looks. Loose rock. Steep cliff drops. Mud.

It was a rare sunny day late September. No midges.

Sheep pay no attention to hikers.

I used AllTrails The Quiraing Circuit for navigation. Not needed, however.

It’s a simple loop ➙ half walking under the ridge. Half on top. About 7km return.

I opted to start under the ridge, planning to tent somewhere en route. I correctly figured it would be more sheltered for tenting.

Later in the afternoon, I got some terrific light.

This wedding photographer picked the perfect day and time.

This beastly spire is part of the section known as the Prison.

I found a spot for my tent — but climbed up to explore whether or not I might like a cliff edge vista.

Majestic views, but too exposed.

Bizarre pond down below.

I ended up in this lovely spot. No rain and not much wind all night.

No photo editing.

Awaking in the morning, the downpour began.

Unfortunately, I had to climb up on to the ridge in howling wind to complete the circuit.

I took few photos. It was miserable on the return.

After the 2nd time I fell into the mud, I decided to flee to Inverness. Ending my Skye hiking.

Fierce winds.

Too bad. Just the day before I had resolve to try part of the famed Skye Trail for some days. NOPE. That’s just for hard men.

With this harsh climate, I don’t think I’d return to Skye without a motor vehicle. Here are some of the attractions I missed. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Walking Newquay, Cornwall, UK

I really enjoyed my 4 nights in in Newquay. What a terrific tourist town!

See my PHOTOS.

I was here for hiking. Enjoying several walks a day up and down the coast. 

Best was sunset over the Atlantic. 

No colour correction.

I uploaded video clips to the Vizard.ai web page. Here’s the edit it created including music. Not bad.

Their free-plan includes the small translucent “Made with Vizard Agent” mark in the top-right corner. I tried Microsoft Clipchamp as well, but it didn’t work for me.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Old Man of Storr – Isle of Skye – Scotland

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.

The Old Man of Storr is a 55-metre-high basalt rock pinnacle standing dramatically on the Trotternish Ridge of the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Created by an ancient, massive landslide, this striking geological landmark sits roughly 7 miles north of Portree and is the most popular hiking attraction on the entire island.

Old Man of Storr, Trotternish, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK

Easy and inexpensive bus access from Portree keeps this short day hike busy. In fact, all 300,000 visitors / year seemed to be out on the rare sunny day I was there. 😀

Portree, Isle of Skye
  • Distance: 3.8 km (2.4 miles) round trip.
  • Time: Approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
  • Difficulty: Moderate. The gravel trail is well-maintained but climbs steeply, gaining about 205 metres (700 feet) of elevation.
  • Terrain: Mostly firm gravel paths and pitched stone steps. The final stretches up near the “Sanctuary” (the base of the spires) can become muddy, rocky, and slippery, so sturdy footwear and the balance of a mountain goat are recommended
  • Aim to arrive before 8:00 AM or later in the evening to secure a parking space and enjoy a quieter hike
  • Several buses a day can get you here

Here’s the start.

And here’s Storr, the main attraction.

Of course there are many more spires, some even more striking.

There are a number of viewpoints.

Follow the sheep along the roped off trail …

… or hop the rope and enjoy equally fantastic scenery on your own.

I had lunch and enjoyed the sunshine for about an hour without seeing any other people. I had plenty of time, waiting on the bus to my next hike.

A fantastic place.

Though it was a sunny day, we had some sun showers.

Highly recommended if you get to remote Isle of Skye.

I’d posted an A.I. modified image of myself — aged by the Scottish highlands. 😀

Though no app is needed once you get to the trailhead, I had AllTrails – The Old Man of Storr Loop open.

Click PLAY or watch some drone footage on YouTube.

Click PLAY or check out Portree on YouTube.