Online: Northern California Chapter, Camino del Norte

Looking for a Camino less frantic than the Francés and with fewer pavers than the Portugués? Perhaps you’re ready then for the Norte, the progenitor of the Spanish Caminos. Stretching over 800 kilometers from the French border to Santiago, it hugs Spain’s spectacular northern coastline for much of its length (think Big Sur here), zigzagging in and out of lush green hills that will lift your spirits and test your lungs, before cutting inland through a tranquil rural landscape of small villages that still feel untouched by tourists and pilgrims. Plus, what’s not to love about a Camino with a city that features more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than any other in the world, another that hosts Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous work, and yet a third that boasts the best of Gaudi’s? And did we mention cave drawings from 35,000 years ago?

If you’re ready for the Norte, then come learn more from much-traveled peregrinos Andy Cohn and Kate Stewart, who, beyond offering a travelogue, will cover the nitty-gritty logistics involved in tackling the route and what you need to know before starting out.