The route of Santiago by the San Adrían's tunnel
Also known as the Camino de Santiago Francés, there are several equal itineraries that conclude in the gateway of La Gloria. Amongst them there is the coastal journey, which crosses the provinces of Guipúzcoa and Vizcaya.

Due to the constant fighting on the Cantabrian coast, the pilgrims were left with no choice but to find alternative routes that were more secure, opting for the other known routes such as the alavesa. Before this there had been other routes in use, the old Roman commerce route, which takes you through the tunnel of San Adrian, joining the areas of Burdeos and Astorga.

What better than a pilgrim who knows alternative routes, equally as attractive yet less walked than the famous Camino Francés or Camino de Costa?

One more incentive was that this pathway crosses through the city of Vitoria-Gastiez, which offers many examples of Jacobean history, as well this path takes you for an interesting walk through the urban areas. Without doubt the curiosity and spirit of the pilgrims allowed them to make modifications and variations to this main route. The route enters Spain via Irún, crossing the province of Guipúzcoa until its arrives at the renowned Tunnel of San Adrian, the point of departure of our Jacobean journey through Alavés.

When you arrive in Guipúzcoa you pass through many different localities including Oiartzun, Astigarraga, Hernani, Villabona, Tolosa, Alegia, Ordizia, Besain, Segura and Zegama. Still in Guipúzcoa we stop in Zegama and visit the impressive ancient templar hospital of Santo Espíritu, then we continue on a stone road, which rises to the San Adrián tunnel. You enter via a stone arch and can enjoy the ancient hermitage inside. The 50 meters of bleak cavity have been compared by the pilgrims to the mouth of the inferno, due to its darkness.

This stretch of the walk is very uneven and the majority of the pathway takes you up slopes and dirt tracks. You'll fins the tunnel entrance at an altitude of 1000 meters, between the Aitzgorri and Aratz mountains. Leaving the tunnel, continuing on the roadway, is where you see the first indications of this famous pathway. There are metal posts along the whole route of the Jacobean Alaves. Heading down now, staying on the roadway we end up in Zumarraundi, where we take the main road on to Zalduondo.

Before this, on a slope that takes the left side we find the San Julián and Santa Basilia hermitages, dating back to the pre-roman times in Spain. There are also places of interest in Zalduondo worth visiting such as the 16th century San Saturnino de Toulouse church, the 16th century Los Lazarraga palace, and the 17th century Andoin-Luziriaga palace.

After passing through this locality, the path continues its course taking you by the San Millán hermitage and arriving at Ordoñana, from here we take the road which arrives at Salvatierra-Agurian where we can visit the ancient hospital of San Lázaro y la Magdalena.

Some of the pilgrims don't enter this area, preferring to take the route outside the city walls and pass by the Cruz de Ventaberri and the Cruz de Arricruz arriving at Gaceo.

However, in Salvatierra its worth mentioning the Santa María and San Juan churches, as well as the Plaza de San Juan, the town hall building and surrounding ancient walls. There is a trail between cultivated lands, which finishes uniting this area with Gaceo, where you'll find the San Martín de Tours church, which has some very interesting Gothic paintings.

The second point of reference is Ezquerecocha, a lovely hamlet which holds their church in honour of San Román, and in which has a renaissance altarpiece alluding to Santiago. From here the path raises up until Alto de Txintxetru, taking you parallel to the train track.

This stretch continues on a Roman stone road until you pass the modern day road, which takes you to Alegría-Dulantzi, and then the former town of Ayala, where we can see the impressive 13th century sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Ayala. In Alegría-Dulantzi there is the church of San Blas and the Santa Clara convent.

From the Nuestra Señora de Ayala, on the afore mentioned stone road, better known as the path of the Romans, we cross Arrarian, Elburgo / Burgelo, with its San Pedro church, until we arrive at Nuestra Señora de Estíbaliz monastery, an important religious area dating back to 1074, with undisputable historic and artistic value, which has examples of Roman elements as well as pre- gothic items. Inside the monastery is a 12th century image of Nuestra Señora de Estíbaliz.

Leaving the monastery the itinerary descends to Villafranco and later to Argandoña, with its impressive Roman church, the Santa Columba, and afterwards nearing the capital of Alaves we stop at the Venta de Ascarza y Arcaya, this final point is the entrance to the urban areas which shows examples of the different Jacobean manifestations where Vitoria-Gasteiz stayed.

Outlining the route, we enter the city via Arcaya, where we can enjoy the Roman ruins, then take the Avenida de Santiago to the Plaza del Hospital, then continuing down the Francia, San Ildefonso, Cantón de Santa Ana, Fray Zacarías Martínez, Canton de la Soledad and Diputación streets, being the central section of this detour.

Leaving the ancient area of Vitoria-Gasteiz, we look for the exit to carry on the route of Santiago, taking the Paseo de la Florida, Paseo de la Senda and finally Calle Francisco de Vitoria to continue our journey. This part of the Santiago Alavés route is worth at least a days stop so you can enjoy the Hospital de Santiago, the Cristo de San Idelfonso church, the Santiago church and the Santa María cathedral.

The Montehermoso palace, the churches of San Pedro and San Miguel, the Villasuso palace and the new cathedral. Leaving Vitoria by the Paseo de la Senda, you pass through Armetía, visiting the San Prudencio basilica, which was the Episcopal headquarters during the time of the Muslim rule, and former spiritual center of Alava during the middle ages.

From Armentía, we return to the route via the area of San Prudencio, and take a few km to join the N-I road, which takes us to Gomecha. Here next to the Transfiguración church, you take a road, which arrives at the locality of Subijana de Alava, where we can enjoy their 16th century church built in honor of San Sebastian as well as the stately home of Anda-Salazar.

Following the markers of the Santiago route we rejoin the N-I, arriving at La Puebla de Arganzón y Tuyo, the end of this part. In the Puebla de Arganzón it is worth going up to see the Asunción church from the Gothic era of the 15th century, the hospital of San Juan el Bautista and the Nuestra Señora de la Antigua hermitage. We leave here in the direction of Burgueta, following in the footsteps of the Romans. We enter Burgueta on Calle Mayor (the towns main road) where we see the San Martín church, which has a beautiful 13th century Roman portal, and further on El Majón and after a steep hill, Estavillo with its impressive 15th century Gothic church.

In a previous time the pilgrims took the route of Santo Domnigo de la Calzada from here, where as the pilgrims of nowadays go to the neighboring locality of Zambrana, crossing its Calle Mayor and continuing the route which brings them closer to Salinillas de Buradón.

Entering on the road, which brings you in via the northern entrance to the walled center and leaving via the southern exit. While there we visit the Hospital de Santa Ana, the Torre de los Sarmiento y Ayalas tower as well as the 16th century church, La Concepción. Salinillas de Buradón lost a fellow traveler here who was convinced that if he continues his pilgrimage on the Riojanas countryside, he would arrive at the chapel of the Santo.