Your legs are still fresh and your breathing is easy. This is a day for warming up, not for pushing hard. From Suances, close to the Cantabrian coast, you head inland over gentle hills. A little over two hours later, you’re already there.
Santillana del Mar is a medieval town of stone houses and cobblestones. This is where pilgrims on the Camino del Norte arrive, turning off at Santillana to join this route. So you’ll be crossing paths with people who already have a good stretch behind them. Do ask them how their Camino has been. Starting slowly is an art in itself.