This is a day for your legs and your head. It’s a long stage of more than 28 kilometres, almost 8 hours of walking. The first hour feels easy, but that’s deceptive.
You leave San Vicente de la Barquera and then spend the whole day going up and down. There are no high mountains, but there are short climbs that keep nibbling away at you. It takes a few hours to find your rhythm. You walk through quiet, green countryside, and Cades only comes into view late on. It’s a small village, which suits the moment you arrive perfectly.
Take your time; your first day doesn’t have to be a race.