The Vadiniense is a quiet, rugged mountain route for anyone who wants to leave the crowds of the big Caminos behind for a while. You walk from the Cantabrian coast straight through the Picos de Europa to the high plateau of León. It takes fitness, good footwear and a bit of self-confidence.
In San Vicente de la Barquera the route splits off from the Camino del Norte. For the first few days you follow the red arrows of the Camino Lebaniego to the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana. After that, it gets serious. From Espinama you climb more than 600 metres in just a few kilometres. The landscape turns bare and wide open, and the villages get smaller. Then you descend to the high plateau of León. In Cistierna the Camino Olvidado also begins. In Mansilla de las Mulas you join the Camino Francés, and carry on to Santiago.
Walk it from May to September. The highest pass lies at around 1,800 metres and is only doable from the end of April to the beginning of October. In winter there is snow. In Cantabria the route is well waymarked, in León less so: take a GPS track on your phone. Phone your albergue ahead, because opening and closing times change with the season.