Pilgrim walks in Castile and Leon

On a scenic route through the last green oasis before the barren meseta, we cross the Montes de Oca, the Gansberg mountains.

On this stage, we cross the highest point of the Camino francés and can lay down a burden of the soul at the Cruz de Ferro, symbolized by a stone. After that, we descend into the Templar town of Ponferrada.

The Camino Francés begins in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the French foot of the Pyrenees and ends in Santiago de Compostela. It is the most frequented section of all the Camino routes, as most pilgrims finally arrive in Santiago along this axis.

Il Cammino d’Inverno si articola in 9-12 tappe e unisce Ponferrada con Santiago de Compostela, in Spagna.

The Camino Francés begins in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the French foot of the Pyrenees and ends in Santiago de Compostela. It is the busiest section of all the Camino routes, as most pilgrims finally arrive in Santiago along this axis.

On the hard path – the Camino duro – we climb today towards O Cebreiro. But the pass crossing is only ahead of us the next day.

We now walk through the land of the traditional trading people, the Maragatos, and begin the ascent into the Montes de León, the last major obstacle before Santiago de Compostela.

The royal road, the Camino Real, leads us via El Burgo Ranero to Reliegos. There are over 70 bodegas – storage rooms dug into the clay soil – in the small village.

Today you walk through extensive wheat fields. Between them lie small villages with much history and culture such as Villalcázar de Sirga or Carrión de los Condes.

Through the heathland of the Páramo, we hike to Villar de Mazarife, where storks have taken over the church tower with their nests.