By now we had become immersed in walking the full Camino de Santiago. We looked forward to the cathartic regime of stepping outdoors into whatever the day would bring. We left the sleepy town of Villar Mazarife behind on Day 25 for Astorga. On Day 26 we went on to the tiny village of Rabanal del Camino.
Day 25 – Villar de Mazarife to Astorga – 29km
After toast, jam, fried eggs, orange juice, and coffee at Tio Pepe’s bar, we hit the trail at 7:40 a.m. for another long day of walking.
The sun rose at the end of the long straight road towards the enchanting silhouette of the mountains ahead. This was one of our longest walking days.
We arrived in Villavante, a rustic-looking small town of 56 inhabitants. The streets were deserted, and it seemed the residents were out of town.
Stepping back in time in Hospital de Orbigo
With nowhere to stop and rest, we continued for 6km to arrive at Puente del Paso Honroso. The 20-arched Roman bridge was built in the 13th century to access Hospital de Orbigo over the Orbigo River. As with other bridges we had crossed water no longer flows under the bridge.
The bridge sets the scene for the town’s atmosphere. The Knights of the Templar and the Knights of Malta have left remnants of their time in this medieval town. It felt like we had stepped back in time wandering for a spot to rest. We had walked for a solid three hours without stopping.
The Camino Way to San Justo de la Vega
Leaving the Hospital de Orbigo, the road provided two options. We could follow the Camino Way to Astorga. Another option was the highway track to Astorga. It runs next to the highway for 10km before rejoining the Camino Way.
We stayed on the Camino Way passing through corn and wheat fields. Slightly longer than the highway path, the trail was dry, and dusty without much around. But we thought it would be more scenic than walking alongside the highway.
The scenery changed as the day progressed passing through several settlements. Fortunately, we had decided to stop in Villares de Orbigo for water. Nothing was open in the other villages. Much of the remaining walk was on a dirt and stone-covered trail. The landscape changed from corn and wheat fields to groves of trees. We also walked through fields of wildflowers as we went up and downhill.
San Justo de la Vega
We emerged from the long and lonely trail. We arrived at Crucero de Santo Toribio. The large cross looked out to views of Astorga in the distance.
One final descent before we passed through the San Justo de la Vega township heading towards Astorga.
San Justo de la Vega is a small township. The trail led down the main street, the perfect place to stop at a cafe for lunch.
The walk into Astorga
The rest of the way to Astorga was straightforward over the Tuerto River along country paths and residential areas. The Roman walls of the town towered in front of us. We walked more uphill. We crossed a bridge which zigzagged over railway lines. Then we entered old town Astorga on the Camino route.
A lone guitarist serenaded pilgrims as they passed through the Puerto del Sol gateway. A Portuguese couple had walked a section of the Camino and entered the gateway with us. They wanted to escape the summer festival season in their home town. They stopped with us to listen for a while.
Further into the town, we noticed stages were set up in the spectacular Plaza Espana. Many people were walking around in Roman costumes. The Festival of Asturia y Romanos was in full swing (see below for more about the city’s Roman heritage). The Portuguese couple had avoided one festival by stepping into another!
Astorga
The Romans overtook Astorga from the Celtic Astures more than 2000 years ago. Since then, Astorga has a long Roman history. As the Romans developed the city, it became an intersection of two routes. These routes were the Camino Frances (Camino de Santiago) and the Ruta de la Plata. The Ruta de la Plata is an ancient Roman route. It was used to transport metal from the mines in the north to ports in the south.
We located our hotel and were excited that it was right by two of the city’s most prominent buildings. There was time to explore later. First, we had to check into the hotel, stretch and freshen up after the long hot walk.
An evening in Astorga
We booked an outdoor table at the hotel restaurant for later that evening. It faced the roadside. Then, we set off to sightsee.
We retraced our steps and returned to Plaza Espana. The terrace behind Hotel Via de la Plata offered a view of the countryside. It was the same landscape we had walked through only a few hours earlier. The bars in the narrow alley we passed on the way to the terrace were crowded with youngsters dressed as Romans socialising.
Making our way back to our hotel side of town we met the three Korean youngsters we had met on the way to Astorga. Two youngsters were studying at a seminary and the third told us she was using the Camino de Santiago to contemplate her future and joining the seminary. They had been walking with an older man who was a pastor in their church.
Catedral de Santa Maria
The Gothic Catedral de Santa Maria was built on the site of an old Romanesque church. Construction commenced in the 15th century and took nearly three centuries to finish. Its towers and spires are reminiscent of the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Gaudi’s Episcopal Palace
Renowned architect, Antoni Gaudi moved to Astorga to build the Episcopal Palace at the end of the 19th century. It is one of only three buildings, Gaudi designed outside of Barcelona. The Bishop’s Palace was repurposed into a pilgrim’s museum in the early 1960s and today, the Palace and its grounds are the most visited monuments in Astorga.
Festival of Asturia y Romanos
The atmosphere in the small square by the cathedral and palace was festive. Musicians sat playing their instruments. They were preparing for a parade later in the evening.
The festival and reenactment of the city’s Asturian and Roman heritage is held annually at the last weekend of July. Astorgians, including children and babies, stroll up and down the main street. They are dressed in traditional costumes. Over 1000 locals join in the parade every evening. It leads from the cathedral to Plaza Espana.
We were lucky to enjoy the colourful parade from our front-row seats at the hotel restaurant. Louise, one of the young pilgrims in our “gang” was lodging at another hotel. She joined us for a pre-dinner wine and the show.
Our accommodation
Our hotel, Hotel Spa Ciudad de Astorga was comfortable and well-appointed across from the Episcopal Palace and cathedral. It was also on the path which led us past the cathedral and out of the city the next morning.
A small hotel with only 33 rooms, we found our room modern and comfortable with all the usual amenities.
Our meals: dinner and breakfast, were of good quality and plentiful.
Walking statistics
- 29km
- 7 hours including a rest break
Day 26 – Astorga to Rabanal del Camino
We were up early to phone family on the other side of the world. By 7:30 am, we had breakfasted and were ready to leave.
Turning to look at the Cathedral under the rising sun we walked along the empty street leading out of town.
Changing landscapes
The Camino de Santiago path steadily took us uphill passing through a couple of small villages. The gradient was so gradual that we hardly noticed it. The mist and dark clouds above us cleared and after more than two weeks we heard cowbells in the distance.
The landscape changed just before and after we stopped in El Ganso. With a population of under 30, there’s not much in the village but it served its purpose as a rest stop. Our three Korean youngsters had also stopped. They shared a photo of us that one of them had taken the day before. We noticed that the young man regularly powered ahead alone before stopping to wait for the girls to catch up.
A pretty forest track led us uphill on a terrain of slate and rock. We carefully climbed over the terrain making our way into the small village of Rabanal del Camino.
An overnight stay in Rabanal del Camino
Rabanal del Camino is a small village with a couple of streets. Lodgings are at the top of the rise on the main street. Traditional stone houses of the Maragato (mountain) people of the area line both sides of the street. The slate fencing reminded us of those in the Yorkshire Dales.
The day’s walk was short. We arrived in Rabanal del Camino in time for lunch. Making our way up the main street, we looked out for a lunch venue. A garden area attached to a small grocery store and cafe caught our attention and we agreed it was the perfect spot for lunch and coffee. Louise trudged up the path while we ate our disappointing lunch and instant coffee heated in a microwave!
In contrast, we found our pretty hotel with lovely accommodation to settle into after lunch. The hotel thoughtfully had a little open-air courtyard covered in washing lines allowing us to handwash our laundry. We stretched and showered before venturing out again to explore.
Relaxing in Rabanal del Camino
Our Korean friends arrived to attend the service in the church across the street. They walked to the next town for their overnight stay after the service. No others were about and after a circuit of the village we retired to the comfort of the upstairs lounge of our hotel to watch another episode of The Crown on our tablet.
Outside it was bright and sunny but a crisp breeze was blowing so we settled in the hotel’s bar area to enjoy a jug of the hotel’s red house wine while we transcribed our thoughts of the day past in our journals.
A Michelin equivalent meal in Rabanal
Once the restaurant opened we moved a few steps from the bar to a table for our evening meal. The owner provided another jug of wine, we settled in to be served one of the best meals on our Camino. The meal consisted of a bean and vegetable soup followed by fish cakes accompanied by roasted zucchini and capsicum. Desert was chocolate cake and cheesecake. The meal of traditional Maragato cuisine was plentiful, well-presented and delicious.
Stepping outside after our meal, Louise who was having dinner alone at an outdoor table at her hotel across the road. She beckoned us to join her to discuss our walking day.
Our accommodation
El Refugio Hosteria, is a 1-star lodge with 5-star service. The lodge was small and intimate. We found our room comfortable and appreciated the communal lounge on the landing upstairs. The facility to wash and dry our clothing was a bonus.
As mentioned above, our evening meal and breakfast were delicious, and Antonio and his family provided an exceptional stay.
Walking statistics
- 20km
- 4.5 hours including a rest break
Want to know more about walking the full Camino de Santiago?
The Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James) is a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. You don’t have to be a pilgrim to walk the Way. It’s a wonderful way to see and experience northern Spain.
Want to know more about walking the full Camino de Santiago? Read our blog post:
Everything you need to know about walking the full Camino de Santiago.
Or, if you would like to follow our journey from Day 1, click on the link below:
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