We were well and truly out of the Meseta. The landscape transformed dramatically on Days 27 and 28 of walking the full Camino de Santiago, unveiling breathtaking views that left a lasting impression on our hearts and minds. Day 27 was both scenic and difficult with the trail ending in the beautiful town of Molinaseca. A long walk on Day 28, took us through the countryside surrounded by vineyards to Villafranca del Bierzo for an overnight stay.
Day 27 – Rabanal Camino del to Molinaseca
A delicious breakfast fortified us before we left Rabanal del Camino. The air was crisp and breezy so we donned our rain jackets for protection. It wasn’t long before we discarded them.
It was a steady climb along a wildflower-lined track to Foncebadon, a pleasant village. A Scottish lady walked briskly past us while we enjoyed the scenery. When we caught up with her, she had significantly slowed down.
Cruz de Ferro monument
We left her behind on the climb to Monte Irago, the Camino’s highest point. Cruz de Ferro, an ancient monument featuring a single oak tree stump with a cross mounted on top, is the highlight for pilgrims. Pilgrims believe they are at the closest point to heaven on the Camino here. It is customary to leave a stone on the mount atoning for sins and asking for forgiveness.
Louise, our young English pilgrim, on the same route as us from Isar de Hornillos, caught up when we arrived at the Cruz. We took photos of her at the top of the mound, where she placed her stone. Following tradition, she then continued over the other side without looking back. She was walking further than us to stay in another town for the night.
Not long after leaving Cruz de Ferro, we passed through the one-man town of Manjarin. Here, pilgrims can seek emergency refuge at the shelter.
There’s more climbing through a forest to emerge at the top of Monte Grago. The views of the mountains and plains from the path were breathtaking. We continued to be in awe of the scenery. With the fluffy cotton ball clouds below us, we felt we were on top of the world.
Lunch in El Acebo
We sat at a lookout to eat our apples before descending into El Acebo. The small town is pretty and was a welcome break after four hours of walking!
A cafe with a covered outdoor seating area looking over the valley was at the entrance of the town. They were making and selling crepes on the side of the road. It was the perfect lunch option.
With no other customers, Swiss man David and his Dutch wife are happy to talk about their life in El Acebo. They had moved from Ireland with their two children to run the cafe and four-room hostel.
They shared that spring and autumn are busy times on the Camino. In the summer months, a steady stream of pilgrims came through. The winters are cold and bleak and the mountain track is almost unpassable. However, they had seen some pilgrims emerging from the path we had just arrived from in February having trekked through the snow!
Steep and rocky descents to the valley
The main street of El Acebo was quiet as we wandered down and back on the path. A little confused about whether we were on the right path, we stayed on the road leading downhill, but halfway down, we noticed people on a brush track running a few hundred metres away.
Not long after, we were on another steep and rocky descent into Riego de Ambros. The landscape here is wild and unspoilt and we slowed down to take it all in as we picked our way down.
Riego de Ambros
Riego de Ambros is a pretty 12th-century village seemingly a bit larger than El Acebo. There are fewer lodgings and more homes for the locals. The Ermita de San Sebastian stands in the middle of the village.
The rocky track to Molinesca
Our hiking poles helped us traverse another rocky and uneven track, which was extremely steep in many places. The track took us into the valley and on the fringe of Molinesca.
We peered into the Shrine of Ermita de Nuestra Senora de las Angustias, passing it on the roadside as we walked into Molinesca. The church is set apart at one end of the town. It was originally built in the 11th century. Destroyed by a fire, it was then rebuilt in the 15th century.
Molinaseca
We had caught glimpses of Iglesia de San Nicolas de Bari spire but were unprepared for the beautiful sight as we arrived at Molinaseca proper. The church is set on one side of the town. It’s where pilgrims can have their pilgrim’s passport stamped.
Although our hotel wasn’t far away, we couldn’t resist the temptation to soak up the holiday atmosphere around us. We found a spare bench shaded by trees in the park by the river to eat our protein bar and have well-deserved rest. The final 9km took us 2.5 hours because of the precariously rocky descent.
After resting, it was time to go to our hotel at the other end of town. We walked along the town’s main street, Calle Real, which reinforced how beautiful this little medieval town with a population of under 900 is.
Exploring Molinaseca
After checking in and completing our arrival routine, we retraced our steps back into the main part of the town. This time, we walked at a slower pace, taking in the atmosphere and stopping to look at the small plazas and coats of arms that adorned many of the houses along Calle Real.
The area around Puente de los Peregrinos was the liveliest. Locals and pilgrims alike had moved to the riverside cafes. Tables were at a premium but we found one at a bar on the church side of the bridge where we could enjoy a refreshing tinto de verano while we caught up on journaling.
Our evening meal was at the restaurant of El Palacio Hotel overlooking the river. We settled at an outdoor table for a delicious dinner while engaging in a little people-watching.
Our “Quiet Americans” from a few days ago were sitting close by. She looked more comfortable than the last time we saw her. On the other hand, he had injured himself coming down that final steep slope. They had decided to stay an extra day in Molinaseca to recover.
We were forever grateful for our hiking poles which assisted us in navigating down the slopes. We had seen people bounding uncontrollably down rocky slopes, injuring themselves.
Our accommodation
Our overnight stay was at No-Mad Green Hotel. This four-star green hotel is at the other end of Molinaseca from the bridge.
Our room was a standard hotel room and eco-friendly. There was a beautiful outdoor area at the rear where guests could relax and a restaurant with outdoor facilities at the front where we enjoyed a delicious and substantial breakfast the next morning.
The highlight of the day
The stunning entrance to the town over the 12th-century Roman bridge, Puente de los Peregrinos, took us by surprise. It was a beautiful summer day. Locals were swimming in the Rio Meruelo or sunbathing on the banks. Others, including pilgrims, were lunching at the taverns and cafes lining the park by the river.
It was an uplifting way to arrive after a long and hard day of trekking.
Walking statistics
- 25km
- 6.5 hours including a rest break
Day 28 – Molinaseca to Villafranca del Bierzo
Breakfast was served later than usual, at 7:30 am. The delightful spread prepared us for another long day of walking the full Camino de Santiago. The staff at the No-Mad hotel set our table with a platter of mixed fresh fruit, toast topped with traditional Spanish tomato paste and jams, a selection of cheese, ham, chorizo, waffles with berries, and cake. This delicious breakfast was accompanied by freshly brewed coffee.
An easy walk to Ponferrada
Our roadside walk to Ponferrada was pleasant and straightforward. The trail was relatively quiet. As we neared Ponferrada we passed a couple of young Korean men and caught up with their two companions a while later. They had started from El Acebo early that morning. They had found the trail leading down to Molinaseca very difficult.
Leaving them behind, we walked through the outer neighbourhoods of the town with an American couple. They had started their walk ten days after us, averaging up to 40km per day, so they could reach Sarria to meet a friend who would walk with them for the remainder of the Camino. We left them behind at a cafe in front of the castle where they stopped for coffee.
Ponferrada
Ponferrada, like Astorga, was once a large Roman settlement. The town has a long history having been overtaken by the Visigoths and North Africans before the Knights of the Templars arrived to make Ponferrada a stopping point and refuge for Camino pilgrims.
The impressive walls of Castillo de los Templars greeted us as we rounded the corner towards the main part of the old town. With a long walk ahead of us, we didn’t stop to look inside, instead we had a quick look around the old town area.
Plaza Virgen de la Encina is the heart of Ponferrada with the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de la Encina at one end. Eating establishments line the other side of the square. It would be a lively place to visit in the evening.
The clock tower reminded us of the one we had seen in Rouen.
Country lanes and vineyards to Villafranca del Bierzo
With several streets leading out of Plaza Virgen de la Encina and no visible signage, we lost our orientation but were quickly back on track. Suddenly, we were on flat wildflower-lined lanes with mountains on one side and trees drooping with apples, pears, apricots and pomegranates on the other. In between were bushes of ripening blueberries and blackberries.
Small villages appeared intermittently. We chose Fuente Nuevos for water and comfort. It gave our feet a breather.
Cacabelos
Just before we arrived in Cacabelos, the fruit trees thinned out and were replaced by grapevines.
At first, Cacabelos seemed like some of the other one-street towns we had passed through. We stopped at the first eating establishment open for lunch in case nothing was open further along. They served us a delicious salad (our regular lunch when we travel) followed by a glass of refreshing lemon beer to sustain us through the rest of the afternoon.
A walk through the vineyards to Villafranca del Bierzo
As we left Cacabelos, we began to see more vineyards, and soon we found ourselves walking through them. The dirt track became reddish brown and wound up and downhill past small villages in the Burbia Valley. It was hot and weary work but the scenery was breathtaking and that along with the help of our trusty hiking poles, carried us to Villafranca del Bierzo.
The town has a population of just over 3000. When we finally arrived, we saw no sign of this. However, that may have been because our accommodation was at the town’s entrance.
After stretching and a shower, we walked downhill for drinks and dinner. Plaza Mayor is the heart of the town and while quiet when we arrived, it livened up as the evening progressed. As we were leaving, our American walking companions from Ponferrada arrived for their evening meal, along with a few other familiar faces from earlier in the day.
Our accommodation
Hostal la Puerta del Perdon is a small seven-bedroom accommodation. It appears as you emerge after an afternoon walking on paths lined with vineyards.
The rooms are tastefully decorated with stone walls and homely timber furniture. There is a restaurant and bar downstairs. The restaurant kitchen was closed for the evening, so a delicious dinner was provided by the restaurant, El Camino in Plaza Mayor.
The restaurant was open in the morning to provide us with a hearty breakfast to send us off the next morning.
Walking statistics
- 32km
- 7.45 hours including a rest and lunch break
In case you missed it
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. Read our walking the full Camino de Santiago experience from Day 1 by clicking the link below.
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