La Faba

La Faba is one of the final settlements in Castilla y Leon before the Camino crosses into Galicia. The village is tiny, perched on a steep hillside with stone houses and slate roofs. Stand at the top of the village and look up the mountain. Tomorrow you climb to O Cebreiro and cross into the final region of the Camino. Everything changes from here.

A small, simple church with thick stone walls built to withstand the mountain winters. The interior is cool and dark. If the door is open, step inside for a moment of quiet before the climb ahead. Churches in these mountain villages have a different character to the grand buildings of the cities below.

The albergues and small bars in La Faba serve simple mountain food. A warm meal, a glass of wine, and an early night are the best preparation for tomorrow's climb to O Cebreiro. The ascent is steep and exposed, and most pilgrims leave at dawn to reach the summit before the heat of the day.

La Faba is high enough to feel the change in the air. The temperature drops, the vegetation thins, and the sounds are different. At night, the wind moves through the valley and there is very little light. Step outside after dinner and stand in the dark for a minute. The mountains have a presence that the Meseta does not.