Camponaraya

Camponaraya sits in the province of Leon in the heart of the El Bierzo region, west of Ponferrada. The Camino runs through the town along the main road. The setting is the rolling vineyards of El Bierzo, one of the major wine regions of northwest Spain.

The name combines Campo, field, with Naraya, a word of probably pre-Roman origin. The town has been settled since Roman times and has had a continuous agricultural and viticultural existence for nearly two thousand years. The medieval parish church of San Ildefonso anchors the town. El Bierzo's wine tradition is centred on two grapes: the red Mencia (an ancient indigenous variety similar to Cabernet Franc) and the white Godello. The local cooperative, the Cooperativa Vinos del Bierzo, operates a tasting room directly on the Camino, where pilgrims can taste and buy regional wines at the source.

Camponaraya has reasonable services for a Bierzo town. There are albergues including the Albergue La Medina, bar-restaurants, supermarkets, a pharmacy, ATMs, and bus connections to Ponferrada. The town has expanded along the main road in recent decades and most services lie along the Camino itself.