Ponferrada → Villafranca del Bierzo

A gentle stage through the heart of El Bierzo, one of the most fertile and beautiful valleys on the Camino. The route passes through vineyards, fruit orchards (cherries in June are spectacular), and small villages with a distinctly Galician feel. The mountains close in on both sides and the air is softer and damper than the dry Meseta.

Cacabelos, roughly halfway, is a pleasant wine town on the Rio Cua with good bars and a long tradition of pilgrim hospitality. The Bierzo wine region, revived in the 1990s, produces elegant reds from the Mencia grape that are lighter and more aromatic than the wines of Rioja.

Villafranca del Bierzo, "Little Compostela," is one of the most significant towns on the entire Camino. The Iglesia de Santiago houses the Puerta del Perdon, the only door on the Camino other than Santiago Cathedral itself where pilgrims could historically receive a plenary indulgence. Tomorrow's climb to O Cebreiro is one of the most challenging stages ahead. Rest well.