Rabanal del Camino → Ponferrada

Foncebadon is a hamlet that was almost entirely abandoned until Camino pilgrims brought it back to life. It sits at over 1,400 metres and can be cold and windswept. Tomorrow you cross the Cruz de Ferro, the highest point of the Camino Frances. Bring a stone from home to leave at the foot of the iron cross. It is one of the most powerful rituals on the pilgrimage.

A stage of extremes. The day begins at the Cruz de Ferro (1,505m), the highest point of the Camino Frances, where pilgrims leave a stone from home at the base of a simple iron cross on a wooden pole. The ritual is ancient and deeply personal. Arrive early, ideally at dawn, for a moment of quiet before the crowds.

From the Cruz de Ferro, the route descends steeply through Manjarin (a semi-abandoned hamlet maintained by a self-styled modern Templar knight) and El Acebo, a beautiful mountain village clinging to the hillside. The descent continues through Riego de Ambros and into Molinaseca, a lovely town where the Rio Meruelo creates a natural swimming area. The total descent from the Cruz de Ferro to Ponferrada is over 1,000 metres, and the steep, rocky sections are hard on the knees.

Ponferrada, the capital of El Bierzo, is dominated by its enormous Templar castle. The city has excellent food (try the botillo del Bierzo) and the Mencía wines of the Bierzo denomination are some of the most distinctive on the Camino.