Ponferrada is the capital of El Bierzo and the starting point of the Camino de Invierno. Most pilgrims arrive here via the Camino Francés, turning south where the Francés continues west to Villafranca del Bierzo and O Cebreiro.
The Castillo de los Templarios is the main attraction — a massive Templar fortress overlooking the Río Sil that's one of the best-preserved in Spain. The castle was built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century to protect pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Inside, a modern museum traces the Templar order and the castle's history.
The old town below the castle has the Basílica de la Encina (housing the patron virgin of El Bierzo), a clock tower, and a pleasant Plaza Mayor with arcaded buildings. The Museo de la Radio and the Museo del Bierzo are worth a visit if you have time.
Ponferrada is also the gateway to the Bierzo wine region. Wines made from the Mencía grape — the local red variety — are among the most exciting in Spain, and they're poured at bargain prices in every bar in town.
The city has all services — accommodation at every level, restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacy, train and bus station.
Ponferrada takes its name from an iron-reinforced bridge (pons ferrata) built in the 11th century to help pilgrims cross the Río Sil. The Templars established themselves here in 1178 and built the castle that dominates the city. The order's suppression in 1312 led to the castle passing through various noble hands. El Bierzo's mining heritage stretches back to Roman times — the massive gold mining operation at nearby Las Médulas was the largest in the ancient world.
Leave Ponferrada heading south, following the Invierno waymarks. The first stretch passes through Toral de Merayo, about 3 km away. Bars and services on the Invierno often have irregular opening hours, particularly on weekends — don't rely on them being open.
Accommodation in Ponferrada et le début du Camino de Invierno.
| Albergue Alea 15€ 18 |
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Toral de Merayo is a small town with a nice stone bridge, a pharmacy, and a bakery. Café Bar Nogal in the plaza is friendly and opens around 9am. Bar El Puente is near the river. There's also a post office and a small shop before the bridge.
Bars on the Invierno often have irregular opening hours, particularly on weekends. Don't rely on any single establishment being open.
Leaving Toral de Merayo, pass the church. The asphalt road turns to dirt fairly quickly. The camino branches off to the right, and you'll soon arrive in Villalibre de la Jurisdicción.
Accommodation in Toral de Merayo.
| Miralmonte | |
| Las Tres Negrillas Booking.com |
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Villalibre de la Jurisdicción is a small village with a fountain. Bar La Estrella is along the highway, but the camino passes through the middle of town and doesn't go past it. Bar Ruta 98 is a short walk from the center toward the main road.
Priaranza del Bierzo is a small town with a pharmacy and a fountain. Bar Taberna El Sitio de mi Recreo is close to the camino — it has a nice patio but doesn't open till late. The camino takes you off the highway and to the right soon after entering town.
Leaving town, the path rejoins the highway before the Mirador de Santallo, a well-known scenic overlook. The views over the Bierzo valley and the craggy cliffs across the river — known as Las Barrancas de Santalla — make for a fine rest stop.
The Mirador de Santallo is a scenic overlook at the entrance to Santalla. It offers excellent views of the Bierzo valley and the mountains beyond — one of the first of many impressive viewpoints on the Invierno.
Santalla del Bierzo is a small village just past the mirador. There's a grocery store in the center of town. The camino leaves the highway and goes through a village street.
When leaving town, there are two sets of arrows and a mojón. Follow the arrows toward Villavieja — do not follow the arrows to Las Barrancas.
Calle Chaos takes you out of town, turning to a dirt path. After walking through fields and orchards for a couple of kilometers, a mojón directs you left across the national highway, where an ascent begins. There's a sign for the Villavieja Albergue.
You can stay on the road and bypass the castle, going directly to Borrenes with minimal elevation gain — but walking on the shoulder of a national highway isn't recommended. The camino route through Villavieja is far preferable, with great views of the castle on the climb.
Villavieja is a pretty hamlet that was once home to the serfs who worked in the castle above. It has a spring-fed fountain and the Iglesia de Santiago. Other than the albergue, there are no services — if you plan to stay here, carry your own food.
The setting is peaceful, with chestnut trees and views up to the castle ruins.
Halfway through Villavieja, there's a paved road to the right that bypasses the castle. The camino to the castle goes to the left of a large renovated house, on a gravel path through chestnut trees.
Accommodation in Villavieja.
| Albergue municipal de Villavieja Manuel Fuentes 10€ 16 |
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The Castillo de Cornatel is perched above Villavieja with commanding views over the Río Sil valley. Visiting hours are reduced and change frequently — call the town hall of Priaranza del Bierzo at 987 420 806 or 606 898 140 to check.
The castle may have originated as the Roman Castelo de Ulver, built to defend the gold operations at Las Médulas. It was likely rebuilt by the Knights Templar after Alfonso IX of León donated it to them in 1211. When the order was suppressed in 1312, the castle passed to the Crown, was fought over for a century, and was finally given to the newly created Marqués de Villafranca del Bierzo in 1486. Government restoration began in 2002, and the castle now contains a small museum.
Near the castle, look for signs pointing to el banco más bonito del Bierzo — a bench with a spectacular view.
After visiting the castle, continue on the downhill road. Turn right at the first intersection and left at the next. You'll arrive shortly in Borrenes.
Borrenes is a quiet village with a fountain in the main square. It has a pharmacy and a small shop of the typical "lights off but we carry everything" variety (closed Sundays). Bar Casa Marisol does full meals and has wifi, but doesn't open until 12:30.
The Iglesia de San Vicente has a wooden virgin from the 12th century. The church's parish records show that a pilgrim hospital once operated here — 18th-century documents record poor pilgrims dying and being buried in the hospital cemetery, including a pilgrim from France and a German pilgrim.
Continue out of town — resist the temptation to take a small fitness trail on the left. Stay on the road and walk around the bend. A dirt track appears up and to your left; after a short climb, it descends again.
The first road takes you to Carucedo (off-camino). To continue on the camino, go straight and turn left on the next road toward Las Médulas. A short distance along, the camino diverts off the road into chestnut groves. You'll rejoin the road just outside Las Médulas.
This off-road alternative takes you straight to the Mirador de Orellán — the best viewpoint for Las Médulas. You'll also pass the Roman galleries (open for visits), the ancient tunnels that channeled water at increasing speed to blow apart the hills and extract gold. From the mirador, you can descend to Las Médulas village or bypass it entirely and continue to Puente de Domingo Flórez.
The alternative is about 11 km with 475 m of elevation gain (compared to 300 m on the official route). It's well worth the extra effort — arriving at the best viewpoint before you reach the village leaves your afternoon free for other things. A GPS is recommended. The official route from Borrenes doesn't pass the Orellán viewpoint.
Carucedo is about 500 m off the camino to the north, but is included here because it offers accommodation and several bars/restaurants. If you need a bed and Las Médulas is full, Carucedo is a fallback option.
Las Médulas is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Spain. It was the largest gold mine of the Roman Empire — and what you see now are the guts of what used to be hills. By channeling water through progressively narrower tunnels, the Romans generated enough pressure to blow open entire mountains and extract the gold within. The result, two millennia later, is a spectacular, eerie landscape of deep-red cliffs, pinnacles, and valleys threaded with wooded pathways.
The village has two tourist information centers, accommodation, a cash machine, bars, a grocery store near the lavadero, and restaurants geared toward weekend visitors. The small museum is worth a visit. The visitors' centers are open every day; the galleries close on Tuesdays.
The absolute best viewpoint is the Mirador de Orellán. The shortest way to get there is via the Hotel Agoga complex — take the road on the LEFT side of the complex to reach the pedestrian path through chestnut forest. Beyond the mirador, you can walk through one of the Roman galleries. Don't miss it.
For food, Bar Reigo, Taberna Romana, O Camiño Real, and Restaurante Marif are all options. O Camiño Real gets consistently high reviews. Some places close out of tourist season, and on Tuesdays many are shut.
The Roman gold mining operation at Las Médulas peaked in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The technique, known as ruina montium, used aqueducts running hundreds of kilometers to deliver water to the mine site. The environmental destruction was immense — Pliny the Elder described it with a mixture of awe and horror. An estimated 1,600 tons of gold were extracted over the mine's lifetime. The abandoned landscape has since been reclaimed by nature, creating the strange and beautiful terrain you see today.
Leave Las Médulas on a tractor path on the western edge of town through wooded hills. There's a possible short detour to the left (about 500 m) to a mirador with good views back over Las Médulas — not as spectacular as Orellán but still worthwhile.
Despite a sign claiming Puente de Domingo Flórez is 5.7 km away, it's actually closer to 8 km. The camino descends along a mountain lane with fine views. The grade, surface, and views are excellent all the way down.
Accommodation in Las Médulas.
| Casa Socorro |
Puente de Domingo Flórez is the last town in El Bierzo before crossing into Galicia. It has a pharmacy, supermarkets, bars, an ATM, a medical center, and one hostal.
The camino route through town involves an unnecessary loop via two bridges. You can avoid it by taking a straight shot across town: descending on Calle Real, turn right on Calle el Toral to reach Café Bar Los Arcos before the square. Continue straight past Bar el Cruce (very pilgrim-friendly) to rejoin the camino on Avenida de Orense.
At the intersection with Calle Chao de Marco, turn left. When it curves right, turn left at the Día supermarket (a mojón will direct you) onto Calle Acceso Quereño. You'll cross the bridge into Galicia. About 50 m after the railway bridge, Bar Estanco is opposite the Quereño station.
After crossing the bridge, the camino makes a large U-shaped loop. Pass the electricity pylons on your left, go under the railway bridge, and take the middle of the three roads ahead, looping past houses into Quereño.
The bridge over the river at Quereño marks your arrival in Galicia — specifically in the province of Ourense. The landscape changes noticeably: the dry Bierzo gives way to the green, river-carved valleys of the Río Sil. The microclimate along the river is mild and sunny, which is exactly why this route was favored in winter — pilgrims could avoid the snow and ice of the mountains at O Cebreiro.