The Camino Olvidado

Otero de las Duenas is a small village where the mountain and flat routes converge on their way to La Magdalena. No services of note for pilgrims.

La Magdalena is where both the mountain and flat variants from Bonar converge. The town has basic services — a cafe and some small shops. Accommodation options are limited, so it's worth checking in advance.

Canales is a small village between La Magdalena and the Omana valley. No services. The camino is entering the beautiful, sparsely populated Omana region.

Villayuste is a small village in the Omana valley between La Magdalena and Lago de Omana. No services. The walking is pleasant — pine and oak forests with occasional bits of Roman road.

Lago de Omana is a small village in the Omana valley. No services. Don't expect a lake — the "lago" in the name is misleading. The village sits in a quiet stretch of the valley.

Oterico is a tiny hamlet between Lago de Omana and Riello. No services. The camino continues through the increasingly remote Omana valley.

Riello has a nice cafe-bar with an outdoor terrace — the only refreshment option for many kilometers in either direction. The locals here have been eager to talk about the camino and their hopes for the village's future.

Accommodation is limited. The casa rural in Riello is a whole-house rental with a two-day minimum, so it's not practical for most pilgrims. Most continue 2.5 km to Pandorado, which involves a short ascent.

Pandorado has Resthy's — a small complex with a bar, restaurant, and tourist apartments (with washing machines). Across the street is the Gran Hotel Pandorado, which may or may not be taking reservations.

Pandorado has no other services to speak of.

La Omanuela is a pretty village along the river after the initial descent from Pandorado. No services. The Omana valley is at its most peaceful through here.

Guisatecha is a tiny hamlet in the Omana valley between La Omanuela and El Castillo. No services. The camino continues through this sparsely populated valley.

El Castillo is a tiny hamlet in the Omana valley. No services. The name suggests a fortification once stood here, but nothing remains.

Vegarienza has a nice albergue above the medical center, set up with the help of Olvidado supporters. Estela, who grew up in the village, worked in Madrid, and returned to care for her ailing brother, has the keys and will check you in. Her passion is for her village, not the camino per se — she hopes the albergue will help bring some life back to this tiny hamlet.

Restaurante Maxi, run by an elderly mother-daughter team, has been the only restaurant in the area for years. They've been trying to retire but can't bring themselves to leave the village with nothing. The kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant, giving you a front-row seat to the action. Check ahead to confirm it's open.

Cirujales is a tiny hamlet shortly after Vegarienza, on the small road that leads to Fasgar. No services. The valley is beautiful — river walking, ancient bridges, and total quiet.

Villaverde de Omana is a tiny village along the river in the upper Omana valley. No services. The village looks like a great vacation spot in summer, but there's no accommodation for pilgrims.

Marzan is a tiny hamlet in the upper Omana valley. No services. The camino continues along the river, alternating between off-road paths and the very quiet valley road.

Barrio de la Puente takes its name from a medieval bridge over the river. No services. The bridge itself is picturesque — one of several ancient crossings in this valley.

Posada de Omana is a small village in the upper Omana valley. No services. The valley is narrowing as it approaches the mountains and Fasgar.

Vegapujin is the last village before Fasgar. No services. Take the camino path rather than the road for the final approach to Fasgar — it's lovely and avoids any cow encounters on the road.

Fasgar sits at the end of the road — literally — and is one of the most memorable stops on the Olvidado. With no more than 10 full-time residents in winter and weeks of snow-bound isolation, it's about as remote as Spain gets.

Rosi returned to her pueblo from Oviedo years ago and now runs the show: an albergue in the old school, a casa rural, and a restaurant that's wildly popular on weekends (book ahead). The restaurant is closed roughly 300 days a year, so check before counting on it for dinner. The albergue is the reliable option.

Fasgar is a beautiful mountain village that fills up in summer. The fun fact: it's 12 km on foot to Colinas del Campo, the next village, but 79 km by car.

Collado de Campo is the mountain pass between Fasgar and the Campo de Santiago valley. No services. This is the high point of the etapa reina, with expansive views before the descent into the valley where Santiago's legendary battle took place in 981.

Colinas del Campo de Martin Moro Toledano — the town with the longest name in all of Spain — is a beautiful mountain village. The name refers to the leader of the Moors in the 981 battle at the nearby Campo de Santiago. In summer there may be a bar or meson with a terrace open, but don't count on it.

No reliable services.

Iguena has a modern albergue run by the adjacent bar/restaurant — the owners will cook you a plato combinado at any reasonable hour. The mural at the entrance to town makes a big impact and reminds you that you're in the part of Spain still struggling to find life after mining.

This is the first reliable food stop since Riello, over 46 km back. Stock up.

Quintana de Fuseros has a bar and a casa rural. The people here are wonderfully welcoming — if the casa rural owner isn't around, the bar will make a phone call and get you sorted. Bring food as there's nothing in the way of shops.

Between Quintana and Labaniego, look for the Cruz Cercenada — a broken crucifix representing the cross broken by Almanzor's sword in a 10th-century battle. There are ambitions to make it something like a Cruz de Fierro, but for now it stands alone.

Labaniego has acogida de peregrinos (basic pilgrim hosting — expect a place to sleep but no guarantees about beds, showers, or hot water). There are also several casas rurales, some available on booking platforms. The village is small with nicely restored homes but no shops or services — bring food.

If you can walk 5 km more, there's a small hostal-bar in Losada.

Arlanza is a small village between Iguena and Losada. No services. The camino passes through pleasant Bierzo countryside with views of the surrounding hills.

Losada has a small hostal-bar, about 5 km beyond Labaniego. The hospitality here is genuine — a dripping wet pilgrim arriving on a rainy day will be welcomed without a second thought about the puddles. Two hot cafes con leche never tasted so good.

Rodanillo is a small village between Losada and Cobrana in the Bierzo. No services. The landscape is increasingly attractive — vineyards and chestnut groves.

In Cobrana, La Vieja Fragua is a tiny house with a loft that the owner rents to pilgrims. The bar owners handle the arrangements — a WhatsApp message will set things up. The bar can also prepare a meal for delivery to the house; expect generous portions of local cheese, bread, and sausage.

The locals here, as throughout the Olvidado, are hoping the camino will bring some life back to the village.

Congosto has several casas rurales. Casa Rural Alvaro de Mendana is recommended — the owner goes out of her way for pilgrims. Call ahead to arrange access. Across the street is a restaurant where the menu del dia has been as cheap as 5 euros.

Note that Pola de Gordon was the last ATM many stages back. Make sure you have cash, or ask about card payment when booking accommodation.

Presa de Barcena is the dam area of the Barcena Reservoir. The camino crosses or passes near the dam depending on which route you take into Ponferrada. No services.

This is where most pilgrims heading for Santiago leave the Olvidado to walk into Ponferrada and join either the Camino Frances or the Camino de Invierno. The split from the official Olvidado route is obvious but someone has tried to erase the arrows — a GPS is helpful.

For those continuing on the Invierno from Ponferrada, the Olvidado-Invierno combination is considered by many to be one of the finest camino experiences in Spain.

Cubillos del Sil is on the official Olvidado route continuing toward Cacabelos (rather than the Ponferrada detour). The village sits near the Barcena Reservoir. No notable services for pilgrims.

Cabanas Raras, on the official Olvidado route, is eager to welcome pilgrims and offers acogida (basic hosting) in town. The village is one stage from Cacabelos, where the Olvidado joins the Frances. Contact the local association in advance to arrange accommodation.

Cacabelos marks the end of the Camino Olvidado, where it joins the Camino Frances. The town is best known for wine production — a modern building at the entrance was built to promote the Bierzo wine region.

The municipal albergue has a distinctive horseshoe shape wrapping around the church, with semi-private two-person rooms. Wander the side streets for restaurants that are better than the ones on the main road.

Cacabelos has all services — supermarkets, restaurants, banks, and accommodation.