Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Camino de Invierno app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
Get the appAfter a long string of small villages, Belorado comes as something of a relief. It's a working town of around 2,000 people at a natural pass between two hillsides, and the geography that made it strategically important still funnels traffic and commerce through its center.
The castle ruins sit on the hillside above town — not much more than foundation walls now, but the position tells you everything about why Belorado mattered. In the cliffs below the castle, caves that served as early Christian hermitages are still visible. San Caprasio and his fellow anchorites Santa Pía and San Valentín reportedly lived here in solitude.
Several churches survive. The Iglesia de Santa María, at the foot of the castle hill, was rebuilt in the 16th century and contains a Gothic carving of the Virgen de la Capilla and a retablo depicting Santiago as both pilgrim and Moorslayer. On the outskirts, the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Belén was once a pilgrim hospital. The Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Bretonera sits nearby.
The main plaza is a good place to sit and take stock. Multiple albergues operate, along with bars, restaurants, a supermarket, and a pharmacy. Market day is Monday — a tradition dating back to the town's 1116 charter. It may be the oldest continuously held market privilege in Spain.
San Vitores is celebrated on August 26. The Fiestas de Gracias begin on the Thursday before the first Sunday of September, ending on Monday with the Día del Soto. La Virgen de Belén is celebrated on January 25.
A group of traditional dancers — eight members plus the cachibirrio who directs them — performs eight dances during local festivals, some with whistles, others with sticks. The dances have roots in warrior traditions, pastoral life, and trade crafts.
Belorado has been settled since at least the 4th century BC — a Celtiberian settlement at the site known as La Muela is the earliest evidence. The first documents mentioning the town date to 945, but its real growth began in 1116 when Alfonso I el Batallador repopulated it and granted a charter with market rights and self-governance.
The castle, believed to date from the 9th century, guarded the passage between the kingdoms of Pamplona and the county of Castilla. At its peak, the town had eight churches, a thriving market, and two pilgrim hospices. The caves in the cliffs attracted hermits long before the organized monastic orders arrived — Santo Domingo himself chose hermitage when he was turned away from the monastery of San Millán, and the tradition of solitary contemplation here runs deep.
From Belorado, the camino heads west through Tosantos (5 km), Villambistia, and Espinosa del Camino before reaching Villafranca Montes de Oca (about 12 km). The terrain is gently rolling agricultural land, relatively flat. Services thin out quickly after Belorado — Tosantos has a bar and an albergue, but the other villages along this stretch offer very little.
22. April 2026 - 17:50
I have been to the bank, pharmacy, post office and supermarket to restock. I indulged in a 1 hour shiatsu massage at Pilgrim Massage which I booked the day before online.
9. October 2025 - 7:50
Stayed two night on rest day in June . Fully recommend and the town . So cute and inviting . Great owners
5. September 2025 - 20:34
Wonderful pilgrim massage by Marcelo at Peregrino Massage.com …just 2 mins from the main square .Really excellent and great value.Worth every penny
27. April 2025 - 8:53
Make sure you grab some cash here as no ATM until Burgos and most cafes are cash only
21. November 2024 - 16:14
We walked 8km before finding a spot at the tavern!
21. November 2024 - 16:13
We had the loveliest stay at hostal punto b! It was extremely empty (Nov) and very very little in town was open for dinner (pre-made pizzas), but our host cooked for us (14 euro) and it was INCREDIBLE. He is also offering an a La carte breakfast. Their kitchen for public use is closed but the hostel is extremely clean, updated and bright but still retaining much of the old character and exposed beams etc. would 100% recommend. The single beds in the communal area also looked beautifully laid out and divided, however they are not offered in winter. Ours was a spacious double with private bathroom (56 euro) and they also had singles (42) doubles triples and quads!
7. October 2024 - 20:54
What a treat to discover this place. I had the best 45 minute massage. Book via WhatsApp (I booked a day in advance). Cash preferred. I have been trying to find massage on trail with no real luck but this place is right next to the albuerges in town and was a gem of a discovery.
28. September 2024 - 17:41
Had an excellent menú del día here (kitchen opens at 1p). The fish was fresh and served with salad (actual mixed greens!) and had a lovely tiramisu for dessert. Highly recommend for a great lunch.
28. May 2024 - 11:13
We walked for 9km before finding a breakfast spot in Espinosa. Don't rely on the first 2 villages for refreshments. There is a Repsol garage on the way out of Belorado (on the camino) that sells crisps, nuts, packaged doughnuts etc, fresh coffee to take away, although no fresh food. Toilets are there too.
28. May 2024 - 8:16
Comfortable and clean room with private bathroom. Communal kitchen with microwave and washing machine. Big terrace for drying clothes and relaxing.
Wonderful home-cooked pilgrims meal, 3 courses with bottle of delicious wine for 14€pp, in a lovely indoor restaurant. There's also a patio dining area for when the weather's warmer.
A young helpful and hospitable couple run the place.
16. May 2023 - 17:37
Stop at the monastery about 10 minutes from the center of Belorado - the nuns make and sell award winning (and delicious) chocolate.
30. April 2023 - 8:41
Great stay in Quintanilla de Monte. Do not pass this place up for a wonderful Camino stay. Just outside of Belorado.
Out host Ana was amazing and Mommy made wonderful homemade meals. Beds were very comfortable. Not your typical Camino stay of the hustle and bustle. Very relaxing.
14. July 2022 - 10:37
Me and my family stayed in hotel a santiago. The pool and pizza were amazing. The service and staff were very nice. Unfortunately saw a man steal from a shop in town and ran into him again at the hotel. He passive aggressively threatened us with a butter knife. He wasnt a pilgrim but staying at the hotel, so just keep an eye out.
11. May 2022 - 20:06
Fantastic service, amazing menu of the day. Lovely front and rear terrace and laundry service. Clean and spacious room. We loved it!
5. May 2022 - 14:07
We are sat on the sun watching the storks on the church tower, having had a lunch that was simply delicious. This hotel/restaurant provides rooms and delicious food. Just what was required for tired peregrinos
5. May 2022 - 14:07
We are sat on the sun watching the storks on the church tower, having had a lunch that was simply delicious. This hotel/restaurant provides rooms and delicious food. Just what was required for tired peregrinos
18. September 2019 - 20:35
We are at La Huella del Camino, one of the first bars on arriving in town. The peregrinos menu was sensational. Great presentation!!
14. September 2019 - 20:46
Hi Mike. I saw a sign announcing a new hostal in Belorado. No idea how it is but it was in town and looked quite modern and organized from the street.
We stayed in Pension Toni and it was neat and clean. The proprietor was berry welcoming and provide info on the town and sites nearby.
Leaving town at 7 there were no services available. The Repsol on the way out of town had capsule coffee and other nibbles to get me on the way. Jim. (Peaceable Kingdom ditch pig)
27. May 2019 - 20:53
Three of us stayed here in a private room with own bathroom. It was very clean and well set up. The bathroom
was excellent. We had dinner here and it was sensational.
Highly recommended.
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.
