Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Vía de la Plata app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
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The ground behind you: what the walk into Montamarta crosses, and where it could have been broken.
Tomorrow from Montamarta
Nothing says you have to stop here, or there. These are simply the towns within a comfortable day's walk, so you can decide tonight.
| Town | km from here | Shared | Private | The walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fontanillas de Castro | 12.5 | ✓ Yes | — No | The walk from Montamarta to Fontanillas de Castro |
| Riego del Camino | 15.9 | ✓ Yes | — No | The walk from Montamarta to Riego del Camino |
| Granja de Moreruela to Astorga | 22.5 | ✓ Yes | — No | The walk from Montamarta to Granja de Moreruela to Astorga |
Montamarta sits above the Embalse de Ricobayo, where the Esla river was dammed in the 1930s. Overlooking the village from the far side of the reservoir is the Ermita de la Virgen del Castillo. The municipal albergue is along the N-630 before the camino reaches the village, and the Hostal Asturiano is just south of it.
When reservoir levels are high, the camino's crossing may be impassable — in that case, take the N-630 over the water.
Montamarta's first written mention dates to the reign of Ferdinand I of Leon in 1038, during the medieval repopulation campaigns that pushed the Christian frontier southward. The village sits in the Tierra del Pan, the bread country between Zamora and Benavente that has supplied grain to the region for centuries. The construction of the Ricobayo dam in the early 20th century transformed the landscape and economy -- most of the fertile bottomland is now underwater.
The way from Montamarta crosses part of the reservoir, which may be impassable when water levels are high. When that's the case, take the N-630 to cross the water instead.
In 4.5 km the camino crosses over the A-66. It then crosses a few small rivers and returns to cross back over the A-66 once again. From here it follows a straight path directly to Fontanillas de Castro. Along the way, a signed detour leads to the ruins of the Castillo de Castrotorafe, a former stronghold of the Order of Santiago -- worth the side trip if you have the energy.
9. June 2024 - 21:40
The basic infrastructure is all there good building , spacious dorm, sitting room, kitchen, 2 toilets and showers, kitchen and large garden with hanging out area and seating. restaurants 10 mins walk on the main road in either direction. But the place is dirty and fly blown and feels not properly looked after or cared for. The manager comes over at 4.30pm to collect the cash.
21. June 2019 - 14:02
Great place to stop if you need a rest day.
The Albergue is clean ,quiet with a washing machine and a nice kitchen. Along the main road is a small restaurant with a variety of food. Clean, hospitable and a decent quality compared to terrible San Pedro and a certain place in Salamanca. I'm delighted that I stayed.
9. May 2019 - 12:04
Owner at the Coviran supermercado.
Nice friendly owner and good place to stay. I had a bed upstairs in the dormitory but there are also private rooms.
Kitchen facilities and big courtyard
30. April 2019 - 21:41
Is on Travesia Villacastin Vigo
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.
