Vía de la Plata
22.5 km, 127 m up and 117 m down, through 2 places, 2 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Montamarta. Most are too small to sleep in — a fountain, a chapel, a bar that may or may not be open — but they are what the day is actually made of.
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.
A hamlet between Montamarta and Granja de Moreruela. No services. Nearby are the ruins of the Castillo de Castrotorafe, a former stronghold of the Order of Santiago — a signed detour off the camino.
The camino keeps to the countryside and enters Granja de Moreruela along a back street. Immediately you are presented with the choice between continuing the Vía de la Plata to Astorga or following the Camino Sanabrés to Santiago via Ourense.
The Camino Sanabres turns left and due west from Granja. It follows farm tracks to reach the Puente Quintos (6.7 km) over the Rio Esla. Once over the bridge, the route splits into two options to reach Faramontanos de Tabara. The right route follows the road and is preferred when rains have been heavy. Follow the road to the first paved left turn to descend and rejoin the left route. The left route turns left at the end of the bridge to follow a more scenic trail along the river.
There are no services for the first 18 km. Carry food and water from Granja.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 90 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 22.5 km.
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.