Puebla de Sanabria

The camino through Puebla follows a path that skips entirely the oldest and best parts of town. Don't let it. Climb the hill to the old quarter -- it's short, it's steep, and it's worth every step.

Puebla de Sanabria is the finest walled town on the entire Camino Sanabres. The Castillo de los Condes de Benavente commands the hilltop, built in the 15th century by Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel, 4th Count of Benavente, over the remains of an earlier fortification. The castle has been beautifully restored and now houses a museum and visitor centre. Climb the enormous keep for views that stretch across the valley and into the mountains beyond. On a clear day you can see the Sierra de la Culebra to the south and the Galician mountains to the west -- the same mountains you'll be crossing in a day or two.

The old town within the walls is a tangle of stone houses, narrow lanes, and a 12th-century church. It feels like a place that time has been gentle with. Below the walls, the newer part of town stretches along the river with all the services you'll need: bars, restaurants, shops, pharmacy, ATM, and a municipal albergue on the east side of the river.

Lago de Sanabria, the largest natural glacial lake on the Iberian Peninsula, is about 15 km northwest of town. If you have a rest day, it's worth the trip -- the lake sits at nearly 1,000 m altitude, surrounded by mountains, and is part of a natural park. Buses run in summer, or you can arrange a taxi.

This is your last major resupply point before the mountain crossing into Galicia. Make sure you have everything you need.