Ponferrada → Santiago de Compostela
The winter way. 249 km from Ponferrada around the mountains the Francés climbs over, invented by medieval pilgrims who looked at O Cebreiro in February and said no.
New information comes in every day — from pilgrims on the road and people I know along the way — and it goes out the moment it does. The app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built: new features arrive routinely.
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 appFrom the listings on this site, recalculated as they change. 2 albergues ask for a donation rather than a price: pay what the night was worth to you, not nothing.
The Invierno exists because of one hill. Pilgrims coming west along the Francés in winter reached Ponferrada, looked at O Cebreiro under snow, and went around it instead: down the Sil valley and across the south of Galicia, rejoining the main road near Lalín. It is still a good idea, and not only in winter. This is the route for someone who has walked the Francés and wants a quieter last week, or who wants nine or ten days through the most beautiful corner of Galicia that the other caminos never see.
Who it isn't for: anyone who needs a bed to be certain at the end of any afternoon. The Invierno has the thinnest supply of beds on this site, and some days you have one realistic option. Know that before you set off, not at four o'clock.
249 km from Ponferrada to Santiago. It leaves the Bierzo past Las Médulas, the collapsed Roman gold mine that is a UNESCO site and looks like nothing else in Spain: red pinnacles of earth where a mountain used to be. Then the Sil valley and the Ribeira Sacra, terraced vineyards on slopes so steep the grapes are brought up by rail, with Romanesque monasteries tucked into the folds. Monforte de Lemos is the halfway town. After it the route climbs out of the valley onto the Galician upland, through Chantada and Rodeiro to Lalín, and joins the Sanabrés for the last two days into Santiago.
Harder than its length suggests. The Sil valley is a gorge, and the route climbs out of it and back into it more than once; the ascent from the river to Chantada and the climb to the Alto de Faro are the two days that count. Nothing is technical and nothing is high, but the gradients are real and the days between beds can be long. Underfoot it is farm track, vineyard road and quiet tarmac. Waymarking has improved a great deal and is now reliable.
This is the real constraint. The Invierno is the thinnest camino for beds on this site, and the table on each town's page will show you days where the next place with beds is the only place. Plan those days the night before. What beds there are tend to be good: small albergues run by people who chose to open on a quiet route, casas rurales in villages where the camino is the only trade, and Monforte with everything a town provides. Every bed is listed on this page.
The prices at the top of this page come from the listings on this site, recalculated as they change. Fewer albergues means more nights in casas rurales and pensions than on the Francés, so a pilgrim in a dormitory every night is harder to be here than elsewhere. The Ribeira Sacra makes wine, and eating in the valley is cheap and good. Donativo albergues are few on this route; where you find one, leave what the night was worth to you.
Despite the name, not deep winter unless you know what you are doing. The Invierno is lower than the Francés's mountains, not warm, and January in the Sil valley is wet and short of open beds. Spring and autumn are the months, and autumn is the one I would choose: the vineyards are being harvested, the terraces are gold, and the light on the river is the best in Galicia. Summer is fine and warm, 30 °C (86 °F) in the valley on a hot day, rarely more.
Ponferrada has a railway station on the line from Madrid and León, and is a natural place to pick up the Invierno after walking the Francés that far. Monforte de Lemos has a station too, for the second half. Santiago has an airport and fast trains to Madrid.
Walk the whole Francés and branch off at Ponferrada and the two routes together are a month and a half that finishes quietly. From Santiago, Finisterre and Muxía are three or four days on.
Show or hide:
Ponferrada is the capital of El Bierzo and the starting point of the Camino de Invierno. Most pilgrims arrive here via the Camino Francés, turning south where the Francés continues west to Villafranca del Bierzo and O Cebreiro.
The Castillo de los Templarios is the main attraction — a massive Templar fortress overlooking the Río Sil that's one of the best-preserved in Spain. The castle was built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century to protect pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Inside, a modern museum traces the Templar order and the castle's history.
The old town below the castle has the Basílica de la Encina (housing the patron virgin of El Bierzo), a clock tower, and a pleasant Plaza Mayor with arcaded buildings. The Museo de la Radio and the Museo del Bierzo are worth a visit if you have time.
Ponferrada is also the gateway to the Bierzo wine region. Wines made from the Mencía grape — the local red variety — are among the most exciting in Spain, and they're poured at bargain prices in every bar in town.
The city has all services — accommodation at every level, restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacy, train and bus station.
Ponferrada takes its name from an iron-reinforced bridge (pons ferrata) built in the 11th century to help pilgrims cross the Río Sil. The Templars established themselves here in 1178 and built the castle that dominates the city. The order's suppression in 1312 led to the castle passing through various noble hands. El Bierzo's mining heritage stretches back to Roman times — the massive gold mining operation at nearby Las Médulas was the largest in the ancient world.
Leave Ponferrada heading south, following the Invierno waymarks. The first stretch passes through Toral de Merayo, about 3 km away. Bars and services on the Invierno often have irregular opening hours, particularly on weekends — don't rely on them being open.
Toral de Merayo is a small town with a nice stone bridge, a pharmacy, and a bakery. Café Bar Nogal in the plaza is friendly and opens around 9am. Bar El Puente is near the river. There's also a post office and a small shop before the bridge.
Bars on the Invierno often have irregular opening hours, particularly on weekends. Don't rely on any single establishment being open.
Leaving Toral de Merayo, pass the church. The asphalt road turns to dirt fairly quickly. The camino branches off to the right, and you'll soon arrive in Villalibre de la Jurisdicción.
What the ground between two towns is actually like: everything you pass through, the climbing, and where you could stop along the way. Not a plan — a description.
Route index
249 km from Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela. Most pilgrims walk it in 9 to 11 days. Every town below has its own page.
The Winter Way, is an intriguing alternative to the traditional routes to Santiago de Compostela. Originating in Ponferrada and spanning approximately 265 kilometers, or about 165 miles, this pathway was initially established as a practical workaround to the often snow-clogged portions of the Camino Francés during the winter months. However, with the last 100 kilometers of the Camino Francés becoming increasingly crowded, the Camino de Invierno has been gaining popularity among pilgrims in all seasons, standing as a less congested yet equally fulfilling journey to the revered cathedral.
The route provides an intimate journey through the landscapes of Castilla y León and Galicia, with an array of valleys, mountains, vineyards, and rivers to mesmerize the intrepid traveler. On the cultural side, the Camino de Invierno doesn't skimp on offerings either; you'll experience historical riches including medieval bridges, Roman mines, and rustic hamlets seemingly untouched by time. As for difficulty, the terrain is varied and moderately challenging, with a good mix of ascents and descents to keep things interesting. It might make you contemplate why you didn't stick to the treadmill at the gym, but the views will quickly remind you why.
Food-wise, prepare for a gastronomic adventure that celebrates the humble and hearty cuisine of rural Spain. As you meander through the vineyards of Ribeira Sacra, the wine will flow almost as freely as the camaraderie. From Castilian roast lamb to Galician octopus, each region will introduce you to its own culinary tradition, making the Camino de Invierno a pilgrimage for your palate as well as your spirit.
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.
