French Way (Camino Francés) ‧ Stage 25
French Way
On foot
33 stages
Information
About this stage
The stage runs through the region of El Bierzo, whose mountains shelter us from the typical Atlantic climate of Galicia; without significant slopes, we advance along good asphalt and dirt tracks surrounded by vines and lush vegetation. We will pass through villages steeped in Jacobean history before approaching the historic Villafranca del Bierzo.
Recommendation Pilgrim
Cyclists won’t find too many difficulties except to leave Ponferrada that will be a little bit dangerous. We recommend you to wear a reflective vest and always being careful with the traffic and also cross always through the pedestrian crossing. We recommend you to be equipped with a reflective vest and to respect traffic rules.
The way that goes from Camponaraya to Villafranca is impossible for people with reduced mobility, so they should go through the national road N-VI. As in other occasions, you must follow N-VI road.
Distance and elevation
Stage profile
Route
Itinerary
Km 0 ‧ Ponferrada
From the Town Hall square in Ponferrada, take the narrow Santa Beatriz de Silva street on the side of the Aroi Bierzo hotel, going down to a road that we follow on the left. Cross the river Sil, take the first street on the right and, after 250 metres, turn right into the Paseo Huertas del Sacramento. At the end of this, turn right onto Avenida de la Libertad and, at a large roundabout, go straight on along Avenida de Compostilla, leaving the Energy Museum on the right. Cross Compostilla and walk under the N-VI national road through a subway to enter Columbrianos.
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Km 4,9 ‧ Columbrianos
At the hermitage of San Blas and San Roque we turn off to the left into a street; this is Calle San Blas, which continues along the Camino Real. When we reach Fuentes Nuevas we continue straight on along the Calle Real, which leads to a track. At the entrance to Camponaraya we turn right onto the old National VI, now Camino de Santiago Avenue, which is very busy.
Km 9,7 ‧ Camponaraya
Cross the roundabout and continue in the same direction along Avenida Francisco Sobrín. On leaving Camponaraya we take a dirt track uphill, leaving the road on the right. After just over a kilometre, we come to the A-6 motorway, which we cross over a flyover. We walk along an agricultural track between vineyards and after almost two and a half kilometres we cross the LE-713 road and continue straight on along an asphalted road. We reach Cacabelos along Cimadevila Street and, without changing direction, we enter the Old Town along Santa María Street.
Km 15,4 ‧ Cacabelos
We leave the Old Town of Cacabelos, crossing the river Cúa over a bridge, and we leave the old town by following the road to Villafranca, passing in front of the sanctuary of the Virgen de las Angustias. We follow the road for another 500 metres until we take a path on the right.
Km 19,4 ‧ Valtuille de Arriba
With a couple of turns to the left we pass through the small village. We then continue along a pleasant dirt track, between fields of vines, with gentle slopes. At the entrance to Villafranca del Bierzo we will walk by the church of Santiago, famous for its Puerta del Perdón. We then join the road and descend, on the right, along Calle Salinas and Calle del Agua.
Km 24,2 ‧ Villafranca del Bierzo
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