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Stage 24 · Camino Francés
Foncebadón → Ponferrada
Cruz de Ferro and the Bierzo descent
A descending stage, 27.4 kilometres with 1,120 metres of drop, which punishes the knees more than its medium difficulty suggests. The first two kilometres climb gently to the Cruz de Ferro, the pole with its iron cross above a mound of stones left by centuries of pilgrims; you reach it with the first light and leave there the stone you brought from home. A little further on is Manjarín, a handful of ruins and the Templar's refuge, and the highest point of the Camino Francés, just over 1,500 metres.
From there the real descent begins: gentle at first, then very steep and stony down to El Acebo, the first village of El Bierzo, with its slate streets and wooden balconies, a good place to eat. Riego de Ambrós follows, and then a path among chestnut trees and rock that demands attention at every step down to Molinaseca, at the bottom of the valley: you enter over the medieval bridge across the Meruelo, and this is the place for a proper rest, with bars beside the river.
Some eight flat kilometres remain, by road and through Campo, to Ponferrada, the city of the Templar castle, with every service and a shower waiting.
Tips
Leave Foncebadón wrapped up: dawn at the Cruz de Ferro is cold and windy almost all year.
Poles and boots with good soles: from El Acebo to Molinaseca there is loose stone and slate, and it is very slippery in the rain.
Carry water and something to eat from Foncebadón; there is nothing reliable before El Acebo apart from the Manjarín refuge, which is what it is.
If your knees are suffering, the stage can be cut short in Molinaseca; it is a pretty village with everything.
The Templar castle in Ponferrada can be visited in an hour; arrive with time if you fancy it.
In heavy rain or ice the path between El Acebo and Molinaseca is treacherous: the road is the safe alternative.
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It crosses where you are with the time, the daylight left, the water, the beds and the notice board. Three things at most: the ones that actually change your afternoon.
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Profile and services
The elevation for this stage has not been loaded yet.
The weather
11°C
Cloudy
- Feels like
- 10 °C
- Wind
- 3 km/h
- Daylight
- 08:36 – 19:47
- Today ⛅ 20° 11°
- Wed 🌫️ 21° 10° 3 %
- Thu ⛅ 21° 12° 18 %
- Fri ⛅ 18° 11° 4 %
- Sat 🌫️ 15° 8° 30 %
- Sun ⛅ 12° 6° 19 %
- Mon ⛅ 9° 1° 24 %
Data from Open-Meteo, refreshed every half hour.
What's there today
Nobody has reported anything on this stage.
Tips from people who walked it
The things that do not expire: where the fountain actually is, which bar opens at six, where not to go in the rain.
None here yet. If you have just walked this stage, you know something tomorrow’s pilgrim does not.
Emergencies
Call 112112 is the same number in Spain, in Portugal and across the European Union. It works with no credit, with no SIM, and over any operator's network, not just yours.
Say where you are I am walking the Camino Francés, on the stage from Foncebadón to Ponferrada.
- Patricia Vanessa Miro Skjonsholt Pharmacy km 19,4
The map
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What to see on this stage 11
- Iglesia Church km 0,1
- Ermita de Santiago Church km 2,0
- Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel del Acebo Church km 11,4
- Capilla de San Miguel del Acebo Church km 11,6
- Ermita de San Sebastián Church km 14,5
- Iglesia de Santa María Magdalena de Riego de Ambrós Church km 14,8
- Santuario Nuestra Señora de las Angustias Church km 19,0
- Iglesia de San Nicolás de Molinaseca Church km 19,2
- Ermita del Santo Cristo Church km 23,5
- Iglesia de San Andrés Church km 26,9
- Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Encina Church km 27,1