WALK: FONCEBADON – EL ACEBO. 11 KM – 4 HOURS
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE: VISIT EL BIERZO WINERY
DINNER: EL BIERZO
ACCOMMODATION: EL BIERZO
After breakfast, we’ll take you to Foncebadon, an amazing little village 1,440 m above the sea, where you’ll start your walk.
Today you’ll cross Montes de Leon ( Mountains of Leon), the natural barrier between Castilla and El Bierzo, in an iconic stage in Camino. You’ll go up to Cruz de Ferro, an impressive iron cross at the top of a mountain (1,500 m) with tons of stones at its base, placed by pilgrims, a tradition of the Camino.
You’ll continue to Collado de las Antenas at (1,515 m) the highest point in Camino, before starting the very steep descent to El Acebo, where you will be able to rest and enjoy some food and drinks.
Then, you’ll be driven to your accommodation in El Bierzo, where you can take some time to rest before meeting in the early evening when we’ll go visit a top regional winery and enjoy some wine tasting before we head off to our exceptional dinner.
El Bierzo is a beautiful wide valley, surrounded by mountains with a favourable benign climate for growing nice vegetables, particularly grapes, making El Bierzo popular for its well-appreciated wines.
El Bierzo is a transition land between Castilla and Galicia and, therefore, it’s also a transition in gastronomy. You can taste already Galician specialities like the empanada (a flat pie filled with capsicum, onion, tuna or chicken,…) or the octopus. The speciality in El Bierzo is el Botillo, another stew made with legumes, vegetables and meat (chorizo, pork cured with paprika and garlic). Probably too strong for dinner. Botillo croquettes could be a lighter option. It’s up to you.
