Day 23: Part 2 Cruz de Ferro to Ponferrada.
- sarezend
- May 11, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: May 12, 2025
As I depart the Cruz de Ferro, my thoughts turn to the journey ahead. If memory serves me, today’s trail is rocky and downward into the town of Molinaseca, and the day does not disappoint. The trail is wet, slippery, muddy, up and steep downs through loose rocks piled on each other. Today, from Foncebadon it’s a 27 KM hike to Ponferrada.
The town of Foncebadon and its 8 inhabitants sit near the top of the León Mountains and Mount Irago. Foncebadon was settled in the XII century, and was known as a pilgrimage stop with its isolated mountains protected by the Knights Templar against pilgrim robbing bandits.
The hermit Gaucelmo built its church and pilgrim hospital here in the CII century, as well as turning the mountain pass top at Mount Irago, known today as the Cruz de Ferro into a Christian monument. Originally, being a high mountain crossing, the Romans built a primitive altar here for Mercury, the god of travelers. It was only later that Gaucelmo placed an iron cross on the top of the wooden post to bring it closer to Christian traditions.
During the hike, after passing Cruz de Ferro, about 2.5kms is the village of Manjarin, with its population of 1, with a private Albergue hosting up to 30 pilgrims. From here it is down, down and down to the towns of Acebo and Riego de Ambros, both also offering a a rest stop and good food. Of note, these mountain towns are a mix of new and old, some buildings appearing to be crumbling in some cases next to renovated buildings. All of these towns have for sale signs on half the buildings.
As I walk down the mountain, rain comes and goes, and my legs begin to chirp at me as I slowly maneuver through the rocky terrain. Finally, Molinaseca, a bigger town at the base of the mountains, with many stores, bars and restaurants. It’s 12:30pm as I enter the town and the run becomes more prominent. I duck into a store to buy some peanuts, an orange, and water. As I leave, I see a bar at the edge of town, and again duck in to get out of the now heavy rain. This isn’t my final stop of the day, with another 7kms to walk to the town of Ponferrada.
I put my backpack down, and order a ham and cheese sandwich, with a beer. Two pilgrims, a husband and wife, are paying as I sit down. The man asks where I’m from in English. I say California, and he smiles and says he’s from San Diego, and that he thought he detected my California accent as I ordered my lunch in Spanish. We laughed and he asked if I was staying or moving on. I responded I was going to Ponferrada and he added that he liked I was having a beer before walking more. I said I’d seen pilgrims from South Korea drinking a beer at mid-morning and figured they knew something I didn’t. He left and said there was more rain coming and to be careful. I thanked him for the tip.
I ate, and as if on cue, the rain pattered harder. I could wait it out or move on, and so I just left. A few minutes later the rain stopped, I pulled off my rain cap and walked the final 7kms to Ponferrada, a town with a long history with the Knights Templars and a towering Templar castle. These roads have been traveled by pilgrims since the 9th century and the Knights Templars were common to these areas building large strongholds. They after all were responsible for protecting pilgrims from bandits on the way and helped set up the first known banking system used by pilgrims traveling from town to town holding the pilgrims funds and providing a credit so that the pilgrim didn’t have to carry money only to be robbed by bandits.
In Ponferrada I check into my hostel, tired and sore from the Rocky Mountain trails, but happy to be home for the night. I get some food, and sit in the plaza mayor taking in the site of the church basilica, and the Templar castle. It’s a site to be seen. Please enjoy the pictures of the day:
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