< Ponferrada – Rabanal del Camino >

Today we start the hike at Rabanal del Camino and arrive at El Acebo. I have split the hike with one extra segment before arriving Ponferrada. A one day trip from Rabanal to Ponferrada is exhausting. The last 1/3 portion before Ponferrada is loose rock and extreme caution & alertness is required. The mountain village of El Acebo is an ideal mid point to call it a day. The villages on the way are Foncebadon. The Cruz de Ferro is the iron cross at the highest level of ~ 1,500 meters. El Acebo is a medieval stone village in the Bierzo mountain ranges. It has good albergues and restaurants. It has the Hostel Casa del Peregrino [ albergue ] with a good restaurant near the village exit. The mountain views are spectacular. That mountain range is not too far from Portugal. El Acebo is one of my preferred villages and a must stop.

Rabanal del Camino to El Acebo ~19 kms. There is a climb into Foncebadon and another climb into Cruz de Ferro. The total climb is about 415 meters. The other 10 kms is downhill about 400 meters. The terrain is rocky with loose shell stone going into El Acebo, so caution walking downhill. Difficulty the last downhill portion is 7 / 10.

Elevation