Winter Road to Santiago: Stages, Map and Tips

Winter Road: From Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela

The Winter Way is a Jacobean route that links the city of Ponferrada with Santiago de Compostela. It was born as an alternative route to the French Way, since many pilgrims wanted to avoid the heavy snowfalls that we can commonly find in O Cebreiro. From Ponferrada you can continue to Villafranca del Bierzo by the French route, however this route goes to Puente de Domingo Flórez, a town located southwest of Ponferrada.

Although this Jacobean route was born more as a necessity, the beautiful landscapes that it crosses are making it more and more popular. Through it we can cross the Galician provinces of Lugo and Ourense and get to know first hand the Sil canyons, as well as other points of interest in this area of the Iberian Peninsula. 

Winter Road: Stages

• Stage 1: Ponferrada - Puente de Domingo Flórez (35 km)
• Stage 2: Puente de Domingo Flórez - A Rúa (28 km)
• Stage 3: A Rúa - Quiroga (28 km)
• Stage 4: Quiroga - Monforte de Lemos (33 km)
• Stage 5: Monforte de Lemos - Chantada (31.5 km)
• Stage 6: Chantada - Rodeiro (26 km)
• Stage 7: Rodeiro - A Laxe (26.5 m) 
• Stage 8: A Laxe - Outeiro (33 km)
• Stage 9: Outeiro - Santiago de Compostela (16 km)

Hostels on the Winter Way: Map and main locations

From its beginning in the Leonese city of Ponferrada, the Winter Road crosses several towns where you can find different hostels and other types of establishments where you can sleep. Thus, in any of the towns that form the beginning or the end of a stage you will find at least one hostel and even hotels, hostels or rural houses, depending especially on their population level.

Main towns on the Winter Way

• Ponferrada
• Monforte de Lemos
• Chantada 
• Outeiro del Rei
• Santiago de Compostela

The Camino de Santiago through the Ribera Sacra

The Camino de Santiago de Invierno is a unique route that allows us to know one of the most beautiful places in the Galician community. This Jacobean route crosses the northern area of Ourense and the south of the province of Lugo, where the Ribeira Sacra is located, where the mountains merge perfectly with the two most important rivers of Galicia, Miño and Sil.

The pilgrims who go along this Jacobean route will be able to witness the impressive views offered by this idyllic place and the particular vineyards, where every year the heroic viticulture is carried out for the elaboration of wines with denomination of origin.