CaminantesCamino Invierno
The Winter Way: the medieval bad-weather detour around the snow on O Cebreiro.
- Distance
- 260 km
- Typical time
- 10 to 12 days
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Total ascent
- 1,188 m
- Starts
- Ponferrada
- Ends
- Santiago de Compostela
The Camino Invierno leaves the Francés at Ponferrada and takes the low road into Galicia along the river Sil, avoiding the climb over O Cebreiro that closes with snow. Pilgrims have used it as the winter alternative for centuries.
It is a beautiful diversion in any season. The route passes Las Médulas, a Roman gold-mining landscape and UNESCO site, then follows the Ribeira Sacra canyons past terraced vineyards and Romanesque monasteries.
You will meet very few other pilgrims, and the route is officially recognised, so the stages still count toward your Compostela.
Who it suits
Best for: Winter walkers, and Francés veterans wanting a different Galicia.
When to go: All year, which is the entire point. Best in autumn during the grape harvest.
Watch out for: Services are thin and some albergues close out of season. Confirm beds a day ahead.
Suggested stages on the Camino Invierno
13 stages averaging 20.3 km a day, generated from the route itself rather than copied from a guidebook. Treat it as a starting point: the whole idea of planning your own Camino is that a 27 km day someone else picked might be the wrong day for you.
| Stage number | From | To | Stage | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ponferrada | Borrenes | 19.1 km | 19.1 km |
| 2 | Borrenes | Puente de Domingo Flórez | 15.1 km | 34.2 km |
| 3 | Puente de Domingo Flórez | O Barco | 18.1 km | 52.4 km |
| 4 | O Barco | Petín | 15.7 km | 68 km |
| 5 | Petín | Quiroga | 23.9 km | 92 km |
| 6 | Quiroga | A Pobra do Brollón | 23.9 km | 115.9 km |
| 7 | A Pobra do Brollón | Pereira | 16.5 km | 132.3 km |
| 8 | Pereira | Chantada | 27 km | 159.3 km |
| 9 | Chantada | Rodeiro | 25.3 km | 184.6 km |
| 10 | Rodeiro | Lalín | 22.2 km | 206.7 km |
| 11 | Lalín | Silleda | 15.4 km | 222.1 km |
| 12 | Silleda | Loimil | 15.1 km | 237.2 km |
| 13 | Loimil | Santiago de Compostela | 27.1 km | 264.3 km |
Stage stops and distances are derived from the route geometry and from OpenStreetMap place data (ODbL). Distances are measured along the route line, so they will differ slightly from a guidebook.
Walking the Camino Invierno offline
There is no reliable mobile signal on large parts of this route, and the stretches without it are exactly the stretches where you want a map. Caminantes caches the route, the stages and the elevation profiles before you leave, and tracks your distance, pace and ascent while you walk. It is free, with no paywall on any of it.
Common questions about the Camino Invierno
How long does the Camino Invierno take?
10 to 12 days at a typical walking pace. Our suggested plan splits the 260 km into 13 stages averaging 20.3 km a day, and you can split or join any of them.
How hard is the Camino Invierno?
Moderate. It covers 260 km with 1,188 m of total ascent, and the longest stage in our plan is 27.1 km. Services are thin and some albergues close out of season. Confirm beds a day ahead.
When is the best time to walk the Camino Invierno?
All year, which is the entire point. Best in autumn during the grape harvest.
Where does the Camino Invierno start and finish?
It runs from Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela, a total of 260 km.
Does the Camino Invierno count towards the Compostela certificate?
Yes. You need the last 100 km on foot, so starting at Chantada, which leaves 105 km to Santiago, or anywhere earlier on the route, qualifies. Collect two stamps a day over that final stretch.