10th of June to 20th of June 2024.
Distance: 384.5km. 11 days.
During the recent pandemic, I watched a video by a Spanish man walking several of the Camino de Santiago routes. The video was all in black and white. It also featured a wonderfully scenic section when he walked on the Camino del Norte in inclement weather, which given the backdrop of the pandemic and absence of colour made for a really atmospheric experience of walking a Camino when the conditions are not optimal. It all felt so desolate.
Zaragoza, Puente de Piedra and the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.
However, it was not that section that caught my eye. It was him standing at an intersection, with an almost empty and barren landscape around him, which fascinated me in an endless way. The route in question was stated as the Camino de Soriana. I immediately knew that I wanted to walk that way.
The real name of the route is actually Camino de Castellano-Aragonés del Soriana, but I will refer to it as Camino de Soriana from now on. And I do not think I am wrong in that if you would go out and ask the many pilgrims making their way to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, you would not meet many that know about its existence.
This Camino starts from the small town of Gallur situated next to the Río Ebro, from where it crosses over the increasingly depopulated area of Soria, ending at Santo Domingo de Silos. The route is about 237km long.
Museo de los Faroles y Rosario de Cristal in Zaragoza.
Getting to Gallur is probably easiest from the capital of the Aragon region in Spain, Zaragoza, from where one can either take a train or bus to Gallur. I flew to Barcelona and from there took a train to Zaragoza. I had two weeks at my disposal before I had to get back home in Norway, which provided more than enough time to walk the eight to nine days it usually takes to walk this Camino. With more time at hand, I decided to start from Zaragoza and end my walk at Burgos. The plan was never to walk all the way to Santiago de Compostela, and such, Burgos sounded like a wonderful place to end another long walk.
The most prominent features of Zaragoza are definitely its two cathedrals, Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar and Catedral del Salvador La Seo, and the huge square linking them, Plaza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. However, the highlight of my visit was the Iglesia-Museo Sagrado Corazón de Jesús church that contains the Museo de los Faroles y Rosario de Cristal museum, a striking museum of crystal rosaries.
On the Camino del Ebro.
Going through Zaragoza is the Camino del Ebro that starts in Deltebre and joins the Camino Francés in Logroño, which provided a perfect way for me to get to Gallur. From Zaragoza it takes about two days to Gallur according to the usual guides.
Camino del Ebro on its side does not entice me much however, I hope that the other parts of the route provides more interesting scenery than the flat and less remarkable one that I experience on the walk to Gallur. Most notably are the adorned church towers in the villages passed by along the way. Despite the less interesting landscape, I am in a great mood while walking. After all, I have embarked on another adventure.
Instead of walking to Alagón, which is the usual end of the first stage after Zaragoza, I continue five kilometres further to Cabañas de Ebro. It is a little push your luck decision, when I arrive, the doors of the Hostel Cubero are closed, leaving me to ponder what options that I have. Then I hear voices from inside and soon after the door open and I stand face to face with a woman who wonders what I want. I explain that I am looking for a place to stay and something to eat. They are actually closed due to refurbishing but still let me get a room and provides dinner for me in the evening. In two words, great hospitality.
From Alagón it is about a four to five hours walk to Gallur, with almost the same time from there to Borja on the first stage of the Camino de Soriana. Eager to get going, I had decided to walk all the way to Borja from Cabañas de Ebro, which amounted to a distance of over forty kilometres. I was overjoyed by the change of scenery after Gallur, after having spent the last long kilometres on the Camino del Ebro just walking on a road with frequent cars passing by me. In my new direction, I saw rolling hills and a changing landscape unfolding, although a web of large electricity pylons was located in the middle of it, but they bothered me little.
Approaching Magallón on the first stage of the Camino de Castellano-Aragonés del Soriana.
Finding the way was a little bit difficult at first, but it becomes better later on the route. Leaving Gallur it is easy to miss the little yellow arrow pointing to the right at some warehouses. In fact, the signage is not frequent on the first stage, and I have to make good use of the crude map in the guidebook that I have downloaded (links are provided at the end of the article) to find the way. The biggest problem is getting past the two busy highways (A-68 and AP-68) and the industrial estate between them, with no waymarks where to find the two tunnels (one of them very wet and muddy) going underneath the highways or which way to walk around the industrial estate. Once past the second highway, both scenery and waymarks (to an extent) improves.
Magallón, at the top of the staircase next to the Iglesia de San Lorenzo.
Borja is a nice little town with charming small streets centered around what remains of the Castillo de la Zuda, perched on top of a cliff with a huge flag draped across it. As the Iglesia de San Lorenzo in Magallón passed by on the way, it offers wonderful views of the surroundings.
Castillo de la Zuda in Borja.
Outside Borja lies Santuario de Misericordia, which the pilgrims arrive at after a scenic walk from Borja (given that one follows the old route and not the new going more directly on the road). This church became a sort of worldwide sensation as an 80-year-old parishioner in 2012 decided to restore the Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) painting by Elías García Martínez from around 1930 herself, resulting in a painting that more resembles a hairy monkey than that of Jesus. In the church you find a museum dedicated to both the restoration and original painting.
View from Alto del Calvario.
Sudden and heavy rain hits me on the climb up to Ermita del Calvario as I leave Santuario de Misericordia, but its effect is amazing. Walking up on the ridge I can see the distinct shape of the cliff above Borja and dramatic rainclouds drifting like ships across the landscape below me. It is a beautiful walk with nice views, but the most astounding section comes after leaving the small village of Buste with its monument to aviation. Here, the path is at times difficult, but the scenery is splendid. Care is however needed to take the correct path crossing over a small mountain.
Splendid views from Balcón de El Buste.
Of all the places on the Camino de Soriana, Tarazona was the one that I fell the most in love with. A beautiful town. A river, Rio Queiles, running through the middle of it. Old buildings rising up on the steep sides of the river. Pleasant narrow streets. One of the oldest bullrings in Spain, the Plaza de Toros Vieja from 1792 (although I am not fond of its original purpose). And the Cathedral Santa Maria de la Huerta.
Scenery as I like it on the way to Tarazona.
Until now, the walk has been dominated by a barren, hilly and desert-like cultural landscape. From Tarazona, the Camino changes character. Going deep through the Barranco de Val, pilgrims will have to negotiate a narrow path crossing over the same stream, the Rio de la Casa O Val, several times in a deep valley under the cover of dense trees. This after visiting the small town or village of Los Fayos with its interesting caves (definitely worth a visit) and a solitaire walk next to the water of the Embalse de Val.
Tarazona.
If not uncomfortable being on an exposed place, take the time to visit the Peña del tio Fresquito, a boulder that provides a great view of the valley from its top. Ágreda is another nice small town, seemingly split on top of some cliffs, with charming old streets, buildings, churches and fortifications.
Cueva del Castillo in Los Fayos.
The Camino de Soriana goes through one of the areas with the lowest population density in Europe. With that in mind, it sorts of feels fitting that one cannot expect to meet any other pilgrims while walking the Camino, although the occasional pilgrim can be met. The route between Ágreda to Soria is the best example of this. For many pilgrims, this section is too long to walk in one go, being 58km long.
Embalse del Val.
There is one place where one can find accommodation though, and that is in the small village of Pozalmuro where one can ask for a place to stay at the ayuntamiento (village hall). However, the village is only about 20km from Ágreda, still leaving 40km to go the next day. For me, I wanted it the other way around. That is splitting this section into a long first day, leaving me with little dead time in the afternoon and evening, and then have a shorter day to Soria that will provide more time to explore that city. I solved it by walking to Fuensaúco (46km) and took a taxi from there to Soria.
Walking through the Barranco del Val.
Although the scenery should not be forgotten on the walk to Soria, it is the abandoned places that stays in the memory. After Pozalmuro one first comes to Masegoso, which is dominated by its old tower (this place is also part of the Ruta de los Torreones). Then located seemingly in the middle of several fields, one finds the Puente Romano de Masegoso and an intact short section of the old Roman road the Camino is going on (from Zaragosa to Astorga). Most striking is the entrance to La Pica located with a hill (with towers of windmills on top) as a backdrop. The tower above the hamlet stands out on the approach, then the remains of the church and at last the huge empty shells of the houses.
I walk through villages where the seemingly only remaining people are crooked old ladies who has spent all their lives in a secluded corner of the world.
Cascada del Pozo de las Truchas waterfall.
From Fuensaúco the yellow arrows disagree with the map and description in my downloaded guide, I opt for following the arrows. It seems the most adventurous way, not knowing where they will be leading me. Which is through a beautiful forest, soon walking next to an abandoned railway, before coming out into a lovely open landscape with nice views in the horizon. Nearby the abandoned station building. Then I arrive at a junction, and there are no more yellow arrows.
View of Barranco del Val from Peña del tio Fresquito.
When having walked a distance in both directions I am still without a clue as where the Camino is going. In the end I let Google Maps decide which way to turn, taking the left turn, later ending at a road that takes me to Soria, arriving at the Monasterio de San Juan de Duero. Later, I find out that the correct way was the right turn.
A walk amongst flowers.
Soria is the biggest town in the province. It was hence more interesting to spend more time there in the cute but sleepy and tiny village of Pozalmuro (I would not mind arriving late in that village though). Worth visiting are the Monasterio de San Juan de Duero and the Ermita de San Saturio (unfortunately partially under renovation when I was there).
View from Mirador Sierra del Madero, Pozalmuro below.
On the next day there is a festival, and a concert is held in the city. The charming boutique hotel that I am staying at lies close to the plaza the concert is at, they keep on playing until three o’clock in the night, I do not get much sleep. When I go for breakfast in the morning though, they have already packed down the whole stage.
Torreón Medieval de Masegoso.
Following the Camino traditions, the walk out of Soria is going past suburban and light industrial areas. From Soria, the Camino enters a landscape more dominated by woods. The walk through Cañada Honda is nice, but the popular recreational area is now turned into a festival venue with people, cars and music everywhere. When I arrive at the pleasant village of Pedrajas, the noise from the party is just a faint echo. It is time for a coffee break and then spend some time looking at the outdoor museum in the village.
La Pica, one of the despobladios (abandoned) places on the Camino de Castellano-Aragonés del Soriana.
After Abejar there is another deviation from my guide. The Camino de Soriana seems now to have changed to follow the Camino Natural Vía Verde Santander-Mediterráneo instead, this is a walking route that has replaced the old railway between Santander and the Mediterranean (Valencia). It makes for easier walking probably, but as the disused railway lies low in the landscape, I feel that I cannot see most of the scenery around me. In the end I leave the new route and goes to Cabrejas del Pinar in search of the old route. I wanted to visit the remains of the castle above the village. The waymarks are still present in Cabrejas del Pinar.
On the Camino de Soriana nearby the remains of the Antigua Estación de Velilla de la Sierra train station.
Santuario de la Virgen de la Blanca, a beautiful and big chapel stands at the entrance of the next section of woods the Camino de Soriana passes through. Once again on the Via Verde as opposed to where my guide describes where the route is going, but it does leave it as described in the guide after having passed underneath the N-234 road. This path is slightly confusing given the waymarks and a fence that at first seems to obstruct your way. Without the waymarks or the path on a GPS device it would be very difficult to follow the actual route on this section as the path sometimes is not visible at all as it passes through the forest (it is possible to bypass this section by following the Via Verde further instead, they will converge again at a later point).
Monasterio de San Juan de Duero in Soria.
Walking a Camino de Santiago in Spain is always a walk in history as well, the Camino de Soriana is no exception. From old chapels and churches, Roman roads and bridges, medieval fortifications, the lost history of its abandoned places, and the disused railway with its now closed and empty train stations (the old station of Pinar Grande has a nice rest area with benches making it an ideal stop for lunch on the walk to San Leonardo de Yagüe). Before San Leonardo de Yagüe it is time for some movie history as the route passes by a place where a scene from Doctor Zhivago by David Lean was recorded. You can see scenes from the movie and shooting as well as reading about the movie.
Inside the Ermita de San Saturio just outside of Soria.
San Leonardo de Yagüe is a nice little town. The main attraction is the ruins of the old castle situated at the top of the hill above the town. I stay at the good Hostal Torres, but on the walk out of the town, I notice that I could have stayed at the Asamblea Local de la Cruz Roja (Red Cross) by the sign on the building. For it must be told that there are not many accommodations in the price level that pilgrims normally seek on the Camino de Soriana.
Leaving Soria on El Pinarcillo.
The last stage of the Camino de Soriana is stunning, competing with the walk between Borja and Tarazona for being the most beautiful stage on this route. With one grueling exception. Before La Gallega, the route tries to avoid walking on the very busy N-234 road, but by doing so, I must negotiate an overly overgrown path that is extremely cumbersome. I sigh of relief slips through my mouth when I finally reaches the gravel road leading up towards La Gallega that has won awards for being the best maintained village in Spain.
Cañada Honda, on my seventh day, walking to Abejar.
Pushing the gruesome section far back into my mind, thankfully being only a tiny fragment of the stage, the rest of walk sees me searing with joy.
Ruined farmhouses nearby Embalse de la Cuerda del Pozo.
The stage crosses a lovely section of woods, passing by the mostly intact remains of the old hermitage of San Julián, before arriving at a scenic open landscape walking over the old bridge of Puente Soriana. Care is needed at times to discern the way. Leaving La Gallega on a scenic walk, the Camino de Soriana climbs on top of a hill, where a detour to Mirador de Pinilla de los Barruecos is almost mandatory. I look down at the village nestled underneath some cliffs, thinking that it would make for a nice place to stay, although on the pricier end of the scale by the look of the place.
The remains of the Castillo de Cabrejas del Pinar.
In Mamolar, a huge pole with a small bush attached to its top catches my eye almost a long time before the village does.
Walking past the disused train station of Cabrejas del Pinar on a Via Verde.
Thunderstorms are dominating the horizon during the strictly amazing last section of the Camino de Soriana. A narrow valley with a nice stream leads up to a scenic path on a limestone ridge, ending above the monastery town of Santo Domingo de Silos. Rain is about to pour down as I embrace the beautiful views from the Virgen de La Peña.
Trail between the trees, following the yellow arrows is necessary.
Santo Domingo de Silos is a wonderful place to end the Camino (although I am of course not finished yet). The monastery in the small town was made famous by its songs of the munks, a visit is a must. Accommodations are somewhat high-end, but nice and historic.
Castillo de San Leonardo de Yagüe.
I have reached the end of this Camino, but not the end of my walk, from Santo Domingo de Silos I will continue on the Ruta de la Lana to Burgos. Many will probably stay at Covarrubias, and being a Norwegian I should probably too, but to cut shorter the next day I will walk further. To Mecerreyes to be more concrete, there is an albergue there.
Scenery of the Camino de Soriana on the final stage.
A walk over a hill and through sparse woods brings me to the deteriorating and derelict looking village of Retuerta, which greets me with angry barks from a couple of dogs. A further exploration of the interesting and dilapidated village is cut short when another pack of big dogs appears as I leave the route to go towards the Plaza Mayor. I am not in a mood for a dogfight.
View from Mirador de Pinilla de los Barruecos.
Any pilgrim from Norway should probably know about Kristina of Tunsberg and her grave in Covarrubias. There is a short route starting in Burgos that goes here as well, the Camino de San Olav. Covarrubias appear to be a beautiful village, but quite touristy. Outside the village lies Ermita de San Olav. The original chapel does not exist anymore but is wrapped in a new rusty construction of a sort, not open at the time I am there. A man appears to have driven out to the chapel only for having a smoke before driving back again.
Thunderstorm out of Mamolar.
Road walk to Mecerreyes. An interesting village that contains several sculptures placed around at various places. I have the albergue for myself, where the old oven is kept like a museum. I like the cave cellars above the village, from where the view portends the bad weather of tomorrow.
Santo Domingo de Silos from Virgen de La Peña.
For rain it is at the start of the last day, atmospheric, but it makes the path muddy and cumbersome. Which is a little difficult to find at times too.
Retuerta.
In the end, I am pleasantly surprised how much I enjoy the final stage of this Camino. Being close To Burgos, I expected more walking through boring industrial areas and suburbs, like I remembered from the Camino Francés. It is not, the scenery is nice and pleasant, even crossing over a hill, which the aforementioned Via Verde goes through in a tunnel, I was actually curious if I should take that route instead. Next time. Approaching Burgos, at first rain forms the foreground of the views of the city and its cathedral, then poppies.
Roadwalk in colours after Covarrubias.
It is almost thirteen years since I was in Burgos, then on the Camino Francés. The cathedral and the square in front of it still resides quite strong in my memory, other parts of the city do not. The compeed that I put on the foot of the pilgrim statue in the municipal albergue is of course no longer there. I cannot help but feel certain emotions emerge from within, especially when I see other pilgrims walking through the streets.
Mecerreyes.
I spend two nights in Burgos. On the second evening, I walk up to the viewpoint next to the castle. From there I look out in the direction of where the Camino Francés is going with all its memories. It is almost dark as far as I can see, with the only exception being the blinking red lights at the top of windmills or pylons in the horizon. Deep inside, I want to forget about going home and just keep on going on. Into the vast open spaces that is the meseta. It is a fitting end to a long walk, that you do not want it to end, but keep on walking.
Atmospheric walk leaving Mecerreyes in the rain.
The Camino de Castellano-Aragonés del Soriana was an exciting route, and one of the more special of the routes associated with the Camino de Santiago that I have walked. Highlights are its scenery, its abandoned places with its histories and it sense of being on an adventure. On the other hand, this is not a pilgrimage in the spirit of the Camino Francés or the other main routes. Encountering other pilgrims is something one cannot expect, nor can one expect to find the same kind of infrastructure. Accommodation options are in general more expensive, and the distances are longer between places where one can find food and drinks. They do exist, however, and it should not be a deterrent for walking this route. A little preparation is advised.
Approaching Hontoria de la Cantera on the Ruta de la Lana.
Camino del Ebro did not spark much enthusiasm in me, it was less inspiring in its course, I hope the rest of that route is more exciting. Ruta de la Lana on the other hand, was a positive acquaintance. I might want to walk that Camino in its entirety at one time, maybe walking through the tunnel on the last day.
Finally Burgos and the spires of its magnificent cathedral appears at the end of the walk.
Did I find the place that fascinated me in the video? I am not sure. There are writings of several routes passing through the depopulated area of Soria.
The cathedral of Burgos.
