Potes - Puente Villarente, 18. september - 22. september 2023 (5 days), distance: 173.8km (323.5km).
Finishing the Camino Lebaniego, the natural thing is to continue on the Camino Vadiniense. This Camino starts from Potes, which is the last town on the Lebaniego before its end at the Monasterio de Santo Toribio de Liébana. The name of the Camino stems from a pre-Roman town or tribe called Vadinia, as the route passes by most of where their forts where located, although the exact location of Vadinia is unknown today. In the sleepy town of Mansilla de las Mulas, the Camino joins the Camino Francés.
Potes in the morning at the start of the Camino Vadiniense.
Ermita de Cueva Santa. This is a small and curious chapel located a bit off the route, but worth the visit if one has the time and energy.
From the monastery, it is a little bit ambiguous where the route actual goes. There are waymarks above it, which one will encounter if one goes up to the small Ermita de Santa Catalina. However, what waymarks that exist in that direction soon disappear, the route has changed. Curiosity makes me take the walk up to the interesting hermit chapel of Ermita de Cueva Santa. Recommended, but there is a little bit of added ascent to get up to it.
Ermita de San Miguel with nice views of the mountains.
On the way towards Mogrovejo.
From the monastery, the route actually takes the road towards the Ermita de San Miguel, from where it is nice views. If by any chance, you have walked up to the Ermita de Santa Catalina, I recommend walking back the same way you came from if you want to continue in the Camino Vadiniense. There is a path going down from the chapel, but that becomes steep and very cumbersome, and in the end, you will find yourself at the wrong side of a fence.
Mogrovejo, a beautiful village located in some wonderful surroundings.
Peña Olvidado and the limestone mountain scenery of the Picos de Europa.
There appear to be some slight confusion about where the route is going afterwards, Petra is ending up going in what might have been the old route, joining where I am coming down at Los Llanos. After I initially ended up on a wrong track, I found myself on a nice, but steep path eventually joining a road and going to Mogrovejo. A touristic, but charming village dominated by the backdrop of the Picos de Europa. After Cosgaya, there is once again a choice of routes, I opt for the old route, a meandering and slightly longer route going higher up than the new route. Both routes end at the nice village of Espinama, where one should find a place to stay if not staying at the more expensive options at Fuente Dé.
View from the Picos de Europa above Fuente Dé, looking towards where we would go up towards the highest point of the Camino Vadiniense, Horcada de Valcavao.
The view from just below Horcada de Valcavao.
Passing by Fuente Dé, Petra and I are unable to resist taking the funicular up into the Picos de Europa. We do not have much time available up in the barren limestone landscape, but we manage to get a short walk taking in the views and scenery with clouds drifting over the highest peaks above us. Resisting the urge to continue further into the mountains. If I would do the Camino Vadiniense again, I would consider expanding it by spending a night in one of the refuges that are located up here.
Mountains above, villages below, wonderful views down towards Valdeón.
Camino Vadiniense going on the ridge towards Puerto de Pandetrave.
The highest point of Camino Vadiniense is the Horcada de Valcavao at 1794m. After the long and winding path up from Fuente Dé, passing by pastures for sheep and cattle, we are almost at level with the terminus of the funicular. Thankfully, the route does not descend straight away from the pass, but follows the ridge as it slowly contours down towards the Puerto de Pandetrave. Far below are small villages nestled between the sides of the valleys. At first, the waymarks appear to follow a path from Puerto de Pandetrave, but the path is soon disappearing and becoming cumbersome, forcing us up to the road, where we find another set of waymarks. It is walking on a road, but the landscape is making us forgetful of the fact.
Portilla de la Reina, a village nestled between steep cliffs.
A good mix of everything in the morning out of Portilla de la Reina, a car, a shepherd, a herd with its guard and shepherd dogs, and a pilgrim, Petra.
Except for a few exceptions, the Camino Vadiniense is from now on going down in the valleys with the views of the mountains from below. First stop is Portilla de la Reina, a village nestled and cradled between tall cliffs, where one finds the cosy Albergue de Portilla.
The dried out bottom of Embalse de Riaño.
Embalse de Riaño, notice the old road emerging from the water.
While views of mountains have been the primary theme so far, the next stage offers one of the views that I feel most of the Caminos in Spain are lacking. The Embalse de Riaño is an artificial lake and with its current low water level old roads and skeletal ghost trees are visible from where we walk, there is even a car driving on one of the roads in a dried out section of the lake. With the mountains as a beautiful backdrop, another one of the old roads are still visible later on, although most of it are submerged in the water.
Mountain scenery behind Embalse de Riaño.
On the old Roman road towards Crémenes.
After walking through the small town of Riaño, crossing over the bridge and either going over a small mountain or following the road around, pilgrims will be back alongside the Embalse de Riaño. At the end of the lake, one will get a fine view of the dam, where the route takes a surprising turn through of a tunnel. And then I find myself at the memory lane again. In 2016 I hiked the GR1 Sendero Historico and for a short section I am back where I hiked on the second day. From Las Salas and past Crémenes, the Camino Vadiniense follows an old Roman road that is scenic, although the surface is quite uneven to walk on.
Walking on El Pajar del Diablo, approaching Cistierna.
Looking back, near Valdoré.
At Cistierna, Petra and I goes on our own separate ways. She does not want to walk down to the Camino Francés, and having found the waymarks of the Camino Olvidado decides to stick to the mountains. The very essence of making your own way.
The ruins of the Factoría Minera Vegamediana.
Towards Gradefes, landscape becoming similar to that of the Meseta.
With the mountains still visible in the horizon behind me, the Camino Vadiniense is now definitely getting closer to the Meseta and the Camino Francés. The landscape is getting flatter, with more large fields around, some of them bustling with sunflowers, and with the familiar irrigation canals appearing. For over two hours, I got company by a friendly stray dog, causing me some trouble when walking past a house with two huge guard dogs. The problem gets sorted out by the friendly owner. I walk to the dusty small village of Gradefes, reminiscent of those villages encountered on the Meseta, and where one can visit the Monasterio de Santa Maria.
Monasterio Santa Maria La Real De Gradefes.
Monasterio de San Miguel de Escalada.
The rest of the Camino to Mansilla de las Mulas follows in the same vein. I take the time to join a guided tour of the Monasterio de San Miguel de Escalada on the way, a very short detour off the route.
Caves (or cuevas) in the hills.
One of the old towers of the city wall of Mansilla de las Mulas, Torre Abarrana.
I have only fleeting memories from Mansilla de las Mulas when I stayed there on the Camino Francés in 2011. Being back I do not remember much, only that the albergue that I spent the night in resembled something of a maze, the dinner that I had was the best one I had of all the days on the Camino and that one of my fellow pilgrims was in a very discussive mood that evening. I do remember the old towers of the old town wall, though. It is surprisingly quiet and sleepy in the town, given that there are no places available to sleep. I have to walk further to Puente Villarente to get to my accommodation, a dusty reminder of old times.
Houses nestled beneath the walls in Mansilla de las Mulas.
The Camino Lebaniego and Camino Vadiniense are definitely one of the most beautiful and scenic of the Camino de Santiago routes that I have walked. It features more views of mountains than I remember from other routes. I would recommend combining these two routes if one only has about ten days or so, wants to do a Camino in Spain and not necessarily have to end at Santiago de Compostela.
Back on the Camino Francés, on the way towards Puente Villarente.
