Vadiniense Route
The Vadinian Way links the Lebaniego Way (St. Toribio) with the French Way (Mansilla de las Mulas). A spectacular journey through the Picos de Europa and the Leónese mountains.
Organize your Vadiniense RouteOrigin
San Vicente de la BarqueraDestination
Mansilla de las MulasDistance
212.3 km
Days
10
Difficulty
High
General Description of Vadiniense Route
Connections of Vadiniense Route
The French Way
Distance:
779 km
Days:
33
Difficulty:
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The Camino Francés is the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela of excellence, chosen by thousands of pilgrims every year. With a journey of approximately 780 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or less from Roncesvalles, it traverses northern Spain. This path, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, offers exceptional infrastructure for services and hostels.
Pilgrims traverse Navarra, La Rioja, Castile and León, and finally Galicia, marveling at monumental cities such as Pamplona, Burgos, and León, and charming villages. The diversity of its landscapes is one of its greatest attractions, from the Pyrenees and the Castilian plains to the green forests of Galicia. It's a physical and spiritual journey that leaves an indelible mark, ideal for both experienced pilgrims and those starting out on the Camino de Santiago.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles
Stage 2: Roncesvalles to Zubiri
Stage 3: Zubiri is going to Pamplona.
Stage 4: Pamplona to Pontevedra
Stage 5: Bridge of Queen to Estella
Lebanon Way
Distance:
72 km
Days:
3
Difficulty:
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The Lebaniego Way leads to the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, one of the five holy sites of Christendom with a Jubilee Year. This monastery safeguards the Holy Cross, the largest piece considered to be from the cross of Christ. The main route, approximately 72 km long, begins in San Vicente de la Barquera and traverses beautiful valleys and mountains, with the Picos de Europa as its backdrop.
Although it does not lead directly to Santiago, many pilgrims undertake it as a pilgrimage in itself or as a precursor, connecting afterwards with the French Way through the Vadiniense Route. It is a moderately difficult path with great spirituality.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: St. Vincent of the Harbour to Cades
Stage 2: Cades to Cabanes
Stage 3: Cabanes near Santo Toribio de Liébana
Lebanese Castellano Way
Distance:
227 km
Days:
9
Difficulty:
Media
The Lebaniego Castellano Way is a 227 km historical route that leads to the Santo Toribio of Liébana Monastery from Palencia. It passes through the Palentine province in a northerly direction, entering the Palentine Mountains before crossing into Cantabria.
This route offers a different perspective on Lebonese pilgrimage, covering landscapes of the meseta, river valleys and the slopes of the Cantabrian Range. It is a less-traveled path with limited infrastructure, requiring good planning but allowing for discovery of rich Romanesque heritage and enjoying rural Castilian tranquility.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: Palencia to Amayuelas de Abajo
Stage 2: Lower Amayuelas to Frómista
Stage 3: From Frómista to Osorno el Grande
Stage 4: Osorno el Mayor to Osorno la Mayor
Stage 5: Herrera del Duque to Paracortes of Ojeda
Stages of Vadiniense Route
Etapa 1: San Vicente de la Barquera to Cades
Description:
This is the first stage of the Ruta Vadiniense, which connects the North Way with the Lebaniego and French ways. Leaving behind the beautiful maritime scene of San Vicente de la Barquera, the path ent...
Origen: San Vicente de la Barquera
Destino: Cades
Etapa 2: Cades to Cicera
Description:
This stage of the Ruta Vadiniense is a mountain day that ventures into the Hermida Gorge, one of the longest gorges in the Iberian Peninsula, carved by the Deva River. The route is spectacular, with s...
Etapa 3: Cicera to Potes
Description:
This stage brings the pilgrim to the heart of Liébana and its capital, Potes. It is a mountainous journey with an demanding profile, which includes the ascent to Collado de Arceón. The route runs thro...
Etapa 4: Potes to Espinama
Description:
This stage is an immersion in the Picos de Europa National Park. Leaving Potes, the path ascends gently through Camaleño valley, following the course of the Deva river. It's a day of great landscape b...
Etapa 5: Espinama to Portilla de la Reina
Description:
This long stage is an authentic challenge that ventures into the Manchegan plain. The route is flat but very demanding due to its distance. It's a journey for introspection and meditation in a landsca...
Origen: Espinama
Destino: Portilla de la Reina
Etapa 6: Portilla de la Reina to Riaño
Description:
This stage is a spectacular ride through the Riaño Mountain, in the province of León. The profile is undulating, with an initial ascent to Pandetrave Pass. The route runs through a high mountain lands...
Origen: Portilla de la Reina
Destino: Riaño
Featured Towns of Vadiniense Route
Explore the key towns and cities of this route.
San Vicente de la Barquera
Maritime villa of excellence and gateway to the Lebaniego Way. Its bridges, castle and Picos de Europa in the background form one of the most beautiful postcards of Cantabria.
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Cades
Small village in the valley of the Nansa, a quiet and rural stop on the Lebaniego Way. Its 18th-century forge is an interesting relic of traditional Cantabrian industry.
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Cicera
Mountain village on the Way of St James, nestled in a spectacular natural environment. It is an stage that rewards the pilgrim with the beauty of forests and the tranquility of the landscape.
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Potes
Capital of the Picos de Europa and heart of the Leabronian Way. Potes is a medieval village with great charm, famous for its bridges, towers and liquor from Liébana.
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Espinama
Entrance to the cable car of Fuente Dé and heart of the Picos de Europa. Espinama is an ideal base for hikers and pilgrims exploring the Central Massif and the Lebaniego Path.
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Portilla de la Reina
Small Leonesese town on the Route of the Vascones, surrounded by the Picos of Europe. A high mountain enclave that offers the pilgrim a refuge of peace and virgin nature.
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Riaño
Known as the "Leone's Fjords", Riaño is a stop of impressive beauty on the Vadiniense Route, with its peaks reflected in the waters of the reservoir. An unforgettable landscape.
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Crémenes
Small and quiet village in the eastern Leonese mountains. Cremenches offers a rural retreat and an ideal natural setting for pilgrims walking the Forgotten Way.
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Cistierna
Capital of eastern León mountains. Cisterna, by the River Esla's banks, is an important communication hub and service center on routes like the Forgotten Way.
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Gradefes
Monastery in León with an important Cistercian monastery. The Monastery of Saint Mary the Royal of Gradefes is a jewel of Romanesque and a refuge of peace by the Esla River.
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Mansilla de las Mulas
Medieval walled villa, end of the Via Vadinense and key stage on the Way of St Francis. An important crossroads of roads at the gates of León, with a large pilgrim atmosphere.
More InformationMillenary History of the Camino de Santiago: Origins and Evolution Vadiniense Route
Discover the origins and evolution of Vadiniense Route
The origin and reason for the Vadiniense Way lie in the extraordinary importance of Santo Toribio de Liébana. This monastery, nestled in the heart of the Picos de Europa, has since the 8th century custodyed the relic of the Holy Cross, the piece considered to be the largest preserved fragment of Christ's cross. This relic made Liébana a potent focus of pilgrimage, one of the five holy sites of Christianity with the privilege of celebrating an Age of Jubilee forever. Thousands of pilgrims, known as "crucenos", would journey to Liébana to venerate the sacred wood.
Many of these pilgrims, once they had fulfilled their devotion in Liébana, felt the desire to continue their journey westward, towards the tomb of the Apostle Santiago. The Vadiniense Way was born as a logical response to this need. Instead of returning to the coast to follow the North Route, this route offered a more direct path south and west, crossing the Cantabrian Mountains to link up with the great artery of European pilgrimage: the Camino Francés.
The trail begins in Potes, Liébana's capital, and immediately faces the majesty of the Picos de Europa. It is an exigent route, not suitable for any traveler. Its medieval route, which utilized ancient communication routes and shepherd passes, ascends to mountain peaks like Pandetrave before descending into the spectacular Valdeón valley, now in the province of León. Continuing south, it passes through the new Riaño (the original town was submerged by a dam in 1987, adding a layer of nostalgia to the landscape) and follows the eastern Leonesa mountains.
Although it lacks the abundant documentation of the Camino Francés, its historical use is attested by the local geography, toponymy, and the existence of pilgrim hospitals at key points along the route, such as Portilla de la Reina, which offered refuge to travelers in an often hostile environment. It was not only a route of faith but also a significant commercial and transhumant route that connected Cantabrian lands with the Meseta castellana.
After approximately 150 kilometers, the Vadiniense Way reaches its goal, converging with the Camino Francés in Mansilla de las Mulas, very close to León. In this point, solitary pilgrims coming from Liébana's mountains joined the river of travelers flowing from France to share their final journeys towards Santiago. The modern revival of this itinerary has rescued one of the most beautiful and wild traverses of the Camino network, offering contemporary pilgrims the possibility of living two pilgrimages in a single journey, connecting devotion to the Cross with that of the Apostle.