Stage Ponferrada to Sarria (By bike)

At about 92 kilometres with a huge cumulative climb, this is the hardest stage of the Camino Francés by bike: the great mountain crossing that opens the gates of Galicia. It should be tackled with time, good fitness and a well-tuned bike, as it combines a long mountain-pass climb with a technical descent.

The day starts by climbing the Bierzo valley from Ponferrada, among vineyards and orchards, to Villafranca del Bierzo, a stately town known as the little Compostela for its Church of Santiago and its Door of Pardon. Here the flat ends and the great climb begins.

Through the Valcarce valley, the road gains height relentlessly up to O Cebreiro, the threshold of Galicia at about 1,300 metres. Its cluster of Celtic-rooted pallozas and the sanctuary of Santa María la Real, linked to the legend of the Holy Grail, make this pass one of the most magical places on the Camino.

After a high stretch over the Alto de San Roque and O Poio, a long descent begins towards Triacastela. From there, the route can detour to the grand Benedictine monastery of Samos before reaching Sarria, the lively town where the last hundred kilometres begin and the end of this stage.