OUR WAY

 8th May 2025

Day 10 - Espinosa del Camino to Cardeñuela Riopico

Hard life on the camino

It was a hot, airless night with six of us crammed into a small room. I got up around 2 a.m. to use the loo and opened the window on the way back, then managed a bit more sleep before waking naturally at 5 a.m. Gaby was stirring too, and with a quiet nod between us, we agreed to get going. We stuffed our sleeping bags away and crept out with our rucksacks, joining a couple of other early risers packing on the kitchen floor. By 5:30 a.m., we were out the door.

The first hour was flat and easy, taking us to Villafranca de Montes de Oca. From there, we started a slow ascent as the sky turned a warm orange. The next 6 km wound gently through undulating forest, peaceful and shaded. Halfway through, we stopped for a coffee served out of the back of a car by a man known as Dr. Coffee - payment by donation. He even recited a poem for Gaby.

Rising sun

A few small villages later, we were making good time and thought we’d stop for a second breakfast. The next village had four cafés, all closed, but a few kilometres further on we found one open. Gaby had tortilla de papa and I went for something chocolatey.

From there, it was just a 90-minute walk over the hill to our albergue, Via Minera, in the village of Cardeñuela Riopico. The albergue had a small, too-cold-to-use pool and some comfy outdoor seating. After the usual shower and clothes washing, the rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing in the sun.

Group evening meal

Where we stayed
Albergue Vía Minera
€8.50 bunk bed
No kitchen, Washing machine, line dry. No shops in village.
Our rating 8/10