OUR WAY

 7th May 2025

Day 9 - Cirueña to Espinosa del Camino

No chance of getting lost

Having a twin room meant we took longer to get ready in the morning — with the light on, we could empty the contents of our rucksacks across the beds and reorganise everything. It made things slower than the previous night’s system of preparing bags in advance so we could just throw in the last few items and leave. As a result, we started walking at 6:10am, heading into what would become a very long day.

It was cooler than yesterday, with no wind, but our hands stayed cold for the first few hours until the sun rose. A beautiful orange sunrise kept us company as we walked alone for the first hour, before eventually seeing others ahead as we descended into Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

Morning trails

Our first coffee stop was in Grañón, 13km in. From there, we passed through a few more small villages, before reaching a dull 6km stretch alongside the N-120 to Belorado — a section no one would walk unless it was officially part of the Camino. In Belorado, we stopped to withdraw cash, having had our cards declined a few times and finding ourselves down to our last €6. Another café stop followed (Gaby suggested wine, but I talked her into something less alcoholic - a decision that turned out to be wise given what was to come).

Our intended stop was Tosantos, just 4km further on. We arrived to find that the municipal albergue had a rule against leaving before 7am - not ideal, as we needed an earlier start to reach the next day’s goal. We moved on to the next albergue only to find it closed. Another 2km in the now tiring afternoon heat brought us to another closed albergue. Running out of options, we made a few phone calls and found one place with beds available in the next village - but no reservations, first come first served.

Not far to go!?

We were lucky to get the last two beds when we finally arrived, after what ended up being a 37km day. We showered, washed essential clothes, ate, and Gaby finally got her well-earned glass of wine. In bed by 7:30, ready for another early start tomorrow.

Where we stayed
Albergue Espinosa del Camino
€15 bunk bef
Limited kitchen, hand washing only.
Our rating 7.5/10