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Follow The Camino | cycle activity
'Breathtaking landscapes to Santiago'
French Way - Section 3
From Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela
Follow The Camino | Walking activity

Trip ID :

- Follow The Camino | Walking activity
- 236 km
- 7 Days/6 Nights
- From €550
- Self Guided

French Way - Section 3 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 236 km - From €550 -
From Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela

This Cycling Holiday explores the final section of the Camino Frances / French Way by Bike, the most traditional of all the pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela and the best known internationally. The route, which was established in the late 11th century reaching the tomb of St James the Great, crosses the North of the Iberian Peninsula, through the Basque Country, Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y Leon and Galicia regions of Spain. Nowadays, cycling on the Camino has become an incredibly popular way of enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime journey to Santiago de Compostela.

Starting in the mountain-hugging town of Ponferrada and finishing in Santiago de Compostela, this section covers both the Castilla y Leon and Galicia regions. Leaving the medieval city of Ponferrada behind us, this Camino crosses the magnificent O’Cebreiro Mountains before heading towards the heart of Galicia and its lush green hills. This section can be physically demanding and requires a good level of fitness, but it is also a highly rewarding leg of the Camino, offering beautiful landscapes and numerous cultural sights.

Follow The Camino | Walking activity

French Way - Section 3 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 236 km - From €550 -
From Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela

Day 1 : Ponferrada
Day 2 : Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo (24km)
Day 3 : Villafranca del Bierzo to O'Cebreiro (36km)
Day 4 : O'Cebreiro to Sarria (43km)
Day 5 : Sarria to Melide (75km)
Day 6 : Melide to Santiago (58km)
Day 7 : Santiago de Compostela


View Camino Frances - Cycling in a larger map

DAY BY DAY

Day 1 - Ponferrada
Ponferrada is a lively city with a pretty, medieval town centre, guarded by the Templars' Castle. The old part of the city is a nice pedestrian quarter where tourists and local people like to chill out on the terraces of Plaza del Ayutamiento and Plaza de la Encina.




Town: Shops, all facilities





 

Day 2 – Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo (24km, +150m -120m)
The first cycling day of this section is also the only full day that you will spend in the provence of Castilla y Leon, cycling through the valley of Bierzo, surrounded by mountains. You then spend the last few kilometres passing through red earth vineyards until you reach the charming Villafranca del Bierzo. This first day is of short length and with no particular difficulty, so it enables you to warm up before the more difficult day tomorrow. Because of this, you can take it easy with the cycling and enjoy the lively buzz of Villafranca del Bierzo later on!




Town: ATM, Shops, all facilities
Meals: Half Board




Day 3 - Villafranca del Bierzo to O'Cebreiro (36km, +1000m -300m)
Prepare for a challenging day with an ascent of 1000m. You will pass through the narrow valley of the river Valcace before tackling the ascent of O Cebreiro. Situated between the ranges of "Los Ancares" and "La Sierra do Courel", this stage involves a steep climb in the course of only a few kilometers. Take your time, we have designed this cycling day to be short, taking its difficulty into consideration. So, enjoy the magnificent scenery as you ascend higher and higher throughout the day, and say hello to Galicia as you arrive in O'Cebreiro!




Town: ATM, Shops, all facilities
Meals: Half Board

Day 4 – O'Cebreiro to Sarria (43km, +400m -950m)
As we continue up and down on our way out of the Galician mountains, the route offers more spectacular sights and historical buildings. Finally, we reach Sarria, where all pilgrims travelling by any means seem to know each other!




Town: ATM, Shops, all facilities
Meals: Half Board




Day 5 – Sarria to Melide (75km, +800m -750m)
This stage starts with a climb up through oak woods, passing by the Romanesque Church of Barbedelo, before crossing over the Belesar Dam in Portomarin. Then, the Camino route to Melide is not too difficult - despite its typical Galician ups and downs!




Town: ATM, Shops, all facilities
Meals: Half Board




Day 6 – Melide to Santiago (58km, +400m -450m)
This is probably the most exciting day of the whole Camino, as today we finally reach Santiago de Compostela! Before that, we will have to go through the now-usual highs and lows, the nicest of which is probably on reaching El Monte de Gozo (Mount of Joy). From here, you can see the cathedral in the distance for the first time, before even entering Santiago de Compostela! (more info on Santiago)




Town: ATM, Shops, all facilities
Meals: Half Board




Day 7 – Santiago (more info)
After breakfast, we bid you farewell

If you wish to stay in the area, we recommend that you:

- Take your time and visit the magnificent historic centre (read more)

- Continue with us along the wild "Camino Fisterra" (Finisterre Way), and stay overnight at the 2* hotel in the light house!

- or take a bus to Fisterra. (Bus to fisterra: 9am, 10am, bus back in Santiago 16:45 & 19:00. takes 3hours)

- Visit the unspoilt sandy coves and beaches of the west coast. With very few tourists, you are guaranteed a very special experience. Ask us for more information.





Town: ATM, Internet, shops, all facilities
Meal: Breakfast

 

WEATHER

 

 

French Way - Section 3 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 236 km - From €550 -
From Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela

FLY IN AND OUT

 

It is best to fly to Santiago or Madrid.

1)    FLY IN
 
  • To Madrid

With almost every companies :

- See the Spanish national company: www.iberia.com
- See the Spanish low-cost: www.spanair.com

  • To Santiago

See with Ryanair, Iberia and Aer Lingus for flights from the UK :
- Ryanair : direct flights from Stansted, Nottingham East Midlands and Liverpool
- Aer Lingus : flights from Dublin.

Internal connections with Iberia and Spanair from: Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Bilbao, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Palma, Seville, Tenerife and Valencia.

2)    FLY OUT
  • From Santiago

See above.

 

GETTING AROUND



1)    GETTING THERE
  • From Santiago

By bus :
- First : Shuttle bus to the bus station
- Then : Direct bus to Ponferrada : 3-4 hours journey
- See timetable and book online : www.alsa.com

By train :
- 4 hours journey
- 2 departures a day
- See timetable and book online : www.renfe.es

  • From Madrid

By train :
- 5-6 hours journey
- See timetable and book online : www.alsa.es

2)    GETTING BACK
  • To Santiago

By bus :
- Shuttle buses
- From Santiago city center to Santiago airport
- 20mins journey

 

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FLIGHTS

 

Searches most Airlines for best available connections and prices

French Way - Section 3 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 236 km - From €550 -
From Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela


HOTEL AND GUESTHOUSE GRADES – HOW WE CHOOSE YOUR ACCOMMODATION

 

Our accommodations are selected based on a number of criteria, including location, comfort, services, price and character. We always try to book accommodations that are both on/near the Camino and also close to the historical quarter or centre of the town/city. This is facilitated by the fact that the Camino usually goes through the heart of each town and/or city.

 

              

 

In larger towns, which are usually at the beginning and end of each section, we book hotels of a 3* standard. In smaller towns/villages/hamlets in between the larger towns, we choose hotels or guesthouses of a 2* standard. However, there could be some exceptions to this rule, for example, in some small villages, our selection depends on local infrastructure and it may happen that the only possibility is a non-rated guesthouse. This does not mean it is not up to our standards only that it does not have an official classification, which is usually due to the rural and remote nature of parts of the Camino.

 

              

 

Given the reasons stated above, we do believe that a 2* hotel located in the historical centre is a better choice than a 3* hotel located in the outskirts of the town at a distance from the Camino. If our first choice is not available, we will use another accommodation of the same standard and price. If there is no such accommodation available, we may contact you to offer either an upgrade at a premium, or a downgrade with a refund, again based on local infrastructure in each area.

We are determined in our motto: to provide our customers with the best available on the Camino.


              

French Way - Section 3 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 236 km - From €550 -
From Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela


















French Way - Section 3 - 7 Days/6 Nights - 236 km - From €550 -
From Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela

Follow The Camino | Booking Form
Follow The Camino | Request Form

 

 

LIST OF PRICES AND OPTIONS

 

Base Price (€)

Bike not included

Double/Twin Room (pps)

Single Room

Solo Departure

High Season

Apr, May, Jun, Sep
690
765
830

Mid Season

Jul, Aug, Oct

 650 
725
790

Low Season

Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec
550
625
690

 

Choose your mountain bike  - prices €

BH Over-X 21V

Aluminium frame
21 speeds
syncroniced gear changes

Regulable fork: Suntour SR.

BH Over-X 24V

Alloy Frame, Shimano Alivio
24 gears,

fork suntour XCM with lock-out

BH Peak 6.5 27v

Alloy Frame Shimano SLX-Alivio,

27 gears,

Poplock fork

215

(per 7 day section*)

245

(per 7 day section*)

295

(per 7 day section*)

*  Discounts available for cycling more than one section,  please contact us for prices.

 

Included in all our bike prices

Pannier pack

includes - pannier bags and repair kit (pump, set of tools, spare inner tube and cables)

Helmet

(obligatory)

Saddle cover gel pad

This removable saddle pad with Gel techonology helps relieve pelvic discomfort.

Water bottle holder

 

 

Please note that for delivery reasons, all bikes arrive at your accommodation in flat pack form.  15 minutes approx are required to get the bike ready for use, tighten handlebars, screw pedals and set the saddle to correct height.  No particular skills are required for this set up. However, should you wish to include it in your package, please see options below.

 

 

 

 

Options
Assembly of Bike
€30

Assembly availabe in Burgos and Ponferrada only.

Picnic Lunches

€50

(per person)
includes all cycling days

Airport Transfer

2 - 8 people

€100

(per person - bike not included)

Transport to Ponferrada from Santiago Airport

For information on transfers for more passengers or from other airports, please ask us.

 

Extra nights (€)

Santiago / Sarria / Ponferrada

Double/Twin Room (pps)

Single Room

2* Hotel B&B
44
60
3* Hotel B&B 65 95

5* Hotel Parador, B&B

145
or upgrade last night +110

205
or upgrade last night +110

Special rates for group of 6+

INCLUDED


  • Luggage transferred from hotel to hotel
  • Rooms en-suite
  • Half Board during the hike
  • Detailed Walking Notes
  • Map
  • Pilgrim passport

NOT INCLUDED


  • Flights
  • Insurance (recommended)
  • Drinks
  • Dinner first and last nights
  • Transfer from/to airport
  • Bike rental (see table of options)

 

If you have any questions about prices, please consult our FAQ's or Contact us.

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