The Winter Way starts from Ponferrada and covers 264 km in 10 stages to Santiago, as an alternative to the French Way to avoid the snows of the O Cebreiro pass during winter months.
It crosses the spectacular Ribeira Sacra, one of Spain's most impressive wine regions, with terraced vineyards above the canyons of the Sil River. The landscape includes medieval monasteries perched on cliffs, chestnut forests and stone Galician villages.
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Start of the Winter Way from Ponferrada, an alternative to avoid the snow on O Cebreiro. Leave the Templar castle behind and walk towards Las Médulas, the ancient Roman gold mines declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with their spectacular reddish formations.
A mountainous stage descending from Las Médulas towards the Sil river. Impressive landscapes of centuries-old chestnut trees and deep valleys. Puente de Domingo Flórez is a mining village at the confluence of the Sil and Cabrera rivers, gateway to the Leonese Ribeira Sacra.
Cross from León to Ourense through the Sil canyon. A spectacular stage through the Ribeira Sacra with vineyards on vertical terraces above the river. A Rúa de Valdeorras is the capital of the Valdeorras wine region, famous for its Godello grape and white wines.
A stage through the Sil valley with landscapes of vineyards and riverbank forests. Pass through villages with medieval bridges and abandoned mills. Quiroga preserves remains of ancient Roman mining operations and is a good point to taste Ribeira Sacra wine.
A long stage following the course of the Sil to its confluence with the Cabe in Monforte de Lemos. This monumental city has the impressive College of the Cardinal (the Galician Escorial), the castle of the Counts of Lemos and a well-preserved medieval historic quarter.
A stage through the interior Ribeira Sacra, among heroic vineyards and chestnut forests. Cross villages with granaries and stone crosses. Chantada is a town with a medieval market and gateway to the impressive Sil canyons, where you can take a catamaran tour.
Ascend from the Miño valley towards the Galician interior highlands. Landscapes of meadows, oak groves and scattered villages. Rodeiro is a small rural municipality with Romanesque churches in its parishes and an atmosphere of authentic, little-visited Galicia.
A stage through the interior sierras of Galicia. Pass near the Oseira monastery, the most important Cistercian abbey in Galicia. A Laxe is the point where the Winter Way converges with the Sanabrés Way for the final stretches towards Santiago.
A stage shared with the Sanabrés Way through the Deza lands. Paths among green meadows, stone granaries and crosses. Silleda is a town with good services where several routes converge and you can already feel the proximity of Santiago.
The great final stage shared with the Sanabrés Way. From Silleda cross through Bandeira and A Estrada before entering Compostelan lands. The last kilometers through Monte Pedroso reveal the silhouette of the cathedral. A triumphant arrival at the Plaza del Obradoiro after the long Winter Way.
Route
It is a little-traveled route offering great solitude and scenic beauty. Ideal for pilgrims seeking to escape the crowds and discover a rural, authentic Galicia.
5 free hostels on this route
