This is near Ponferrada but well off the main caminos.
Does anyone know if it is linked to the camino by walking trails?
yup, it is. there should be some threads on the forum as well.
you can get there by following the route called
la mirada circular which is waymarked with blue arrows (still?) and in theory goes in the other direction. I'm not entirely sure which of the routes on their
map is the one. and I just figured out this website is for the organized route which is apparently primarily a MTB route. huh.
I walked a variant of it in 2009, helped by the notes from tomas from manjarin. you can find my wikiloc tracks here:
el acebo - penalba de santiago
- I took the road down cause the path wasn't well waymarked, but was later sorry for it cause it looked like it was the only path down anyway. the path should start behind la trucha de arco iris guesthouse.
- I also took the road via compludo, mainly bacause I wanted to see the site of a disappeared monastery there
- there is a local waymarked path directly from the herreria to espinoso de compludo
- from espinoso there is a collections of paths of which I remember that I needed to turn right in both valleys with bigger trees; I saw one signpost on the way
- don't miss the millenial jew tree in san cristobal!
- from san cristobal you just need to get to the correct gravel road and then it's all straight to penalba de santiago
- don't miss penalba, its beautiful architecure, church and setting, apparently there are now two albergues there
penalba de santiago - ponferrada
- a very long day because I missed the last waymarked portion and toured the mountain instead!
- the local route to cueva de san genadio should be clearly waymarked
- from there it's a backtrack to the crossroad then left across the torrent up to the beautiful ridge with the labyrinth, also waymarked
- down to the next torrent valley with some old roman? road is the obvious path
- then I think there is a track into montes de valdueza
- there were no services there in 2009 except plans to renovate the monastery
- on the descent into the valley you need to be careful to not descend too soon, the split was marked
- I think there were some changes from valdefrancos to san esteban?
- at the point where I mark 'should have gone right', please go right and save yourself the wiggy-waggy tour of the pajariel ridge