Villavieja -- Castillo de Cornatel -- Borrenes -- Help needed

[peregrina2000]

I have a pretty good memory of how to follow the Camino from Santalla del Bierzo through Villavieja, and up to the road at the entrance to the castle. From there down to Borrenes, it's all on a paved road, thanks to the ATVs that tore up the camino path down from the castle.

But what I don't understand are all the "workarounds" -- several people report different ways to avoid Villavieja, or to avoid going past the castle, which I personally wouldn't recommend but I guess it's good to have the information there. I THINK these are the off-Camino road options, but I'm combining posts from @MJB and @sabbott, @Charrito and maybe othes, so I'm not at all sure.

option 1. Take the road at Santalla del Bierzo. This road avoids the climb to Villavieja and the continuing climb up to the Castle.

option 2. Is there some way to take the road at Villavieja? (thus you would be staying on the camino till Villavieja and then getting on a road to go up to the castle).

Option 1, I think, would rejoin the camino in Borrenes. Option 2 rejoins it at the entrance to the castle, no? The camino comes out at the top of the hill where the castle is, about a five minute walk from the castle entrance. But I am just not sure about these roads.

Thanks, peregrinos, things are looking good for the Invierno in 2017, and our guide should be ready! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[KinkyOne]

I have a pretty good memory of how to follow the Camino from Santalla del Bierzo through Villavieja, and up to the road at the entrance to the castle. From there down to Borrenes, it's all on a paved road, thanks to the ATVs that tore up the camino path down from the castle.

But what I don't understand are all the "workarounds" -- several people report different ways to avoid Villavieja, or to avoid going past the castle, which I personally wouldn't recommend but I guess it's good to have the information there. I THINK these are the off-Camino road options, but I'm combining posts from @MJB and @sabbott, @Charrito and maybe othes, so I'm not at all sure.

option 1. Take the road at Santalla del Bierzo. This road avoids the climb to Villavieja and the continuing climb up to the Castle.

option 2. Is there some way to take the road at Villavieja? (thus you would be staying on the camino till Villavieja and then getting on a road to go up to the castle).

Option 1, I think, would rejoin the camino in Borrenes. Option 2 rejoins it at the entrance to the castle, no? The camino comes out at the top of the hill where the castle is, about a five minute walk from the castle entrance. But I am just not sure about these roads.

Thanks, peregrinos, things are looking good for the Invierno in 2017, and our guide should be ready! Buen camino, Laurie

We've been talking about this already, Laurie. You're right, there are three options but:
1: walk on marked Camino after Santalla into the woods, left after the chapel (can post a photo if you wish), cross the N-536 and "suffer" that uphill to Villavieja, where you have two options after righthand U turn: left on wide path with chestnuts on both sides (I took that and it's wow) or
1A: ... after righthand U turn: right on another path (road???) that connects with option no.1 path shortly before Cornatel (both descending to Borrenes on tarmac road),
3: walk on marked Camino after Santalla into the woods, left after the chapel (can post a photo if you wish), when come to the N-536 just follow it to Borrenes but you will miss Villavieja and Cornatel.

There isn't any other route between 1 and 3 because there is this huge rock formation. And from Cornatel you can clearly see the N-536 winding up from Santalla. And that's it as I know.

 

[peregrina2000]

We've been talking about this already, Laurie. You're right, there are three options but:
1: walk on marked Camino after Santalla into the woods, left after the chapel (can post a photo if you wish), cross the N-536 and "suffer" that uphill to Villavieja, where you have two options after righthand U turn: left on wide path with chestnuts on both sides (I took that and it's wow) or
1A: ... after righthand U turn: right on another path (road???) that connects with option no.1 path shortly before Cornatel (both descending to Borrenes on tarmac road),
3: walk on marked Camino after Santalla into the woods, left after the chapel (can post a photo if you wish), when come to the N-536 just follow it to Borrenes but you will miss Villavieja and Cornatel.

There isn't any other route between 1 and 3 because there is this huge rock formation. And from Cornatel you can clearly see the N-536 winding up from Santalla. And that's it as I know.

Thanks, K1, I'll take a further look. Last time when we talked about it, I hadn't been on the Invierno in 4 years, so I was kind of at a disadvantage. Now it's a bit fresher in my mind, so I'll take what you say and look at streetview on google maps.

Pictures always help if I can figure out where they are.

 

[KinkyOne]

Thanks, K1, I'll take a further look. Last time when we talked about it, I hadn't been on the Invierno in 4 years, so I was kind of at a disadvantage. Now it's a bit fresher in my mind, so I'll take what you say and look at streetview on google maps.

Pictures always help if I can figure out where they are.

Here you have them:

- A chapel after Santalla. Soon after that you should turn left up to N-536:


- left to Villavieja after crossing N-536 (you can see a rough gravel path to the left) or continue on N-536 to Borrenes:


- A bend (U-turn) in Villavieja where after this house there is a path though ancient chestnuts slightly uphill to the left and the other path/road to the right (the photo of the house was taken kind of looking backwards . you come from the far right regarding the standpoint of where the photo was taken!!!):


- The first mojon after (right at the parking lot) Cornatel. From here you just have to go down to Borrenes either straight over the pastures or on the tarmac road:


And that's it. It was so easy for me... Not the uphill to Villavieja though

 

[peregrina2000]

BUT... I think you are now saying that essentially pilgrims have one choice, and two options. At the second picture you either take the camino to the left, which will take you first to Villavieja and then up to Cornatel, OR stay on the highway to Borrenes (in which case I assume you don't go up to anything, you just stay low and go straight into Borrenes, which is what I think google street view shows).

I don't think we need to give all the many possible off-camino permutations, but for someone who wants to avoid that first big ascent, at the second picture, that's your chance. Right?

 

[KinkyOne]

BUT... I think you are now saying that essentially pilgrims have one choice, and two options. At the second picture you either take the camino to the left, which will take you first to Villavieja and then up to Cornatel, OR stay on the highway to Borrenes (in which case I assume you don't go up to anything, you just stay low and go straight into Borrenes, which is what I think google street view shows).

I don't think we need to give all the many possible off-camino permutations, but for someone who wants to avoid that first big ascent, at the second picture, that's your chance. Right?

Right!
Because if you proceed on N-536 after the second picture you can turn left up the tarmac road to Cornatel well before Borrenes (see GPS link at KM 10). But it would be kind of walking back and you'd gain the same altitude, although more gradual, as on the goat path directly to Villavieja.
And from Villavieja you have two options again to Cornatel... hehe
But look at my GPS here:
https://www.endomondo.com/users/16690154/workouts/375088548
and see what a loop from KM 04 to KM 10 is up/through Villavieja.

 

[peregrina2000]

Right!
Because if you proceed on N-536 after the second picture you can turn left up the tarmac road to Cornatel well before Borrenes (see GPS link at KM 10). But it would be kind of walking back and you'd gain the same altitude, although more gradual, as on the goat path directly to Villavieja.
And from Villavieja you have two options again to Cornatel... hehe
But look at my GPS here:
https://www.endomondo.com/users/16690154/workouts/375088548
and see what a loop from KM 04 to KM 10 is up/through Villavieja.

Oh, wait, so you can take a road option to the castle if you want. That avoids Villavieja (?) and goes straight up and then you have to go back down to get to Borrenes. It's starting to make more sense. I never take these road options so I never have any idea where I am in relation to the highways. Thanks, K1

 

[KinkyOne]

Oh, wait, so you can take a road option to the castle if you want. That avoids Villavieja (?) and goes straight up and then you have to go back down to get to Borrenes. It's starting to make more sense. I never take these road options so I never have any idea where I am in relation to the highways. Thanks, K1

Yes. If you look at KM 10 in my GPS track you can turn left up the minor tarmac road and visit the Cornatel. That's actually the road that Villavieja people are using with their cars. See the sharp bend (Castillo de Cornatel!!!) between KM 09&08 where blue line goes to the right (where I've walked) one is going to the left as a white line (that's the tarmac road to the village)? Well, that's the two paths/roads from Villavieja to/from Cornatel

 

[Charrito]

I did Santalla to Borrenes by road last year. Not very exciting, and it's a bit of an uphill slog, but nothing compared with the walk up to the castle.

You can see the two routes clearly here: yellow up to the castle, green up the road. Much shorter, but not as pretty.

http://www.independentrip.com/camino-de-santiago/camino-de-invierno/etapa-2-santalla-las-medulas

 

[peregrina2000]

Now I get it! That's what K1 meant when he described a big mound in the middle with the camino going one way and the road to Borrenes going another to get around it! Thanks!

 

[Charrito]

Now I get it! That's what K1 meant when he described a big mound in the middle with the camino going one way and the road to Borrenes going another to get around it! Thanks!

That website has some really good detailed maps and photos. You may remember that I opened a thread on it last year.

 

[peregrina2000]

That website has some really good detailed maps and photos. You may remember that I opened a thread on it last year.

That's a very gentle way of pointing out that I totally forgot about that great website. I am going to add a link to it in the guide, because you are right, it has a lot of great information. Charrito, can you give me the "home page" rather than stage 2? I can't figure out where it is. Thanks again, L.

p.s. that may be where I got the mis-information that Casa Pacita was two km off the camino, because that's what they say. http://www.independentrip.com/camino-de-santiago/camino-de-invierno/albergue-barxa-de-lor

The prices given on that website are quite reasonable, I wonder if they are accurate?!

 

[Charrito]

That's a very gentle way of pointing out that I totally forgot about that great website. I am going to add a link to it in the guide, because you are right, it has a lot of great information. Charrito, can you give me the "home page" rather than stage 2? I can't figure out where it is. Thanks again, L.

p.s. that may be where I got the mis-information that Casa Pacita was two km off the camino, because that's what they say. http://www.independentrip.com/camino-de-santiago/camino-de-invierno/albergue-barxa-de-lor

The prices given on that website are quite reasonable, I wonder if they are accurate?!

http://www.independentrip.com/camino-de-santiago/camino-de-invierno/etapa-1-ponferrada-santalla

That's the link to stage 1; you can then follow the other stages by clicking on the left.

I reckon the prices for Casa Pacita are very reasonable, although I would heartily recommend Pensión As Viñas in A Pobra do Brollon. Ask KinkyOne! We're both well known there!