Camino Francés - Day 25: El Ganso to Molinaseca
I planned to leave early, but my hiking pole was in a locked area that wouldn’t open until 7 AM. Today’s walk was much more exciting than the flat sections I’ve had all week. I practically skipped up the hill to Foncebadón, took a short break, and continued to the highlight of the day—Cruz de Ferro. Pilgrims traditionally leave a stone here to symbolize letting go of burdens. I also saw many other mementos.
From Cruz de Ferro to Molinaseca, the path was mostly downhill, which I found much harder than uphill. Some sections were steep and rocky, so I took my time. After I got to the bottom, all I can think about is I don’t ever want to do this section again. I hadn’t booked accommodation and was worried about arriving after 3 PM.
As it turned out, all the albergues were full. While figuring out what to do—since the next town was 8 km away—an albergue owner kindly called around to check for availability. I waited with three other pilgrims from Taiwan and Japan who were also looking for a bed. Finally, good news! There were two rooms available in a hotel for €46 per room. We took the offer and headed there. The hotel was actually closed for the day, but the owner opened it just for us. I was beyond grateful! I hugged her and told her she was my Camino angel. So happy to have a bed tonight!
Route Overview
Distance: 32.73 km (Albergue Indian Way → Casa Rural La Torre de Babel)
Total elevation gain: 584 m
Duration: 7 hr 2 min (with breaks 8 hr 8 min)
Difficulty: Challenging
Cost Breakdown
Accommodation: Casa Rural La Torre de Babel (Referred) — €23
Food: €26.1
