Garden of the Soul, Game of Thrones vibes, two VR experiences, 250 claustrophobic stairs, and a Plate of strawberries on my stomach watching laundry dry.
📊 Stage Quick Facts:
- Distance: ~24 km
- Time: ~7 hours (including stops and explorations)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Terrain: Rolling paths, beautiful countryside trails, ending with a railway footbridge and a short uphill climb into Astorga.
The Regret of Hospital de Orbigo and an Oasis for the Soul
Leaving Santa Marina del Rey around 9:00 AM, the trail quickly began to make up for yesterday’s dusty highway. By 11:00 AM, the Camino brought me to the town of Hospital de Orbigo. The name of this historic town derives from the medieval pilgrim hospital established here centuries ago by the Knights of Saint John.
The crown jewel of this town is its enormous, majestic bridge, the Passo Honroso, built originally in the 13th century during a time when the Orbigo river ran incredibly broad and wild. Standing on it felt like stepping onto a movie set. To be completely honest, looking around this breathtaking place, I felt a wave of regret that I didn’t plan to stay overnight here instead of Santa Marina!
After that, the broad, welcoming path of the Camino led me straight to El Jardin del Alma (The Garden of the Soul). What a gem of a place! It is a beautiful, donativo-based oasis that is absolutely perfect for shared chit-chats, meeting new people, and having a healthy, refreshing snack. They have dedicated chilling areas where you can just lie back and relax in a hammock. If the trail weren’t calling my name, I honestly would have stayed there all day long.
Game of Thrones Vibes on the Trail
Refreshed, I continued walking until the Camino brought me to the Cruceiro de Santo Toribio, a striking stone cross dating back to the 18th century. I don’t quite know why, but the moment I approached it, it gave me literal chills and a massive Game of Thrones vibe. It felt ancient, powerful, and deeply cinematic.
After pausing to replenish my water supplies, the path guided me toward Astorga-my final destination for the night. The town greets you with graffitis and a surprisingly crazy, steep footbridge designed to cross over the railway tracks, followed by a short but sharp uphill climb into the historic center.
By the time I successfully checked into my accommodation around 16:00, my swimsuit was immediately back in action. I spent a glorious hour soaking my dead, exhausted body in a refreshing pool. Heaven!
Astorga: A Town Worth a Rest Day
What can I say? Astorga is absolutely beautiful. If you still trust my humble opinion, plan to take a rest day here if your schedule allows it. It is a relatively small town, but it definitely punches above its weight with incredible places to visit. Take your time to enjoy a slow walk through its cute streets and charming little parks.
First and foremost, you cannot miss the Astorga Cathedral and its museum. Its unique Baroque façade completely took my breath away. It was so structurally different from any other cathedral I had seen on the Camino before.
When you visit, whatever you do, do not skip its Virtual Reality (VR) experience! It takes you right through the rich history of the area and the complex building process of the cathedral. I’ve been to many high-end VR experiences in my life, but the quality of this one was just “wow!” By the end of the simulation, you are virtually flying over the roof of the cathedral, enjoying sweeping views of its arches, domes, and spires-and you will find yourself white-knuckling the arms of your chair just to be sure you are safely on the ground! At the moment of snapping this picture, I was genuinely curious what was being broadcasted in there.
For an extra fee, you can also climb up the main tower to see the physical view of the town. They open a tiny, hidden door on the side of the wall for you and-hello, claustrophobia!-you begin climbing up 250 narrow, winding stairs.
After climbing Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the past, I had promised myself: never again. But here we are. The Camino makes you break your own rules. There is even a tiny traffic light installed inside the stairwell so you don’t jam into someone head-on on your way down. To be honest, I was in such a rush to get back out into the open air that I didn’t even check the light!
Another architectural masterpiece you cannot miss is Gaudí’s Episcopal Palace (Palacio Episcopal). It is one of the very few buildings Antoni Gaudí designed outside of Catalonia, and it looks like a fairy-tale medieval castle blended with brilliant modernist logic. Built with smooth granite, it features dramatic neo-Gothic arches, circular towers, and stunning stained-glass windows that make the interior glow.
Just like the Cathedral, the Palace now offers its own VR experience. It allows you to virtually stand alongside Gaudí himself, seeing his original sketches come to life and exploring hidden architectural details of the palace that are normally closed to the public. It’s absolutely worth the ticket!
Evening I spent in horizontal position on the sunbed in the yard of Albergue with the plate full of strawberries located exactly on my stomach watching my laundry dry on the other side of the yard.
Next stop: Foncebadon – and the legendary Cruz de Ferro was getting closer. But this stop made me fall in love with Gaudi’s masterpieces all over again:
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