Camino Olvidado

The Camino Olvidado links Bilbao with Villafranca del Bierzo through the mountains, avoiding the meseta. It is one of the oldest Jacobean routes: between the 9th and 11th centuries it was the main way to Santiago, when the unsafe Duero valley and Almanzor's campaigns ruled out the lowland route.

It lost prominence in the late 11th century, when the frontier moved south of the Duero and Alfonso VI promoted the Camino Francés together with the monks of Cluny. It stayed forgotten until its recent revival: Castilla y León recognised it as a Historic Route in December 2020. Palencia and León mountains, empty villages and silence.