June 22, 2025 : Belorado to San Juan de Ortega.

Forests, Hermitages, Watermelon, and the Best Pilgrim Dinner Yet

Today was going to be a long one, so the alarm went off at 5:15 a.m.

Thankfully, I wear earplugs when I sleep, so I didn’t hear much of the commotion around us. Apparently, however, Saturday night had been a big one in Belorado. Ashley said there had been plenty of partying, with locals outside walking around, yelling, and generally making sure nobody got too much sleep.

Fortunately, I was blissfully unaware.

By 6:00 a.m. sharp, we were out the door.

The early morning walk took us past a few more really cool Camino murals before we crossed a beautiful bridge surrounded by greenery. The combination of the early morning light, the quiet streets, and the natural surroundings made for a peaceful start.

Tosantos and a Church in a Cliff

Our first stop was the little town of Tosantos.

Because it was Sunday, finding an open café for breakfast wasn’t easy. Eventually, we spotted one that was open and happily sat down for breakfast.

We ordered a simple breakfast of an omelet and a piece of bread. It cost about €4, which seemed a little expensive compared with some of the breakfasts we’d had earlier in the Camino, but at that point we weren’t complaining.

It was hot, filling, and — most importantly — available.

From Tosantos, we made a short detour to the Ermita de la Virgen de la Peña.

The hermitage is built directly into the rock face, making it one of those places that feels completely different from anything you might encounter on an ordinary sightseeing trip.

According to local tradition, an image associated with the Virgin was discovered here in the early eighth century. Getting to the hermitage required a short detour of roughly half a mile, including a fairly steep climb.

But once we reached the top, the effort was worth it.

The views in every direction were spectacular.

Standing there beside a church carved into the rock, surrounded by the landscape and thinking about how long this place has been connected to the Camino, made for one of those quiet moments where you stop and simply take it all in.

Then came the less glamorous part:

We had to climb back down.

Villambistia and a Quick Church Stop

Back on the Camino, we soon reached Villambistia.

The town appeared to be preparing for some sort of religious procession. We found the church and were allowed inside by the woman guarding the entrance.

It was a very simple church, but that was part of its charm. Inside was a modest image of Mary and Jesus, and the whole place felt peaceful and intimate.

We got another Camino stamp and continued on.

Fueling Up for the Big Climb

Our next major stop was Villafranca Montes de Oca, which was important for one reason:

The climb was coming.

This was essentially our last chance to stock up before the long uphill section, so we stopped at a supermarket and assembled a little picnic.

Cheese.

Salami.

Crackers.

Orange Kas.

It wasn’t exactly a gourmet meal, but after walking several hours, it looked fantastic.

We ate until we were comfortably full and then started the climb.

The hill was long and steep, and we definitely had to take a few breaks. But something interesting happened.

It didn’t feel nearly as difficult as these climbs had felt when we first started the Camino.

We were getting stronger.

The hills that would have seemed brutal on Day One were becoming manageable. We still weren’t exactly sprinting up them, but we were making progress.

Eventually, we reached the top, where there was a nice picnic area. We stopped for another short break and enjoyed the feeling of having conquered the climb.

A Somber Reminder

Not long afterward, we came across a monument commemorating people who were killed in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War.

Nearly 300 people who opposed the Francoist side were killed in the area.

The monument served as a reminder of the tragedy, and the atmosphere immediately changed. After so many days of beautiful scenery and cheerful encounters with fellow pilgrims, it was sobering to stop and remember the darker history of the landscape we were walking through.

We continued on quietly.

Into the Forest

Then the landscape changed completely.

Instead of the wheat fields and vineyards we’d been walking through for days, we entered a dense pine forest.

Tall trees surrounded the trail, and suddenly we felt like we were walking through a completely different part of Spain.

It was peaceful.

And then something else happened that we hadn’t appreciated nearly enough before:

The wind picked up.

For the next couple of hours, we had a wonderful breeze blowing through the trees. After all the sweating we’d done earlier, it felt fantastic. The wind practically dried us off as we walked.

This was probably the most different landscape we’d experienced so far on the Camino, and we really enjoyed it.

Pete Has a Secret

Along the way, we met a guy named Pete from Ontario, Canada.

Pete was walking slowly.

Very slowly.

In fact, he seemed to be weaving back and forth across the trail.

At first, we weren’t sure what to make of him.

Then he told us that he had walked this particular route seven times.

Our opinion of Pete changed immediately.

Clearly, he knew what he was doing.

Maybe his secret was simply to walk slowly and steadily, conserving energy rather than trying to cover the miles quickly.

Seven Caminos versus our one.

We decided Pete probably knew something we didn’t.

Angel and the Two-Euro Watermelon

A little farther down the trail, we started hearing something unusual.

Jazz music.

At first, we could hear it faintly in the distance. As we got closer, we saw a minivan pulled over beside the Camino with a table set up outside.

Standing there was a very friendly-looking man named Angel.

Angel was hilarious.

We stopped and bought a huge slice of watermelon for €2, which tasted fantastic after all the walking we’d been doing.

But Angel wasn’t just selling fruit.

He was entertaining pilgrims.

He joked with us, laughed, and even put on a clown nose to make us laugh.

At one point, he made a joke about Florida having great beaches, great fish — and great hurricanes.

It was completely ridiculous and completely appropriate.

These little encounters are one of the things that make the Camino so special. You’re doing something physically difficult, you’re tired, you’re sweaty, and then suddenly a local person appears with a giant watermelon, jazz music, and a clown nose.

And somehow it makes your day.

San Juan de Ortega

Eventually, we started the final slow descent toward San Juan de Ortega.

The town was tiny compared with the places we’d stayed recently. There were only a couple of albergues, so we were extremely happy we’d made a reservation.

When we checked in, the host told us there were only four beds left.

Good decision.

And then we saw our room.

 It was fantastic.

The ceiling was made from massive wooden beams, the walls were stone, and the beds were solid oak. Even better, they had real mattresses and real sheets.

After some of the more basic pilgrim accommodations we’d experienced, this felt downright luxurious.

The Best Pilgrim Dinner Yet

The albergue offered a pilgrim dinner for €15, including several courses and wine.

Since there weren’t many other dining options in town, and because we hadn’t had a pilgrim dinner in a while, we decided to go for it.

The decision turned out to be excellent.

Dinner started with homemade pumpkin soup. It had a wonderful peppery flavor and tasted like something someone had actually made in their kitchen rather than something that had come out of a restaurant kitchen in bulk.

Then came paella with chicken and sausage, followed by a simple salad.

Dessert was cheesecake.

And, of course, there was complimentary red wine for groups of four.

The food was delicious.

But as we’ve discovered repeatedly on the Camino, the food is only half the experience.

The other half is who you’re sitting with.

The International Dinner Table

We were seated at a long communal table surrounded by pilgrims from all over the world.

There was an Irish girl who had walked this route six times. She told us stories about some of the incredible albergues she’d stayed in, including one with a wine cellar in the basement where the owner gives guests a tour. She wouldn’t tell us the name of this albergue as you’re meant to discover these sorts of places on your own.

That immediately went on our mental list.

We also talked with a woman from China who was an English teacher. She was doing the Camino simply to relax.

Then she explained that her job was extremely mentally stressful, and that walking the Camino was soothing because the challenge was primarily physical.

That made perfect sense.

Across from us was a woman from Mexico City. We’d been wanting to visit Mexico City for a while, so naturally we started talking about it. She was kind enough to give us her phone number in case we needed suggestions when we eventually made the trip.

We also talked with a man from Paris who had completed different sections of the Camino and had traveled extensively throughout Europe and the United States. He gave us several travel suggestions, including a small island near Madagascar that immediately went onto the ever-growing list of places we’d like to visit.

By about 8:30 p.m., we’d had our fill of food, wine, and conversation.

And we both agreed on something:

What makes a pilgrim dinner special isn’t really the dinner. It’s the people sitting around the table.

You never know who you’re going to meet.

A teacher from China.

A six-time Camino veteran from Ireland.

A traveler from Mexico City.

A Parisian who has traveled half the world.

And two Americans who are still trying to figure out how they ended up walking hundreds of miles across Spain.

That’s the Camino.

By now, San Juan de Ortega was quiet and there wasn’t much else to do, so we headed back to our room, relaxed, and prepared for another day on the trail.

After waking up at 5:15 that morning, we were more than ready for bed.

⭐ Day Highlights

Distance: Approximately 24 km
Walking Time: About 9 hours including breaks
Weather: Warm, with a welcome breeze through the forest

Highlight: The dramatic Ermita de la Virgen de la Peña, built into the rock face above Tosantos

Best Food: The homemade pumpkin soup and chicken-and-sausage paella at the pilgrim dinner

Funniest Moment: Angel putting on a clown nose while selling watermelon and making jokes about Florida’s beaches, fish, and hurricanes

Camino Achievement: Completing the long climb and realizing that hills that once seemed intimidating were becoming much more manageable

Camino Lesson: The Camino gets easier in unexpected ways. Your legs get stronger, your pace gets steadier, and the hills that once seemed impossible become just another part of the day.

Tomorrow: Onward toward Burgos.