El Acebo

The walk itself to El Acebo from Cruz de Ferro isn’t long but it’s pretty steep downhill and with a lot of loose rock. The views are incredible but there isn’t a stop to sit and catch your breath after the break at Cruz de Ferro. The sun beating down during the descent, in my opinion, makes this walk one of the hardest on the Camino. People ask me all the time if they should take walking poles and I think on days like this one, I’m so glad I have my poles for stabilization for my knees.

Once we make it to the small town of El Acebo, the climb, emotions of the day, and the steep descent are all worth it when we see our lodging for the evening. This pilgrim albergue is one of the nicest places on the Camino, in my opinion. We all stay in one room as a family unit and we are each given a bunk. While the sleeping quarters are modest, they are clean and the view is five stars! This place even has a spa, laundry facilities, and a pool.

We checked in and started laundry. On the Camino, we do laundry whenever we can so we usually through all of our things in together. While some opted for a massage, others went straight for the pool. We all showered and ate a delicious communal dinner that rivaled any Michelin starred restaurant in both taste and presentation.

After dinner, we gathered outside to watch the sunset and play cards. Sadly, Quincy was only able to join us for a few days so she took a cab to the next bigger town to get on her bus to Madrid. The rest of us packed our bags for the following day and said our goodnights and goodbyes to the other pilgrims we met at the albergue. Tomorrow, we will cross into Galicia!