Camponaraya, Spain: travel guide to the Bierzo wine town on the Camino de Santiago

Camponaraya is a town in the El Bierzo region of the province of Leon, in Castile and Leon, set on the fertile plain just west of Ponferrada in north-western Spain. Home to around 4,100 people, it lies in the heart of the Bierzo and on the pilgrim road to Santiago de Compostela.

For travellers searching for Camponaraya, the Camino de Santiago, Bierzo wine or towns near Ponferrada, it offers pilgrimage heritage and excellent food and wine.

History and the Camino

The town was formed in the 15th century from the union of two older villages, Campo and Naraya, the latter recorded as far back as the 9th and 10th centuries and long tied to the powerful monastery of Carracedo. Standing on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago, Camponaraya had two medieval pilgrim hospitals, those of the Soledad and of San Juan de Jabero, and it still welcomes walkers some 190 kilometres from Santiago.

Wine and gastronomy

Camponaraya sits among the vineyards of the Bierzo Designation of Origin, famous for reds from the Mencia grape and whites from Godello, and the area is also celebrated for its reineta apples, roasted peppers and cured meats such as botillo. As one of the León districts where Galician is spoken, it marks the transition towards neighbouring Galicia.

Practical information

Camponaraya lies about 7 kilometres west of Ponferrada, right at the geographic centre of the Bierzo, with easy access from the A-6 motorway and good links towards Villafranca del Bierzo and Galicia.