Manjarin

Manjarin is a hamlet in the province of León, Castilla y León, at approximately 1,450 metres on the ridge of the Montes de León on the Camino Frances, just west of the Cruz de Ferro. The village is almost entirely abandoned and in ruins, with the sole inhabited structure being the albergue run by Tomás, a local character who maintains the refuge in a famously eccentric manner, styling himself a Templar knight and maintaining a collection of Templar-associated flags and memorabilia.

The surrounding terrain is the exposed high sierra with wide views opening to the northwest toward the Bierzo valley, visible far below. The dramatic panorama from this ridge point is one of the most expansive on the entire Camino Frances.

For pilgrims, Manjarin is a surreal encounter on the remote high ridge, its eccentric character and the view toward the Bierzo creating one of the more memorable micro-experiences of this stage.