Villares de Orbigo

Villares de Orbigo is a municipality in the province of León, on the Camino Frances between Hospital de Orbigo and Santibáñez de Valdeiglesias. The village occupies the gently rising terrain west of the Orbigo river valley as the route begins its ascent toward the Astorga plateau.

The village has a compact Leonese stone character with traditional farmhouses and the church of Santiago Apóstol. The surrounding agricultural landscape is a mix of irrigated valley crops near the river and the drier cereal terrain of the upland approach.

For pilgrims, Villares marks the beginning of the gentle climb from the Orbigo valley toward the El Ganso and Cruz de Ferro stages ahead, the terrain beginning to show the first hints of the upland country approaching the Maragatería.