Stage 10: Santo Domingo de la Calzada → Belorado

A new stage day – Beginning & Mood

The day in Santo Domingo de la Calzada begins in the twilight of the early hours. The bells of the cathedral echo across the square, where pilgrims have continued their journey for centuries. In front of the cafés, the first cups clatter, the scent of churros and coffee rises into the narrow streets, and the carved balconies cast long shadows on the cobblestones.

You walk out through the city gate – that very gate which carries you away from the world of the legend of the rooster and the hen. Once more you see the towers of the city behind you, then the plain opens up. Step by step the narrowness disappears, and you breathe more deeply. Before you lies a day that is less a struggle against altitude, and more a quiet dance with the wide expanse.

Route & Elevation Profile

• Distance: approx. 22.7 km
• Elevation gain/loss: +350 m / –244 m
• Difficulty: easy to medium – gentle hills, longer straight sections, short stretches along the road.

The figures of this stage seem unspectacular. But precisely therein lies its special character: Here the Camino shows that not only peaks and passes move the heart, but also the steady walking through fields and vastness. The plain demands patience – and gives in return an eye for detail: a falcon circling, a gust of wind making the barley ripple, a conversation with your own breath.

Variants & Small Detours

The main route leads you without major diversions through small villages. Yet there are possibilities to alter the way slightly:

• Detour to the Albergue de Carrasquedo near Grañón – a quiet hostel in the forest, which feels like an oasis.
• Road proximity: The N-120 accompanies the Camino in stretches, but smaller meanders into the fields grant you moments of calm.

These are not major diversions, rather small choices – and sometimes just a change of view is enough to experience the day anew.

Description of the Way – With All Senses

You leave Santo Domingo, crossing the bridge over the Río Oja – the water flows calmly, as if wishing to grant you a gentle start. Behind you remain the red rooftops, before you the landscape widens.

After six kilometers you reach Grañón, a village standing like a guardian at the transition. Its church San Juan towers over the rooftops, and in the famous parish albergue you experience a community that remains unforgettable for many pilgrims. Beyond the village you cross an inconspicuous border – yet one of meaning: you leave the province of La Rioja and step into Castilla-León. From here, until far beyond León and up to O Cebreiro, the Camino will carry you through this vast, history-laden land.

The first village on Castilian soil is Redecilla del Camino. There you find a Romanesque baptismal font from the 12th century – like a stone testimony of countless generations of pilgrims.

The way winds further to Castildelgado, quiet and small, with houses that whisper stories. Then you arrive at Viloria de Rioja, birthplace of Santo Domingo. Here, where the life of the saint began, you may linger longer – in the stillness of the village, the spirit of the man who built bridges and roads for pilgrims seems still present.

Shortly before the goal lies Villamayor del Río, the “village of three lies” – neither “large”, nor a “city”, nor “by the river”. A humorous name that has made pilgrims smile for centuries. The last kilometers lead you through open fields to Belorado. The town welcomes you with narrow streets, the remains of an old castle, several churches and a long pilgrim tradition reaching back to the Middle Ages.

Intermediate Villages & Special Features

Packing & Shopping Tips

• Supply: Bars and small shops in Santo Domingo, Grañón, Redecilla, Belorado.
• Water: Repeated fountains and bars, but refill bottles in good time.
• Bring: Sun hat, provisions, small snack for the long straight sections.

“Sometimes an apple from Redecilla carries you further than any energy bar” – this stage lives from simplicity.

Food, Lodging & Supply

The choice of hostels is large:

• Grañón – known for its parish albergue with spiritual atmosphere.
• Viloria de Rioja – the hostel of Acacio y Orietta, a place of peace and encounter.
• Belorado – with numerous accommodations, from the large albergue Cuatro Cantones to smaller guesthouses.

Each hostel tells a different story – and sometimes it is the conversation at the table that gives you more than any soft bed.

The Special Feature Today

This stage is a transition – not only geographically, but also inwardly. You leave La Rioja with its wine and legends and step into the wide, history-filled world of Castile. Redecilla, Viloria and Belorado carry these stories in their walls: Romanesque baptismal fonts, birthplaces of saints, medieval walls.

Reflection at the End of the Stage

When you walk through the streets of Belorado in the evening and see the castle ruins in the evening light, you may ask yourself: “Was it today the vastness of the fields that shaped you – or the small stories of the villages that met you along the way?”

📊 Tabular Overview

🌌 Camino of the Stars

Santo Domingo de la Calzada → Grañón → Redecilla del Camino → Castildelgado → Viloria de Rioja → Villamayor del Río → BeloradoDid you enjoy this stage report? Are any details missing or would you like to add your own tips? Write to me via the contact form – in German, English, Spanish, Galician or French. Every experience makes the Camino richer.

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