Borrenes to Puente de Domingo Flórez

One of the reasons I wanted to walk the Camino Invierno was to see the Roman gold mines. Today was the day!

The first photo explains it, but basically the Romans destroyed the mountain by using water at high velocity in order to access the gold. In the first to third century AD. Amazing engineering feat, beautiful scenery, but actually an ecological disaster.

I wasn’t actually certain how to get to the best viewpoint, Mirador Orellán, so I just walked until I saw a sign indicating a path. At that point I left the Camino and followed a hiking trail. It was well marked and had several explanation signs. Very helpful.

So today I walked about 22 km. Half up, up, up. Followed by down, down, down. I was pretty tired when I got in. And hungry, too.

What a day! The scenery was outstanding. It kind of reminded me of crossing the Pyrenees on the Camino Frances. The mountains in the distance were gorgeous, and I did climb a mountain!Read more