Las Médulas, the Valporquero caves and Ponferrada without a car, and the French Way through León with a driver: how to get there, how far it is from León and Ponferrada and how to book an excursion with waiting time
Las Médulas, the former Roman gold mine declared a World Heritage Site, lie south-west of Ponferrada and are explored on foot from the village and the viewpoints; they have no useful public transport, so a car is the way to get there and back: from Ponferrada it is 25 km, from 42,13 €, and from León 141 km and about 105 min. The Valporquero caves, in Vegacervera north of León, are visited with a guide and have their own season and times: from León it is 44 km along a mountain road, from 72,27 €. The Templar castle overlooks Ponferrada, 114 km from León. A car with a driver that waits turns each visit into an excursion with a fixed price, and on the French Way it serves to skip a stage or get back to León station.
Written by Ridelta - Taxi y VTC · reviewed on 27 October 2026
How do you get to Las Médulas without a car, and how far is it from León and Ponferrada?
Las Médulas are the landscape left by the largest open-cast gold mine of the Roman Empire: red pinnacles among chestnut trees, galleries carved out with water and a lake, Carucedo, formed from the sediment. They lie at the far south-west of El Bierzo, between the municipalities of Carucedo and Borrenes, and are explored on foot from the village of Las Médulas, where the archaeological centre and the start of the trails are, or from the Orellán viewpoint, reached by another road. The regional government of Castilla y León and the Las Médulas Foundation publish the trails, the guided visits and the opening times of the park centre, which change with the season.
There is no practical way to get there by public transport: the bus does not enter the site and the nearest railway station is Ponferrada's. From Ponferrada it is 25 km along the N-536 towards Carucedo, with the transfer from 42,13 €; from Villafranca del Bierzo, 26 km; from León, 141 km along the A-6 and over the Manzanal, about 105 min. The province page gives a piece of advice that weighs here: allow plenty of time for the return, because walks around the site tend to take longer than planned and there is no alternative transport if the pickup is missed. That is why the usual thing is to book the car with waiting time, not a one-way trip.
And to the Valporquero caves?
The Valporquero caves are in Vegacervera, in the central mountains north of León, carved by the stream of the same name beneath a landscape of limestone gorges. They belong to León Provincial Council, which runs them, publishes the opening calendar and the types of visit, guided through the lit chambers or caving along the watercourse, and sells the tickets; the cave has a season, closes in winter and is cold inside all year, so it is worth taking a coat in August. You get there along the La Vecilla and Vegacervera road, a mountain route that in spring and autumn is part of the attraction and on foggy days calls for patience.
No bus reaches the cave in time for a visit, and the province page says it plainly: the cave has its own season and times, so it is worth fixing the visit time before setting the pickup. From León it is 44 km and about 58 min, with the transfer from 72,27 €; from La Robla, which is already on the way, 26 km. What works is booking the car for the morning with the time of the guided visit, having the driver wait in the cave car park and letting the return pass, if you wish, through Vegacervera or the gorges for lunch, with the price of the whole tour fixed before leaving.
What is there to see in Ponferrada, and how does it fit with Las Médulas in a day?
Ponferrada is the capital of El Bierzo and its old town gathers around the Templar castle, above the Sil river and on the route of the Camino de Santiago, with the basilica of La Encina, the clock tower and the Radio and Bierzo museums a few steps away. The castle is municipal property and the town council publishes its visiting hours and prices, which change between high and low season; it is the city's main sight and a waypoint for many pilgrims. From León it is 114 km along the A-6, and Ponferrada station, on the conventional line towards Galicia, has a few trains a day from León.
The classic day trip from León joins the two: leave in the morning, cross the Manzanal, see the castle and have lunch in Ponferrada's old town, go down in the afternoon to Las Médulas for the Orellán viewpoint and the caves trail, and return to León at dusk; it is a long day, 114 km each way plus the stretch to the site, and only makes sense with a car that waits at every stop. Anyone sleeping in Ponferrada or Villafranca does it more slowly: Las Médulas one morning, the castle another, and the Valle del Silencio or Peñalba de Santiago, also without a bus, on a third day. In July, the Templar Night fills the old town and closes the centre to traffic, and the pickup is set outside the area.
How does the car with a driver help those walking the French Way through León?
The French Way crosses the whole province: it enters at Sahagún, continues through El Burgo Ranero and Mansilla de las Mulas to León, leaves towards Astorga across the moor, climbs to Foncebadón and the Cruz de Ferro, drops to Molinaseca and Ponferrada and carries on through Villafranca del Bierzo towards O Cebreiro. In season, from spring to autumn and above all in summer, many pilgrims need something the Camino does not provide: getting to the start of a stage from León station, skipping the moorland stretch between León and Astorga, the one most often avoided, taking an injury down to Ponferrada or returning from Villafranca to catch the train. From Sahagún to León it is 59 km; from León to Astorga, 52 km.
The car with a driver is booked like any other trip, with the hostel or the exact stage point as origin or destination; the province page also advises saying how much luggage you carry, because a group with large rucksacks and poles needs a bigger vehicle. From Astorga to Ponferrada, crossing the Montes de León by road while the Camino goes over Foncebadón, it is about 48 min; from Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo, 26 km. Anyone walking the Camino in sections and going home from León station has in the transfer the link between the end of the stage and the time of the AVE, with the price fixed and the driver waiting where the day ends.
How do you book an excursion with waiting time, and what should you bear in mind?
You book on the website or in the app as a single service with the origin, the stops and the expected time at each one, and the calculator gives the full price before confirming; the price is per car, not per person, so a family or a group of four pays the same as a couple. The driver waits in the car park at each place and, if a visit runs over, you call or use the app and the return adjusts according to the policy published on the help page. For groups filling more than one car, the groups and events page explains how several vehicles are coordinated on the same tour with a single invoice.
Three things to bear in mind. Opening hours are published by the managers of each site, the Provincial Council at Valporquero, the town council at the castle and the regional government at Las Médulas, and they change with the season; the car is booked after you have the visit time, not before. At Las Médulas footwear and water matter, because the caves trail and the climb to Orellán are dirt paths in the sun. And in León, if the excursion ends with the cathedral, much of the Barrio Húmedo is pedestrianised and the car drops you at the nearest accessible point; from San Andrés del Rabanedo to the cathedral, for example, the transfer starts from 18,00 €.
Frequently asked questions
Can you reach Las Médulas by public transport?
In practice, no: the bus does not enter the site and the nearest station is Ponferrada's, 25 km away. A car with a driver that waits is the usual way to get there and back; from Ponferrada, from 42,13 €.
How much is it from León to the Valporquero caves?
The published "from" fare is 72,27 € for 44 km and about 58 min along a mountain road. Waiting time during the visit is added when booking; tickets and opening times are published by León Provincial Council.
Does the driver wait while we visit Las Médulas or the castle?
Yes. The excursion is booked with the stops and the time at each one, the driver waits in the car park and, if you run over, you tell them through the app and the return adjusts according to the help page policy. The price of the whole tour is known before leaving.
Can you carry our rucksacks or take us past a stage of the Camino?
Yes. You book a trip between the hostel or exact stage point and the destination, saying how many people and how much luggage are travelling, so the right vehicle is assigned. From León to Astorga, the moorland stage most often skipped, it is 52 km.
Sources
- Turismo de Castilla y León · Las Médulas, Patrimonio de la Humanidad: sendas, miradores y Casa del Parque (consulted on 27 October 2026)
- Diputación de León · Cuevas de Valporquero: calendario, modalidades de visita y entradas (consulted on 27 October 2026)
- Ayuntamiento de Ponferrada · Castillo de los Templarios: horarios y visitas (consulted on 27 October 2026)
- Junta de Castilla y León · Patrimonio Cultural: el Camino de Santiago Francés en la provincia de León (consulted on 27 October 2026)
How we write, where the figures come from and how we correct an error: editorial policy.
Opening times, seasons and tickets for Las Médulas, Valporquero and the Templar castle are published by their managers and change every year; check them before booking the car. Distances and times are those of the route engine in daytime with no incidents; the exact price, with waiting, comes from the calculator with date and time.