Soon after Manjarín, at an obvious summit on the road, just below a military radar station, you are at 1517 m - the highest point on the whole Camino Francés.

The descent to El Acebo is very steep and rocky. You will need walking sticks to help with the descent. There is an alternative longer route via the road which might be a wiser choice if you do not have walking sticks or a staff available.

Manjarín has an official population of 1, a Camino legend called Tomas. Tomas is a self-styled modern-day knight templar and runs a small albergue in Manjarín. The albergue is very basic with only cold mountain water, no showers, very basic toilet facilities and mattresses on the floor. However, many pilgrims love the charm of this place and the warm welcome. During the day it is possible to buy a coffee or a cold drink from Tomas or one of his helpers. This albergue is truly a Camino icon though personally I usually prefer to stay in the albergue with a swimming pool in El Acebo.

The official route down from Manjarín to El Acebo and on to Molinaseca is stunning but follows a mixture of rocky paths and a small bit of walking on the quiet road. However, some parts particularly just before El Acebo and just after Riegos are very steep and very rocky and I would recommend that if you do not have walking poles that you follow the road the whole way down to El Acebo and from El Acebo to Molinaseca. This detour via the road has all disadvantages of road walking and will add an extra 2.2km on to your walk.