Ponferrada

Ponferrada (, from the Latin Pons Ferrata, Iron Bridge) is a city in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. It lies on the Sil River, a tributary of the river Miño, in the El Bierzo valley, completely surrounded by mountains. It is the last major town along the French route of the Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago) before it reaches its destination of Santiago de Compostela. In 2008, it had a population of 69,769.