Calle del Agua — the Street of Water, named for the stream that once ran along it — is the spine of Vilafranca's medieval quarter. The street drops steeply downhill from the church quarter toward the bridge over the River Burbia, lined on both sides by stone-faced noble houses, a 16th-century palace or two, and the old pilgrim hospital that has been sheltering walkers for centuries. At any hour of day, you are likely to encounter pilgrims with walking poles clacking across the cobbles, either arriving dusty and relieved or resting sore feet outside one of the small bars.
This is the street to walk slowly and look up. The stone carvings above doorways, the coats of arms on facade corners, and the glimpses through archways into interior courtyards tell you that Vilafranca was once a wealthy town — the lords of El Bierzo built here, and the pilgrim trade brought merchants and money. Most of the pilgrim hostels cluster along and around this street, making it the social centre of the town's Camino life from spring through autumn.