Daily Walking Stages
on our Camino Retreat,
May 23-30, 2012

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Select your own Walking Distances
The general programme is to walk from Sarria to Santiago in 8 quite "do-able" stages. Each may tailor the walking to his/her capacity. Most days, one may choose to walk a longer or a shorter portion, using a taxi or our bus when needed, if the full distance seems too great. But the stages listed below - mostly no longer than 16 km - should be well within the capacity of anyone who signs on for this pilgrimage.

Click on any of the maps below, to move to the next mapped stage

22 May: Arrival; Coach Transfer; Overnight in Sarria (A)

Sarria (pop 13,000), a Galician town in the province of Lugo, is a popular starting point from which to begin the final major stretch of the Camino de Santiago, being about 110 km from Compostela. The area around Sarria has been inhabited for thousands of years, including by the Celts and the Romans, but the town itself was founded at the end of the 12th century by the last king of León, Alfonso IX, who named the village Vilanova de Sarria. He died here in 1230 and his statue can be seen near the police station.

Sarria looks pretty much like many other Spanish towns, heavily built up along a very busy main street but for points of interest you just need to move away from main street and head towards the river. Most of the buildings linked to the Camino can be found on the hillside where the old town used to be.

One of these is the Monasterio de la Magdalena, said to have been founded by a couple of Italian friars who passed this way on their pilgrimage to Santiago. They asked the Bishop of Lugo for permission to look after the pilgrims.

Then in 1568 an Augustinian order took over this task, but their monastery was abandoned in the late 18th century under the Desamortización, the Spanish version of England's dissolving the monasteries. Over the next century it was used as a prison and a warehouse, and eventually left to rack and ruin.

Sarria's heritage includes the early Gothic church of El Salvador (13th century), on Rua Maior. From there you can see in the distance the only remaining tower of the town's medieval fortress. Around this tower, three times a month a popular fair is held to showcase the area's produce.

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Those who want to earn the compostela, the certificate given out in Compostela itself to say you've completed the Camino de Santiago, will need to walk at least the last 100 km of the Camino, which means starting somewhere in the vicinity of Sarria. On our arrival in Sarria, after dinner in our hotel we will meet our Spanish guide, who will give us some orientation about the walking ahead. As our group is at least forty pilgrims, we shall have a nurse accompany us, for additional pastoral-medical care. It would be good for us to informally divide into seven small groups of six pilgrims apiece, each keeping a helpful eye out for each other so nobody gets left behind at the start of each day's walking.

23 May: Walk 1 - Sarria or Mouzos
to Portomarin (B) (16 kms. or 12 kms)

We aim to have a Mass in Sarria church at 7 am, followed by breakfast. If any of our group wishes to walk the full 24 km from Sarria to Portomarin they will, of course, be free to do so; but please tell me if you intend doing this. We shall meet you that evening, in Portomarin. The rest - probably the majority - who plan to walk a maximum of 16 kms per day, will be brought by coach to a starting point near Mouzos or Brea, and begin our walk from there.

Sarria to Portomarín

Markers at regular intervals along the way will indicate the distance to Compostela. If we start walking at the Brea Marker, we can walk the minimum pilgrimage distance to qualify for a Compostela. Better still, we may walk the first 3km out of Sarria, to As Paredes; and then those who want the shorter walk can be ferried to Brea or Mouzos, to continue their camino from there. Our Spanish rep will arrange this for us, on request.

For many pilgrims, Main Street, Sarria (Rua Maior) is the start-point of their pilgrimage to Compostela. In the early morning, especially during the summer months, the street offers a colourful cross-section of the ages, races, nationalities, clothing and equipment of Santiago caministas. Chatting with total strangers is a fully acceptable custom here.

For those who may choose the Rua Maior in Sarria as their starting point, giving you a hike of 24 km to Portomarin: continue past the prison to a nice lookout point, adorned with a cross. A few hundred metres further on, the road passes the Convento de la Magdalena, run by the Mercedarian Fathers. The camino then descends along the wall of the cemetery to Rio Pequeño (Little River), a tributary of the Rio Sarria. The medieval bridge, Ponte Aspera, is crossed (Km 1.2); then, passing by small meadows and orchards you cross the tracks under a viaduct, and go over an arroyo or dry riverbed (km 2.2) by a wooden footbridge. Beyond the arroyo ascend a steep slope - surrounded by fine chestnut trees - up to As Paredes (The Walls) marking a pre-Roman fort of that name. The village of As Paredes is just a few houses on the edge of the camino (Km 2.9).

From As Paredes the trail leads on to Vilei, with its sculpture in memory of Don Germain Arias and its vending machines: coffee, snacks etc, and a stamp to mark your pilgrim card further (Km 3.7). Follow the tarmac to Barbadelo parish, with its information panel on the Romanesque church of Santiago, several metres from the road. In the cemetery surrounding the church are some interesting gates and capitals. Passing the pilgrim hostel of Barbadelo on your right (Km 4.5), continue by the paved trail to the villages of Rente (Km 5.3) and Mercado da Serra (km 6), with its tavern at the junction with the LU-5709.

At the junction do not continue along the road but take the woodland corridor that faces you (km 6). Five minutes later you pass the fountain of the Santiago Pilgrim (Km 6.6).  700 metres further on we reach the gates of the Mill of Marzán (Km 7.3), dating from 1920, where you turn 90 degrees right. Soon afterwards cross the LU-633 to pass Leiman (Km 8.2), with its inn beside the road, and then Peruscallo with its barns and where one can buy raspberries etc (Km 9.2 and Marker 103). Here leave the road to stroll under chestnut trees and oaks to Cortiñas (Marker 102) and Lavandeira (Marker 101.5).

Here is where the main party will begin their walking, being delivered by coach to this point.

Between low stone walls and chestnut trees, we come to Brea (10 Km from Sarria; Marker 100) to reach, first the false marker and a few metres beyond it the true one, crowned with stones and covered in graffiti. (It suffices to start your walk at this point, in order to get the Compostela certificate ). A little further on we come to Morgade (Km 12 from Sarria), with its bar and lodge alongside the asphalt track.

The next municipality after Sarria is Paradela. The Ferreiros parish church is up on a slope (Marker 98.5) – then, still on the tarmac Mirallos follows immediately (Marker 98). On the left is a restaurant run by Natalia, which welcomes pilgrims. Next comes the Romanesque church of Santa Maria, brought stone by stone from Ferreiros in the year 1790. The Camino follows the asphalt road from Mirallos to A Pena and then to Couto and Rozas (Marker 97).

Leaving Rozas we find Marker 96.5 (i.e. 96.5 km to Compostela). Leaving the paved path we ascend a gentle hill in the shelter of oaks and pines. At the first junction we go left. We meet Marker 95.5 shortly before the village of Moimentos, after passing to our left a wooden cross wrapped with barbed wire, and after crossing highway LU-4203. Soon afterwards we reach Mercadoiro, with its bar and lodge and then on to Moutrás.

We descend a hill and some paved tracks to Parrocha and Vilachá, the last village on the Paradela stretch of the Camino. A sharp descent brings us down near the Minho river, with its dam built by Belesar (Marker 90). The bridge, over 350 metres long, leads across to the end of our first stage, Portomarín with its white facade and gray roofs. The town is entered by one of the arches of the old Roman bridge, rebuilt to contain a stairway and a small chapel. Crossing it, we will pass by the Virtual Information Center for Pilgrims, on our way to the center of town.

Our accommodation in Portomarin (for 2 nights) will probably be in the Pousada. (The actual listing of our overnight hotels will be determined later, depending on the final size of our group and the number of single-room supplements requested.)

Milestones like this are found almost every kilometre along the Camino

24 May: Walk 2 - Portomarín to
Ventas de Naron (C)

Portomarín to Ventas de Naron

On the stage we walk up some easy slopes of the Sierra Ligonde, which is also the watershed dividing the river basins of the rio Minho and rio Ulloa and the border between the Portomarín and Monterroso urban districts. Although it starts with a gentle ascent up Mount San Antonio, the rest of this section is slightly complicated by having to cross some roads, local, provincial and even national. However, this part of the camino also has fine Romanesque churches, and allows a detour to Vilar de Donas in order to visit the old pilgrims' hospice of San Salvador, and the crucero (crossroads town) of Lameiros.

Going past the public “albergue” and the nearby church of San Nicolás we continue straight along Chantada Avenue; then go down to a metal bridge that crosses the Rego das Torres, which joins with the rio Minho here. After crossing the stream, turn right near some houses, after which landmark 89 points down a path to your left (Km 1) and heading up the slopes of mount San Antonio. After a climb of about 1 km the road flattens out between pines and meadows. The camino then heads down to alongside the LU-633 and crosses it at the San Mamede junction; watch out for fast traffic on the road!
A few hundred metres on, at the level of a brick factory (km 3), cross the road and continue along a similar road coming from the right. At the level of some fertilizer containers and gravel pits we cross the LU-633 again and head left, where after 450 metres we reach Toxibo (Milestone 85.5). There's nothing there but a house and after it an elegant wood and stone barn, decorated with a rosette and topped with pinnacles and cross (Km 4.8).

Although the camino is still very close to the road, several patches of pines shelter us from the sound of the traffic for a short stretch. Coming again to the asphalt we reach a picnic spot (Km 7.3) and proceed to the nearby parish of Gonzar (Km 8). The church of Santa Maria and the houses are on the left. Passing near to a bar and the public “albergue” we soon turn left onto a track that rises to Castromaior with its 12th century Romanesque church and large pre-Roman fort (9.3 km ). From Castromaior there's a demanding climb of 700 metres up to another track parallel to the LU-633 (Km 10). We must cross the road another couple of times to get to Hospital da Cruz, a village in the parish of San Mamede O Rio, (Marker 78.5 and Km 11.8).

Carefully cross the N-540 and take the C-535 in the direction of Ventas de Naron. We follow this minor road with its narrow arcen (footpath or verge) for the next 10 kilometres to the junction of the N-547 in A Brea. The next village is Ventas de Naron (Km 13.3), where we will gather for an evening meal, before being brought by coach back to our hotel in Portomarin.

25 May: Walk 3 - Ventas de Naron
to Palas de Rei (D) (12 kms.)

Ventas de Naron to Palas de Rei

Much of today's section is along a plateau not unlike the Featherbeds secion of the Dublin mountains. At the western exit from Ventas is a small chapel, restored in 2004. After a gentle hillside climb of half a kilometre, we reached milestone 76.5, announcing the Sierra Ligonde (Km 13.8). The 756 m of altitude must refer to another point higher up, since we will be at 722 m. The Sierra Ligonde divides the basins of the Minho and Ulla rivers.

Now we enjoy a good stretch of downhill walking. After a kilometre we come alongside the village of Previsa, belonging to Monterroso urban council (Km 15.3) and in another half kilometre on the right hand side, is Os Lameiros, with its manor and the chapel of San Marcos . A hundred metres along the road, stands the well-known Lameiros double-sided cross, placed there in 1670. One side shows the image of Christ and the other the Virgin of Sorrows; and on its base we see a pair of pliers, a crown of thorns and a skull, referring to Jesus' passion on Calvary (Km 16).

We soon reach Ligonde (Km 16.5), passing near a cross that marks the site of an ancient pilgrim cemetery, and near the Casa de Carneiro, whose distinguished guestss included Charles V, (March 1520) on his journey to be crowned emperor, and Philip II, (May 1554), en route to La Coruna to marry Mary Tudor. Exiting from Ligonde, alongside the municipal “albergue”, we take a path down along a wall leading to a bridge over the Airexe river (Km 17). We climb up the slope to Airexe (Km 17.4). On the left, a little apart, is the neo-classical church of Santiago, with its Romanesque facade. We walk along the verge and after crossing the road LU-3301 (Km 18.5) continue straight. Then we reach the village of Porto (Marker 71 and Km 19.4, district of Palas de Rei) where a short detour can be made to Vilar de Donas and the parish church of Santiago de Lestedo (Marker 70.5 and Km 20). We come to the village of Os Valos (Km 20.9), going down to A Mamurria (Km 21.5); then reaching Brea (Km 22), where we leave the paved road to a path parallel to the N-547. On this we come first to Avenostre (Km 22.4) and then O Rosario; there pilgrims used to pray a rosary within sight of Monte Sacro, where the disciples of St. James tamed the bulls that transported the body of the saint ( Km 23.4).

Half a kilometre later we reach the Os Chacotes playground, with a public albergue of the same name (Km 23.9). Coming soon to Palas de Rei; we proceed through the Rua do Cruzeiro, visit the church of San Tirso and go down the stepped street to the town center, where the other albergues are located (Km 25).

Our accommodation in Melide (for 2 nights) will probably be at the Carlos 96 hotel.

26 May: Walk 4 - Palas de Rei
to Melide (E) (14 kms.)

Palas de Rei to Melide

We will cross the road beside the town hall of Palas de Rei and follow down by the Pilgrim route to cross the road again and continue down the cobbled Rua do Apostolo. We cross the highway a third time and continue straight along Rua Rio Roxanne, past a sculpture of dancing pilgrims signed by J. Novo. We leave it at Avenue de Compostela, the N-547, and after 500 m. (past the national kilometre mark 35) we turn right to cross the river Roxane. Landmark 64 marks our arrival in the parish of San Sebastian de Carballal. We climb under a albergue of trees through the two villages in this parish and descend to cross the N-547 (Km 2.1).

Landmark 63.5 leads us onto a path that is often muddy, surrounded by eucalyptus and oak, leading to Lacua (Marker 63). A good row of stone slabs helps us keep our feet dry when crossing the marsh. We continue to San Xulián do Camiño, announced by milestone 62.5. At the edge of the road is the late 12th century Romanesque church, with its fine apse (Km 3.4). We proceed on the tarmac to Pallotta (Marker 62) and go down by a nice corredoira to the river Pambre at Ponte Campaña bridge, in the parish of Mato (Km 4.5). Then comes a spectacular stretch, passing through Fangorn Wood with its rocks and twisted branches, then to Casanova (Km 5.7). We pass near the public albergue and later a sign to private albergue. Continue on the tarmac and then leave it onto a path to the left. Much of the year this can be muddy and sometimes rivers flow through it. We descend to cross the Vilar stream at Porto de Bois (Km 7.2); then, along a hillside, we proceed to Campanilla, a small village in the parish of Mato and last town on the Lugo stretch of the Camino (Km 8).

Walking on a secondary road we get to our first village in the Coruña region called O Coto in the municipal district of Melide and the parish of Leboreiro, (Km 8.5). Coming out of O Coto we leave the asphalt and head left for Leboreiro, called in antiquity Campus Leporarius or field of hares (Km 9.2). Here we can see a cabazo: a giant circular basket, such as granaries used to store the corn. Behind is the interesting, late Romanesque church of Santa Maria. Leaving Leboreiro we cross the (dry) Rio Seco by a medieval bridge (Km 9.5). Waymark 56 leads us to Disicabo and then to a tedious stretch along the N-547 and Melide Business Park, also called La Magdalena (Km 11).

A kilometre later the panorama changes and we go down to more pleasant scenery along the banks of  the Furelos river. We cross this tributary of the Ulla by a medieval bridge (km 13) and enter the parish of San Xoán of Furelos, on the outskirts of the district capital, Melide. Reaching Lugo Avenue, we pass by the chapel of San Roque and its 14th century cross; then pass the public albergue and continue down the Rua San Pedro or we can follow the signaled Camino route by Rua do Convento to Convent Square (Km 14.8), site of the former pilgrims' hospital, which now houses the Folk Museum of Melide, the convent and church of the Holy Spirit, the 18th century town hall the chapel of San Antonio.

27 May: Walk 5 - Melide
to Arzúa (F) (15 kms.)

Leaving the main square by the Rua San Antonio we pass by the public albergue, then take the Rua Principal to exit Melide.

We have vistas of the valley as we descend to the N-547, which we cross and then take the provincial road 4603, heading towards San Martino. Beside a restaurant-grill, take a right turn to visit Santa Maria de Melide). This 12th century Romanesque church, with a single nave and semicircular apse and has the only Romanesque gatehouse in Galicia. After passing the houses of Carballal we are surrounded by eucalyptus and deciduous trees and grassland until we reach Catasol stream, a tributary of the river Furelos, which we cross on a ford of stones. This part of the Camino offers picture-postcard landscapes, including the lovely Raido at the end of the N-547. We soon move on to Parabispo, in the jurisdiction of Arzúa (Km 18.7). Under a forest of eucalyptus cross the Valverde brook, go through Peroxa (Marker 45.5) - and into the parish of Boente, which is divided in two by the N-547. After the church of Santiago, we turn right and go down a track to the river Boente and village of Punta Brea, first crossing the N-547 by a tunnel. After some meadows and an uphill slope that going up from the N-547, we reach the parishes of Figueiroa and Castañeda. Here were the lime kilns where pilgrims used to deposit the stone brought from Triacastela.

We follow a tarmac path down to the Ribeiral creek, located between Pedrido and Rio ; then up the other side and continue straight on, leaving the turn for Doron on our left. Then, mostly by paved neighborhood trails, we descend for two kilometres to the river Iso, and on to Ribadiso da Baixo, a hamlet in the parish of Rendal. Across the bridge lies the medieval pilgrims' hospice of St. Anton, now restored as a public albergue.  We must make an absurd detour along the N-547 to arrive, by an endless walk along Avenue Lugo, at the outskirts of Arzúa. At the entrance there are several private hostels one after another; then after another stretch leave the avenue to take the Rua Cima do Lugar, and the public albergue.

Our overnight accommodation will be in Pension Rúa and Pension Arcano in Arzua.

28 May: Walk 6 - Arzúa
to Salceda (G) (16 kms.)

Arzúa to Salceda

From Arzúa to the cathedral of Santiago is nearly 40 kilometres and we divide the section into three days, with two overnight stops in Lavacolla. The Borough of Arzúa merges into that of O Pino by an easy route, with some gentle ascents and footpaths always close to the N-547.
From the Rúa Cima, with its public albergue, we leave Arzúa by the cobbled Rua do Carmo with its pleasant arches and timber-covered walls. Then we get to a more rural setting, going down to the fuente Os Franceses (Frenchman's Well), cross the río Vello river and reach muddy As Barrosas and its chapel of St. Lazarus (Km 0.9 and Marker 36). Continue down to the river Brandeso, a tributary of the Iso (Km 1.8), and up to Preguntoño, a village of the parish of Burres, with its eighteenth-century hermitage San Paio (Km 2.2).

We leave it through a tunnel to avoid crossing the N-547 and head up a steep incline, between meadows and cornfields, with vistas overlooking Arzúa, to A Peroxa also in the parish of Burres (Km 3.3). The Galician landscape is increasingly dotted with eucalyptus and the small meadows needed for the livestock of the country folk, as well as their family washing hanging out to dry. We go along tracks lined with litter and prone to get dirty after a little rain; then down to the creek Ladron (Km 3.9) to later reach Taberna Vella (Km Marker 32 and km 5.2).

Six hundred metres later we get to Calzada, the final population center of the Borough of Arzúa (Km 5.8). We leave it by crossing a link road and soon enter O Pino, the last municipality before Santiago.

The first village is Calle, belonging to San Breixo de Ferreiros, where we go underneath an overhanging barn (Km 7.8). Leave Calle by crossing the Langüello creek and continue by a network of tracks and roads to Boavista (Km 9.3) and Salceda (Km 11.1), alongside the N-547. We walk a few metres on the national road, to the right, past a memorial to William Watt, a pilgrim who died on the Camino. We continue up along the road and cross it next to a farm machinery dealership to reach Oxén, in the parish of San Miguel de Cerceda (Km 12.5). The road to the left of the Nacional, leads immediately to Ras (Km 13.1), in the same parish, where we pass under the N-547. At this point we link up with the pilgrims travelling by the Northern Route and who took the O Pino variant. On the other side is now A Brea (Marker 23.5 and Km 13.6) which is near Rabin (Marker 23 and Km 14).

Going parallel to the National road and after crossing it again we take the easy climb to O Empalme, in the parish of San Lourenzo the Shepherd (Km 15.3). In the middle of this section is a picnic area with a fountain and a windmill reminiscent of American farms. At the top we cross the road into the village and take the left, a trail descending under eucalyptus trees. Further down, by a tunnel under the N-547, we have the option to visit the shrine of St. Irene and its Baroque fountain and its private albergue. Our pickup point with the coach will be either in St. Irene or in Salceda (to be determined). After dinner we will be brought forward to our overnight accommodation in Hostal San Paio in Lavacolla (2 nights).

29 May: Walk 7 - Salceda
to Lavacolla (H) (14 kms).

After breakfast in Lavacolla, our coach will take us back to the shrine of St. Irene, with its Baroque fountain and its private albergue (or to Salceda, for those who opt for the longer walk).

Heading west from St. Irene, we will pass the albergue of Xunta and a dense foliage of eucalyptus shelters us from the noise of the traffic, as we pass Marker 20, and again use a tunnel to avoid crossing the road. Going past some houses and a saw mill and more eucalyptus we reach A Rua in the parish of Arca. then following the tarmac we reach the N-547 and walk alongside it to O Pedrouzo, which has all the usual services of hospitality for walkers.

From Pedrouzo onward the going becomes easier, mainly along pedestrian trails, among the last patches of eucalyptus and oak trees, as we see the final villages of the O Pino district. The district of Santiago begins at a high point the far side of the airport, and the pilgrim enters it at Sabugueiro parish church. From the vantage point of the Monte do Gozo (Mount of Joy) you'll get a first view of Santiago de Compostela and begins your final walk towards the city.

Taking our bearings from the public albergue we pass through the village on the edge of the national road and turn right into Rua do Concello, beside the town hall. We walk straight on for half a kilometre and then beside a school sports-field turn ninety degrees to the left, along a dirt track through a eucalyptus forest, which we leave to enter San Anton, a village in the parish of Arca (arch) which takes its name from a chapel destroyed by fire. Another forest of replanted native oaks and eucalyptus awaits us as we exit San Anton until we reach Amenal in the parish of San Miguel de Pereira. Entering by an asphalt road and crossing the river Brandelos, we cross the N-547 by a low passageway, then go up a steep slope to Cimadevila.

The climb continues for more than a kilometre but it becomes easier the higher you go. Reaching the plateau near the junction of the A-54 and N-634, we cannot help noticing how the roadside fis filled with little crosses, part of the pilgrimage tradition. A monolith carved with a bee and a scallop shell announces our entry into the municipality of Santiago .

30 May: Walk 8 - Lavacolla
to Santiago de Compostela (10 kms)

From Lavacolla we have an easy 10 km stroll into Santiago, aiming to be at the cathedral by 11.30. Part of the way is a little stressful because it's past the airport, and there's also a long stretch down a straight road with no arrows or shell tiles. Even though you cannot really go astray here, you might still feel a bit lost without those helpful arrows and shells that wer so much part of the trek so far. Finally, after you pass the Galician TV offices, the waymarking reappears at an intersection. The road then brings you through the elegant little suburb of San Marcos. At one point through the trees you can see the huge, modernist sculpture at the Pilgrims' Centre at the Monte de Gozo. We go through the village of San Marcos to this Mount of Joy, and from this point we get our first view of Santiago and its Cathedral. There we climb to the pilgrim monument erected in 1993, the same year that they opened the nearby hostel for pilgrims, the largest on the whole Camino, capable of accommodating up to 300 people a normal year and 800 on a Jacobean year.

Back on the trail, we descend a flight of steps, then cross the highway via a bridge and walk the lengthy Rúa San Lazaro, passing by the Galician Congress and Exhibition Centre and the pilgrims' hostel San Lazaro. From there take the Rua do Valiño and continue straight on the Rua das Concheiros Fontiñas and Rúa Dos Concheiros, which brings us cross Lugo Avenue. Then comes the Rúa de San Pedro, ending at the traffic lights in the Rua de Aller Ulloa; then the Porta do Camiño gives entry to the historic part of town along Rua das Casas Reais, leading up to the Praza de Cervantes. We get to the Praza da Inmaculada, and finally come under the Arco de Palacio, where street musicians will probably be playing at the access Obradoiro Square and the Cathedral, where our Camino adventure ends.

It's hard not to be moved by the splendid facade of the cathedral. Reaching it as a pilgrim is a unique experience even for those who have made many trips around the world. Hopefully, all our group will be there in time to join in the mid-day Pilgrims' Mass, and see the famous giant censor sending incence up into the dome of the cathedral.

We will stay overnight at the Compostela hotel in Santiago (May 30th).

Departure Day, May 31st

Morning at leisure, in Santiago. Mass in Cathedral, at 12 noon.

Afternoon transfer to airport, for direct flight back to Dublin.