The last 100 kms of the Camino de Santiago VIP

We will pick you up at Santiago de Compostela airport to transfer you to a 4-star hotel in Sarria. After a welcome cocktail and a time to relax in your room we recommend you to visit the town and its most emblematic points; the monastery of Magdalena, the San Lázaro quarter more than two hundred years old, the tower of medieval origin and the street rúa do Porvir where you can enjoy antique, restoration and collecting shops. Tonight a wonderful dinner with Galician products will be served before you go and rest to face the first stage of your French Way of the Camino de Santiago from Sarria to Portomarín on the next morning.

• Day 2
• Sarria
• Portomarín
• 24 Km.

After a continental breakfast, you will start the first stage between Sarria and Portomarín of the Camino de Santiago VIP where small villages, rivers and woods predominate. You will walk through a comfortable terrain with few slopes while you find some interesting monuments along the path such as the churches of Ferreiros and Barbadelo and you will also come across several places where you can stop to rest and restore energy. A few kilometres from the end of the stage you will spot the reservoir of Belesar, a sign that you are reaching your destination, Portomarín. This town was relocated from its original location to the highest point of the valley, disappearing under the waters of River Miño the former location of the village. With a little luck, if you walk the Camino de Santiago during September or October and the summer was dry, you will probably spy between the waters of the reservoir some of the arches of the Roman bridge and part of the ancient town. Upon your arrival in Portomarín, we recommend you to visit the church of San Nicolás and stroll through its cobbled streets discovering its low houses and colonnades typical from Galician towns and you can also enjoy its gastronomy tasting the Ancano cake, the eel empanada and drink a shot of moonshine.

• Day 3
• Portomarín
• Palas de Rei
• 25 Km.

You will leave Portomarín from the church of San Nicolás, 94 kilometres separate you from Santiago de Compostela. You will abandon the town crossing the footbridge over river Torres, affluent of the river Miño and you will then start climbing through the lower part of mount San Antonio. You will continue through dirt tracks and asphalt roads until you cross the places of Toxibo, Gonzar and Castromaior, this last place gets its name from the “castro” fort, a pre-Roman settlement that can be visited if you deviate a few metres from the camino. It’s an archaeological site from the Iron Age and Celtic culture, one of the most relevant in the Iberian Peninsula. You will continue your route passing through Hospital da Cruz, Ventas de Narón and the ascent towards the mountains of Ligonde, you will find the stone cross of Os Lameiros, one of the most famous and photographed in Galicia since it has a double side: on one side there is the Lady of Sorrows and on the other Christ crucified. After you cross Ligonde you will go through the rural areas of Airexe and Portos, this last one is the first village belonging to the council of Palas de Rei and right after can be found the detour towards Vilar de Donas, another of the greatest monuments of this stage, the church of Vilar de Donas, declared National Monument in 1931. You will keep walking along the places of Os Valos, A Marmurria, A Brea, Avenostre and O Rosario, the last small village before you reach Palas de Rei. After restoring forces at your accommodation Galician Roots suggest you to visit the castle Castillo de Pambre, an impressive fort of military architecture.

• Day 4
• Palas de Rei
• Arzúa
• 29 Km.

Today’s stage between Palas de Rei and Arzúa is the longest one of this route, nothing less than 29 kilometres. Even though at Galician Roots we give you the option to split this stage completing two stretches of 15 and 14 kms adding an extra night in Melide. During this stage you will walk along dark areas with short climbs, large meadows and countless streams. You will cross the small places of San Xulián do Camiño, Pontecampaña, Casanova and O Coto where you will leave behind the province of Lugo you will get into the province of A Coruña. You will continue walking through O Leboreiro, San Xoán de Furelos, where you will cross the village of Furelos acceding through the majestic four arches bridge built during the 12th Century and where the river of the same name passes by. You will reach Melide where the Primitive and French Way merge, the chapel of San Roque will welcome you with its majestic Romanesque façade and right next to it you can admire the oldest stone cross “cruceiro” of Galicia of the 14th century. Besides Melide is a mandatory stop to taste its octopus and try the typical sweets such as melindres, ricos and almendrados. Leaving Melide behind you will arrive at the village of Santa María and you will cross the most photographed stone bridge of the French Way over river Catasol. After completing more than half of the stage you will arrive at the places of Boente, Castañeda and the beautiful town of Ribadiso, located in a valley where its stone houses face the river. Then you will complete the last ascent of the day towards Arzúa, you will pass by the nice street Calle del Carmen flanked with colonnades of the antique houses and paved floors. You can’t leave Arzúa without trying its most valuable delicacy, the Arzúa-Ulloa cheese with a designation of Origin, a handmade product elaborated with cow milk.

• Day 5
• Arzúa
• Pedrouzo
• 19 Km.

You will leave behind Arzúa towards Pedrouzo. In this stage of the French Way, you will join the pilgrims walking the Northern Way since these paths merge in Arzúa. You will abandon the urban area and head up to the source “Fuente de los Franceses”, once you pass in front of it you will cross the river Vello and you will find the place of As Barrosas. You will be entertained with the beautiful landscape typically Galician with its vast corn-fields during summer, countless rivers, green valleys and the charm of the Galician rural towns such as Preguntoño, Taberna Vella, Calle, Salceda, Brea and O Empalme. In O Empalme you will find a super-sized replica of the legendary pelegrín, a work designed to remember the Holy Year of 1993. After you pass along O Empalme you will get to Santa Irene where you can visit the chapel of the same name dating back from the end of the 17th century and the fountain of eternal youth, according to legend those who wash with its waters will remain young forever. This place is surrounded by a marvellous oak grove, where you can stop and relax a bit before you face the last stretch of the stage. Only 3 kilometres left to Santiago! Walking by a dense forest you will start descending until you arrive in A Rúa and soon after you will finally arrive at Pedrouzo where you will spend the night. At Pedrouzo we recommend you to visit the church of Santa Eulalia de Arca and enjoy its exquisite delicacy; the rooster and hen meat “Piñeira”, a local breed introduced by the Celts. You can also enjoy the main street and its amazing pilgrim atmosphere full of bars and outdoor cafés.

• Day 6
• Pedrouzo
• Santiago
• 20 Km.

Today is the big day, you are very close to completing the last 100 kilometres of the French Way from Sarria. You will exit Pedrouzo towards Santiago de Compostela through an idyllic path with huge eucalyptus that will take you to San Anón, Amenal and after a demanding climb, you will arrive at Cimadevila. From this point, the Camino goes next to the national road since you are getting closer to the capital. You will cross the urban areas of San Paio, Lavacolla, San Pelayo de Sabugueira, Vilamaior, San Marcos and the emblematic monte do Gozo. From here you will have a first panoramic view over the city of Santiago and the towers of the cathedral, you almost have that feeling of accomplishment. The last 5 kilometres go by urban land passing through the neighbourhoods of San Lázaro and Concheiros. Then you will descend to finally enter the historical quarter of the city through the street Casas Reais, the Plaza de Cervantes, the street Azabachería, where the jet artisans were located in the past, and you will pass in front of the impressive monastery of San Martín Pinario. Now you only have to cross the passage that will welcome you to the Plaza del Obradoiro and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. You will spend the night at a 4 or 5-star hotel located in the centre of Santiago where you will have the opportunity to enjoy its monuments, atmosphere and great cuisine.

After breakfast, our services along the Camino de Santiago will end, if you wish you can attend the pilgrim mass celebrated each day at noon. At Galician Roots we recommend you to have a look at our guided trips in Galicia section where you can find a visit with a local guide in Santiago and many other experiences around our land.