Camino Sarria to Santiago – 2027

We like to start in the beautiful Oribio valley, one of the most impressive landscapes of the French route, surrounded by the river and lush forests of chestnuts, poplars and oak trees.

We meet at the benedictine monastery of Samos at 12pm, the oldest inhabited monastery in Spain, with its impressive cloisters and murals. It’s at a high-altitude level walk but no real steep climbs so is a relatively manageable and enjoyable walk for most pilgrims.  You will pass through charming villages, forests and the busy suburb of Sarria with buses loading Pilgrims off on route to Santiago.

A beautiful place to relax and enjoy some solitude before we hit the craziness of the last 100km from Sarria.

Let’s enjoy a little rest this morning before we begin the lovely descent through ancient forests with mystical features and passing through charming villages, forests and the busy suburb of Sarria with buses loading Pilgrims off on route to Santiago.

We will aim to get into Sarria by 2.00pm to give you time to rest, do laundry and relax before the craziness of the last 100km.

The majority of this walk is on sheltered woodland pathways or quiet country roads and passes through many hamlets and small villages. The scenery along the way is wonderfully green and lush and very rural. The trail climbs and falls repeatedly as it passes tiny hamlets full of history.

In the final section is the high point of the day (660m) Pat Pina dos Corvos which has wonderful views over the reservoir and surrounding countryside.

The Portomarín in which you will stay tonight is not the Portomarín that pilgrims in the Middle Ages knew; the old village lies below the waters of the reservoir in the valley below the present-day village, built in 1960.The impressive fortified church of St. Nicholas, built by the monk-knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in the 12th century, was disassembled stone by stone and moved up the hill to its present location, together with the balcony of the village’s town hall and the Romanesque façade of the Church of St. Peter. Shortly before reaching Portomarín today you will pass the final 100-kilometre mark on the Camino.

Today’s walk is uphill for 15km however the gradient is never too steep, and you gradually climb to a height of 720m at Sierra Ligonde.

The walk is now downhill to Ligonde and Eirexe and onto A Calzada. There is a detour here of 4km to the National Monument, Vilar de Donas where the Knights of Santiago are buried and is worthy of a visit if we have time.

A gentle climb now takes you through several small hamlets to Alto Rosario and there are good vantage points on a clear day and then down into Palas de Rei.

A big walking day, it is mostly on paths through quiet woodland, crossing over the main road to Arzua several times and guiding you through six river valleys to reach a high point of 515m at Coto. On route you will pass Melide, famous for Pulpo Gallego, octopus cooked Galician style and reputed to be the best in Spain.

Much of the path after Melide winds through woodlands of oak, pine and eucalypt, passing over several valleys though Boente, Castañeda and then Ribadiso from where you can see the Hospital San Anton, one of the oldest pilgrim hospitals in existence.

From Ribadiso follow the country road on a steep uphill climb and through the outer suburbs before entering Arzua. With a population of around 7000 is the last large town before you reach Santiago.

The majority of today’s walk is through wonderful pine and eucalyptus scented woodland – it smells like home!

The path is mostly level, passing through three shallow river valleys with a gradual climb up to Alto de Santa Irene at 404m.

The final section climbs steeply to a main road, into eucalyptus woodland. O Pedrouzo is a small but busy town with plenty of shops, restaurants and bars and the staging point for the last section of the Camino before entering Santiago de Compostela. 

Today’s route will be a busy as pilgrims begin the last stage of their walk into Santiago. Lavacolla village is where pilgrims traditionally washed to purify themselves before entering Santiago and Lavacolla literally means to wash your tail.

At Monte Gozo, Mount of Joy, you will first sight the stunning Catedral de Santiago spires. This is where you can leave another pilgrims stone if you wish.

The walk into Santiago is emotional as you come to terms that you have walked over 700km from France to Spain – you are amazing !!

We have a beautful celebration dinner tonight.

Before you depart try and go to the Pilgrim’s Mass in the cathedral at noon. Before Mass, if you wish to do so, head over to the Pilgrim’s Office to receive your Compostela. (please note there is no accommodation tonight)

“Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened” – Dr Seuss