French Way from Sarria in 6 stages

You can arrive in Sarria on your own, or we can arrange a transfer from any airport or station.

Here, depending on your time of arrival, you can visit different places of interest, such as the Magdalena monastery, Torre da Fortaleza or San Lázaro chapel. Furthermore, the gastronomic offer in town will allow you to enjoy some of the best local dishes to start your Camino full of energy.

You will wake up in Sarria with charged batteries to start your walk towards Portomarín. Along the way we recommend to make a quick stop to visit places like Santiago de Barbadelo church, decorated with scallop shells, or Nosa Señora dos Remedios sanctuary.

After crossing beautiful landscapes and little hamlets like Ferreiros, you will arrive in Portomarín, with places worth visiting, such as its welcoming stairway and Neves chapel, or San Nicolás church (also known as San Juan).

You will set off from Portomarín after a good rest, with some 24 kilometres before us. During this stage you will have the opportunity to see the ruins of Castromaior’s Neolithic fortified settlement, just a few metres off the track, Santa María de Castromaior church or Vilar de Donas church, the latter considered an Asset of Cultural Interest since 1931.

Once in Palas de Rei, it is worth taking a little detour to visit the emblematic Pambre castle.

Today you will walk a short and easy stage, with just a few slopes to overcome. The first part runs between lush trees that provide idyllic shade in the hottest days and good shelter in the rainy ones.

You will cross the river Pambre and move forward along a wooded path, crossing small hamlets until you reach Leboreiro, a little village known for its unique granary made of wood and straw. Also there, you can visit Santa María de Leboreiro church, one of the great architectural gems of the French Way, in the Gothic and Romanesque styles. Soon after crossing the bridge over the river Furelos, you will reach Melide, iconic town in the centre of Galicia, famous for its octopus, which you should not miss out on trying.

Today’s stage is again a short and easy walk, with the exception of some moderate slopes. It will also be a stage of great natural beauty, as you walk among centenary trees with the sound of the river in the background. A special place along this route is Ribadiso, a magical setting with a natural landscape and river area well worth stopping to enjoy, and so we recommend to take a break there to regain strength for the last stretch of this stage.

After the final push, you will arrive at Arzúa, a small town with all the necessary services and an exceptional gastronomy, known internationally for its flagship product: echeese with the Arzúa-Ulloa Designation of Origin, which you should not miss out on trying. From here, there will be only two stages left to Santiago de Compostela.

This stage, shorter and easier, will allow you to recover from the previous one, as well as to get a little closer to the so longed-for finish line: Santiago de Compostela, just one journey away once you reach today’s destination. We recommend to stop at places like San Pedro de Lema church, Pontedapedra watermill, as well as the famous Santa Irene fountain, referred to by pilgrims as the “Fountain of Eternal Youth”.

You will reach O Pedrouzo, where you can visit interesting places such as Santa Eulalia de Arca parish church or even pass by the beautiful surrounding landscape of Noa river waterfall.

Today is the last stage of this adventure, when a mix of emotions can overwhelm you: accumulated fatigue, loads of experiences in your memory, the end so close… You will be able to make out the towers of the cathedral for the first time from the top of Monte do Gozo, a thrilling view.

After that, the final twists and turns through Santiago’s old town will take you to the very end of this fabulous experience: Praza do Obradoiro and the majestic cathedral.

Free day to visit all the monuments that, in addition to the Cathedral, make up the great Galician capital.