French Way (Camino Francés) ‧ Stage 26
French Way
On foot
33 stages
Information
About this stage
Less than two hundred kilometres separate us from Santiago de Compostela and today we will open the doors of Galicia, specifically through the mountain pass of O Cebreiro, a pre-Romanesque settlement where we can look out over the Galician community from its famous pallozas. Many pilgrims choose to begin their journey here, given the importance of this place and the beauty of it, a place that certainly will not leave anyone indifferent.
Recommendation Pilgrim
This a hard and complicated stage. People with reduced mobility are not able to do it due to all the slopes that it has. The worst part is between Hospital and La Faba. We recommend you continue through the N-VI until getting to O Cebreiro. Cyclists should pay attention between Perexe and A Portela, in some parts they have to share the road with other vehicles. At the end of Herrerías we recommend cyclist continue through the road because ascend to O Cebreiro is very complicated.
In opposition with previous stages, today we won’t have any problem to find any kind of service along the Way. All the villages have a place to sleep, any shop or bar.
Distance and elevation
Stage profile
Route
Itinerary
Km 0 ‧ Villafranca del Bierzo
We follow the Calle del Agua until we turn into an alleyway on the left; we cross the river Burbia over a bridge and immediately we find the fork between the historical road and the mountain road. We continue straight on (historical path) along a secondary road, which later leads to the N-VI national road, with hardly any traffic. We continue along the hard shoulder of the national road, protected from the traffic by a concrete wall about 80 cm high, next to the river Valcarce and under the viaducts of the A-6 motorway. We reach Pereje via a turning on the right.
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Km 5,1 ‧ Pereje
We cross the village along its main street and at the exit we return to the hard shoulder of the national road. Trabadelo can also be reached by a detour on the right.
Km 9,6 ‧ Trabadelo
We walk through Trabadelo along its main street-road to join the national road N-VI again; we follow it, passing twice under the large viaducts of the A-6 motorway. We enter La Portela de Valcarce via a street on the left-hand side of the main road.
At the exit we join the national road again; we follow it for 400 metres and take a local road to Ambasmestas on the left. We follow the same road; before reaching Vega de Valcarce we cross under the A-6 motorway.
Km 16,3 ‧ Vega de Valcarce
We go through the same local road uphill; at the entrance to Ruitelán we join the national road N-VI. We follow the national road N-VI until we turn left onto the local road towards Las Herrerías. We enter this village after crossing the river Valcarce over a small Roman bridge.
Km 19,7 ‧ Las Herrerías
We continue on the same road, now with a steeper climb. We take a dirt track on the left hand side and here we start a nice stretch along corredoiras (paths from the cattles to the pastures). After overcoming a stream, we start a steady and interesting zigzagging ascent towards La Faba.
Km 23,1 ‧ La Faba
The climb moderates progressively; we advance along pretty paths between pastures, now with clearer views that give us wonderful panoramic views. We continue in the same direction, advancing halfway up the slopes of a mountain range and slowly gaining altitude. After just over a kilometre, we enter Galicia; a stone cairn marks the entrance to the last Autonomous Community on the route, and indicates that there are only 152 km left to Santiago de Compostela. We continue until we reach O Cebreiro.
Km 27,8 ‧ O Cebreiro
Local Information
Police, Medical Care, What to See, Where to Eat…
