Northern Way ‧ Stage 32

Information

About this stage

Distance and elevation

Stage profile

Km 0 ‧ Baamonde

We will leave Baamonde passing by a service area, where we can stock up on anything we need. After about two kilometres along the hard shoulder of the road, we find ourselves back in Guitiriz municipality, in the place of San Alberte, which is home to a beautiful chapel in an idyllic setting. To get there, we will have to cross the rail tracks on the lefthand side of the road and then the bridge over the river Parga. After this short rest, we continue to the left towards Sambreixo parish along an uphill paved path, which can be a little awkward, particularly for cyclists. After passing by a few hamlets, such as Caínzos, Digañe, a Raposeira… and along local tracks, we will reach Carballedo, where there is a pilgrim information point, a perfect stop for a little rest.

Km 9,3 ‧ Carballedo (Santa Leocadía)

Before officially leaving the Terra Chá, we will pass by Aldar, where there is a stand where we can buy some souvenirs of the Camino. We are getting close to Miraz, within the municipality of Friol, with ome services available. Here, we can visit the parish church of San Paio. Continuing our jourey, we will pass by Seixón de Abaixo and A Lagoa and turn left to local road LU-2113 by a farm, heading to the river Sarga again, which we will cross by Leixoso bridge. The first thing we will see in Miraz is the walls of Pazo de Saavedra’s tower, currently private premises inhabited by its owners.

Km 14,9 ‧ Miraz

After a last glance at Santiago church, we leave the village and undertake a stony track to the left, following the yellow arrows. This way, we start to slowly ascend mount Vilaldar, which can be at times a little tricky due to loose pebbles. After some three kilometres, in the place of A Braña, we take a local road towards San Mamede de Nodar, also within Friol municipality. We leave this local track and head towards road LU-P-2119, which leads into the hamlets of A Roxica and A Cabana.

Km 25,4 ‧ A Cabana

Here, we turn right and take an uphill gravel track. We pass by the small hamlets of A Travesa, Marcela and O Espiño and cross road LU-934 to the right. By now, we have already covered most of the journey of the day, always acro litle villages and local roads. Marco das Pías marks the border between Friol and Sobrado dos Monxes municipalities and, at the same time, between Lugo and A Coruña provinces. There, we start descending towards Sobrado, some nine kilometres away, turning right by a bar at the place of O Mesón to leave the road behind.

Km 34,5 ‧ O Mesón

We will walk past Esgueva and Muradelo, mostly downhill. We join the road now called AC934, following it all the way to Sobrado’s lagoon, an artificial lake made by Santa María monastery’s monks to supply water to the monastery, enhance the irrigation systems and to work as “fuel” for their mills. Despite being man-made, nowadays it completely fits into the environment, surrounded by fields and birch, ash, oak and willow woods. All this area is a clear exponent of the traditional Galician Atlantic forest, with wetlands full of a wide variety of flora and fauna standing out.

We go around it and quickly find ourselves in the town centre, where we can find all sorts of services. The real must-see in Sobrado is its magnificent monastery, called Santa María but also simply known as Monastery of Sobrado dos Monxes, declared world heritage by UNESCO, given the beauty and importance of this building, framed into the context of the Camino de Santiago. If we have the time and do not mind taking a little ride, we can also visit Ciudadela’s Roman camp, about five kilometres away, or the Carballeira de la Casa do Gado, place that inspired Wenceslao Fernández Flórez’s work: «El bosque animado», which can be translated as “The living/enchanted forest”.

Km 39,8 ‧ Sobrado dos Monxes