French Way from Sarria in 5 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’s stage will be the longest of your entire itinerary, so make sure you start the day with a proper breakfast and your boots tightly tied. As a reward, this will also be one of the most beautiful stretches. Half way through, you will reach Melide, where you can visit San Roque chapel, patron saint of the village, or the well-known church of Santa María de Melide, declared National Monument. Moreover, you can taste the most famous local dish, pulpo (octopus) á feira.

From Melide until your arrival in Arzúa, you will cross iconic little hamlets and enclaves, such as Boente or Ribadiso bridge.

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.