French Way (Camino Francés) ‧ Stage 31
French Way
On foot
33 stages
Information
About this stage
Today´s stage is the longest of the portion of the French Camino between Sarria and Santiago de Compostela. It is a fairly difficult and demanding stage, with an erratic elevation profile that includes frequent climbs, some of which quite steep. In addition, today´s landscape is divided between stretches with a discreet and unassuming natural beauty and other more industrial areas that are a bit less easy on the eyes.
Recommendation Pilgrim
Some of the parts of this stage are a little bit hard due to the number of walk-ups and descends, especially in Palas de Reis and Casanova. Due to this fact, many times people with reduced mobility need to think about the possibility of going through the LU-663 taking into account that this is a national road and could be dangerous sometimes.
For cyclists the difficulty is normal, we don’t need to highlight anything.
For people that are not too fit we recommend to divide this stage into two parts:
Stage 1: Palas de Rei – Melide (15 kilometres)
Stage 2: Melide – Arzúa (14,5 kilometres)
Distance and elevation
Stage profile
Route
Itinerary
Km 0 ‧ Palas de Rei
To start Stage 3, we will leave Palas de Rei by taking National Road 547, at kilometer 35, and we will have several kilometers in front of us before reaching the end. After leaving the N -547, we enter a cobbled road that passes through San Xulián do Camiño and across the Pambre river in Ponte Campaña. From here, the trek will continue along a beautifully wooded stretch of road until we reach Casanova. After continuing a few meters parallel to the N-547, we arrive at O Coto.
Local Information
Police, Medical Care, What to See, Where to Eat…
Km 8,4 ‧ O Coto
From O Coto, we leave the N-547 on the right and head towards Leboreiro.
Km 14,4 ‧ Melide
After passing through Leboreiro and crossing its medieval bridge, we will trek across a more industrial portion of the route, passing through the town of Furelos and on to Melide. Congrats, you´re halfway there! In Melide, you will find all the necessary services to rest and refuel before facing the second half of the day. Note that Melide is famous for its exceptional octopus, so if you´re a fan of seafood, stop somewhere and have a taste!
Km 20 ‧ Boente
With recharged batteries, we leave Melide and cross the N-547, turning right and passing the Romanesque church of Santa María. We´ll follow a path that traverses thick forests and is full of elevation changes. Along this path, there will be recurring stretches that run parallel to the national road. We´ll pass through Boente and continue along a dirt road, again crossing the national road through an underpass. Here, we´ll reach Castañeda and then after a bit further, Ribadiso de Abaixo.
Km 25,4 ‧ Ribadiso
At this juncture, we´re only a few kilometers from the end of today´s route. The river area in Ribadiso is an ideal place to stop and recharge one last time. We begin the final section with a firm ascent to continue on again parallel to the national highway. From this point, we won´t deviate from the highway except to cross to the other side through a tunnel. Finally, we reach Arzúa, where it is a straight walk directly to the town center. The longest stage of your Camino is over, so get some much-deserved rest – only two more short stages until Santiago!
