Camino Portugués: Stage 25

You will leave Padrón next to the Sar river, you will have to cross its river to return to the Iglesia de Santiago church. Once you get to Paseo del Espolón you will have to go through the Rúa Murgarán street and a little bit after you will have to turn right and go through the Rúa Corredoira da Barca and Dolores streets. You will cross again the river and you will get to Iria Flavia that belongs to Padrón, where according to the legend it was where St. James peached for the first time in Spain. Moreover, it was here where its disciples arrived in a stone boat, then they tied the boat to a pedrón, a huge rock, that is where the name of Padrón comes from. Pedrón is currently located on the altar of the Iglesia de Padrón church.

After this stop you will continue to get to the N-550 and also to a train rail, you should cross them very carefully. You will cross some establishments such as a hotel and a restaurant. You will leave the asphalt to get to a path that will lead you to many villages. Once you get to Vilar you will see again the train rails and then again the road, you should cross it and then continue through the hard shoulder to get to A Escravitude. Here you could visit the sanctuary with the same name that was built in the 16 century over the Fonte Santa spring. According to the legend, the water of this spring cured a pilgrim. He was walking to Santiago and stopped here to drink, after three days he was cured. He said “Grazas Virxe, que me libraches da escravitude do meu mal” that means Thank you Virgin, you deliver me from the slavery if this illness. The name of the village comes from the words said by the pilgrim. Once you have crossed this sanctuary you will have to go through Cruces to see the Iglesia de Santa María church. Then you will get again to the train rails and you will have to cross them being very careful. A little bit after you will have to walk through the N-550 to A Picaraña, where you will find many establishments.

You will continue your way walking through the hard shoulder to get to a rest area where you should turn left to get o O Faramello and Teo, this village has a hostel. Now it comes the hardest part of today’s stage. You will have to walk up a little bit to get to A Rúa de Francos a small village where you can decide if you want to continue through Castro Lupario also known as Castro de Beca. It is believed that this location was the Amaecos capital and place of residence of Queen Lupa, a figure of the Galician mythology and that appears on the Codex Calixtinus. Tells the story that it was in her house where the Apostle rests were left temporally, after arriving to Iria Flavia. In Rúa de Francos you will see the Ermita de San Martiño hermitage and also one of the oldest stone crosses in Galicia. You will get again to the train rails to cross them through a flyover to get to Osebe and to Camino del Río Tinto to get to Pedreira.

The entrance in O Milladoriro is a little bit hard, after crossing this village you will get to an area full of trees before getting to Agro dos Mosteiros where you will see, for the first time, the cathedral and its towers. We will move forward still with the Cathedral in sight, towards Rocha Vella in Conxo. A little bit after you will have to cross the Sar river once you get to Ponte Vella to get to Conxo where you should visit the Iglesia de Santa María church. You just have to go through the Rúa de Sánchez Freire and Rúa García Prieto streets, the Avenida Rosalía de Castro and Juan Carlos I avenues. Now you are in the Parque de la Alameda park. You will have to cross a pedestrian crossing and you will get to Porta Faxeira that is the entrance to Santiago’s old city.

Bear in mind

This is not a hard stage but if you want to avoid Cirauqui hill you have to know that you can go through an alternative route that is indicated. Cyclists have to know that there is no complicated parts but if the weather is not good they should walk through some parts of this stage in rainy days. Cirauqi if you don’t want to go through the old town you can surround the city next to its left side and then return to the original route. You will need to take enough security measures to avoid incidents, as there are some sections passing by national roads.

People with reduced mobility should also be careful when it come to go through this road parts because they should pay attention to vehicles.