Arzúa

Camino Frances

Camino del Norte

Camino Primitivo

To end of camino
38.5
Altitude
385

Ribadiso da Carretera

2.30

Arzúa

2.30

Pregontoño

Services
ATM
Yes
Bar
Yes
Bus
Yes
Grocery
Yes
Medical Center
Yes
Pharmacy
Yes
Public Pool
Yes

Arzúa is a pleasant town with almost enough beds for pilgrims. If you find everything to be full and don’t feel like splurging on one of the many hotels in the area, the Polideportivo (sports hall) is often used to house pilgrims. Between here and O Pedrouzo lie a string of very small Galician hamlets of little note. The locals in these parts enjoy telling you, without the slightest tone of irony or sarcasm, that ‘no hay vacas in Galicia’ (there are no cows in Galicia). Hold that thought in your head while you slosh through a soggy trail on an otherwise sunny day.

Fiesta

Famous for its cheese, Arzúa hosts an annual (and three day long) Festival of Cheese in March. They have been doing so for 40 years. Apart from this and several other secular celbrations, Arzúa celebrates Corpus Christi, as well as Nuestra Señora del Carmen, who is celebrated on the 16th of July.

History

Tetilla Cheese: You might have seen this curiously shaped cheese in the shop windows. If you made a connection between the name and the shape you are not mistaken. It was shaped this way by cheese makers in protest to the bishop of Santiago. At the time the Portico de la Gloria (Master Mateo’s famous sculptures at the Cathedrals main entrance) was being finished and the bishop took issue with the odd smile on the prophet Daniels’ face. The clever bishop followed his gaze across the doorway and found that Queen Esther’s bosom was augmented by a cheeky sculptor. Daniel kept his smile, Esther had a reduction, and we got boob-shaped-protest-cheese.

The Road

The camino leaves Arzúa along a footpath, NOT the road. If you arrived at the main square, walk past the church (with your back to the road) and turn right onto the side street. The terrain is pleasant, a blend of trails and paved roads through small towns and lots of forests. There are a few steep sections but none of any considerable length.

Comments

All Caminos App User (not verified)

By far one of the top places we’ve stayed at on our entire camino! We didn’t get a private room or anything! So clean and the bunk beds are separated with walls so you get some privacy every 1 or two bunks. So clean and friendly. The showers are very nice. There’s a very small kitchen as well. Never had a place with shoe driers either but they had one for two pairs at a time!

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

Centre of town, free locker, towel and blanket.
Very high bunk beds.
Hairdryers and hand soap in the bathrooms
Kitchen and communal space downstairs.
Friendly staff
Highly recommend, they are not listed on this app but you can find them on Booking.com
€15

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

MICHEAL, PLEASE ADD in Arzua:

This PLACE is right as you enter town. Www.lapuertadearzua.es

Meals, private rooms, albergue beds, bar, place for horses.
TEIRABOA.10, ARZUA

WHATSAPP 680 953 694
PHONE 620 750 487
Owner Luis

Thanks,

Janet and Phil

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

We had a wonderful dinner at this restaurant along the Camino with a beautiful view of the valley at 5pm!!! We are Americans and not used to eating late. Always looking for someplace to eat a dinner early. This place had great food and drink. They do not have a pilgrims menu so not inexpensive but still a good value. I would recommend. We tried a lot of different things, shrimp, pork cheeks, calamari, local cheese and two desserts. All delicious. The wine and also Licor de herbas and bebida de espirituosa were very good.

All Caminos App User (not verified)

Lovingly furnished pension with soft pillows and great blankets. Really great.

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

Watch for the tiny signs!

All Caminos App User (not verified)

Agree with comment about best hotel on Camino! Better even than hotels I stayed at in San Sebastián and Madrid. Beautiful hotel, excellent service, lovely grounds and a pool, amazing dinner and breakfast. Maybe the only place I would want to stay a second day (although what would I DO in Arzua for a second day?). Highly recommend a splurge here!

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

The best accommodations, meals, and hosts we have had in the 40 days on the Camino. Thank you Adrian and Roseanna!

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

It has both private rooms with private baths and others with shared services. Luis the owner & hispitalero is extremely kind and you will quickly understand that he is there mostly for the passion of meeting the peregrinos. The simple though impeccable facilities were just finished in April 2022 replacing a factory that was Luis’ long time previous successful business… Don’t miss the opportunity to ask him about it. His history will definitively be part of your Camino.

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

I can only assume that Michael’s description of Arzua as “pleasant” was meant to be ironic. It is essentially one long street with a lot of high speed traffic (with many lumber teucks( hurtling through it. The main square has a pleasant cafe, and the pizza restaurant mentioned by other pilgrims is a great place to eat. However the town itself is not attractive at all.