The Camino Primtivo

The camino passes the bar at the alto and keeps off of the road for a short distance. Between here and Fonsagrada it will follow adjacent to, or directly on, the main road. You will pass through Cabreira halfway to Fonfría.

Standing directly between Fonfría and Barbeitos is a small hill. The road goes around it to the north and the camino goes around it to the south. The two meet in Barbeitos.

The camino crosses over the road here only to cross back when it gets to Silvela.

Just beyond Silvela, on the forest track that connects it with Paradanova, you will pass an ermita and a restored capilla dedicated to Santa Bárbara. The camino passes straight through Paradanova 155.9. Immediately at the far end of town it crosses the road and climbs up to Fonsagrada along a back road. See note below about possible conflicting arrows.

Be advised that there have been a growing number of false arrows in Paradanova.  Some of them are the official looking blue and yellow plastic (most are painted arrows) signs.

These arrows are intended to detour you from Fonsagrada and towards A Proba de Burón and should be ignored.

The real camino into Fonsagrada follows South of the road (keep road on your right and dont cross it).

If you find that you have mistakenly followed the wrong arrows you will have another opportunity to get to Fonsagrada by turning left at the next large intersection.

The camino exits Fonsagrada along the main road, and shortly after follows a secondary road parallel to it, into Padrón. Beyond Padrón it follows through forested paths off of the road.

From this alto it is a 300m descent to Paradavella in less than 4km. The path is entirely off of the road along a forest track.

From Paradavella the camino follows a trail to the right of the road and crosses it to descend into the village of Calzada (meaning road). The next village, also without services, is Degolada. The camino keeps to the south of the road along the path and eventually climbs up to rejoin it as it enters A Lastra.

At the far end of A Lastra keep to the left, along the oncoming exit road, and just before it returns to the main road turn left uphill towards the houses. The climb continues steeply uphill for a gain of about 150m and the last part rejoins the road as it enters Fontaneira.

At the far end of Fontaneira leave the LU-530 for a small road uphill (direction Pandelo). You will pass the cemetery and then return to the main road to follow it for close to 1km. The camino then leaves the road in favor of a path on the right. As you descend to O Cádavo you will cross the Campo da Matanza.

The camino between here and Castroverde manages to avoid the steep LU-530 entirely. From O Cádavo it continues uphill along a farm lane to the town of Pradeda where you can look back for a nice view of O Cádavo. Beyond Pradeda the climb continues up to the Alto de Vacariza.

The camino beyond the alto splits and there is now a new type of marker to contend with. In 2016 the Galician government installed new stones to mark the camino. When they were installed the routes were re-examined by planners and several changes and additions were made. In this case, the old camino route was re-named the complementaria route, and a second route was added as the official route. This business of creating complementaria routes has led to much confusion because in some localities (Arzúa is the nearest example) it was applied to a route (for historical reasons) which for decades has been the only option; causing many pilgrims to waste time looking for an official route which does not exist. In this case the old camino has been renamed the complementaria. This guidebook however continues to treat it as the original and still preferred option and the distances indicated are along it. It is 5.5km from the split to Castroverde along the complementaria option, and 4.7 along the newer option.

The camino follows the road from here all the way to Castroverde, and the first building on your right when you get back to the LU-530 is the municipal albergue.

The camino passes through town to the south (left) of the LU-530 and after passing the town hall it joins a trail through a chestnut forest. When it returns to the LU-530 it crosses straight over it (caution!) and turns left to go through a tunnel. It passes through San Miguel do Camiño and an unnamed hamlet before entering Souto de Torres.

Turn right at the entrance to town and follow this country lane all the way to Vilar de Cas, passing through one more unnamed hamlet along the way.

At the end of town there are markers for another complementaria route, this time for a detour to the Iglesia de Soutomerille (see below). This worthwhile alternative adds 700m to the journey, through an evergreen forest.

The first 1.8km from Gondar are along the paved road. The camino will eventually leave it along a trail to the right. It nears the village of Bascuas 110.2 and then returns to the LU-530. Along this busy road to Lugo you will pass a sign announcing the entrance to Carballido, though you won’t ever see the town which is through the forest to your left. Instead, the camino turns to the right 400m after this sign to resume walking along a country road to the hamlet of As Casas da Viña.

As the route approaches Lugo it passes through some rather unappealing surroundings. Lugo is the capital of the region and is surrounded by divided highways which the camino must navigate safely. When it arrives at the highway it makes a right turn and continues to a small overpass which is much safer for pedestrians. You are on a mostly disused road until the next sign of habitation appears.

The barrio known as A Chanca sits along the río Rato in the shadow of a stone railway bridge. From here it is an uphill climb up to Lugo. After passing under the railway cross the road to your right at the first marked pedestrian crossing. Take the stairs on your left to the Rúa de Fontiñas. Turn left here, following the arrows, but cross to your right at the first pedestrian crossing. This road will take you straight up to the old walled city and one of the city gates. The municipal albergue is just inside the wall and to the right down a side street.

The camino leaves the walled city at the gate opposite the Cathedral and proceeds downhill along the Rúa de Santiago. Halfway down the hill it bears right onto the Rúa Calzada da Ponte. It crosses a divided boulevard and descends all the way down to the río Miño.

The Ponte Romano carries you over the river and once on the other side, it turns right to follow along the river bank. After passing the Iglesia de San Lázaro it turns up to the left and follows the road to pass under the N-540. There is one more large intersection ahead and it is a simple matter of crossing straight over it. From here you will follow along the paved road, the LU-P-2901, all the way to San Román de Retorta.

Landmarks along the way include the Santuario de Santo Matías and the hamlets of Seoane de San Xoán do Alto 92.2 and Carrigueiros 90.7.

Beyond As Searas, the camino leaves the road for a trail that passes through the village of Bacurin 86.3. During periods of heavy rain, it is possible to stay on the road. From Bacurin the camino returns to the road and passes through the hamlets of O Paso, Hospital, and San Pedro de Abaixo. The next hamlet, Taboeiro 81.9, may have a bar which is open. If not there is a small detour of 100m to the bar in nearby Crecente (closed Mondays).

Things tend to get a bit tricky here if you are not fully aware. San Román sits at the intersection of two country roads, and from here the camino goes off in two different directions, or at least it did until last year. This means that old arrows may still exist which would take you to Palas de Rei on the Camino Francés rather than to Melide.

From the bar in San Román head west (turn right when leaving the bar). When you emerge on the road some 70m later, cross the road and take the path opposite you. The albergues are a short distance onward.

The camino follows the country lane out of Castrelo. It passes the village of Burgo de Negral 77.6 (with picnic area) and Pacio 75.6. The next town is Ferreira and one of the albergues there (Cruz Ferreira) is actually located along the road 1km before town.

Shortly beyond the church in San Xurxo, near the stone marked 68.3, the camino splits. It is possible, but not at all recommended, to follow the LU-P-2901 south to Palas del Rei. To avoid doing so, look for the arrows which have you leave the road in favor of a trail on your right. The trail doesn’t last long and soon you are on a different paved road and entering the hamlet of Merlán.

Shortly after passing through Merlán turn off the road to your left. This narrow lane will deliver you to As Seixas.

Beyond As Seixas the camino leaves the road and follows a trail to Casacamiños.

From town, the camino turns north to O Hospital das Siexas, the last hamlet in Lugo. Shortly beyond, on the ridge of the Sierra del Careón, it enters the region of La Coruña.

The camino goes up and over the ridge that divides Lugo from La Coruña. A short distance beyond it leaves the road for a trail and descends through the hamlets of Vilouriz and Vilamor before entering Irago de Arriba.

Between Irago and Melide there are a number of small villages and urban sprawl. The first bars appear on the road into Melide.

The traffic through Melide can be dangerous, particularly on market days when booths line the crowded streets and the arrows through town become difficult to spot. Arrows direct you towards a small side street through the old part of town that parallels the main road. There are many other yellow arrows that direct you towards the many albergues in town, they are often attached to adverts or are painted alongside a simple ‘A’. These can be ignored.

Walking past the church the camino turns right and descends more. The hills ahead are steep in both directions, take it easy.

It is uphill once more, followed by a steady descent into the valley below, steep at points.

The camino to Arzúa begins with a steady walk uphill. By the time you reach the road it levels out and the remaining kilometers are flat into town.

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.

The camino leaves town to the right of a wedge shaped park next to La Esquipa, not along the road.

The camino crosses the main road at the highest point in the road, there is no marked crosswalk and the arrows on the other side of the road are often obscured by parked cars. You may see pilgrims continuing along the road but are advised against following them as the camino returns to the trail when you turn off the road.

Half way down the hill it splits and arrows indicate that you should either turn left to go under the road or continue straight. Unless you have reason to visit Santa Irene you can keep on straight and avoid the hassle of crossing back over the road. If you continue straight you will arrive at the important part of Santa Irene (the part with the bar).

Where the camino returns to the road at the start of O Pedrouzo you will find an abundance of arrows and a large map which is nearly worthless. Arrows and dozens of signs advertising various hostels and hotels point in every direction. If you have a reservation, review the map to find the best path, otherwise turn left up the road. If you are not staying the night in O Pedrouzo, cross the road here and continue along the camino.

If you spent the night in O Pedrouzo, it is important to find your way back to the camino proper which runs through the forest to the north. To get to it, find the intersection of the main road and Calle de Condello (where the Casa do Concello is located). Continue uphill (north from here) and in a few hundred meters the camino presents itself. Turn left and continue through the forest to Amenal.

The camino between here and Santiago is a mixture of rural and urban settings, some forests and some sprawl. The up and downs that you have been experiencing continue: the elevation gain/loss is +308/-339m, a not insignificant amount.

Leaving the bar behind you climb steeply uphill a short distance. The path soon levels out on a comfortable trail surrounded by eucalyptus trees. The Santiago Airport is very near, and the camino follows a path around the runway.

If you walked down the stairs to visit either of the bars at the bottom, turn and walk up the steps towards the Iglesia de Benaval. The camino continues around to the right-hand side and down to cross the road. At the road, cross at the crosswalk and continue along the road and over the famous river (see inset below).

The last hill is ahead, and if you are a stickler for doing things according to tradition you should start running now. It is said that the first of your group to arrive in Monte de Gozo is entitled to be called King. Be advised that there is no prize.

You do not need to enter the complex but for the sake of curiosity, carrying on down the road will take you where you are heading.

Pass the outdoor gallery of a local (and gifted) sculptor of stone and cross the bridge over the highway. It is midway over this bridge that you enter the city of Santiago de Compostela but to keep pilgrims from crossing the road half way across the bridge, the sign indicating such has been moved further into the city.

The walk into Santiago is through the urbanized zone that has grown up around the old town. After passing over the highway bridge the first part of Santiago you walk through is the Barrio San Lazaro; the church here is said to be the limit for pilgrims with leprosy. There is a fairly large intersection to cross where the arrows disappear and are replaced by blue and yellow signs on posts.

At last, you will enter the old town, through the Porta do Camiño, winding gently through the stone paved lanes, through the Plaza Cervantes, under the Bishops residence, and into the Plaza de Obradoiro. Congratulations, and welcome to Santiago de Compostela!