A 1.5 km detour south of the camino leads to Vilar de Donas and the Iglesia de El Salvador — one of the finest Romanesque churches in Galicia and well worth the extra walking.
The church was the headquarters of the Knights of Santiago in Galicia, and it preserves remarkable 14th- and 15th-century Gothic frescoes on the interior walls. The stone tombs of knights line the nave. The church is a national monument and opens to visitors — check hours locally, as they can be limited.
The detour is well-signposted and rejoins the main camino without backtracking.
20. September 2025 - 18:32
Updated hours for Vilar Das Donas 9/9 to 30/9/2025
14:30 to 18:30
The church was closed during these hours today. A local directed us to the caretakers house and he opened the church and provided a lovely tour which is one of the highlights of our camino so far.
The caretaker lives in the white house with the red roof across from the cemetery. His name is Jesus and he is the most lovely man and a fantastic tour guide.
5. September 2024 - 17:31
The church is open from 2 PM to 6 PM. If you enjoy medieval architecture, an additional hour-long walk is definitely worth it.
16. January 2019 - 15:34
The detour to Vilar De Donas is worth it if you plan on seeing the church and its inside. This requires you to reach out to one of the villagers. Opposite to the church and a little uphill lives a very friendly elderly man, who has the key to the church and is very happy to give you a tour. Be aware, he only speaks Spanish. I hardly speak any Spanish, but his excitement for the symbols in the architecture is contagious and thanks to communication by „foot and hand“ I understood a few things. Either way, it’s a nice trip and a special stamp to have. See link below for more information:
http://www.en.viviendoexperiencias.com/la-iglesia-de-vilar-de-donas/
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.