Camino de Invierno
14.2 km, 191 m up and 274 m down, through 6 places, 2 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Lalín. Most are too small to sleep in — a fountain, a chapel, a bar that may or may not be open — but they are what the day is actually made of.
The camino leaves Lalín on the Pontiñas River walk (Paseo Fluvial) — a pleasant paved-and-unpaved path accessible at various points through town. Everyone knows where it is, so just ask.
From the town church, walk down Rúa Colón, past the plaza with the monument to the aviator Joaquín Loriga, and continue downhill to a large playground at the town's edge. Join the river walk there, heading left.
When a mojón takes you off the river walk, you'll start to ascend. Turn left at a small ermita (arrow on the adjacent shed) and continue on a back road. You'll emerge at the road through the industrial park near the Hotel Torre do Deza. Continue straight on a gravel road to a tunnel under the highway, then enter A Laxe.
Bergazos is the industrial-park area between Lalín and A Laxe. No services of interest to pilgrims.
The arrows through this industrial area are not well maintained, and the path can be overgrown. At the Hotel Torre de Deza, keep to the left and follow the paved pedestrian walk lined with streetlights. It takes you to the end of the industrial area before sending you off to the right.
Shortly after leaving A Laxe you pass the Pazo de Bendoiro. The camino takes you into the woods and ascends to a lovely old bridge, originally Roman but much rebuilt. The bridge is hidden in the forest and inaccessible to cars -- one of those quiet surprises the camino keeps in reserve.
A bit further on, the Romanesque church at Taboada has a carving of Samson over the doorway. You have to cross the busy highway to get there, but it's worth it. Volunteers keep the church open for pilgrim visits (8:30-15:00, closed Tuesdays).
From A Laxe, the camino is well marked and well trodden all the way to Santiago. The joining of the Invierno route means more waymarks, more pilgrims, and generally better infrastructure for the remaining distance.
Donsión is a small hamlet between A Laxe and Taboada. No services. The camino passes through on wooded paths.
Prado is a small hamlet on the approach to Taboada. No services.
Continue through the forest on well-marked paths towards Silleda.
The Romanesque church at Taboada is a small architectural gem, with a carving of Samson over the main doorway. You have to cross the busy highway to reach it — it's just a stone's throw from the camino but on the other s…
Transfontao is a small hamlet between Taboada and Silleda. No services.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 400 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 9.5 km.
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.