Vía de la Plata
21.1 km, 306 m up and 819 m down, through 14 places, 3 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Filloval. 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.
Another small hamlet on the descent. The vegetation thickens as you lose altitude: chestnut, oak, and the first eucalyptus trees appear.
A hamlet on the mountain road. No services. The descent continues through mixed forest.
A small village just above Triacastela. A bar may be open. The valley floor is visible below, and the walking eases as the gradient lessens.
Triacastela marks the bottom of the long descent from O Cebreiro and a natural stopping point. The village sits in a green valley, a dramatic contrast to the exposed mountain walking above. The name refers to three castl…
A tiny hamlet on the San Xil route. No services. The name refers to an old iron forge.
Between here and San Xil you will pass a large fountain with a large scallop shell with a lot of graffiti and algae. Beyond that by two more kilometers is the Alto de Riocabo. You will also pass through San Xil de Carballo, with no services.
San Xil de Carballo gives this route variant its name. A tiny village with no reliable services. The terrain is hilly and green, with good views back toward the mountains you've crossed.
You will not enter the village of Montán, but rather pass along the edge. While there is no fixed bar, there is a small picnic area with an on-again-off-again vending machine.
You will pass through Fontearcuda and Furela, no services.
A hamlet with a fountain (fonte) on the San Xil route. The water is reliable. No other services.
A small village on the San Xil route with a bar. The Iglesia de San Fiz has Romanesque elements. The path begins to descend toward Sarria.
A hamlet between Furela and Calvor on the San Xil route. No services. The descent toward Sarria continues.
The camino does not go through Calvor, but rather passes near its Iglesia de San Estevo y San Pablo. To get to the church, turn left for a short detour once you leave Pintín. The church itself is nothing spectacular, but the site has been home to one building or another since two monks from Samos founded a church here in the 8th century. Also the view towards Samos is worth the detour.
The remainder of the camino to Sarria is along the footpath adjacent to the road.
A hamlet on the approach to Sarria from the Samos route. The name — 'of the road' — confirms the ancient route.
Vigo de Sarria is the last hamlet before entering Sarria proper. A bar provides refreshment. From here you descend into the town.
The camino exits town along the Rúa Maior in the old town and passes the Convento de la Magdalena. Take note that the camino actually turns left BEFORE arriving at the convent. It goes steeply downhill to the road, turns right, and soon crosses the río Celeiro on the Ponte Áspera. It follows along the river, and in the shadow of a super bridge before crossing the train tracks. The first climb of the day (excluding the stairs in Sarria) is ahead and passes through an ancient forest full of gnarly oaks and chestnut trees.
Along the way between Sarria and Portomarin it is common to find beggars and buskers and the occasional scam artist soliciting your support and money and signature. Do your best to avoid becoming ensnared, the best method is to keep on walking. Also, you are advised to get your credential stamped at least twice a day between here and Santiago.
The path splits here and rejoins before Sarria. Both ways are below, because the question is which to take, and that is not a question two separate pages can answer.
Between here and San Xil you will pass a large fountain with a large scallop shell with a lot of graffiti and algae. Beyond that by two more kilometers is the Alto de Riocabo. You will also pass through San Xil de Carballo, with no services.
You will not enter the village of Montán, but rather pass along the edge. While there is no fixed bar, there is a small picnic area with an on-again-off-again vending machine.
You will pass through Fontearcuda and Furela, no services.
The camino does not go through Calvor, but rather passes near its Iglesia de San Estevo y San Pablo. To get to the church, turn left for a short detour once you leave Pintín. The church itself is nothing spectacular, but the site has been home to one building or another since two monks from Samos founded a church here in the 8th century. Also the view towards Samos is worth the detour.
Pass several villages with no services: Lastres, Freituxe, and San Martiño do Real.
Pass Foxos, and in Teiguín the camino splits again.It is possible to stay on the road all the way to Sarria, but the connection to Aguiada is recommended. Along the road to Sarria is 8.8km, via Aguiada 12.6km
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 516 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 21.9 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.