Vía de la Plata
25.4 km, 391 m up and 440 m down, through 15 places, 4 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from San Cristovo do Real. 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.
A hamlet on the approach to Sarria via the San Xil route. No services. The outskirts of Sarria begin to appear.
Pass several villages with no services: Lastres, Freituxe, and San Martiño do Real.
A hamlet on the San Xil approach to Sarria. No services. Sarria is close.
A small hamlet on the San Xil route. The walking is easy, descending gently through farmland toward Sarria.
A hamlet on the outskirts of Sarria on the San Xil route. A bar may be available.
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
A hamlet on the Samos route between the monastery and Sarria. No services.
A small hamlet on the Samos route. No services. The path follows the river valley toward Sarria.
A small hamlet on the Samos route near a river crossing. The restaurant Mesón O Vao serves meals and has become a popular stop for pilgrims on this variant. Beyond here the route approaches Sarria.
A hamlet on the Samos route. No services. The approach to Sarria is near.
A small village on the Samos route with a bar. The terrain is gentle farmland, and Sarria is visible ahead.
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.
Vilei is one of the first hamlets outside Sarria, and the change in atmosphere is immediate. The Galician countryside closes in: narrow lanes between stone walls, hórreos (raised granaries) in every farmyard, eucalyptus …
Barbadelo has the Iglesia de Santiago — a small Romanesque church with a fine carved doorway that is one of the better examples of rural Romanesque architecture in Galicia. The church sits slightly off the camino but is …
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 567 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 25.1 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.