Vía de la Plata
28.6 km, 433 m up and 583 m down, through 25 places, 8 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Sivil. 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 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 …
A hamlet between Barbadelo and Mercado da Serra. No services. Stone walls, green fields, eucalyptus.
The camino passes through the hamlets of Leimán, Peruscallo, Cortiñas, Lavandeira, Casal, and Brea. None have any services. The way is more gently rolling hills.
Between here and Morgade you may find, behind a fence on your right-hand side, a rather curious and grumpy ostrich. Ostrich meat is a growing industry in Spain, but this particular fella is the family pet.
A tiny Galician hamlet. No services.
Another small hamlet on the trail between Sarria and Portomarín. No services.
A hamlet with no services. The path winds through Galician farmland.
A hamlet on the trail. No services. The name means 'laundry place' — a reference to the stream.
A small hamlet. No services.
A tiny hamlet between Sarria and Portomarín. No services.
A hamlet with a bar and a small albergue — welcome services on this stretch. The Casa Morgade has a good reputation.
Beyond Ferreiros you will encounter the 100km marker. It is the single most vandalized object on the camino, changing from day to day as pilgrims leave their mark. From here on to Santiago the terrain has smoothed out, but do not be deceived. Although the height of the peaks has been reduced, the frequency with which you have to climb the smaller ones has increased.
Beyond Mirallos you will encounter the 100km marker. It is the single most vandalized object on the camino, changing from day to day as pilgrims leave their mark. From here on to Santiago the terrain has smoothed out, but do not be deceived. Although the height of the peaks has been reduced, the frequency with which you have to climb the smaller ones has increased.
You will pass through Rozas and Moimentos, no services.
A hamlet on the approach to Portomarín. No services.
A hamlet near Portomarín. No services. The reservoir and bridge begin to come into view.
A small hamlet with a bar. From here the descent to the Miño reservoir and Portomarín begins.
You will pass through Parrocha, no services.
A hamlet above the reservoir. The bridge across the Miño to Portomarín is visible below.
The camino will soon bring you within sight of Portomarín. You will also pass through the town of Vilachá before beginning the rather steep descent into the valley of the río Miño and across the modern bridge to Portomarín.
The camino into town passes over the new bridge. The old bridge spends most of its time submerged beneath the river below but by the end of summer it emerges as the water level drops. Up the stairs and through the small chapel, you are almost into town. It is a bit more uphill still.
From the square simply head downhill along the colonnaded street and stick to it until you arrive at the main road. DO NOT keep going straight. Rather turn left and head back in the direction of the bridge into town. Before you get there arrows will direct you onto a different bridge over a small river that feeds the reservoir.
At the end of the bridge are two options: TURN RIGHT.
From here it is a steadily uphill march all the way to Gonzar, passing Toxibo with its hórreo along the way. After passing through a stretch of forest the camino returns to the main road and parallels it on a gravel track. This track crosses back and forth over the main road on several occasions. Be mindful of traffic here, particularly during the morning hours when the area can be thick with fog.
Be aware of high-speed traffic as you are required to cross back and forth across the main road.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 597 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 28.1 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.