Information about stage 31: Stage from Baamonde to Sobrado dos Monxes
| STAGE 31 |
KM 41.3 |
TIME It take 20 to 23 hours if you walk it in one day |
Itinerary
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Km 0. Baamonde (All services)
We say goodbye to Baamonde on the N-VI , the mythical highway that connects Madrid with A Coruña, and we follow it for about three kilometers in the direction of the Galician capital. The track runs parallel to the railway line and the Parga river , from the Miño basin and a tributary of the Ladra river. After kilometer 532 of the National Highway and paying attention to the 99,805 kilometer milestone to Santiago, we leave the asphalt and cross the tracks and the Gothic bridge over the Parga. A track leads to the nearby Chapel of St. Albert, Gothic from the 14th century, or from the 18th century as others point out, and framed by a shady wooded area. Next to the chapel there is also a whimsical fountain (Km 3.5). In this same place a motley path begins, not very long, but it crosses a nice unevenness and ends at the height of O Rego da Viña , the first of the villages of San Breixo de Parga, of the Gutiriz Council. The itinerary turns to the right and reaches the village of Baldoncel , also in San Breixo.
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km 5.5. baldoncel
At the entrance of this population we turn left to take a paved track that we will continue without turning aside until the village of Caínzos . At the exit of Caínzos we take a path through the forest straight ahead to Digañe , a village in the parish of Santa Locaia (Leocadia) de Parga (Km 8). The track continues to Raposeira and we cross the town to take another path that leads back to the track. Several wooden signs will announce the proximity of the Pilgrim Support Point installed by María Helena Pais Lojo . It is located in the village of Carballedo, on the right hand side and about 100 meters from the Camino, right at the marker that indicates 93.468 to Santiago. The initiative has had the support of the City Council of Guitiriz and pilgrims have free Internet access, stamped credentials and general information. There is also coffee, soft drinks and sandwiches and those who carry a tent have an area to set it up. In addition, in May 2015, Helena has inaugurated a 9-bed hostel at the same point).
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km 9.7. Carballedo (Hostel. Bar, support point for pilgrims)
The day continues by track towards the Seixón rest area and further on, after the Lavandeira river , to the parish of San Paio de Seixón , belonging to the Friol Council (Km 12). Its Romanesque church is located to the left of the Camino, at the turnoff that, by road, takes us past Subcampo and A Laguna , places in the parish of Seixón. In the latter is the A Lagoa hostel , with a bar and shop.
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km 13.5. A Laguna (Hostel. Bar-shop)
We leave the provincial road and turn left to continue towards Miraz , the parish of Friol, with a hostel run by the Confraternity of Saint James and a bar-shop. The hostel is on the left hand side of the itinerary. From here the profile of the stage will gently climb upwards for about 17 kilometers to the border between Lugo and A Coruña.
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Miraz (Hostel. Bar)
The day of Filípides says goodbye to Santiago de Miraz by track and crosses the places of Outeiro and As Laxes .
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km 15.8. As Laxes (Hostel. Bar)
Four hundred meters later we turn left to take a path that for about 4 kilometers runs through a lonely and open area populated by pines, gorse and heather. Progressively, this section solves about a hundred meters of unevenness and finally ends on a track where we turn left. On one side we leave A Braña , from the parish of San Pedro de Anafreita and Concello de Friol, and further on we come out on the road after the streams of Anafreita and Portolamas . We pass the Mámoa hill (Km 21.8) and on asphalt we leave Carballoso aside, continuing to A Roxica . Another point with a hostel commanded by Elena and where you can recharge your batteries with a soft drink or coffee.
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km 25.6. To Roxica (Bar. Hostel)
Then to A Cabana to go up to A Travesa , villages, all of them, from the parish of San Mamede de Nodar. Six hundred further on from A Travesa is A Marcela , corresponding to the parish of Santa María de Silvela and where the bar run by Estrella is located.
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To Marcela (Bar)
Descending we reach the turnoff to Corteporcos (Km 29.4), which we take to cross the village. At the exit, a path crosses Monte da Pallota , leaving O Espiño on the left, and joins the LU-934 road. We follow it to the right, reaching the highest point of the Camino del Norte and crossing the border of Lugo to enter the province of A Coruña, where the road is renamed AC-934. We pass by the Marco das Pías highway , the first town in A Coruña, the source of the Mandeo River and already linked to the Sobrado dos Monxes Council (Km 32.5). Between kilometer points 6 and 5 we visit Vilariño and Mesón , and in this population, at the height of a bar, we leave the road to the right (Km 35.4).
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km 35.4. Inn (Bar)
We continue along the track to Esgueva and at the end of the village we cut through a path that leads to Muradelo (Km 36.6). In this last section, official signs are scarce and it is easy to miss, since old yellow arrows coexist with the Xunta milestones and do not always point in the same direction. In umbría we descend to the AC-934 and follow it to cross Guitiza and reach the Laguna de Sobrado (Km 40). After the lake we leave the asphalt to the left and pass Porcarizas and Carreira to finally reach the Monastery of Santa María de Sobrado dos Monxes , where the pilgrims’ hostel is located (Km 41.3). Also, since 2013, this town has a private hostel .
Difficulties
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High mileage
There are no very steep or long-lasting slopes throughout the entire journey, but it is still a stage of more than 40 kilometers. Those who doubt it can divide it into two sections and spend the night in Miraz. Approximately half of the route runs by road and paved tracks.
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Poor signposting in the final stretch to Sobrado
At the height of a bar, in Mesón, you have to leave the AC-934 and take a paved track on the right that leads to Esgueva and Muradelo. At the exit of this last town there were only a few arrows to the Lagoon. In unmarked detours, it is advisable to always continue straight.
- 5 kilometers from the start of the stage we have a chance to go to Sobrado via As Cruces, thus shortening the stage by about 8 kilometres. This route is signposted and the slope is similar to the one traced by Miraz, with restaurant services in O Campo da Vila and As Cruces.
Observations
5 kilometers from the start of the stage we have a chance to go to Sobrado via As Cruces, thus shortening the stage by about 8 kilometres. This route is signposted and the slope is similar to the one traced by Miraz, with restaurant services in O Campo da Vila and As Cruces.There are no very steep or long-lasting slopes throughout the entire journey, but it is still a stage of more than 40 kilometres. Those who doubt it can divide it into two sections and spend the night in Miraz. Approximately half of the route runs by road and paved tracks.
What to see, what to do
For the pilgrim, who sees his movements limited, and more so in such a long stage where there is hardly any time left to visit anything, it is best to focus the visit on the Monastery of Sobrado:
- The origin of this monastery dates back to the mid-10th century, when the Counts of Présaras donated many of their possessions to the monastery and somehow converted it into a family building. These riches were administered for the benefit of the monastic community and the poor and pilgrims, who already at that time passed through there during their trip to Santiago. In the 12th century, specifically in 1140, the Cistercian order arrived in Spain and reached Sobrado, who was revitalized to the rhythm of “ora et labora”. In 1142 Bernardo de Fontaines sends from France, where he is abbot, a community of monks. Thus, on February 14, 1142, the Cistercian monastic life began in Santa María de Sobrado. During the rest of the 12th century and the 13th century, the Monastery developed a great spiritual and economic activity. Later, like most Spanish and European monasteries, it experienced a stage of decline that stopped in 1498, when the Monastery was incorporated into the Congregation of Castile. The Monastery recovers much of its grandeur; most of the buildings that are currently preserved, begin to be built from this new era. The monumental church is completed at the end of the 17th century. On September 21, 1834, the Monastery was suppressed by royal order by a general and final order of confiscation. TheMonastery of Santa María de Sobrado , its buildings and possessions are sold to people not related to the religious or ecclesiastical institution. A progressive deterioration of the buildings begins, which ends up becoming a huge pile of ruins and stones. In 1954, commissioned by Cardinal Quiroga, Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, the Cistercian Monastery of Viaceli , located in the town of Cóbreces, began the enormous task of rebuilding the monastery; and in the month of July 1966 he sent a community of monks. On July 25, 1966, the Cistercian monastic life began again in the Monastery of Santa María de Sobrado.
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Sobrado Lagoon
At the entrance to Sobrado there is an artificial lagoon of which there are no written documents about its construction and the relationship it may have had with the monks in medieval times. But its existence demonstrates the monastery’s interest in fishing wealth, one of the bases of its diet.