Stage from O Cebreiro to Triacastela

by

Information about stage 25: Stage from O Cebreiro to Triacastela

Information about stage 25: Stage from O Cebreiro to Triacastela

STAGE
25		 KM
21.1		 TIME
004H 45′

Itinerary

  • km 28.4.O Cebreiro(Hostel. Rural Houses and Pensions. Bars. Shop)

If the fog does not prevent it by hiding the valley, seeing the sunrise from O Cebreiro, next to the temple of Santa María la Real, is a privilege that the Camino offers us that we cannot reject.Today, finally, we submerge ourselves in the land of Santiago, the one of the mist and theorballo;that of the Celtic forts and the mines coveted by the Romans;of infinity of hills, forges of oaks and chestnut groves.The official signaling marks 151 kilometers to Santiago, ours 154.7.We start the twenty-fifth stage above the pilgrims’ hostel.Sheltered by the mountain vegetation, we ascend from 1,296 meters to 1,370 (the highest point of the French Way in Galicia) in the vicinity ofTeso da Cruz and Mount Area.From that point we went down to meet awide forest track (Km 1.5). Drive to the first parish of the day.In Galicia, the municipalities are calledcouncils , to which differentparishesbelong,which in turn encompass differentplaces or villages.To the south, to the left of the forest track, the view recreates an endless number of hills thick with ferns, oaks, chestnut trees and pastures that form, among others, theO Courelmountain range .The forest track ends at the foot of the LU-633, where the parish ofSanto Estevo de Liñares is located,with a pre-Romanesque church with a single nave.

  • km 3.2.Liñares(Shelter. Bar that does not serve meals. Shop)

After the temple we cross the LU-633, a faithful companion during today’s stage, and we take a path very close to the road that surrounds us with its beech, holly and other catalog of Atlantic species.The first stop, that ofSan Roque, is not long in coming.On the other side of the LU-633, at 1,270 meters and with a wide panoramic view, stands the plastic sculpture of a medieval pilgrim who advances against the wind.He was immortalized in bronze by the artistJosé María Acuña (Km 4.1). The path follows the itinerary of the LU-633 and descends slightly to 1,205 meters.Subsequently, a false plain brings us closer toHospital da Condesa, the second inhabited nucleus of the day.The Jacobean cairn marks 145.5.In this town we will probably have one of the first contacts with the “Galician blondes”, the cinnamon-colored cows prized for their meat.

  • km 5.7.Hospital da Condesa(Hostel. Bar)

We leave this cowboy town and continue along a groove next to the guardrail of the LU-633.Later on we take the detour to Sabugos and Temple but immediately dismiss the paved section along a road that brings us closer toPadornelo.It is the kingdom of stone and slate slabs.

  • km 8.1.Padornelo

At the exit of this small parish we face a very hard but short slope through which we reach theAlto do Poio.A bar – hostel and an inn strategically welcome walkers, eager to stabilize their heart rate after such an acceleration.

  • km 8.5.Alto do Poio(Hostel. Bars)

More than three kilometers of path attached to the LU-633 separate us from the next town.Throughout this section we practically flatten because we only descend 45 meters in altitude.Thus we arrive atFonfría, also the center of Pedrafita do Cebreiro, with bars and a hostel.If we go relatively early and the bars haven’t opened yet, it’s likely that a local woman will welcome us with a succulent tower of fried milk cakes.

  • km 11.9.Fonfría(Hostel. Bar)

We cross Fonfría and once again, next to the inseparable LU-633, we return to the path that takes us through the same landscape toO Biduedo, 2.4 kilometers away.Throughout this section we descend exactly one hundred meters (Km 14.3).

  • km 14.3.O Biduedo(Bar)

After O Biduedo, already from the Triacastela Council, the descent begins to become evident.Only 6.8 kilometers separate us from the end of the stage and we still have to drop some 530 meters of altitude.On the way down, the path tries to get rid of the LU-633 and cut through the twists and turns of the road.A pronounced curve allows us to see MountOribio, 1443 meters high, in front of us.To the right, at the bottom of the valley, is Triacastela.The village after O Biduedo isFillobal.In this village there is a hostel and a bar-restaurant, theAira do Camiño, with an internet access point and a small shop.

  • km 17.3.Fillobal(Hostel. Bar-Shop)

After Filloval we cross the road and continue descending through trees to cross it again a kilometer later, next to a small picnic area.Thus we enterPasantes (Km 18.8), a stretched-out village with a chapel that we cross under the claim of the private sale of raspberries.The journey continues to the village ofRamil (Km 20.1), with a hundred-year-old chestnut tree on the edge of the road, and almost next toTriacastela.The public shelter is located at the same entrance, in a field on the left, and the rest, a large assortment of private shelters, in the center of the town.

  • km 21.1.Triacastela(All Services)

Difficulties

  • Alto do Poio: Short stage but necessary to renew strength after the hard day in O Cebreiro.The steep slope to reach the Alto do Poio is the only highlight of the day.You have to pay attention to the traffic on the LU-633, which you cross several times.

Observations

  • About 300 meters after Alto do Poio there is a variant to the right, signposted, which runs through a forest and which, in our opinion, is much more interesting than walking along the road.Both the unevenness and the distance are similar to the official itinerary and the two paths come together again in Fonfría.
  • Those who are strong enough can continue to theLusío hostel(in the Samos variant and 5 kilometers after Triacastela with a shop and bar nearby), or to theBenedictine monastery of Samos, about 10 kilometers from Triacastela.In this case the stage would become 31.1 km.Along the San Xil itinerary, the first shelter is in A Balsa, 2 kilometers after Triacastela, and the next one is inCalvor, 13.1 kilometers after Triacastela.

What to see, what to do

  • SANTO ESTEVO DE LIÑARES: TheCodex Calixtinusrefers to this town as Linar de Rege.It is a parish belonging to the Council of Pedrafita do Cebreiro.TheChurch of San Estebande Liñares is medieval in the pre-Romanesque style and was restored in 1963. It has a single nave and houses a Baroque altarpiece.A bar holds the type at 1225 meters of altitude.
  • HOSPITAL DA CONDESA: The origin of the town dates back to an old hospital there founded in the 9th century by the Countess Dona Egilo.Thechurch of San Xoánis similar to that of O Cebreiro (a three-story tower and a portico with three entrances) Before reaching Hospital da Condesa, at the top of San Roque and after a 300-meter detour to the left, you can access to a natural viewpoint over the Veigas da Forcas valley, where the Cantabrian and Atlantic slopes divide.It has a bar and hostel for pilgrims, from the Xunta and rehabilitated for the Holy Year of 2010.
  • PADORNELO: The Way passes close to thechurch of San Xoán, in the parish of Padornelo.The temple is from the 15th century, built in masonry and roofed with slabs.
  • FONFRÍA: Parish of the Municipality of Pedrafita do Cebreiro.The parish church,consecrated to San Xoán, dates from the 16th century and was extensively reformed in the year 64. Like the rest of this mountain area, it was built of stone and covered with slate slabs.It has several bars and a hostel.
  • O BIDUEDO:O Biduedo is a village in the parish of Lamas do Biduedo and already belongs to the Council of Triacastela.The path passes next to the chapel of San Pedro.If it’s open we can seal the credential.There is an inn that offers sandwiches, light dishes and a menu.
  • FILLOVAL, PASANTES AND RAMIL:Small villages without services of the Council of Triacastela.In Ramil, the Camino passes next to a hundred-year-old chestnut tree.

Leave a Comment