Information about stage 29: Stage from Palas de Rei to Arzua
| STAGE 29 |
KM 28.8 |
TIME 06H 45′ |
Itinerary
- Km 0. Palas de Rei (All Services)
We cross the road next to the Casa del Concello de Palas de Rei and go down Via del Peregrino to cross the road again and continue down the cobbled Rúa do Apostolo. For the third time we cross the road and continue straight ahead along Río Roxán street, where there is a sculpture of dancing pilgrims signed by J. Novo . We come out onto Avenida de Compostela, which coincides with the N-547, and after five hundred meters (past kilometer point 35 of the national road) we turn right to cross the Roxán river . Cairn 64 announces the arrival to the parish of San Sebastián de Carballal . Under a forest we go up to a couple of villages in this parish and go down to cross the N-547 (Km 2.1). Milestone 63.5 introduces us to a path surrounded by eucalyptus and oak trees, very prone to getting muddy, which reaches the place of Lacua (milestone 63). A good row of stone slabs prevents getting muddy in the pool of water. We continue to San Xulián do Camiño , announced by the marker 62.5. On the side of the Camino is the Romanesque church from the end of the 12th century, which exhibits the apse in the foreground.
- km 3.4. San Xulián do Camiño (Hostel-Bar)
By paved track we pass the place of Pallota (Landmark 62) and descend without quarter through a beautiful corridor to the Pambre river to reach Ponte Campaña , belonging to the parish of Mato.
- km 4.5. Pontecampaña (Hostel)
A spectacular stretch follows. Like a Fangorn forest , embraced by rock and twisted branches, we progress to Casanova , also in the parish of Mato.
- km 5.7. Casanova (Hostels. Bar from spring 2015)
We leave the public hostel to one side and further on the detour to the A Bolboreta hostel . We continue along the paved track and leave it to the left to take a path. We go down until we cross the Vilar lake , in Porto de Bois (Km 7.2) . Immediately afterwards, uphill, we advance to Campanilla , a small village in the parish of Mato and the last town in Lugo on the Camino (Km 8) . On a secondary road we say goodbye to the 96.7 kilometers traveled in the province of Lugo to introduce ourselves in O Coto , the first village in A Coruña belonging to the parish of Leboreiro, now in the Municipality of Melide.
- km 8.5. O Coto (Bar. Shop)
At the exit of O Coto we leave the asphalt to the left to go down to Leboreiro, defined in ancient times as Campus Leporarius or field of the hares. Here we will see a Cabazo : a gigantic basket that, like the granaries, was used to preserve corn. Behind is the interesting church of Santa María , transitional Romanesque.
- km 9.2. leboreiro
We leave Leboreiro and cross the Seco River by a medieval bridge (Km 9.5) . Milestone 56 leads to Disicabo and then comes a tedious stretch next to the N-547 and the Melide Business Park , also called Magdalena (Km 11) . A kilometer later the panorama changes and we go down to the banks of the Furelos river for a more dignified environment. We cross this tributary of the Ulla over the medieval bridge and access the parish of San Xoán de Furelos . It is the prelude to Melide , the capital of the Concello.
- Km 13. San Xoán de Furelos (Bar)
We arrive at Avenida de Lugo, we pass next to the chapel of San Roque and its transept from the 14th century . Towards the public shelter and to take a short cut we can continue along the San Pedro street but the itinerary is also signposted along the Convento street to the Convento square.
- km 14.8. Melide (All Services)
Here you can find the old pilgrims’ hospital , which today houses the Museo da Terra de Melide ; the Sancti Spiritus Convent and its church; the 18th century Town Hall building and the San Antonio chapel , next to which we leave the square to take the San Antonio street. After skirting the public shelter we leave Melide along the Principal street. With views of the valley we go down to the N-547, which we cross to take the CP-4603 straight ahead in the direction of San Martiño. At the height of a barbecue restaurant, we turn right to visit the church of Santa María de Melide , a parish of the same name (Km 15.6) . The temple is Romanesque from the end of the 12th century, has a single nave and a semicircular apse and houses the only Romanesque gate in Galicia. After passing the houses of Carballal we find ourselves surrounded by eucalyptus trees, deciduous species and meadows up to the paved passage of the Catasol river , a tributary of the Furelos (Km 17.2) . Postcard landscape that the Camino offers us. Through beautiful surroundings we headed for Raido , at the foot of the N-547. We left his company quickly to continue to Parabispo , already in the Arzúa Council (Km 18.7) . Under a eucalyptus forest we cross the Valverde stream , we pass Peroxa– where the marker 45.5 is located – and we enter the parish of Boente, divided in two by the N-547.
- km 20.5. Boente (Hostels-Bar)
After the church of Santiago we turn right and go down a track to the Boente river and the place of Punta Brea , before going through a tunnel through the N-547. After surrounding some meadows, we face a tough slope that rises at the foot of the N-547, and next to it we reach various places in the parishes of Figueiroa and Castañeda. In this place were the lime kilns where the pilgrims deposited the stone they brought from Triacastela.
- km 22.7. Castañeda (Hostel-Bar)
We go down the paved track to the Ribeiral stream , located between Pedrido and Río (Km 23.3) . Now it’s time to go up and continue straight ahead, leaving the turnoff to Doroña on the left. Then, almost always along local tracks, we go down two kilometers to the Iso River, which gives access to Ribadiso da Baixo, a village in the Rendal parish.
- km 25.8. Ribadiso da Baixo (Hostels-Bar)
On the other side of the medieval bridge is the pilgrims’ hospital of San Antón, currently restored as a public shelter. Taking a detour, in our opinion absurd, we go up to the N-547 to arrive, along the endless avenue of Lugo, to the first houses in Arzúa. At the same entrance there are several private hostels located one after the other. After another stretch we leave the avenue to take Cima do Lugar street, where the public is.
- km 28.8. Arzúa (All Services)
Difficulties
- The 29 kilometers of this stage would be equivalent to a flat section of about 40. The continuous rise and fall of the profile makes it difficult to maintain the rhythm, but nothing that does not prevent the pilgrim from “smelling” the horizon and therefore drawing strength from weakness .
Observations
- At the exit of Palas de Rei we will find on the road the indications to go to the Castle of Pambre , this is separated from the road about 5 kilometers. The castle represents the best example of medieval military architecture in Galicia. For more information and visits, contact https://www.turismo.gal/recurso/-/detalle/7186/castelo-de-pambre?langId=es_ES&tp=9&ctre=40
- In today’s stage there will be no shortage of restaurant services along the way, as well as a good “handful” of pilgrims who will accompany us in the remaining days, since in Melide we will be joined by those who come along the Camino Primitivo and in Arzua those of the Camino del Norte will do it.
- In the village of O Coto we will enter the last province of our pilgrimage, A Coruña.
What to see, what to do
- PORTO DE BOIS: Puerto de Bueyes is a place in the Lugo parish of Mato where a bloody battle took place between Enrique de Trastamara and the count of Lemos, Fernán Ruiz de Castro, faithful to the legitimate monarch Don Pedro I the Cruel. Luck bent on the part of the Trastamara who inflicted a severe defeat on the count.
- LEBOREIRO: Leboreiro is the first parish of A Coruña, the last province of the Camino. The possible abundance of hares explains why the Codex Calistinus called it Campus Leporarius in the Middle Ages . A transept presides over the main paved street, which is flanked by massive stone houses. The church of Santa María is in the transitional Romanesque style, with a single nave and a circular apse. On the tympanum of the doorway there is a beautiful image of the Virgin carved, opposite is the facade of the House of Nursing, old pilgrims’ hospice founded by the Ulloa family in the 12th century. In front you can see a typical cabazo, that is, a granary in the shape of a gigantic basket used to preserve corn, as if it were a primitive granary. The bridge over the Seco River dates from the 14th century and was provided with a parapet during the restoration in 1984.
- MELIDE: Capital of the Council of the same name, made up of 26 parishes and located in the geographic center of Galicia, on the western slope of the Sierra de Careón. Of pre-Roman origin, it seems that it was repopulated by order of Archbishop Gelmírez. In Melide the pilgrims who come along the Camino Primitivo link up. Of the Romanesque church of San Pedro, transferred today to the Campo de San Roque and known as the chapel of San Roque , only the cover remains. Here is also the stone cross from the 14th century, which is considered the oldest in Galicia. The Sancti Spiritus Monastery-Hospital , which now houses the Terra de Melide Museum, was built at the place where the pilgrims of the primitive route entered ., a place, as the institutional page says, built by the people and for the people. The octopus, cooked and with olive oil, salt and paprika, is Melide’s best cover letter. The traditional pastries also stand out, with sweets such as the well-known “rico” and the gingerbreads. It offers all the services.
- RIBADISO DA BAIXO: Just after crossing the river Iso by an idyllic medieval bridge, you will find the old Hospital de San Antón de Ponte de Ribadiso (15th century) converted into a magnificent hostel.
- ARZÚA: In the old town of Arzúa is the old convent of La Magdalena , an Augustinian foundation from the 14th century that maintained a hostel for poor pilgrims and which today is in ruins. Nearby stands the modern parish church of Santiago , which has two images of the Apostle, one as a Pilgrim and the other as Matamoros. Since 1975, the cheese festival has been celebrated in Arzúa year after year . Arzúa cheese is made by hand with whole cow’s milk and is produced throughout the Arzúa – Ulloa region, and in various municipalities of Lugo.