7 days on the Camino de Santiago
The Sarria to Santiago de Compostela stretch, spanning approximately 115 kilometers, has stood as a cornerstone of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage since medieval times.
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The itinerary
The Camino de Santiago from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela covers roughly 115 km over 6-7 days, making it the most popular stretch of the Camino Francés since it’s the minimum distance required to earn the Compostela certificate. The route winds through classic Galician countryside — shaded eucalyptus and oak forests, rolling farmland, medieval stone bridges, and small rural hamlets — passing through towns like Portomarín, Palas de Rei, Melide, Arzúa, and O Pedrouzo before a final, emotional descent through Monte do Gozo into the historic streets of Santiago and the grand Praza do Obradoiro, where pilgrims arrive at the cathedral believed to hold the remains of the Apostle Saint James. The terrain is gentle and rolling rather than mountainous, making it accessible to walkers of most fitness levels, and along the way pilgrims pass Iron Age hillforts, Romanesque churches, a reservoir-relocated village, and enjoy regional specialties like Arzúa’s cheese and Melide’s famous octopus.
Day 0
You arrive in Sarria, get familiar with the town and get ready for your walk. You stay the first night in Sarria before you begin your walk.
Day 1 – Sarria to Portomarín (22 km)
The Sarria–Portomarín stage is one of the most popular on the Camino Francés, since Sarria is the classic starting point for pilgrims who want to walk the minimum 100 km required for the Compostela.
Distance: About 22 km (some variations go up to 24 km depending on the route through Sarria’s old town).
General character: This stage is gentle and very green, winding through Galician countryside — oak and eucalyptus woods, small hamlets, meadows, and stone farm buildings (hórreos). It has some short, punchy climbs and descents rather than one long sustained ascent, so it feels rolling rather than mountainous.
Route highlights:
- Leaving Sarria, you cross the medieval bridge (Ponte da Áspera) over the Río Celeiro, then climb briefly into woodland.
- You pass through a string of tiny villages — Barbadelo (with a lovely Romanesque church, Santiago de Barbadelo), Rente, Morgade, Ferreiros, and Mercadoiro — each just a few houses, often with a bar or café for pilgrims.
- Ferreiros has an old forge and a small Romanesque church too.
- The path alternates between rural roads, dirt tracks, and shaded forest paths.
- Near the end, you descend toward the Río Miño, crossing it via a long modern bridge into Portomarín.
Portomarín itself: It’s worth knowing that the original village was flooded in the 1960s to build a reservoir (the Belesar dam). The town was relocated and rebuilt on the hill above, and several historic buildings — including the fortress-like Church of San Xoán (San Nicolás) — were moved stone by stone to the new site. When the reservoir water is low, ruins of the old village are sometimes visible.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate — well-suited to first-time pilgrims, though the rolling terrain and early climbs out of Sarria can surprise people who expect it to be flat.
Day 2 – Portomarin to Palas de Rei (25km)
The Portomarín–Palas de Rei stage continues the gentle, green rhythm of the Galician Camino, and at around 25 km it’s slightly longer than the previous stage from Sarria.
Distance: About 25 km (some pilgrims break it up with a stop in Gonzar or Palas de Rei’s approach villages).
General character: This stage climbs steadily out of the Miño valley and then rolls through farmland, oak groves, and eucalyptus forest — classic rural Galicia with stone walls, grazing cattle, and small stream crossings. It’s less punishing than it sounds; the climbs are gradual rather than steep, though the day is long.
Route highlights:
- Leaving Portomarín, you cross the reservoir bridge and begin a long, steady climb up from the Miño valley — the toughest part of the day, but it’s over relatively early.
- The path passes through a series of hamlets: Gonzar, Castromaior (with visible remains of an Iron Age hillfort, a castro), Hospital da Cruz, Ventas de Narón, and Ligonde.
- Ventas de Narón has historical significance as the site of a battle between Christian and Moorish forces in medieval times.
- Ligonde and the nearby area have old pilgrim cemeteries and chapels, reflecting centuries of pilgrim traffic through here.
- The final stretch into Palas de Rei crosses more farmland and small woods before reaching the town.
Palas de Rei itself: The name means “palace of the king,” linked to a (now-vanished) royal residence once said to belong to a Visigothic king. Today it’s a modest but functional town with good services for pilgrims — this is where many Camino Francés and Camino Primitivo routes converge, so it tends to be busier.
Difficulty: Moderate — longer than the Sarria stage, with one sustained climb, but otherwise comfortable rolling terrain well-suited to most walking fitness levels.
Day 3 – Palas de Rei to Melide (15km)
The Palas de Rei–Melide stage is shorter than the previous two and a favorite among pilgrims for its scenery and its famous destination food.
Distance: About 15 km (some variations run closer to 14–15 km depending on the route through town).
General character: This is one of the most scenic and shaded stages on this stretch of the Camino, running through dense eucalyptus and oak woodland, alongside streams, and past a number of small rural hamlets and medieval bridges. It’s shorter and gentler than the Sarria and Portomarín stages, making it a relatively easy day.
Route highlights:
- Leaving Palas de Rei, the path descends into wooded countryside, crossing several small streams and passing through hamlets like San Xulián do Camiño and Ponte Campaña.
- A highlight is the crossing of the Río Furelos via a beautiful medieval stone bridge just before entering the village of Furelos, which has a historic pilgrim tradition of washing feet in the river.
- From Furelos, it’s a short final stretch into Melide.
- Along the way you’ll also pass the Iglesia de Santa María de Leboreiro, notable for its Romanesque doorway.
Melide itself: Melide is significant as the point where the Camino Francés merges with the Camino Primitivo (the route coming from Oviedo), so the town often sees a noticeable increase in pilgrim traffic from this point onward. Melide is also famous — arguably notorious — for its pulpería (octopus restaurant) tradition; pulpo á feira (Galician-style octopus) is considered a near-obligatory stop here, and pilgrims often plan their arrival around lunchtime specifically to eat it.
Difficulty: Easy — the shortest and gentlest of the recent stages, with well-shaded paths and only mild ups and downs.
Day 4 – Melide to Arzúa (15 km)
The Melide–Arzúa stage is a short, pleasant continuation through Galician countryside, and it’s often paired with a relaxed pace since pilgrims are usually recovering from a good lunch in Melide.
Distance: About 14–15 km, making it one of the shorter stages of the Camino Francés.
General character: Like the previous stage, this one is heavily wooded and shaded, running through classic Galician landscape — eucalyptus and oak forest, small streams, stone farmhouses, and a handful of tiny hamlets. It’s gentle terrain with only minor undulations, making it a good recovery day after the longer stages from Sarria.
Route highlights:
- Leaving Melide, the path crosses the Río Catasol and continues through woodland toward Boente, a small village with the Church of Santiago de Boente, notable for a curious tradition: a local legend claims the church holds a piece of the true cross.
- Continuing on, the trail passes through Castañeda, historically significant as the place where medieval pilgrims are said to have carried limestone from Triacastela to be used in the construction of the cathedral in Santiago (the “cal” that gave Castañeda its old associations with lime-burning).
- The path continues through Ribadiso, a particularly picturesque spot along the Río Iso, with a medieval bridge and a well-known albergue right by the riverside — a popular rest stop.
- From Ribadiso, it’s a short final climb into Arzúa.
Arzúa itself: Arzúa is a working Galician town, known regionally for its cheese (queso de Arzúa-Ulloa, a soft, mild cow’s milk cheese with its own protected designation of origin). It has good services for pilgrims and marks one of the last larger towns before the final stretch to Santiago.
Difficulty: Easy — short, shaded, and gently rolling, one of the more relaxed stages on this final approach to Santiago.
Day 5 – Arzua to O Pedrouzo (19 km)
The Arzúa–O Pedrouzo stage is one of the last full stages before reaching Santiago, and it tends to feel busier as pilgrim numbers swell heading into the final days.
Distance: About 19 km (sometimes listed as 19–20 km depending on the exact route through town centers).
General character: This stage alternates between wooded paths, small rural roads, and stretches running close to the N-547 highway. It’s still largely rural and green — eucalyptus forest, farmland, and small hamlets — but it has more road-adjacent walking than some earlier stages, and traffic noise is noticeable in a few sections.
Route highlights:
- Leaving Arzúa, the path passes through a long sequence of small villages: Raído, Cortobe, Ribadiso da Baixo (technically part of the previous stage’s end but sometimes included here depending on where you started), Calzada, Calle, Boavista, Salceda, and Brea.
- Salceda is roughly the halfway point and has a few cafés for a rest stop.
- The route crosses a mix of eucalyptus plantations and farmland, with occasional views opening up over the Galician hills.
- Near the end, the path passes close to Santiago’s airport at Lavacolla, though this stage typically stops just before reaching it, in O Pedrouzo (also called Arca).
O Pedrouzo itself: A modest, functional town that exists largely to serve pilgrims on this final stretch — it has a good range of accommodation and services, since most walkers stop here specifically to leave a comfortable, non-rushed final day (about 20 km) into Santiago de Compostela.
Difficulty: Moderate-easy — longer than the two preceding stages, with some exposure to road noise, but no serious climbs. Many pilgrims feel a growing sense of anticipation on this stage, knowing Santiago is just one day away.
Day 6 – O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela (20km)
The O Pedrouzo–Santiago de Compostela stage is the final one — the emotional culmination of the whole Camino Francés, and it’s often walked in a mix of excitement, tiredness, and reflection.
Distance: About 19–20 km.
General character: This stage starts in wooded, rural surroundings similar to the previous days, but gradually gives way to more urban and suburban terrain as you approach Santiago, with the final few kilometers through the city itself. It’s a stage of transition — from countryside to cathedral city.
Route highlights:
- Leaving O Pedrouzo, the path continues through eucalyptus forest and small hamlets like Amenal and San Antón.
- The route then approaches Santiago’s airport at Lavacolla, historically a significant spot: medieval pilgrims traditionally washed themselves in the Lavacolla stream here before entering the holy city, a ritual of purification before arrival.
- Continuing on, you reach Monte do Gozo (“Mount of Joy”), a hill just outside Santiago where pilgrims historically got their first glimpse of the cathedral spires in the distance — a moment of huge symbolic significance, and still an emotional stop today even though modern development has partially obscured the classic view.
- From Monte do Gozo, the path descends into the outskirts of Santiago, passing through increasingly urban surroundings, before entering the old town.
- The final stretch winds through Santiago’s historic streets, arriving at the Praza do Obradoiro, the grand square in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela — the traditional endpoint of the pilgrimage.
Santiago de Compostela itself: The cathedral is believed to house the remains of the Apostle Saint James, and it’s this reputed connection that has drawn Christian pilgrims here since the Middle Ages. Pilgrims arriving with a stamped Pilgrim’s Passport documenting at least the final 100 km on foot can request the Compostela, the official certificate of completion, from the Pilgrim’s Office nearby. Many pilgrims also attend the daily Pilgrim’s Mass at the cathedral, sometimes featuring the famous botafumeiro (giant incense burner) swinging across the transept, though this isn’t guaranteed on any given day.
Difficulty: Moderate — comparable in length to the previous stage, with the added weight (literal and emotional) of the final arrival. Most pilgrims find the last kilometers pass quickly, carried by anticipation.
Day 7 – You wake up in Santiago
Today you have time to walk down to the pilgrims office to get your compostela (the diploma) if you did not already get that when you arrived on day 6. Feel free to stop by our office in old town, search for Casa Ivar in google maps to find us. Our address is: Rua Nova 7.
Buen Camino!
Ivar
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