Stage 26 Portomarín-Palas de Rei

Description of stage 26 Portomarín - Palas de Rei of the French Way

From Portomarín to Gonzar 7,8 Km

The square where the previous stage ended in Portomarín (0h 00min), serves as the starting bridge for this day.

Sarria Avenue now leads us past the cobbled road, a ramp that we used yesterday to reach the town.

Soon we see ourselves descending, leaving behind us little by little the last buildings of Portomarín and the different streets with which we crossed. The descent ends when we find the road that we left on the left yesterday to climb the staircase to enter the town.

The route turns radically as if it wanted to take us back to that place. In front of us we can already see the old footbridge, now unused, which previously crossed the French Way to save this bend in the reservoir.

A few metres further on we come across the bridge, which we will now cross to the other side, without the route allowing us to reach the staircase.

As soon as we cross, we are forced to continue on the right, following the course marked by the asphalt, taking us through the houses that make up O Souto (0h 10min). We also have the possibility of following another of the alternative routes that we will find along the Way of Saint James in Galicia, and which joins this itinerary a little further on.

This section already begins to show us what awaits us in a few metres, making us gain height for now without further demands. Shortly after leaving behind the houses of the small town, we find the end of the asphalt and the fork in the path we are following.

At this point we must continue on the left starting, now yes, the true ascent that awaits us and that will force us to take it with a certain calm. Luckily this part of the route runs largely in the shade of the trees that surround it, thus protecting us from the inclement sun that will undoubtedly harden the effort necessary to save this first hurdle.

The route continues its advance leaving to both sides some track that goes out to its encounter. Practically at the same time, the thick forest ceases to provide us with its pleasant shade and the demanding slope loses its inclination, allowing us to progress more easily.

The path, a well pressed and in perfect condition, makes us the perfect guide, marking without a doubt the path to follow.

The fields of pastures gain again the lost protagonism that in few meters it will have to share with the road, since the route returns to join us with her.

After reaching its height we see ourselves passing a crossroads to begin our journey along the path that continues on the left bank of the road.

The ascent ends when we reach the pavilions that house a brick factory, being in this place where we must look for the best time to cross to the other side, as the path now continues on the right side of the road.

A little more than a kilometre long stretch awaits us in front, with almost no unevenness, in which we follow the course of the road without detours, now with it on our left.

Other agricultural pavilions this time mark the time to cross the road again to continue on this side, this time for longer.

The pavilions remain behind us at the same time that, hidden among the trees, we can sense the next place we will pass through.

Once again we come across a narrow road that we must cross to ascend the track that will make us pass next to Toxibó (1h 30min).​

This village and its accesses are to our left, almost without realizing we will see ourselves again crossing a beautiful forest that separates us from the hustle and bustle of the nearby road. The itinerary alternates the shaded areas with the open areas that allow us to contemplate the environment that surrounds us.

After a while following this track without deviating, we arrive at its final point, to our right we already see the road towards where we will go following the track that arrives from her.

Just when we reach her height we find the beginning of the walkway by which the route continues, forcing us to continue next to her. The Way of St. James is now embedded between the asphalt and the forest that alternates with the fields, ignoring the few crosses it encounters.

Sometimes the route separates us a few metres from the road, giving us a little respite, like the one offered by a shady rest area we pass through.

After passing through this oasis we went without further complications to Gonzar (2h 05min), which we arrived following the straight run that separates us from it.

From Gonzar to Castromaior 1,3 Km

The French Way goes straight on passing almost without approaching the town, leaving it on our left.

After a few metres, after leaving Gonzar on our back, we reach the end of the narrow path that takes us to a track that we must continue along.

As soon as we begin the route, we arrive at a dirt road on our right that makes us face a new ascent, this time less demanding than the previous one.

The route follows this well-defined track that will take us without problems until we reach the entrance road to the next town.

Again we see ourselves stepping on the asphalt, following the course of the road that leads us directly to the gates of Castromaior (2h 25min), getting into it without further delay.

From Castromaior to Hospital da Cruz 2,3 Km

The passage of the Way by the locality follows the ascending sense that marks the asphalt, ignoring the different streets and paths with which it meets.

Another hard ramp awaits us that will put us to the test, demanding an extra effort to leave Castromaior behind.

The ascent follows the course of the access road to the locality, taking us without a doubt until the reencounter with the road. Here we also have the possibility of following the itienrario that brings us closer to the old castro, at the top of the mountain, and then join a little further on to the route that usually followed the French Way.

When we arrive to its side, to our left begins again a narrow andadero that protected by a thick row of hedges serves us to continue with the ascent, that luckily already has lowered its intensity.

This section finishes faster than desired, forcing us once again to cross the road in search of its continuation to the other side.

As if it were a game, the andadero takes us without much consideration to the point where we are forced to cross the road again, this time for the last time.

On the other side begins a dirt track that, as soon as it begins, makes us leave a couple of paths to our left, to continue the road from afar.

The track transports us to the vicinity of the next town we cross and to which we arrive after a new crossroads.

Hospital da Cruz (3h 05min) returns to our left, while the French Way continues its course without major complication.

From Hospital da Cruz to Ventas de Narón 1,6 Km

The route continues its course always choosing the options on the right in the few occasions in which it must choose.

The cobblestone street gives way to a new dirt track that takes us directly to a service road.

Following it in a soft ascent we see ourselves in a new crossing, in which we must cross the bridge that passes over the national 540.

As soon as we cross the bridge, the route begins a short descent as if to take us to the meeting of the national one. A little later we find the beginning of the road that we have to continue, starting at that point a new and hard ascent.

This local road accompanies us almost until the end of the stage, taking us through many villages and showing us from the beginning the type of stretch that awaits us, with continuous ups and downs that will make us save the rounded hills that stand in our way.

Luckily, or not, a large part of the route consists of what looks like a conditioned andadero that gives us some margin with the asphalt and the vehicles that pass through it. From now on, shaded areas are scarce, partly due to the fields of pastures and crops that dominate this part of the route.

At our entrance in the next locality we find ourselves with the possibility of following the course of the road to quickly turn left or take a small shortcut that takes us directly to the hermitage of Ventas de Narón (3h 30min), where both options come together again.

From Narón to Ligonde Sales 3,3 Km

With no further divisions, the French Way continues its journey, leaving behind the hermitage and the small rest area next to it, to face another uncomfortable ramp, following the line that marks the road.

This section has a good number of paths that it leaves behind without leaving the road at any time. The route allows us to enjoy a varied landscape, offering us some area of shade that is very well received especially in summer.

The small village of A Prebisa (4h 00min) warns us of the proximity of the next town we will cross. But before that one of the many special corners of the Way of Saint James awaits us, formed by the curious Os Lameiros crossing and the surroundings that surround it.

Ligonde (4h 15min) surprises us almost without warning, taking us out of the green landscape that brought us here.

From Ligonde to Airexe 0,9 Km

Accustomed to crossing quickly the localities with which we are with, Ligonde will take us more time than we imagined.

The locality extends around the French Way that advances leaving to both sides how many streets go out to its step.

The main street through which we cross the town is divided in its center by the channeling of water that serves as a reference to follow in case of doubt.

On the outskirts of Ligonde, just next to the municipal hostel, there is a small detour that avoids the long curve drawn by the road and which cyclists, with exceptions, cannot avoid.

The battered path takes us back to the meeting of the road to together start another strong ramp that takes us to the next objective of the day.

The asphalt introduces us without delay in Airexe (4h 30min), forcing us to leave aside the detour to its church.

From Airexe to Lestedo 2,6 Km

As we pass through the town, we advance without turning off until we reach a large rest area, where the road divides in two, making us choose between both options.

The route continues along the road on the left, heading for a long, undulating section. The road continues to act as a personal guide, marking out the itinerary to be followed without letting us depart from its marked course.

The pattern of this stage is still in force making us face a tended ascent to descend again losing part of the height gained shortly after passing a lonely crossroads.

This descent takes us to Portos (5h 00min), a small village that offers us all its hospitality. From here a new ascent that gains inclination step by step. The road continues to make us leave behind as many crosses we find, facilitating the route to follow.

Lestedo (5h 10min) welcomes us with a fountain and its trough used now by pilgrims who refresh their battered feet in it.

From Lestedo to Palas de Rei 5 Km

The slope becomes somewhat more demanding without reaching the slope of past ramps, the road leads us leaving behind this town and heading towards the next from which we do not separate too much distance.

The route enters Os Valos (5h 25min) where it continues its gradual ascent. The locality extends following the line that marks the road that takes us without letting us leave it at any time.

We face the last stretch of road with hardly any inclination, this route brings us closer without knowing it towards the national road 547.

On reaching its height, the small village of A Brea (5h 40min) awaits us, where the itinerary forgets the asphalt that accompanied it until here to continue in principle by the cobbled track that starts from the village.

We have to save the rounded slope of the hill that separates us from the end of the stage, so we still can not say goodbye to the progressive ascent that does not finish abandoning us. The track transports us between the trees separating us for now from the national one.

We continue straight on at the few junctions that we encounter in our inevitable approach to the noisy national. The road joins us again, accompanying our progress along the path that borders it.

This stretch of track leads us to a crossroads with a road where we must go straight on to go towards the detour we will take.

The andadero ends when we arrive at O Rosario (5h 55min), which is on our right to follow the track that quickly takes us to As Revoltas (6h 00min).​

The route crosses the town to begin the descent that will take us to the end of the stage.

Going straight on at the few crossroads we come across, we reach a large recreational area after which we continue straight on at the crossroads with the road that gives access to it.

The route begins a quick descent that ends next to the first houses of the city, where it turns to the right to enter little by little in her.

We leave a first street on our left to get closer to the one that will take us to the church.

Once there, cyclists must follow the street without deviating until its end, then turn left and link up again with the pilgrims on foot.

The rest pass by the church to meet the stairs that will lead them to the next intersection.

When we get to him in front of us we see the street we should follow and where we will be joined by cyclists who come from a little higher.

This new street takes us directly to the Palas de Rei (6h 20min) Town Hall building where this stage ends.

Next to him, on his right, we have the street where pilgrims who spend the night in another village later can continue.

Technical details of the stage

Distance. 24.8Km

There are several options for shortening or lengthening this figure.

Time. 6:20h

Physical preparation will cause this figure to vary in both directions, as the profile of the route conditions more than we might think the total time we will need. For the rest and except for errors of course not so habitual or possible as in other stages we would not have to find greater problems to carry out the stage calmly in the marked time.

Time of year

This route maintains its attractions almost all year round, offering a mixture of fields, wooded areas and rounded hills that combine a variety of colorful landscapes. The morning mists in the valleys or the wide, clear meadows will give us added value to a route that, without large mountains or mighty rivers, maintains the level of previous stages.

Material required

Given the type of terrain and its good condition the stage allows us to use a footwear lighter than the usual boot. The material and clothing to wear as it could not be otherwise must be in accordance with the time of year and weather conditions that tend to be quite changeable in this area. Although we will pass many localities with their corresponding services, the water and some food can not miss us given the profile breaks legs of the entire stage. For the rest we must not forget the sunscreen, sunglasses and cap because the sun presses hard here even if it does not seem so. Consult our list of material and equipment to make the Way. Read more

Difficulty. Moderate

Physical

Stage breaks legs, a continuous goes up and down with some hard ramp that added to the mileage make this stage harder than you would expect in the first term. The short distance between the towns and the relative influx of pilgrim-oriented services make this route somewhat more comfortable, which could be said to be largely by asphalt. The hot days, even taking into account the shaded areas that alternate on the route, will undoubtedly make the stage more demanding, forcing us not to forget to hydrate what is necessary.

Caution

The many road junctions and the traffic to a large extent through it make this a stage in which we must increase precautions. It is very common to find pilgrims who unconsciously forget that they are travelling on a road which, although local, has its own traffic and which, unfortunately, has been part of some accident or other. Attention on the little path after Ligonde, we are used to the good road surface of the stage and this short descent section is quite stark and if we add that for comfort we wear the lightest footwear can make us slip.

Orientation

Without major problems, since both the andaderos and the road are in charge of marking us very clearly the route to follow, even when passing through the localities. It is at the Portomarín exit where most of our doubts may arise as we partly have to go back and it is hard for us to find the marks at the beginning, especially for those who have not spent the night in this locality. The entrance to Palas de Rei for cyclists is somewhat more complicated as the Way follows streets with stairs, although it is relatively easy to recover its course.

Coordinates UTM Datum WGS84

Stage Profile

Cartography, maps and tracks

This sketch of the route is not made to scale nor does it contain all the information relating to the area, it is merely indicative.

This schematic with the path is approximate and has been created from the derived cartographic base © Instituto Geográfico Nacional "Cuadrante 123, 122, 0097 y 0096 1:50.000".

Senditur has manipulated the tracks to correct the aberrant points that may exist, caused by problems with the reception of the GPS signal. In any case the tracks are always approximate.oximados. SENDITUR encourages you to use the new technologies within your reach, using them as support and consultation in your activity, not basing the realization and orientation of the same only and exclusively on them, since they may see their functioning altered by very diverse causes, not functioning correctly and their indications may not be precise.