A Armenteira

A 22km day with a very tough 450m elevation climb, but a great variety of quiet rural scenery.

We left our digs at Acolá Rooms before 8 and found a bar within meters offering the perfect hiker’s breakfast: fresh OJ, caffe con leche and two slabs of toast with jam.

Then it was off over the Ponte do Burgo, a broad pedestrian bridge coinciding with the Camino route. The city looks impressive from the bridge.

We joined a stream of pilgrims heading out of town and were soon in quite rural areas.

Just after 3km we took a left turn on the somewhat lesser travelled route, the so called Spiritual Variant. Most pilgrims keep going straight ahead to Padrón.

We were pleased to see a few others taking our route, and to see it was a well marked route too.

The walk to Combarro was quite beautiful through backroads and lanes past many small vineyards and gardens.

We stopped just before Combarro for an excellent lunch, seafood salad and lamb moussaka, fuel for the climb. Then on into town and around the water front area.

Eventually the route turned uphill away from the water. We climbed very steeply through the maze of streets in the town.

What followed was a mix of beautiful rising paths through tall eucalyptus forest, dirt fire trails and sealed road. There were great views back to Pontevedra at a couple of points, and lots of forestry harvesting activity.

We summited at about the 19km mark. The descent into A Armenteira was along fire trails at first and finally a narrow rocky goat track where the poles were necessary to avoid falling.

We found our place (another climb) a fairly oddly laid out and furnished apartment, and performed the usual arrival rituals.

Weather has turned cold and maybe wet, we’re breaking out new ensembles.

Now off to the only eatery in town for some grub.Read more