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The stage from Redondela to Pontevedra is nothing short of a high point on the Central Route of the Portuguese Way. After leaving Redondela, you’re in for a day with stunning coastal views, nice trails, and super cute towns.
For most of the day, you’ll be walking beside the Ría de Vigo, and for me, the views of the Vigo estuary were one of the highlights of this stage.
From Redondela onwards, you’ll share the trail with all the other pilgrims who started walking on the Coastal Route or the Litoral. You can expect to see more pilgrims in albergues and in the evening ,you can hear about the experiences of those who took the road less travelled.
Fun, beautiful, and challenging, today’s stage is many things—but more than anything, it’s memorable.
Let’s look what this exciting stage holds in store.
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Stage Overview
Experience Today’s Walk
☑ See the mix of Spanish and Galician text (the local dialect) on signs
☑ Taste a regional Estrella Galicia beer
☑ Hear church bells in Pontevedra
☑ Touch the crystal clear water of the Rio Tomeza
☑ Smell the fresh air blowing in off the sea
Compared to yesterday, Redondela to Pontevedra is a short stage of about 20 km. Most of it is spent following the old Roman road Via Romana XIX on a combination of dirt paths and gravel paths, with the occasional paved roads.
The halfway point marks another highlight. After walking for a few hours, you cross the River Verdugo on the medieval bridge at Ponte Sampaio. While it’s worth taking some pictures here, be careful of ongoing traffic.
About two-thirds of the way in, you’ll find two sets of yellow arrows that are pointing in different directions. Once again, the Camino is making you choose between the direct route and the Camino Complementario, a scenic but longer path along the river. Since the direct route follows a highway, I recommend taking the alternative route and walking the lovely tree-lined path along the river.
As you’re walking in Galicia, you can feel the increasingly tangible history of the pilgrimage of Saint James. Today, you’ll walk past spontaneous pilgrim shrines covered in scallop shells, chapels dedicated to Santiago, as well as an entire square dedicated to pilgrims!
Statistics
Distance: 20.8 km / 12.9 miles
Elevation gained: 527 m / 1,729 feet
Elevation lost: 514 m / 1,690 feet
Map
Our map starts at one of the most famous landmarks in Redondela, the train viaduct. When we started our walk, we needed to get some supplies so this is why today’s map starts across from a supermarket!
For the rest of the day, we simply followed the yellow arrows along the way. At the final destination for the day, we stopped at the Pontevedra sign across from the train station at the beginning of town.
On this stage on the Camino de Santiago, you have to cross the N550 a few times, which is a busy road. Be careful and take your time here since this is one of the main roads of the region.
Amenities
Now that the Camino Portugues is getting closer and closer to the city of Santiago de Compostela, you’ll see that the amenities are increasingly abundant.
It seems like almost every town, no matter how small, has a place to stay for the night. Likewise, every coffee shop and bar has a stamp, often with a big sign outside.
Before entering the small town of Arcade, stop by the café A Filla do Mar, also an albergue, for a stamp and an espresso or café con leche! They also have some good food options if you’re desperate.
About halfway between Ponte Sampaio and Pontevedra, you’ll find the Bar Casa Fermín. Although this is clearly more of a bar than a café, they serve good coffee, and the little supermarket that’s next door makes this a convenient stop.
What’s In Store
Most of the day will be spent walking on dirt paths and gravel roads, but today has a short section which features more challenging terrain. As part of the walk into Pontevedra, you have to walk up a slope on a rocky path with very uneven footing.
Especially on rainy days, this stretch requires caution as the path can turn into a small stream really quickly. Make sure you have good footwear and use your hiking poles if you have them.
Today you’ll also see many small but historic churches as well as hórreos, a local type of granary. For a view of both, stop next to the chapel of Santa Comba de Bértola, where you can take a closer look at one of these buildings.
When walking up and down the hills, you’ll see that in most cases the elevation is worth it. Every time you reach the top of a steep climb, there are beautiful vistas to be enjoyed. Since today is a rather short stage, take your time to enjoy it!
Morning: Leaving Redondela
Before you walk out of town, make sure to take a small detour to see the Igrexa de Santiago de Redondela. This 15th-century church is completely dedicated to Saint James and serves as a clear indication that you’re getting closer to Santiago de Compostela.
Leaving Redondela on the Rúa Torre de Calle, follow the charming Camiño Real de Cesantes into the town of Cesantes. For a moment, all looks good, but soon after this town, you find yourself staring at the first of two pretty steep hills that you have to climb today.
After the steep climb up Alto de Lomba, you’re greeted by a pilgrim memorial as well as beautiful views of the Ría de Vigo and of the various towns in the distance. Even from this distance, the Ponte de Rande bridge looks amazing and picture-worthy.
Afternoon: Arcade and Ponte Sampaio
After the first climb, the path gradually descends and after a while, you enter the charming town of Arcade. Here you’ll find amenities such as supermarkets and plenty of places for lunch or coffee.
The Camino goes straight past the Cafetería Pastelería Acuña Arcade. While it may be tempting to enjoy lunch outside on the terrace, it’s better to take it to go. Walk down the road and one block down, you can sit outside on a bench overlooking the stunning Rio Verdugo.
One particular highlight is the medieval bridge found on the other side of Arcade at Ponte Sampaio. This bridge offers stunning views of the nearby town as well as the river.
Walking out of town involves steep climbs as you find yourself on the small residential streets with occasional views of the river. Soon you’ll find yourself at the foot of today’s second climb.
A few kilometers after this, you can either go to the Bar Casa Fermín for a stamp or continue walking to the small Capilla de Santa Marta in the small town of Ganderón.
Once you walk past the church, you soon reach the point where you can either follow the Camino Complementario or follow the highway into town. Whichever way you take, Pontevedra isn’t far away.
Arriving in Pontevedra
If you take the river path into Pontevedra, you get to walk the final stretch of the day on the nice and soft forest floor. As you cross over and under bridges, keep your eyes out for pilgrim momentos and murals! While this stretch feels really nice on your feet, it can turn into a bit os a slog through the mud after rain.
Shortly after entering Pontevedra, you’ll arrive at the end point of our map. With a big supermarket on your right as well as plenty of cafés to for a bit of rest, you’ll be able to jumpstart your evening Camino routine.
At the heart of the city of Pontevedra lies the charming old town. Here you can see even more signs of the importance of the pilgrimage to Santiago.
Historical fun fact: There’s an entire square dedicated to pilgrims, the plaza de la peregrina, surrounded by excellent tapas bars, and from where you can enjoy views of the imposing Convento de San Francisco. The chapel Capela da Virxe Peregrina is a must-see for anyone who appreciates the historic aspect of the pilgrimage.
Accommodations in Pontevedra
Pontevedra’s connection to the pilgrimage goes back to the Middle Ages and accommodations are everywhere. While you may see large groups of pilgrims walking into town, Pontevedra can more than handle them!
At the end point of our map, you can find two choices for basic accommodation: the Hostal Peregrino and the Albergue Virxe Peregrina, which comes with a kitchen.
If you’re looking for one step up in quality, try one of the budget hotels in the city. I stayed at Pensión Santa Clara and it gives you private rooms for roughly the same price as two bunk beds in a dorm. However, you do miss out on the joy of meeting other pilgrims!
Pontevedra is also home to several hotels, and one to consider is Hostel Charino. With a convenient location and an excellent breakfast, this place makes sure you have the best start to your next day on the Camino de Santiago.
Extending or Shortening the Stage
Since Redondela-Pontevedra is a rather short stage, you do have the option of walking a little further today. Especially if you prefer staying in smaller towns rather than a bigger city is more appealing to you, stretching the stage a little is a great option.
Extending the Stage: A Portela
About 10 km after Pontevedra is the town of A Portela. Here you’ll find a basic accommodation that offers bunk beds for the night. There are no restaurants, supermarkets, or shops so bring food if you plan to stay here!
Shortening the Stage: Arcade
If you decided to shorten yesterday’s stage, then today’s walk could be a bit too long. In that case, the town of Arcade is a great and convenient stay. It comes with several supermarkets as well as plenty of restaurants, and it has all the amenities you need.
The nearby town of Ponte Sampaio is only a few minutes away and is another contender for a shorter stage.
Buen camino!
After this stage, you’re getting closer and closer to Santiago de Compostela! Only three days remain. From here on, you’ll notice more and more pilgrims and you’ll find that the nature of the pilgrimage changes a bit.
This is my personal experience and while it may not be the same for you, it’s good to prepare yourself if it is.
I was struggling with the number of pilgrims coming from the other routes and especially with those who were walking the last 100 km. While they are just as much a pilgrim as anyone else, it became very clear that the nature of the trail had changed.
Until this day, the path was calm and any pilgrims I met were there for very specific, often spiritual reasons. After Redondela, however, I found myself having to share the Camino with people constantly filming themselves on their phones or playing loud music for everyone to hear.
I found that on this stage, pilgrims became tourists and the pilgrimage started to feel more like a walk in the park. Fortunately, it changed back in the following days.
