Super late start, harvest air, 100 km stone, a Scottish artist, and a picnic with a very patient dog waiting for jamon. Day 28 – Galicia at its finest.
📊 Stage Quick Facts:
- Distance: ~22 km
- Time: ~5-6 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Terrain: Rolling hills, lush forests, farmland, and a final iconic bridge crossing.
In Defense of the Late Start
The next morning, I decided to leave Sarria quite late, around 11:00 AM. It was such a luxury! I found myself enjoying the company of only a few fellow pilgrims, who kept asking me if we were even on the right path because the usual morning crowds were nowhere to be seen.
I honestly don’t see the point of starting at the crack of dawn unless it’s the height of summer heat or you’re in a rush to grab a bed in a public albergue. As I walked, tractors were busy collecting the harvest, and the air smelled like pure heaven on earth.
Around 16:00, I stopped in Morgade for a late lunch at the wonderful Casa Morgade. It’s a beautiful cafe with a lovely terrace that feels like a true sanctuary on the trail. After a delicious meal, I heard the hostess leisurely engaged in conversation with a pilgrim about the correct drink accompanying your lunch (why to have a coffee which makes a person super active vs glass of wine as a correct way to prepare for siesta). I would love to relate but since I started late I had a lot of steps in front of me. Having paid my bill I carried on, and soon reached the famous stone sign marking exactly 100 km left to Santiago de Compostela. It’s such a surreal feeling to see that number-the final stretch is finally here!
The Final Stretch into Portomarin
As you approach Portomarin, you’ll find three different ways to enter the town. Two of them are more or less easy and follow the standard path, but the third option-the central route-is the most challenging, designed specifically for adventurous pilgrims. If you choose this route, just watch your steps carefully and make sure to use your trekking poles, as it demands a bit more focus than the others. I met only a few late Spanish birds (I mean pilgrims) approaching Portomarin during these late hours, but my limited knowledge of Spanish prevented me from asking the reasons why do they walk so late. Just next to the bridge I met a group of pilgrims awaiting for a taxi, with a lady who felt unwell. Seeing that I cannot be of any assistance, I made my final steps towards Portomarin.
Crossing into Portomarin
You are almost there! All that’s left for today is crossing the long bridge and climbing the final iconic stairs that lead straight into the town (sounds funny cause both – the bridge and the stairs seem endless).
Portomarin is beautifully situated on the banks of the Mino river. It is such a cute, small city with a fascinating history- the entire town was relocated to this hill in the 1960s after the original valley settlement was flooded by a dam. You know, that in particularly dry summers, the ruins of the original town actually reappear from beneath the water – ghostly and fascinating?
By the way, you can still see the original, massive stone church of San Nicolas on the main square, which was painstakingly dismantled and rebuilt stone by stone in its new location.
I met an amazing pilgrim from Scotland who shared with me her beautiful pencil drawings of landscapes and future plans for conquering the world. She was 20, young and reckless, and reminded me of myself at that age.
The street next to main square is full of restaurants, but nothing caught my eye (completely spoiled by the choices Spain provided before). Searching for a place to eat I met my fellow German pilgrim, with whom we hit a local store and had a great picnic at the park with a stunning sunset view of the river (accompanied by local dog waiting for the slice of jamon), feeling that unique sense of peace that only comes when you know you’re nearing the end of a long journey.
Next stop: Palas de Rei – Santiago was getting louder with every step.
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