Origin
Destination
Distance
16.00 km
Duration
4.00 h
Difficulty
Media
Ascent
260 m
Descent
295 m
Stage of the Camino
Stage Description
Second half of the stage linking Portomarín with Palas de Rei, setting out from the hamlet of Castromaior to complete the remaining sixteen or so kilometres to the municipal capital. As soon as you leave, the French Way tackles the tough climb up to the heights of the Sierra de Ligonde, the highest point of the day, before descending towards Hospital da Cruz and Ventas de Narón. The route strings together gentle hills and valleys between Ligonde, Airexe and Portos, dotted with small churches and stone crosses (cruceiros), until reaching Palas de Rei. It is a stretch of Galician mid-mountain terrain, with a rolling profile and a rural atmosphere, culminating in a town historically marked as a stage end in the Codex Calixtinus.
This roughly sixteen-kilometre segment completes the classic Portomarín–Palas de Rei stage from Castromaior, linking the Sierra de Ligonde with the final descent towards Palas. It is a stretch with a rolling profile, typical of inland Galicia, with short but constant climbs.
From Castromaior, the pilgrim immediately faces the most demanding climb of the day, rising to the seven hundred and twenty-five metres of the Sierra de Ligonde. Once the top is crowned, the Way descends to Hospital da Cruz, a former place of refuge for pilgrims, and continues through Ventas de Narón, where a small chapel recalls the medieval battle fought in these fields.
The route unfolds among villages of strong Jacobean flavour: Ligonde and Airexe, with its church of Santiago, preserve the memory of the hospital that took in Carlos I and his son Felipe II. Further on, in Portos, the detour towards the sanctuary of Vilar de Donas branches off, the pantheon of the knights of the Order of Santiago.
After Os Lameiros and its stone cross (cruceiro), the Way crosses the rego dos Pasos and tackles the final climb up to Palas de Rei. The town, which the Codex Calixtinus already cited as the end of the penultimate stage of the Way, welcomes the pilgrim with its sloping streets, its church of San Tirso and a wide range of services to recover strength before venturing into the lands of Melide.
From Castromaior, the pilgrim immediately faces the most demanding climb of the day, rising to the seven hundred and twenty-five metres of the Sierra de Ligonde. Once the top is crowned, the Way descends to Hospital da Cruz, a former place of refuge for pilgrims, and continues through Ventas de Narón, where a small chapel recalls the medieval battle fought in these fields.
The route unfolds among villages of strong Jacobean flavour: Ligonde and Airexe, with its church of Santiago, preserve the memory of the hospital that took in Carlos I and his son Felipe II. Further on, in Portos, the detour towards the sanctuary of Vilar de Donas branches off, the pantheon of the knights of the Order of Santiago.
After Os Lameiros and its stone cross (cruceiro), the Way crosses the rego dos Pasos and tackles the final climb up to Palas de Rei. The town, which the Codex Calixtinus already cited as the end of the penultimate stage of the Way, welcomes the pilgrim with its sloping streets, its church of San Tirso and a wide range of services to recover strength before venturing into the lands of Melide.
Last updated: 25/06/2026
Where to Sleep
Accommodations in this Stage
Find the perfect place for your rest in Castromaior o Palas de Rei.
Porto de Bois Apartamentos Turísticos
Alda Palas de Rei
Hotel Balneario Río Pambre
Pensión As Hortas
Casa Andaina
Hosteria Calixtino
Hotel Trina 20
Albergue Outeiro
Hotel mica
O Cabalo Verde
Pensión Palas
A Casa do Avó
Albergue a Casina di Marcello
Apartamentos Carballal
Casa Blanco
Casa Bolboreta by Unusual Hotels
Casa Camino Turismo Rural
Casa Carla
ESTRELA DO CAMIÑO
La Pallota de San Cristobal
Lar do Peregrino
Pazo de Laia
Pensión Casa Cancela
Pensión O Castelo
Pension Pardellas
Pension Restaurante Casa Camiño
Pensión San Marcos
Rectoral De Lestedo
Viviendas vacacionales as lagas
Zendoira
Apartamentos Turísticos Guillermo
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