Stage Negreira to Santiago de Compostela

The day begins in Negreira, capital of the Barcala region, at about 166 metres above sea level. The pilgrim leaves the town beside the Pazo do Cotón, whose stone arch crosses over the Camino, and in the direction walked here —from Negreira towards Santiago— covers in reverse the first stage of the Camino de Fisterra and Muxía. From the very first steps the landscape is thoroughly rural: fenced meadows, hórreos and scattered farmsteads follow one another as the path gradually climbs the valley of the river Barcala.

Soon the route reaches one of the most celebrated places on the whole way: Ponte Maceira. Its medieval stone bridge over the river Tambre, the mill, the chapel and the cluster of houses form a scene that many consider the finest on the Camino. It is worth pausing here before tackling the hardest part of the day, the long climb up to the Alto do Mar de Ovellas, a sustained ascent along country lanes and dirt tracks amid eucalyptus, oak and pine.

After passing hamlets such as Trasmonte, Cardama and Aguapesada, and cresting the highest point of the day at around 290 metres, the Camino begins a gradual descent towards the valley of the river Sarela. The terrain alternates gentle rises and falls through shady woodland and small Galician settlements, with the murmur of streams keeping the walker company. It is a quiet, solitary stretch, perfect for savouring the last hours of the route before arrival.

The end brings the entry into Santiago de Compostela from the west, through Sarela de Abaixo and the leafy San Lourenzo oak grove, which opens the way into the historic centre. The pilgrim climbs the last streets of the old town until emerging in the Praza do Obradoiro, at the foot of the cathedral, completing some 21 kilometres that bring the return journey from the end of the earth to a close.