Stage O Cádavo Baleira to Castroverde

At less than eight kilometres, the section between O Cádavo Baleira and Castroverde is one of the shortest on the Camino Primitivo. It is not a stage in the classic breakdown, which joins O Cádavo and Lugo in a single day of almost thirty kilometres, but stopping in Castroverde is a sensible option for anyone who wants to spread the effort or reach Lugo with the whole morning ahead.
The day begins with its only climb: a dirt track that rises unhurriedly from O Cádavo to Alto da Vacariza, at just over 850 metres, next to the LU-530 road. From there the profile is almost all downhill. About four hundred metres past the top the Camino forks. The official route, waymarked since 2017, descends through the hamlet of Vilalle; the old path, half a kilometre longer, goes through Vilabade and lets you see the Gothic church of Santa María, which locals call the "cathedral of Castroverde" because of its size. The short detour is worth it if you have time.
Castroverde welcomes pilgrims at under 600 metres of altitude, overlooked by the keep of its 14th-century castle. It is a small, quiet town with accommodation, bars and shops. Bear this in mind: it is the last place with services before Lugo, and the next stage covers more than twenty kilometres of hamlets without shops or bars.