Ribadelouro to Redondela

The stage links the bank of the Louro with the heart of the Rías Baixas over some 27 kilometres, making it one of the longest days of the Central Portuguese Way in its Galician section. It sets off in Ribadelouro, the first parish the pilgrim reaches after leaving Tui, beside the Ponte das Febres bound to the memory of Saint Telmo. The profile is mostly flat in its first half and only steepens on one central slope, but its mileage advises an early start and careful pacing.

The first stretch runs through the natural area of As Gándaras do Louro, a protected wetland of the Natura 2000 Network where the river traces meanders among alders and wooden boardwalks. This variant, opened in 2013, allows walking in the shade and dodging much of the asphalt and noise of O Porriño's industrial estate, the largest in Galicia. The Way emerges into the town centre of O Porriño, presided over by the town hall, the work of architect Antonio Palacios, an illustrious son of the town.

Beyond O Porriño, the route turns north and climbs gradually to Mos, where the church of Santa Eulalia and the chapel of Santa Marta, with its traditional stamp for the credential, are worth a stop. From the Mos hostel begins the only serious ascent of the day: a little over three kilometres and nearly 150 metres of elevation gain up to the chapel of Santiaguiño de Antas, the high point of the stage. The effort is rewarded with the first views of the valley and the sense of having left the flatland behind.

From Santiaguiño, the Way begins a continuous and pleasant descent that crosses small hamlets, granaries and eucalyptus woods, with some stretches of cobbled path. The route keeps losing height until it looks out over the head of the Ría de San Simón and enters Redondela. Known as the "town of the viaducts" for the two imposing railway structures that soar above it, Redondela welcomes the pilgrim with its old quarter, its arcades and a full range of hostels. It is the natural end of the day and the prelude to the beautiful coastal stage towards Pontevedra.