Stage of the Camino
Santiago de Compostela to Augapesada
From Santiago de Compostela To Augapesada
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Destination
Distance
12.40 km
Duration
3.25 h
Difficulty
Baja
Stage of the Camino
Stage Description
The first section of the opening stage of the Camino Finisterre, which leaves Santiago de Compostela heading towards the sunset. The exit through Sarela soon gives way to a rural landscape of hamlets and woods of oaks and eucalyptus, with the short climb to the Alto do Vento as the only notable rise. From there the route descends steadily through Ventosa to the bottom of the valley of the Rego dos Pasos, where the Ponte de Augapesada awaits, a bridge of medieval roots that marks the lowest point of the route. It is a comfortable and pleasant section, ideal for getting into the rhythm of the route, gathering almost all the descent of the day before facing the demanding ramp of the Alto do Mar de Ovellas. Augapesada, in the municipality of Ames, offers a rest in the shade of the trees beside the water before resuming the march towards Ponte Maceira and Negreira.
The first stage of the Camino Finisterre sets out from the Praza do Obradoiro to, for once, turn its back on the cathedral and head westward. This initial section, a little over twelve kilometres to Augapesada, serves as a gentle introduction to a route that many pilgrims undertake with their legs already broken in after reaching Santiago. The profile is easy, with a single rise of any note and a long final descent, which allows one to enjoy the landscape without great demands.
After crossing the old town and leaving through the Sarela district, the Camino soon enters the countryside of A Coruña. It passes through the hamlets of Carballal, Quintáns and Roxos, among meadows, hórreos and stands of oaks, pines and eucalyptus. The terrain undulates gently up to the Alto do Vento, the highest point of the section, from where on clear days one bids farewell to the last views of the cathedral towers.
Once past the high point, the route faces a continuous descent that loses height decisively towards the bottom of the valley. The surface alternates tracks and traditional corredoiras, shaded by riverside vegetation as the murmur of the water draws near. The section ends at the Ponte de Augapesada, a bridge with a single segmental arch, of medieval origin on foundations that tradition traces back to Roman times, which crosses the Rego dos Pasos at the lowest point of the entire day.
Augapesada, a small hamlet in the municipality of Ames, thus marks the end of this first section. The place invites a pause beside the bridge and the trees before facing what lies ahead: the hard climb up the Alto do Mar de Ovellas, which gains more than two hundred metres of elevation in barely two kilometres on the way to Trasmonte, Ponte Maceira and, finally, Negreira. Whoever stops here will do so aware of facing the turning point of the stage.
After crossing the old town and leaving through the Sarela district, the Camino soon enters the countryside of A Coruña. It passes through the hamlets of Carballal, Quintáns and Roxos, among meadows, hórreos and stands of oaks, pines and eucalyptus. The terrain undulates gently up to the Alto do Vento, the highest point of the section, from where on clear days one bids farewell to the last views of the cathedral towers.
Once past the high point, the route faces a continuous descent that loses height decisively towards the bottom of the valley. The surface alternates tracks and traditional corredoiras, shaded by riverside vegetation as the murmur of the water draws near. The section ends at the Ponte de Augapesada, a bridge with a single segmental arch, of medieval origin on foundations that tradition traces back to Roman times, which crosses the Rego dos Pasos at the lowest point of the entire day.
Augapesada, a small hamlet in the municipality of Ames, thus marks the end of this first section. The place invites a pause beside the bridge and the trees before facing what lies ahead: the hard climb up the Alto do Mar de Ovellas, which gains more than two hundred metres of elevation in barely two kilometres on the way to Trasmonte, Ponte Maceira and, finally, Negreira. Whoever stops here will do so aware of facing the turning point of the stage.
Last updated: 07/07/2026
Where to Sleep
Accommodations in this Stage
Find the perfect place for your rest in Santiago de Compostela o Augapesada.
Eurostars Araguaney
Hotel Palacio del Carmen, Autograph Collection
NH Collection Santiago de Compostela
Parador de Santiago de Compostela
A Quinta Da Auga Hotel Spa Relais & Chateaux
Compostela Hotel
Eurostars Gran Hotel Santiago
Eurostars San Lazaro
Exe Peregrino
Hotel Compostela
Hotel Santiago Plaza Affiliated by Meliá
Hotel Virxe da Cerca by Pousadas de Compostela
Oca Puerta del Camino Hotel
Pazo de Adrán
San Francisco Hotel Monumento
Airas Nunes by Pousadas de Compostela
Carris Casa de la Troya
Hotel Alda San Bieito
Hotel Alda San Carlos
Hotel Altair
Hotel Ciudad de Compostela
Hotel Concheiros
Hotel Gelmírez
Hotel Lux Santiago
Hotel Praza Quintana
Hotel Rua Villar
Hotel Santiago Apóstol
San Miguel Santiago
Hotel Costavella
Hotel Universal
Hotel Alda Avenida
Hotel Garcas
CONCHEIROS 5 APARTAMENTOS TURISTICOS
México PR
Coliving Compostela
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