Stage of the Camino
Ventas de Narón to Palas de Rei
From Ventas de Narón To Palas de Rei
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Stage Description
A short, comfortable stage of just over eleven kilometres linking the small hamlet of Ventas de Narón with Palas de Rei, capital of the district. The Camino first climbs the Sierra de Ligonde to the Alto do Rosario, one of the last high viewpoints before Santiago, from where on clear days the mountains of the Galician ridge can be made out. From there the route alternates gentle ups and downs through villages steeped in Jacobean history —Ligonde, Airexe, Portos— dotted with cruceiros (stone crosses) and rural churches. The final section descends steadily to Palas de Rei, former seat of Suevi kings and a hub for pilgrims preparing to enter the lands of Melide the following day.
This day of just over eleven kilometres connects Ventas de Narón with Palas de Rei and is ideal for breaking the second-to-last third of the French Way into short stages. With a rolling profile, it begins with a moderate climb and is then resolved in a long, manageable descent, free of technical difficulties, through the most authentic rural Galicia.
From Ventas de Narón, the path climbs towards the Sierra de Ligonde and crowns the Alto do Rosario, at around seven hundred and twenty metres of altitude. This is one of the last significant rises of the Camino and, according to tradition, the point from which the old pilgrims first made out, on the horizon, the mountains that herald Santiago. The panorama over the surrounding valleys rewards the effort of the climb.
After the pass, the Camino descends towards Ligonde, a village with a long hospitable history that once had a pilgrims' cemetery and a house of the Order of Malta. It is followed by Airexe, with its simple Romanesque church of Santiago, and the hamlets of Portos and Lestedo, where cruceiros and traditional stone buildings abound. The route alternates stretches of track beside the road with quiet country lanes through oak woods.
The final section descends steadily to Palas de Rei, whose name, according to legend, evokes the Visigothic king Witiza, who is said to have had a palace here. The town, today the municipal capital and a bustling meeting point for pilgrims, preserves the Romanesque church of San Tirso and a lively atmosphere around its hostels and taverns. It is also the place where the leap towards Melide, famous for its pulperías (octopus taverns), traditionally begins.
From Ventas de Narón, the path climbs towards the Sierra de Ligonde and crowns the Alto do Rosario, at around seven hundred and twenty metres of altitude. This is one of the last significant rises of the Camino and, according to tradition, the point from which the old pilgrims first made out, on the horizon, the mountains that herald Santiago. The panorama over the surrounding valleys rewards the effort of the climb.
After the pass, the Camino descends towards Ligonde, a village with a long hospitable history that once had a pilgrims' cemetery and a house of the Order of Malta. It is followed by Airexe, with its simple Romanesque church of Santiago, and the hamlets of Portos and Lestedo, where cruceiros and traditional stone buildings abound. The route alternates stretches of track beside the road with quiet country lanes through oak woods.
The final section descends steadily to Palas de Rei, whose name, according to legend, evokes the Visigothic king Witiza, who is said to have had a palace here. The town, today the municipal capital and a bustling meeting point for pilgrims, preserves the Romanesque church of San Tirso and a lively atmosphere around its hostels and taverns. It is also the place where the leap towards Melide, famous for its pulperías (octopus taverns), traditionally begins.
Last updated: 25/06/2026
Where to Sleep
Accommodations in this Stage
Find the perfect place for your rest in Ventas de Narón o Palas de Rei.
Porto de Bois Apartamentos Turísticos
Alda Palas de Rei
Hotel Balneario Río Pambre
Pensión A Casona de Ventas
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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