Augapesada

Augapesada is a small hamlet in the municipality of Ames, in the province of A Coruña, set at the bottom of the valley opened up by the Rego dos Pasos on its way to the río Sar. The place owes its pilgrim renown to the Ponte de Augapesada, a bridge of medieval origin —raised on foundations that tradition attributes to Roman times and rebuilt between the 17th and 18th centuries— which crosses the stream with a segmental arch and serves as a natural passage for pilgrims on the Camino Finisterre and Muxía. The first stage out of Santiago runs through here, some twelve kilometres from the city, at the lowest point of the route before tackling the demanding climb up the Alto do Mar de Ovellas. The setting is rural, among woods of oaks, pines and eucalyptus, with scattered houses and meadows that follow the course of the water. For the walker, Augapesada marks the end of the descent from the Alto do Vento and the start of the hardest section of the day, with Trasmonte and the famous Ponte Maceira already close by. It is a brief stop, a place to pass through, yet an unmistakable landmark on the route towards the end of the earth.