Portomarín walks

This stage goes through more rural landscapes, along small dirt tracks and quite a lot of tarmac with frequent slopes. In general, it's pretty moderate with the opportunity to visit small villages, a few of which have restaurant services. The route finishes in Melide, where we join the Camino Frances.

This stage is the official route and avoids the detour to Friol and Sobrado dos Monxes. There is a fair amount of road walking but if the weather is unkind (i.e. wet and cold) that is probably a blessing. There are a number of villages to go through so plenty of opportunities to chat with local folk along the way. Santiago is getting closer and that will also probably mean more people on the trail but that can also be pleasant and conversation on the road will make the journey more entertaining.

The route follows the N-547 but using local paths and tracks, sometimes crossing the main road but only walking short stretches of tarmac. The route is a bit up and down, crossing the River Boente and the beautiful valley of the River Iso to reach Arzúa. Then it's a pretty comfortable 5 km as we go along forest tracks, through woods and meadows to reach the albergue at As Quintas.

A beautiful stage with some elevation gain: a 400-metre descent through the forest towards Belesar and crossing the Rio Minho, followed by a 300-metre climb on a Roman road in the heart of the Ribeira Sacra AOC vineyards

This circular hike starts at the Visantoña community centre. The route, mostly on good dirt tracks, crosses a landscape of meadows shaped by livestock farming, the region's main activity. Hike through the forest on old stone paths, between streams and lush vegetation. Typical Galician landscapes.

This stage runs through rural Galicia, with at least seven villages en route and plenty of places to stop for a rest (or even to stay the night if you want to split this stage into two or three mini-stages). Likewise, there are plenty of chapels, churches and fountains to visit. Our route follows the original way to Vilabade, which includes a visit to the church of Santa María, known as the "catedral de Castroverde".