Camino Francés: Stage 27

From O Cebreiro you will have to ascend a little bit more to get to the highest point in the Galician Way. There is not a great slope, it has approximately 1,200 meter high; if you are traveling in winter or even in autumn you could find snow here. In this case, lots of pilgrims decide to continue to Liñares walking through the LU-633. Nevertheless, the views from the mount are incredible, from here you will see all Os Ancares and O Courel mountain pass; here it is located one of the oldest forests in Europe: Devesa de Nogueira.

You will leave the forest track to get again to the road that will lead you to Liñares. At the entrance of this village is located the Iglesia de Santo Estevo de Liñares church. In this village, you will cross the road to take a path that will take you to Os Ancares. Your next stop will be San Roque where is located a huge bronze image of a pilgrim struggling against the wind, that is very typical of this area due to the altitude. You will continue parallel to the LU-633 to descend to Hospital de la Condesa named after a count that according to the legend found this pilgrim’s hospital in the 9 century; it is located next to the Santuario de Santa María la Real sanctuary. A little bit after you will leave asphalt to take a turn away to Padornelo the selected place by the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem to settle and meet all the pilgrims that went to Santiago. There is another ascend left, short but intense, to get to Alto de Poio. Again your reward will be the amazing landscape. You will be placed at the highest point of the French Way in Galicia, and will be able to recover yourself in a bar placed strategically a little forward.

The following destination will be Fonfría, you will get there through a parallel path to the LU-633 where you can refill your water bottle. Step by step you will descend and the mountains will be at your back. After two kilometers and a half, you will get to O Bidueiro that belongs to Triacastela. It was named after a lot of trees that you can find there, birch trees. Ahora si que definitivamente comenzamos a perder altura, desviándonos en multitud de ocasiones para evitar en la medida de lo posible la carretera. After a few kilometers and a big curve you will have a great view of the Oribio mount at the end of the valley.

Before getting to Triacastela you have to cross Fillobal and also a picnic area a little bit after in the LU-633, towards Pasantes and Ramil where a centennial chestnut tree will remind us we are walking on ancestral lands. Also in this village you will find Eirós cave, where Homo Neanderthalensis rests were found.

Bear in mind

There are just 20 kilometers between Triacastela and O Cebreiro. There are some slopes but we just have to highlight Alto do Poio. Nevertheless, if you have any kind of disability this stage could be a little bit difficult. You have to take into account that the part of the stage that goes through the road is a little bit dangerous because there are too many curves and no pedestrian crossings.

We recommend cyclists to go through the LU-633 from O Cebreiro if they find snow and also be careful.