Camino Portugués: Stage 22

You will start today’s stage walking through Isidora Queimaliños street, and then through Cruceiro, Loureiro and Picota streets crossing the arches of the viaduct, then you will get to the national road. You will see the Capilla de Santa Mariña chapel that is a Baroque chapel. You will leave Redondela and then you will get to Cesantes, just 3 kilometers after, here is the most dangerous point in today’s stage. After 4 kilometers more you will find again the national road and you will have an amazing view of Vigo’s estuary.

Going through this national roads you will cross some small villages and finally you will get to Arcade that belongs to Soutomaior. In this part,you will have to walk up and descend and you will go through a recreational area where you can rest for a while. Then you will have to descend to get again to the national road that will lead you to Arcade, a famous village that has a garden with more than 500 different types of camellias. This village is famous due to its oyster, taste them is a must.

After leaving Arcade you will get to Ponte Sampaio that is a bridge that goes over the Verdugo river. Here it took place an important battle of the Peninsular War (June 1809), the French troops led by Michel Ney decide to give up and get out of the war.

You will continue through the national road and you will see the Pazo de Bellavista country house and also a stone cross where you should turn left to leave Ponte Sampaio. Then you will find Ponte Nova, a medieval bridge that was destroyed in 2006 due to a river flow increasing, so now the way has a different route through a new bridge.

After crossing this new bridge you will see the old Roman Road XIX that used to link Astorga and Braga. It is located in a wonderful and lovely emplacement that is now known as Brea Vella Canicouva. This part of the stage is a little bit complicated for cyclists. Then you will get to Figueirido where you can refill your water bottle. A little bit after you will descend to get to Santa Comba de Bértola and also to get to a part of the stage that is all surrounded by eucalyptus, chestnuts trees and oak grove that will lead you to the Capilla de Santa Marta chapel through a path.

Now you will find a crossing and you should turn left to go through O Pobo and Marco and finally get to Pontevedra after crossing the train rails.

This is a lovely and wonderful city full of monuments and history.

Bear in mind

You will have to be very careful at this stage because you will have to walk through the N-550 but also cross it many times. We recommend you wear special clothes such as a reflective vest so cars will see you better and sooner. This recommendation is for all kind of pilgrims not just for the ones that go walking.

Another part of where you should pay attention and be careful is when you are descending O Santiaguiño because is a complicated part. Another complicated part is Brea Vella de Canicouva where cyclists should walk and people with reduced mobility go through the national road to avoid any kind of problem.