A friend from Vigo has just returned home from the Camino de Invierno and has provided these updates (my translation, so errors are mine, not his):
Signage is very good in Bierzo (León) and in Valdeorras (Ourense). All the way through the province of Lugo it is also very good, no problem in the stages going to Quiroga, Monforte de Lemos and Chantada.
Once you get to the province of Pontevedra, after going alongside a long strip of wind turbines along the Faro mountain, when you begin the steep descent (grade of 15%) to the house-fortress of Camba, I would say that the arrows and bollards are much less frequent. To get to Rodeiro you will have to pay careful attention at the intersections, but it is all easy to solve with a quick question. All is forgiven when you get to Rodeiro and receive the incredible hospitality of the Mesón O Guerra. The owner Nélida treats pilgrims very well. She has a hostal in a house nearby where for 20€ you can sleep very comfortably. And the food is great.
Into Lalín the next day there is also a shortage of markings, but it´s a wonderful walk. You will go through forests on the river banks, crossing the Arnego River several times over 8 kms going through the little hamlets of Penerbosa, Penela and Pedroso, where you can see a rock quarry very close-up and enjoy a little church with a beautiful Romanesque doorway. Then there are 10 kms left into Lalín going on earthen tracks, up and down through an area with a lot of animal farming.
In Lalín you have all the services of a growing city, and from there it´s about an hour to the albergue in Laxe, all well marked. Leaving Lalín you go along the riverwalk of the Cabirtas River for two kms. Then you have to cross the general highway near the chapel of O Espiño. Then you will walk through the industrial park, on a sidewalk with many benches, and when you finally go under the autopista through a tunnel, you arrive in Laxe and its albergue.
Once in Laxe, you are on the Camino Sanabrés and there is absolutely no difficulty in reaching Santiago.
Hoping that maybe we´ll see someone on the Invierno this year. I walked a few years ago and saw not one pilgrim till I got to the Sanabrés.
Buen camino, Laurie
Signage is very good in Bierzo (León) and in Valdeorras (Ourense). All the way through the province of Lugo it is also very good, no problem in the stages going to Quiroga, Monforte de Lemos and Chantada.
Once you get to the province of Pontevedra, after going alongside a long strip of wind turbines along the Faro mountain, when you begin the steep descent (grade of 15%) to the house-fortress of Camba, I would say that the arrows and bollards are much less frequent. To get to Rodeiro you will have to pay careful attention at the intersections, but it is all easy to solve with a quick question. All is forgiven when you get to Rodeiro and receive the incredible hospitality of the Mesón O Guerra. The owner Nélida treats pilgrims very well. She has a hostal in a house nearby where for 20€ you can sleep very comfortably. And the food is great.
Into Lalín the next day there is also a shortage of markings, but it´s a wonderful walk. You will go through forests on the river banks, crossing the Arnego River several times over 8 kms going through the little hamlets of Penerbosa, Penela and Pedroso, where you can see a rock quarry very close-up and enjoy a little church with a beautiful Romanesque doorway. Then there are 10 kms left into Lalín going on earthen tracks, up and down through an area with a lot of animal farming.
In Lalín you have all the services of a growing city, and from there it´s about an hour to the albergue in Laxe, all well marked. Leaving Lalín you go along the riverwalk of the Cabirtas River for two kms. Then you have to cross the general highway near the chapel of O Espiño. Then you will walk through the industrial park, on a sidewalk with many benches, and when you finally go under the autopista through a tunnel, you arrive in Laxe and its albergue.
Once in Laxe, you are on the Camino Sanabrés and there is absolutely no difficulty in reaching Santiago.
Hoping that maybe we´ll see someone on the Invierno this year. I walked a few years ago and saw not one pilgrim till I got to the Sanabrés.
Buen camino, Laurie
I'm posting this because Castrotane is nice option to cut that long stretch from Monforte to Chantada into two as I'm planing (A Pobra do Brollon (passing Monforte) - Castrotane = app.23,3km & Castrotane - Chantada = app.the same), since it's just 10km out of Monforte. Penelope also offers some basic food supplies.
