- Time of past OR future Camino
- Some in the past; more in the future!
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YES! Thank you for the reminder - Beautiful.Another thing to note about the first stage is that the camino passes the amazing early medieval chapel of São Frutuoso on the outskirts of Braga (25 minutes’ walk from the cathedral). The chapel has very limited opening times (2-4:30pm Tue-Sun), however, so it would need to be visited the day before from Braga rather than on the camino. I visited the chapel last year and was so impressed that I created a whole thread about it!
Can't wait to hear about another cool camino. Please keep us up to date about albergues etc. I am a budget pilgrim. I would prefer as well as need to have stays in albergues, donativos etc. As soon as I read this I called my daughter to ask her about a great Thai restaurant she and I ate at in December of 2019. I met her in Porto after I did the CF last November/December. But sadly she didn't remember! Braga is a really nice city. Just another place that confirms my love affair with Portugal.After 36 days on the Caminho Nascente, eight days on the Torres and a rest day today in Braga, we are ready to start walking the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros tomorrow!
This is a camino that has been generating some buzz on the forum lately (mostly from @Isca-camigo!). The camino follows a Roman road that once linked Braga with Astorga and the name Geira e dos Arrieiros basically means the camino of the Roman road and the wine carriers. (And as we found out today, Geira is pronounced with a soft G).
From what we know, not all of the camino is way-marked but the official website has lots of information, including tracks, and we have the guidebook. Actually we’re quite well stocked with books and paraphernalia all of a sudden!
View attachment 102386
The camino is 239km in length from Braga to Santiago and 10 stages seems to be the standard way to divide it. Although looking at some stage guides, the typical 10-stage plan doesn’t include an overnight stop in Ribadavia, which we’d definitely like to do as it sounds like one of the highlights, so we might be looking at 11 stages.
There is a short and a long option for the first stage tomorrow, and we’re taking the short option to Caldela. We’re told it’s not a great stage (mostly on asphalt through some urban areas coming out of Braga), but that the camino gets much better after that as it goes through Portugal’s only national park (Pineda-Gerês) and passes many Roman milestones and other sites of interest.
Another thing to note about the first stage is that the camino passes the amazing early medieval chapel of São Frutuoso on the outskirts of Braga (25 minutes’ walk from the cathedral). The chapel has very limited opening times (2-4:30pm Tue-Sun), however, so it would need to be visited the day before from Braga rather than on the camino. I visited the chapel last year and was so impressed that I created a whole thread about it! Here’s a photo:
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Finally, we are watching the weather forecast carefully as there are storms forecast for the coming days. It has only rained on us three times in our 40 walking days so far (and all three times it rained in the morning but completely cleared and became sunny in the afternoon), so we’re hoping our good luck continues. But we’re close to Galicia now, so we have to be prepared for anything!
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I have been planning to start this camino in September.After 36 days on the Caminho Nascente, eight days on the Torres and a rest day today in Braga, we are ready to start walking the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros tomorrow!
This is a camino that has been generating some buzz on the forum lately (mostly from @Isca-camigo!). The camino follows a Roman road that once linked Braga with Astorga and the name Geira e dos Arrieiros basically means the camino of the Roman road and the wine carriers. (And as we found out today, Geira is pronounced with a soft G).
From what we know, not all of the camino is way-marked but the official website has lots of information, including tracks, and we have the guidebook. Actually we’re quite well stocked with books and paraphernalia all of a sudden!
The camino is 239km in length from Braga to Santiago and 10 stages seems to be the standard way to divide it. Although looking at some stage guides, the typical 10-stage plan doesn’t include an overnight stop in Ribadavia, which we’d definitely like to do as it sounds like one of the highlights, so we might be looking at 11 stages.
There is a short and a long option for the first stage tomorrow, and we’re taking the short option to Caldela. We’re told it’s not a great stage (mostly on asphalt through some urban areas coming out of Braga), but that the camino gets much better after that as it goes through Portugal’s only national park (Peneda-Gerês) and passes many Roman milestones and other sites of interest.
Another thing to note about the first stage is that the camino passes the amazing early medieval chapel of São Frutuoso on the outskirts of Braga (25 minutes’ walk from the cathedral). The chapel has very limited opening times (2-4:30pm Tue-Sun), however, so it would need to be visited the day before from Braga rather than on the camino. I visited the chapel last year and was so impressed that I created a whole thread about it! Here’s a photo:
Finally, we are watching the weather forecast carefully as there are storms forecast for the coming days. It has only rained on us three times in our 40 walking days so far (and all three times it rained in the morning but completely cleared and became sunny in the afternoon), so we’re hoping our good luck continues. But we’re close to Galicia now, so we have to be prepared for anything!
| Start Point | End Point | Distance KM | Total Stage Distance KM |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Stage 01 | Braga | Caldelas | 17 | 17 |
| Caldelas | Terras de Bouro | 13 | |
Stage 02 | Terras de Bouro | Campo de Geres | 13.6 | 26.6 |
Stage 03 | Campo de Geres | Lobios | 24 | 24 |
Stage 04 | Lobios | Castro Laboreiro | 20.1 | 20.1 |
Stage 05 | Castro Laboreiro | Cortegada | 28.6 | 28.6 |
Stage 06 | Cortegada | Ribadavia | 13.9 | 13.9 |
Stage 07 | Ribadavia | Pazos de Aenteiro | 17.7 | 17.7 |
Stage 08 | Pazos de Aenteiro | Beariz | 19.5 | 19.5 |
| Beariz | Soutelo Montes | 11.3 | |
Stage 09 | Soutelo Montes | Codeseda | 20 | 31.3 |
| Codeseda | A Estrada | 11.9 | |
Stage 10 | A Estrada | Pontevea | 12.3 | 24.2 |
Stage 11 | Pontevea | Santiago de Compostella | 17.1 | 17.1 |
| | | | |
| | | Total | 240 |
By the looks of it you are a much more meticulous planner than we are! We usually only look a few days ahead but we’ll probably end up doing something similar.I had been planning on 11 stages with only one long state at 31.3 KM. These stages appear to tie into available accommodation along the route. The stages I was planning on are below:
Especially in the north! We hardly walked on any on the Nascente.What is with Portugal and granite setts?
Yep, although since it was only 17km, and since we knew that better days were ahead (confirmed 10km into day two!), it was fine.This day sounds like one of thse 'getting out of the city' days that make us dig deep. All good.
Bom caminho to you both!
It had virtually disappeared by mid-Torres, but all the asphalt on the Torres took its toll and made it return. We’re hoping we’re now largely done with hard surfaces for a while, so it should be OK.(No mention of Wendy's PF, and I hope no news is good news.)
I took PF with me on my 2014 Camino, because I didn't know what the pain was I just carried it with me, there was lots of little things I could have done if I knew like rolling a tennis ball under my arch and heel or rolling a frozen plastic bottle under them. Because the ailment had happened within 6 weeks of going I was of the belief that the pain would just go away, I thought I had just bruised my foot with badly fitted insoles but obviously it detoriated, particularly when I crossed over from France to Spain on the voie Ossau, on the Spainish side the paths were more flatter farming tracks , stopping for breaks was the worst, when restarting my foot would be just full of multiple pin like sensations in the heel/arch area, in the end I knew the flatter paths of the upcoming Frances would be torture for me so I took two days out, regrouped and jumped to the San Salvador, the change to rocky uneven paths while not taking the problem away helped alleviate it a little, I hope the Geira has a similar effect for Wendy, may the paths be rocky and natural for you both and help with Wendy's PFIt had virtually disappeared by mid-Torres, but all the asphalt on the Torres took its toll and made it return.
It’s been spectacular so far so if you want to rethink it! The vaccination/test proof rule at the POR/ESP border was reversed a couple of days after being announced, and we crossed an unmanned border today.Purely delightful to read your posts. Like @Isca-camigo I am so sorely tempted! I had written it off for this year because of the border issue, but maybe that was premature.
Yes and yes! The tracks @Turigrino shared above came from Henrique Malheiro, co-author of the official guidebook. We met him in Braga on Saturday and he is providing lots of information, including this ‘super track’ which includes a couple of alternate routes (e.g. yesterday’s skipping of Terras de Bouro) and services, including his favourite water fountains! He is still adding locations to the map for us as we continue so it will get even better in the days to come.Are you going to go all the way to Santiago, @jungleboy? Did you get the tracks ok?
Reiterating that this Google Maps track is one for future Geira pilgrims to save as it’s more comprehensive than the website tracks.May I share the link to Google Maps for those following this fascinating journey?
THE MAP
Tip: You can download the tracks in KML and KMZ format from the "kebab" menu (3 vertical dots) to the right of the map title.
Edit: this is the map prepared by Henrique Malheiro, one of the authors of the Geira guidebook, which you can find on their webpage: https://debragaasantiago.com/
The pics always look fantastic. A hobby or trained?Day 3: Campo do Gerês to Os Baños (Spain) (~19km)
Today was our last day in Portugal (sort of, more on that later) after walking the entire length of the country, and it was one of the most spectacular days of all. We loved yesterday’s stage but today was even better as we enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the Peneda-Gerês National Park. It didn’t feel like a camino at all, just a gorgeous day-hike in beautiful weather and stunning nature that I’d do again in an instant.
The first highlight was a mountain-ringed dam that we walked alongside for some time, first on an open path with fantastic views and then in a forest with Roman milestones and tiny streams among moss-covered stones. I think the dam is a worthy addition to my ‘big water features of Portugal’ portfolio from this camino with the ocean from the first day and the crossings of the two great rivers.
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After we passed the dam, it became even more beautiful as we walked past boulder-strewn rivers, little waterfalls and secret swimming holes with the forest and mountains as a backdrop.
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After we crossed the border it was still gorgeous on the other side and shortly before the end of our stage we found a perfect swimming hole to enjoy all to ourselves.
View attachment 102545
The usual stage continues about 6km further to Lobios, but we decided to have a shorter day today and a longer one tomorrow to take advantage of the hot springs here in Os Baños (which we’ll do once it cools down a bit - currently 29 degrees at 6pm). Today also seemed a bit longer than advertised, as the distance is given as 16km in the guidebook but my phone, which usually underestimates distances, had it at 19km.
Tomorrow the camino re-enters Portugal and we’ll spend the night there before returning to Spain definitively the next day.
Accommodation: PR As Termas in Os Baños has comfortable double rooms for €40 right across from the springs.
Thank you!The pics always look fantastic. A hobby or trained?
I have a feeling that is on the Via Celanova which later becomes the Camino San Rosendo which leads to Ourense, the turn off from the Geira is Lobios, it's getting more and more attention and could be reclaimed as a waymarked route.I had previously marked not far from the trail. It turns out it was Santa Comba de Bande, which I have in my notes as one of four major Visigothic churches in Spain.
That is a photo and a half, classic encounters of the way.encounter!
Thanks for that, not much details are given on the website for this option, they orientate you to the just natur guesthouse.Hotel Castrum Villae, a 3-star hotel for a very reasonable €42/double with a hair dryer for our soaking shoes!
You guys are so kind! I’ll add that to my homemade ‘guide’And especially for @gracethepilgrim, there is a free ethnographic museum next to the church of Santiago in Ribadavia that has displays on textiles, weaving etc.
Epic. Well done, you two!!That also meant we had walked about 975km since Tavira at that point and we will pass 1000km early tomorrow
Seriously? Wow, I'm impressed.fact that Wendy joined the Geira Facebook group and posted a few things in Galego
Wendy’s always been a self-confessed language geek and Galego is her current ‘focus language’.Seriously? Wow, I'm impressed.
(And envious. Oh to be able to do that, but I have pathetic foreign language skills.)
I speak rural and normative Galician. I think that my normative is not better than hers !!.Wendy’s always been a self-confessed language geek and Galego is her current ‘focus language’.
So, if you ask for a "selo" that is the normative for "sello" some people could no understand. In similar situations say the Spanish word.Rural Galician has Spanish and "Galegazed" Spanish words : ochenta/oitenta, conexo/coello, parexa/parella.
@Pelegrin Thanks for your positive feedback! I didn't realize there was such a big difference between rural and normative Galego. But I've been chatting on WhatsApp with some galegos I met on the Camino, and they are using words I can't find in the RAG dictionary, like paveas and tarreos. I imagine that the vocabulary varies a lot from one area to the next.I speak rural and normative Galician. I think that my normative is not better than hers !!.
She should speak more slowly to elder people who could don't understand a few normative words that she uses.
Congratulations to Wendy !!!
With the combination of arrows and tracks, you’ll be fine. The arrows are pretty inconsistent throughout so you definitely do need the tracks at times. Occasionally the arrows and tracks deviate, and in those cases the arrows are newer and follow the current recommended route. I’d say the stretches into and out of Castro Laboreiro are where the arrows are lacking the most.Hi Nick. Several days ago (when meeting the Frenchman around Os Baños), you mentioned waymarking issues.
Would you say that the Geira is manageable using the GPS route provided by Henrique Malheiro?
I’ll be walking alone and have a dreadful sense of direction (I know! how can I call myself a pilgrim)
Thank you, that’s very kind!@jungleboy your photographs are quite wonderful. The one showing reflections in the River Miño at post #26 is stunning.
Nick that’s brilliant information - puts my mind at rest. I use Maps.me so I’m used to it’s functions, and it can be used offline.With the combination of arrows and tracks, you’ll be fine. The arrows are pretty inconsistent throughout so you definitely do need the tracks at times. Occasionally the arrows and tracks deviate, and in those cases the arrows are newer and follow the current recommended route. I’d say the stretches into and out of Castro Laboreiro are where the arrows are lacking the most.
Two other things to note:
- Mobile data can drop out, especially around the border, so importing the tracks into Maps.me or similar and pre-downloading the maps for offline use is recommended.
- If it’s raining on a stretch with poor signage and little/no shelter, it can be difficult to keep taking out your phone to check the tracks. Keeping a cloth in a dry but accessible spot to dry your phone screen would be a good idea.
Thank you for all your support! Of course rain is to be expected in Galicia, but it only rained on us three times in our first 48 days so it was a bit of a shame that it then rained seven days in a row just as we neared the end. But the forecast looks good for the next five days so hopefully we’ll finish on a good note weather-wise.I had a feeling the weather was a cloud on your recent days ( no pun intended), if you are wet and cold there is no escaping from it, I had it on the San Salvador for 2 days in July and it affects your mood and your vibrancy. I'm glad that you had a good day yesterday, and thanks for the info on the hotel, I was thinking of making this my stop if I get to go this way in August//September.
Buen Camino
Thank you so much Grace! We are excited about Santiago but we had always hoped to make this an ocean-to-ocean camino so Finisterre has been the real goal since the start and we won’t reach it until Sunday.Oh you’re nearly therewhat excitement you must have . . .
I can see from all the responses you’ve had on this forum that there are many pilgrims from all around the globe who have followed your 1000+km over the past couple of months.
We’re collectively cheering you both on for the ‘final' day into Santiago . . .
Thank you!Wow, so quickly it ends.
This thread has been pure joy. Thank you.
Please keep posting as you walk to the sea!
We are actually ready for some beaten path after seeing two pilgrims in 55 days! And we’ve never been to Finisterre so it’s all new to us. Your idea is intriguing but I don’t think we have enough adventurous spirit left in us!(Hmmmm. Instead of following the beaten path I'd be tempted to walk the Ingles in reverse, carrying on to the Ruta do Mar as far as San Andreas de Teixido ~ coast to wild and mysterious coast, South to North.
Thank you! It is definitely a wonderful triplet and you will love it!What a brilliant achievement for you both.
I’m looking forward to getting there: a 9-week countdown until I’m able to follow your footsteps on this wonderful triplet of Caminos. The Nascente++
Well done!!We made it!
My first Camino was the "English way" and true to form it rained every day except the last! Many of the downhill tracks became stream beds and literally wading was required. I only really started to dry out while waiting in the Queue for my Compostella!Thank you for all your support! Of course rain is to be expected in Galicia, but it only rained on us three times in our first 48 days so it was a bit of a shame that it then rained seven days in a row just as we neared the end. But the forecast looks good for the next five days so hopefully we’ll finish on a good note weather-wise.
I am genuinely sorry you are not walking home.So after truly one of the best days of this (or any) camino, we have now finally finished our pilgrimage. Tomorrow we’ll head back to Santiago and after a couple more nights there, we’ll go home to Lisbon where restrictions, vaccinations and the real world await.
Day 60 (!): We made it to Finisterre!
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Some quick thoughts on the Camino Finisterre and our arrival today:
Ordinarily, I think of the camino as an experience that’s about the journey, not the destination, as I’m sure many of you do. But on the Camino Finisterre, I felt a bit checked out of the journey after such a long camino and I was just focused on the arrival.
Because of this, the first three days were merely OK, despite very good weather. There’s more agriculture than we’ve seen probably anywhere on this camino (the walking is often among cultivated fields and past dairy farms rather than in countryside/forest), there’s quite a bit of road walking, and not many historic sites. Seeing other pilgrims was a bit of a shock at first after the remoteness of the Nascente-Torres-Geira triple, but it was also a pleasant change and we had some nice conversations.
Today I felt a lot of excitement and anticipation, given that we had never been to Finisterre before. We woke up early in Cee and were very lucky to have such a glorious day to end our camino. The soft, early morning light over Corcubión set the tone for what was to come.
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After descending from Sardiñeiro, we ate breakfast at a rest spot with spectacular views of Cape Finisterre and the blue emptiness beyond.
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Walking on the beach at Playa de Llagosteira, with all the scallop shells, was another real highlight and I was glad that we savoured that even though I was anxious to continue to the cape while the weather was still fine.
The cape was quite crowded with tourists, being a Sunday, but it was still a very special moment to finally arrive after two months on the trail. After taking pictures at the 0km marker, we found a nice spot near the boot to look out into the (once) unknown, contemplate our journey, and eat lunch.
View attachment 103432
So after truly one of the best days of this (or any) camino, we have now finally finished our pilgrimage. Tomorrow we’ll head back to Santiago and after a couple more nights there, we’ll go home to Lisbon where restrictions, vaccinations and the real world await.
Well done. Congratulations on your arrival in Finisterre. What magnificent weather to greet your last day of walking. Have loved following you on this journey and we’re in admiration of your photography, which continued to your last day. You have helped to keep the Caminho/Camino spirit alive in many people during this difficult time we are all experiencing.
We wish you both a safe trip back to Lisbon.
Ultreia.
Yes - all good things ……….etcTomorrow we’ll head back to Santiago and after a couple more nights there, we’ll take the train home to Lisbon where restrictions, vaccinations and the real world await.
Where did you stay in Braga? I’m hoping to have two nights there, so I can see Sao Frutuoso. I’ve been to Braga at least 3 or 4 times and never knew anything about it till I read your earlier post.We didn’t have high expectations today as it was just a ‘set-up stage’ to get out of Braga and the urban sprawl we’ve experienced for the last few days and position us closer to the mountains, which we can now see nearby.
We stayed at the Friends in Braga Guesthouse. It was not quite as central as what we would normally choose, but it was unbelievably cheap and close to a Lidl, so good for stocking up. Friendly family atmosphere.Where did you stay in Braga? I’m hoping to have two nights there, so I can see Sao Frutuoso. I’ve been to Braga at least 3 or 4 times and never knew anything about it till I read your earlier post.
asbMay I share the link to Google Maps for those following this fascinating journey?
THE MAP
Tip: You can download the tracks in KML and KMZ format from the "kebab" menu (3 vertical dots) to the right of the map title.
Edit: this is the map prepared by Henrique Malheiro, one of the authors of the Geira guidebook, which you can find on their webpage: https://debragaasantiago.com/
Hi TorigrinoIt’s been spectacular so far so if you want to rethink it! The vaccination/test proof rule at the POR/ESP border was reversed a couple of days after being announced, and we crossed an unmanned border today.
Yes and yes! The tracks @Turigrino shared above came from Henrique Malheiro, co-author of the official guidebook. We met him in Braga on Saturday and he is providing lots of information, including this ‘super track’ which includes a couple of alternate routes (e.g. yesterday’s skipping of Terras de Bouro) and services, including his favourite water fountains! He is still adding locations to the map for us as we continue so it will get even better in the days to come.
Reiterating that this Google Maps track is one for future Geira pilgrims to save as it’s more comprehensive than the website tracks.
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