About 4 years ago, @JohnnieWalker introduced me to a really pretty little walk right in the city. You will never believe you are a stone's through from the hustle and bustle. A friend of mine just emailed me today saying he remembered how nice that walk was when we were there, and I thought I'd post something about it.
Go down the steps in front of the parador (yes, you are on the Camino to Finisterre), continue past the really nice Tertulia Cafe (our failed experiment for a gathering place), and follow the camino signs. When you cross the bridge you will be going over the Rio Sarela. The camino to Finisterre turns left, you turn right. It's a shaded walk alongside babbling water, very green, very pretty. You can make a circle of it and head back to where you started or pop out and continue back to the center (this will all be pretty obvious when you are walking). In any event, it is a very nice little walk.
Not as pretty, but very interesting, is the walk up to the Cidade de Cultura, a huge modern complex that provokes a lot of strong opinions. Sometimes there are expositions there (if there are, the tourist office usually gives out free tickets -- I saw a very interesting one on the cultures along the Amazon), but even if there aren't, it's a good little walk. Takes you down to the Rio Sar and the entrance into Santiago that you will make if you walk the Vdlp/Sanabres. Then up for a few kms to the top of a hill.
The most ambitious is JohnnieWalker's Route of Routes. It's described in great detail in the pamphlet, thanks John!
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/wp-content/uploads/Route-of-Routes-Final-Master-June2012.pdf.
So, if you are itching to walk as soon as you stop walking, try one of these three!
Go down the steps in front of the parador (yes, you are on the Camino to Finisterre), continue past the really nice Tertulia Cafe (our failed experiment for a gathering place), and follow the camino signs. When you cross the bridge you will be going over the Rio Sarela. The camino to Finisterre turns left, you turn right. It's a shaded walk alongside babbling water, very green, very pretty. You can make a circle of it and head back to where you started or pop out and continue back to the center (this will all be pretty obvious when you are walking). In any event, it is a very nice little walk.
Not as pretty, but very interesting, is the walk up to the Cidade de Cultura, a huge modern complex that provokes a lot of strong opinions. Sometimes there are expositions there (if there are, the tourist office usually gives out free tickets -- I saw a very interesting one on the cultures along the Amazon), but even if there aren't, it's a good little walk. Takes you down to the Rio Sar and the entrance into Santiago that you will make if you walk the Vdlp/Sanabres. Then up for a few kms to the top of a hill.
The most ambitious is JohnnieWalker's Route of Routes. It's described in great detail in the pamphlet, thanks John!
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/wp-content/uploads/Route-of-Routes-Final-Master-June2012.pdf.
So, if you are itching to walk as soon as you stop walking, try one of these three!
