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Palas de Rei to Arzua

  • Thread starter Former member 81810
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I am doing my first Camino in September. It will be from Sarria to Santiago which I have to do in five walking days and my hotels are pre-booked. The longest day will be from Palas de Rei to Arzua, which is showing as 28.9km. Variables will be the weather and my pace. A pace of 4km/hour would be 7+ hours walking in itself. I have been thinking about how I get the balance right. On one side there will be knowing I have to walk those kilometres to ensure I reach Arzua not too late but also to not over do it physically and, very importantly and fundamentally, to be able to enjoy the journey and who and what I meet along the Way. I would like to be able to enjoy a sit-down lunch as I hope the food will also be part of the experience. So I wondered if those who have done this before had any thoughts about how to approach that day, for example are regular short breaks better than fewer but longer ones? Is an aim to do more in morning that afternoon? Any suggestions about where to stop?
Many thanks
Buan Camino
Peter
 
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If your bed for the night is pre-booked then the major factor that encourages people to rush their day and finish early is taken care of. You do not need to worry about arriving too late to find a bed. Are you used to walking distances close to 30km in a day? That is about my average on a Camino. I would normally stop a couple of times along the way for a drink and perhaps a light snack and aim to have my main meal if possible at the end of my day's walking. Alternatively a big lunch part-way followed by a pause of an hour or so to let it settle and make some progress through the bottle of tinto that I hope came with my menu :) Luckily Spanish lunch hours are late by UK standards and with the number of eating places on the CF finding somewhere is unlikely to be a problem. Melide is a large town about halfway through your day's walk with all the facilities you might need but is perhaps going to be too early in the day for your sit-down meal. There are a couple of bar-restaurants at Ribadiso da Baixo (which is one of my personal favourite spots in the final 100km). You could eat there and leave yourself a very straightforward 3km or so onwards to Arzua later in the afternoon.
 
A PS. on the food issue. Melide is very well known for pulpo. The Pulperia Ezequiel is very famous. Although you may be too early in the day to stop for a full meal it may be worth pausing for a tapa or two anyway. I love pulpo and do not think a journey to Spain is complete without trying some. But not everyone agrees with me on that...;)
 
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The distance is relatively walkable. That is relative to your health and abilities. I reccomend that you start early in the morning - say 6AM, plan on potentially changing socks (keep feet dry) and shirt around mid day or when the opportunity represents itself. Remember its one step at a time, one meter at a time, one kilometer at a time. Basically taker YOUR time or walk at your pace and you'll eventually get there. But do start early for those long hikes. Knowing that you have completed a good portion before noon is motivating for the rest of the day.
 
I stayed in Ribadiso when I did it the first time (2015) and it was a long day, as I tend to poke along taking pics, exploring towns, talking etc. The climb from Ribadiso to Arzúa was tough for me. The second time (2017) I stayed in Melide and broke that section in half. Also I am always a late starter. I don’t get moving until much before 9:00. Sunrise? The sun only does one thing for me; it sets, both on the Camino and in real life.
 
I walked from Sarria in May. I broke that stage into two: Palas to Melide one day, Melide to Azura the next. There are some steep hills that really slow you down. In Melide, I stayed at A Lua do Camino which is like a big country house, giant rooms overlooking the swimming pool, located directly on the Camino about six blocks from the pulpo restaurants and they have laundry service. https://www.aluadocamino.com/en-us
 
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We went from Palas de Rei to Castaneda, staying at a Casa Rural called La Calleja (converted farm house) it was great, and the local albergue just down the road had perhaps the best pilgrim meal of our trip. That made it a shorter day - 23 km - we weren't interested in 30 km days.
 
I divided that section into 2 days as well. 29 km in 1 day is really too much for me. My feet really rebel if I do more than 22-25km per day, so I keep my daily distances around 20-22 km to keep my feet happy. But in your case, your lodging is pre-booked, so you've got to do this long of a day. If it was me, I would get an early start because it is easier for me to walk farther in a day if I do part of it before I am totally awake :)
 
I don't want to discourage you, but I did Palas to Arzua when I walked my CF in 2015 and was probably my worst camino choice. I should have divided it in two - learned in a bad way that my body should not go more than 22-24km/day. There was an uphill after Ribadiso that destroyed my legs and back.

It is surely doable though and many people in this forum can easily walk 30km days. However, for those who are not used to those distances, I would highly recommend cancelling the Arzua hotel and booking something in Castaneda or Ribadiso, so the day is a bit shorter. The next stage is shorter anyway, so you can actually shove those remaining kms for later.

There is a list of accomodation here: https://www.gronze.com/etapa/palas-rei/arzua

If you cannot cancel, then start really early and take as man breaks as you need. Buen Camino!
 
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IMO - That is a very do-able distance, depending on your training. In that area you are going to find "some" traffic, but nothing like July-August. Since you already have pre-booked accommodations, I believe your biggest concern will be what time to get started in the morning. The big lunch decision portion of your day can be made when and where you feel you need to stop since there are so many lunch places along this route. Pre planning is good, but there is no need to overthink the days agenda.

Hopefully you enjoy your Camino !

Buen Camino !
 
I am doing my first Camino in September. It will be from Sarria to Santiago which I have to do in five walking days and my hotels are pre-booked. The longest day will be from Palas de Rei to Arzua, which is showing as 28.9km. Variables will be the weather and my pace. A pace of 4km/hour would be 7+ hours walking in itself. I have been thinking about how I get the balance right. On one side there will be knowing I have to walk those kilometres to ensure I reach Arzua not too late but also to not over do it physically and, very importantly and fundamentally, to be able to enjoy the journey and who and what I meet along the Way. I would like to be able to enjoy a sit-down lunch as I hope the food will also be part of the experience. So I wondered if those who have done this before had any thoughts about how to approach that day, for example are regular short breaks better than fewer but longer ones? Is an aim to do more in morning that afternoon? Any suggestions about where to stop?
Many thanks
Buan Camino
Peter
Start early, finish early. This stage, although long, is an easy one
 
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Except up to Melide, down to the river from Boente, up to the crest. Down to the river. Then up to the crest, then down to the river at Ribadiso, and up to the crest at Arzua...
There is a fair bit of moderate up-and-down along the way but unless all your previous walking has been done in very flat country I don't think that any of it should be a major challenge.
elevation.jpg
 
A PS. on the food issue. Melide is very well known for pulpo. The Pulperia Ezequiel is very famous. Although you may be too early in the day to stop for a full meal it may be worth pausing for a tapa or two anyway. I love pulpo and do not think a journey to Spain is complete without trying some. But not everyone agrees with me on that...;)

Thank you for your reply and information. I have got the impression from other sources as well that the pulpo is a local speciality that one should try.
Cheers
Peter
 
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Thank you to everyone for their replies. On reflection I think I should have planned a shorter stage but everything is booked and plenty of others obviously manage and the Camino is about being positive. I have been looking at the John Brierley book as he does show the elevation and it does seem a bit up and down though the actual height differences are not too bad. It does though appear there will be a climb at the end of the day to reach Arzua - hey ho! The moral certainly seems to be an early start.
Buen Camino
Peter
 
Good suggestion above about stopping later in the walk. You could stop at the albergue Milpes, about halfway up out of the Iso valley. It’s technically in Arzua, but about 2k before the town, and closer to Ribadiso. Here you will have at least done part of the climb to Arzua, and you will have arrived at a cafeteria whose menu includes pimientos de Padron, and you can have a decent lunch in the country on a terrace overlooking farmland. You’re also right on the Camino, so when it’s time to resume, you just walk out the gate and start climbing the remaining few kilometers to Arzua.

Regards,
Paul
 
I am doing my first Camino in September. It will be from Sarria to Santiago which I have to do in five walking days and my hotels are pre-booked. The longest day will be from Palas de Rei to Arzua, which is showing as 28.9km. Variables will be the weather and my pace. A pace of 4km/hour would be 7+ hours walking in itself. I have been thinking about how I get the balance right. On one side there will be knowing I have to walk those kilometres to ensure I reach Arzua not too late but also to not over do it physically and, very importantly and fundamentally, to be able to enjoy the journey and who and what I meet along the Way. I would like to be able to enjoy a sit-down lunch as I hope the food will also be part of the experience. So I wondered if those who have done this before had any thoughts about how to approach that day, for example are regular short breaks better than fewer but longer ones? Is an aim to do more in morning that afternoon? Any suggestions about where to stop?
Many thanks
Buan Camino
Peter
Hi Peter, we did Sarria to Santiago de Compostela May 2018 and broke up staying in Ribadiso also. albergue Milpes is excellent and a great suggestion from Paul. I used the attachment below to enable each day of our Camino to be pretty much balanced without over doing each day we set out on19th May and arrive Santiago 23rd May and we are OAP ;) Buen Camino

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@Peterbell - Just an idea - If this stage is longer than you believe you can do (and want to do) adjust your training now to make it easier. You still have until September before you arrive in Spain.
 
A PS. on the food issue. Melide is very well known for pulpo. The Pulperia Ezequiel is very famous. Although you may be too early in the day to stop for a full meal it may be worth pausing for a tapa or two anyway. I love pulpo and do not think a journey to Spain is complete without trying some. But not everyone agrees with me on that...;)
I agree, I believe we stopped at Pulperia Ezeqiuel before noon. Stop for the pulpo regardless. Great food, great experience.
 
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I am doing my first Camino in September. It will be from Sarria to Santiago which I have to do in five walking days and my hotels are pre-booked. The longest day will be from Palas de Rei to Arzua, which is showing as 28.9km. Variables will be the weather and my pace. A pace of 4km/hour would be 7+ hours walking in itself. I have been thinking about how I get the balance right. On one side there will be knowing I have to walk those kilometres to ensure I reach Arzua not too late but also to not over do it physically and, very importantly and fundamentally, to be able to enjoy the journey and who and what I meet along the Way. I would like to be able to enjoy a sit-down lunch as I hope the food will also be part of the experience. So I wondered if those who have done this before had any thoughts about how to approach that day, for example are regular short breaks better than fewer but longer ones? Is an aim to do more in morning that afternoon? Any suggestions about where to stop?
Many thanks
Buan Camino
Peter
Hi Pete, on your day to Arzua you can always get your pack sent ahead to your hotel. I did this for one day on my first camino and my body was grateful.
 
25km it is doable. By that section you'll be used to walking. Your accommodation is booked so no panic to find a bed on arrival. We were not youngsters when we walked that section and because of this we booked albergues but only one day ahead. We stopped for lunch in Melide. Yes the last few kms were a slog but it's doable.
 
Green Michelin book states 25.5k km and it's classed as an Orange section = not the easiest but not the hardest either.
 
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@Peterbell - Just an idea - If this stage is longer than you believe you can do (and want to do) adjust your training now to make it easier. You still have until September before you arrive in Spain.
Thanks Bob. I have a training program that will increase length/height/frequency the nearer I get which I hope will give me the foundation. I feel that pace will be important.
Cheers
Buen Camino
Peter
 
"everything is booked." Really? Try searching Booking.com for accommodations - forward or backward or even off to the side of the Camino - within a reasonable distance of your proposed ending point, maybe 10 km or so.

Check the Pilgrim Office website for rules on receiving a Credential. The rules say you must walk every step of The Way, but they don't say you must walk them all today. You must obtain sellos in geographical and chronological order to document your Camino, but you can break up the journey into segments as long as you resume in the correct place. That's how people can walk half the Camino this year, half next year, and still receive the Credential.

Back to your situation: when you've walked as far as you want for the day, stop at a bar and ask them to call you a taxi. Get a sello from that bar because that's the end of your Camino walk for the day. Ride the taxi to the hotel but don't get a sello at the hotel (or restaurant where you eat dinner) because this is a side trip, it's not officially part of your Camino walk, same as the people who took a year off. Next morning, ride the taxi back to the bar where you ended your walk the day before, get another sello (it's okay to get the same sello twice, as long as they're stamped in chronological order), commence the next day's walk. In June 2018, the going rate for taxis was 1 Euro per km.

I did not invent this idea, I credit Mark McCarthy, a veteran member who wrote a book covering your proposed route in detail (available on Amazon, highly recommended), and he also wrote a special "short stage" worksheet which is posted in Resources. It's not cheating if it's allowed by the rules.
Thanks Nate. Nice thought but I am committed to doing it in 5 days.
Peter
 
25km it is doable. By that section you'll be used to walking. Your accommodation is booked so no panic to find a bed on arrival. We were not youngsters when we walked that section and because of this we booked albergues but only one day ahead. We stopped for lunch in Melide. Yes the last few kms were a slog but it's doable.
Hi Fleur. Thank you for the words of encouragement. It looks like that day will be a particular slog which will make the shower and meal at the end all the more enjoyable!
Cheers
Peter
 
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"everything is booked." Really? Try searching Booking.com for accommodations - forward or backward or even off to the side of the Camino - within a reasonable distance of your proposed ending point, maybe 10 km or so.

He means that he has booked everything already, not that everything is booked out.
 
@ peterbells Has anyone mentioned that you can have your pack transferred ? If you're finding the walking tough then consider pack transfer. Without the pack weight the walking will be easier.
This can be arranged on a daily basis.
 
Except up to Melide, down to the river from Boente, up to the crest. Down to the river. Then up to the crest, then down to the river at Ribadiso, and up to the crest at Arzua...
This section is very hilly, up, down, up, down, all day long. I was exhausted! I had broke it into 2 days. Palas to Melide, Melide to Arzua...even so, up, down, up down, up down.....I really began to hate going down, because I knew I was going to have to go back up!
 
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I am doing my first Camino in September. It will be from Sarria to Santiago which I have to do in five walking days and my hotels are pre-booked. The longest day will be from Palas de Rei to Arzua, which is showing as 28.9km. Variables will be the weather and my pace. A pace of 4km/hour would be 7+ hours walking in itself. I have been thinking about how I get the balance right. On one side there will be knowing I have to walk those kilometres to ensure I reach Arzua not too late but also to not over do it physically and, very importantly and fundamentally, to be able to enjoy the journey and who and what I meet along the Way. I would like to be able to enjoy a sit-down lunch as I hope the food will also be part of the experience. So I wondered if those who have done this before had any thoughts about how to approach that day, for example are regular short breaks better than fewer but longer ones? Is an aim to do more in morning that afternoon? Any suggestions about where to stop?
Many thanks
Buan Camino
Peter
The Palas del Rey to Arzua you have 12 (twelve) municipalities with ALBERGUESURI where you can stop! Go to your rhythm, and when you can no longer stop at the first commune, which has albergues! Here's a link with the stage : https://www.gronze.com/etapa/palas-rei/arzua
 

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