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Spiritual Variante

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I'm planning to walk the Spiritual Variant in June 2024.

Be aware that the Armenteira Monastery no longer takes reservations for pilgrims. They accept pilgrims on a first-come-first-serve basis, if they have rooms that night.

In addition, per their Facebook page as of Jan 20 2024, the municipal Albergue in Armenteira is not taking reservations due to a broken ceiling and some kind of management change.

Leaves few options for staying in Armenteira that are cost-effective. I booked at Carballo de Prado 1900 for more than I wanted to spend, but am happy that I will guarantee a bed for the night.

I'm breaking my Pontevedra -> Padron leg into:
1. Pontevedra to Combarro (16km)
2. Combarro to Armenteira (10 km, lots of uphill)
3. Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa (26km)
4. Vilanova de Arousa to Padron via Traslatio boat (actually to Herbon, but that's very close to Padron)

I would have liked to further break up day 3 (Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa) into two days, so that I could more enjoy the Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua, but I had competing interests. If I had done that, then I would have walked:

3. Armenteira to Ribadumia (9 km)
4. Ribadumia to Vilanova de Arousa (17 km)

Have fun with planning! (I really like planning myself.)
 
We walked from Pontevedra to Combarro 15 km, then to hospedaje rustico os castanos 15 km and than the last strech to Vilanova de Arousa 18 km. In Combarro and Villanova there is plenty accommodation. I found os castanos when I zoomed in on google maps. It is a nice local hotel with even a menu del dia when asked for it. I made the reservation by phone, they speak some english. It is good to stay in Combarro so you can start the next day with the steep instead of doing this at the end of the day. The variante espiritual is very nice to do. Don’t forget to enjoy the local albariño wine

Hotel rural en Ribadumia – Hospedaje Rústico Os Castaños

Si busca dónde dormir en Ribadumia, no dude en visitar nuestro alojamiento. En nuestro hotel rural en Ribadumia encontrará todas las comodidades.
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You will like Carballo de prado 1900 ok it´s more expensive, lovely place and owners, good breakfast and you will get a beautifull wax stamp !!, they also pick you up at the monastery and put you back on track
 
If you wish to have a look at my website, on the Variante Espiritual, or the "Ruta Traslatio," I go into our trip in great detail. The legends surrounding the Traslatio and the only maritime Way of the Cross is very interesting!

I did not know about the problems at the albergue In Armenteira. And you are right, the other options are pricey. However, they all WILL happily come to pick you up at the monastery, so you don't have to walk the significant distance!

We also stayed at Os Castaños, halfway in Ribadumia. That made for an enjoyable day on the very special Ruta da Pedra e da Auga. Do beware if you stay at the Os Castaños their food is quite pricey at the restaurante and I had a bad experience with the wine (which they rectified), but they made up for it at the amazing full-service breakfast the next morning, included in the reasonably priced night at the hotel. For a large lunch or dinner, I recommend the Bar O Chiringo, right along the river, and the Camino, just before you arrive at the Os Castaños. The proprietress was a Camino mother, extraordinaire and she brought out more food than we ordered! What amazing hospitality and large portions and very inexpensive food.

Happy planning and have a wonderful Camino! You will LOVE the Variante Espiritual. It is very special indeed.
 
JIMMCC13 said:
Hi Folks

My planning has taken me as far as Pontevedra from Porto I would like to walk the Spirituale Variante. Any advice on stages and accomodation as well.as general pearls of wisdom please ?
Thanks Jim
Click to expand...

JIMMCC13 said:
Hi Folks

My planning has taken me as far as Pontevedra from Porto I would like to walk the Spirituale Variante. Any advice on stages and accomodation as well.as general pearls of wisdom please ?
Thanks Jim
Click to expand...
At Combarro we stayed at a wonderfull brand new albergue, can highly recommend it:

INICIO

RESERVAR Albergue Hostel Nuestra Señora del Camino Nuestra filosofía nace del concepto de hostel europeo combinado con el lado espiritual del Camino.
nsdelcaminohostel.com
 
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Thank You so much that was so helpful . Like you I enjoy the planning but was struggling a little with the spiritual variant but your advice was fantastic.


JIMMCC13 said:
Hi Folks

My planning has taken me as far as Pontevedra from Porto I would like to walk the Spirituale Variante. Any advice on stages and accomodation as well.as general pearls of wisdom please ?
Thanks Jim
Click to expand...

I have already booked it but good to get a recommendation Thank You
 
At os castanos ask for the menu del dia . we paid abour 12 euro’s for three courses wirh albarino wine. It is not on the written menu. Their breakfast is also quit good.
 
ChristelMarcAntwerp22 said:
You will like Carballo de prado 1900 ok it´s more expensive, lovely place and owners, good breakfast and you will get a beautifull wax stamp !!, they also pick you up at the monastery and put you back on track
Click to expand...
I didn't know about the wax stamp! That sounds lovely. I'm even more excited to stay there now.
 
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I was so glad we decided to take the Spiritual Variant and for me two standout memories were staying at a pension in the lovely stone village of Combarro, and the beautiful ferry ride to Padron. I did stay at the albergue in Armentiera in 2019 without a reservation.
 
I am doing a similar route, after the Coastal route, in April. Staying in Combarro. Happy to hear you stayed at Os Castanos. I have booked a room but have not read of others doing so. Then Vilanova de Asousa. Looking forward to it.
 
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Kasee said:
Everyone has great suggestions, and I'll add to stay in the donativo Convento in Herbon--right outside of Padron. It's amazing and the hospitaleros are kind and helpful.
Click to expand...
Yes, I'm hoping to stay at the Convento in Herbon. I'm comfortable with knowing that I can't book a reservation for that place, knowing that if they can't take me Padron is not far and has lots of accommodations to choose from.

(Conversely, Armenteira has few options, so one has to choose to take a chance on the monastery or the municipal [if it is even open given the roof problem]), or book at one of the few options around Armenteira.)
 
JIMMCC13 said:
Hi Folks

My planning has taken me as far as Pontevedra from Porto I would like to walk the Spirituale Variante. Any advice on stages and accomodation as well.as general pearls of wisdom please ?
Thanks Jim
Click to expand...
Just do it . I did it in Sept 2022. It was an experience I'll never forget. Take the turn to Armenteira then next day to Villanueva where you take the boat the next morning to Padron.you can walk then to Santiago or stay the night in Padron which is worth doing.
My accommodation(the only Albergue) in Armenteira and boat trip was booked in advance by the host where I stayed in Pontevedra . Albergue A Cortilla in Villanueva was good, and Albergue Corredoiras was excellent in Padron. Both from Booking.com
I'm returning in late April.
Buen Camino
 
I'm starting on the coastal next week and we (a loose group of old lags, at least one of whom is occasionally known to this forum..) plan to take the Variante. My normal 'go to' planner, Gronze, stops at Pontevedra, so trying to work out the subsequent route with WisePilgrim, which I don't find straightforward.
First question - are there any other planning guides to this section that people recommend?
Secondly for Armenteira, I guess we''ll try contacting the monastery a few days in advance (website seems to be inactive at the moment) and hope they still have some shared rooms (can anyone confirm?). Otherwise currently no Plan B with the Albergue closed.
We are planning to walk from Arosa to Padron, which looks like 35km. I can see the path on Mapy.cz. But not read any reports of walking this section, as the boat trip seems to be the preferred option - anyone care to comment?
Sorry for hi-jacking this thread, but hopefully my questions will elicit useful responses for all!
 
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Regarding the Monastery, you can try to contact them a few days before, but I do not think you will be able to reserve even close to the date. Here is what Sister Paula wrote to me when I asked them about 2024 reservations:

Translated, this means:

Note that the earlier check-in time is actually a very narrow window, and is different than what was presented on the Monastery website (which, indeed, is down right now).

If I recall correctly (and I can't check as the Monastery website is down and there's no apparent google cache of it), if you're willing to stay TWO nights or longer at the Monastery, in the way of a sabbatical, then you might be able to reserve.

Regarding other places to stay in Armenteira:

For Feb 4-5 (you'll need to plug in your own dates), Booking.com is showing four places near the Monastery ("near" = 2km or less) which are house rentals with 3-4 beds, for prices ranging from 108 to 304 euros (for the whole house). Ratings ranging from 7.5 to 10 out of 10. They are:

- A Casa do Olivo
- A Casa das Barreiras
- Villa Flor Armenteira
- casa Bicaño en armenteira ideal entera para peregrinos y grupos

The place I booked, Carballo de Prado 1900, does not appear to be available for February, at least not on Booking.com.

Regarding other apps:

Buen Camino has the Spiritual Variant in the Portuguese Coastal section of their app (in blue), but I do not find it has many details or is helpful.

Stingy Nomads' website has a guide to walking the Spiritual Variant, but they take the boat and do not walk to Padron from Vilanova de Arousa.

Regarding planning to walk from Vilanova de Arousa to Padron:

This thread from 2018 says that the Brierley guide (paper book) has some commentary on walking that stretch. It's a bit ominous:


That leads us to another thread from 2018 where someone actually walked it, who says:


There is at least one tour operator that gets pilgrims to walk from Vilanova de Arousa to Padron, and here is their web page of that stage. It's nearly 36 km and there's an elevation map showing lots of ups and downs.
 
Brierley has a few pages devoted to the Espiritual section, and has a map of the walking route from Arousa as well as the boat route. If you can’t get a copy, as a last resort send me a pm, and I can send you a screen shot.
The monastery has triple rooms if they are available.
 
I ended up staying in Pousada Armenteira, which was expensive, but also a nice treat. It’s close enough to the Convento that you can walk to vespers, which was lovely.
 
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I also hope that you will find my website useful, with downloadable GPS tracks with all the amenities on the tracks themselves, and all the detailed info you need in my descriptions. Please see my Variante Espiritual pages as well. I also have lots of photos, if you like those. OR you can just download my tracks here! I also include the GPS tracks for the walk from Vilanova de Arousa as well. You will have to unzip the file and upload and/or convert kml to gpx, to your device. It's actually quite easy to do.
 

I am also starting in Porto, plan on a hybrid trip, a bit of Litoral, then coastal, then cut across to central from Caminha, and then the espititu. I am starting May 15, and my plan is the same as Rainswift for the 4 days of espiritu. Bom Caminho!
 
I had considered staying here and they quoted a rate of 66e including breakfast. It looks like a nice place but I wanted to attend the vespers at the monastery so made other arrangements
 
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I actually really liked the Hotel Xeito, since my husband and I are two (or if you prefer a room). The hotel is close to the waterfront, the rooms are economical and the proprietor is a very pilgrim-friendly and helpful host. He is so proud of his city! He will give you a sheet of information and a tourist map of the attractions in Combarro. Spend some time in Combarro if you can! I love this city that is a step back in time.
 
I think I read boats don’t operate this time of year so you’ll have to walk. I found some good info on stingynomads
 
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Of the three boat service, the A Mare starts limited booking in March. La Barca del Peregrino also starts in March. The third, Alvamar Náutica, has no information for when they start, so you would have to check back on their website. By April, the first two have schedules daily, almost always in the morning, either 7:30 or 8:00. The A Mare boats also will run some days at 10:00.

And yes, a walk is definitely necessary in the winter months.
 
While walking our CP Variente Espiritual last spring, my husband and I chose to stay in the Monasterio de Armenteria for two nights. A reserved two night stay might still be an option. We wrote to Sister Paula (hna Paula) and she replied with instructions on how to pay our deposit using Remitly. It was a highlight of our CP with super clean room with twin beds, private bathroom, generous food, opportunities to attend vespers, mass, quiet, etc.

We stayed in Combarro the night before due to the lovely but considerable uphill climb to Armenteria. Posts on this forum by jungleboy convinced us to walk down the breathtaking Ruta de la Piedra y del Aqua (Route of stone and water) the next day after breakfast. We took our time, stopped often to enjoy the beauty, and to take photos. When we reached the end of the downhill of that segment after several unhurried hours, we took a taxi cab back to the Monasterio.
The next day after breakfast and attending morning mass we walked down past the abandoned mills and waterfalls again to continue our progress toward SdeC.
We not only had the chance to walk this wondrous section ONCE, we walked it twice!
We are in our 70’s and may never have the chance again.

If you only get the opportunity to visit the monastery, at least support the sisters by purchasing a bar of their handmade soap in the small gift shop. It is luscious soap and will certainly improve the smell of your backpack as you continue your pilgrimage.
 
Last edited:
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Oh, it’s you! In the flesh (so to speak)! I found your packing list invaluable when I was beginning to put together my gear. It’s among the most practical packing lists I’ve seen and your comments are very thoughtful.
 
When leaving Armenteira, at the start of the Ruta de la Piedra y del Aqua, you will have the option of walking down the river on either the right side or the left side of the river/stream. There are also waymarks pointing to either side. Ultimately both tracks arrive at the same point (so you cannot get lost), but I recommend taking the right track which is much more scenic, not to say spectacular. It seems many walkers end up on the left track somehow.
 
To clarify, do you mean "the right side of the river if you are going toward Ribadumia (ie, progressing towards Santiago de Compostela"? I really want to walk on the scenic side!

(I realize that's probably obvious to some people, but I can't help thinking "if you face the other direction, the right is on the opposite side of the river.")
 
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Would it help if we said the east side of the river?? You can see it on my map, for this section here: https://www.pilgrimagetraveler.com/variante-espiritual-from-combarro-to-barrantes.html
 
I brought some of that soap home! I put it in my family’s stockings at Christmas. Just yesterday my mother told me that she had asked my dad if he had any treats left from Christmas. He said he had some kind of fudge. She unwrapped it and it was the sisters soap! Oh dad
 
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Thanks for the referral, just booked my room for May
 
Nice to see a place has finally opened up in Ribadumia - when I walked it in 2016, I was assured by the tourist office in Pontevedra, google, and someone at the monastery in Armenteira that if I kept walking past Armenteira to Ribadumia, that there were accommodations there - at that time, there weren't!
 
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ChristelMarcAntwerp22 said:
You will like Carballo de prado 1900 ok it´s more expensive, lovely place and owners, good breakfast and you will get a beautifull wax stamp !!, they also pick you up at the monastery and put you back on track
Click to expand...
100 % agree. It was the best accommodation I stayed in Camino de Portuguese. While it's away from the monastery, you can escape from the busy camino to the lovely countryside. It has lovely gardens. Everything was arranged with TLC.
The route down from the monastery on the next day was beautiful. Bubbling brook, mini waterfalls and sites of watermills ...the best walk after the best accomodation.
 
Yes, on the right side of the river walking down the hill, in the direction of Santiago.
 
Yes, on the right side of the river walking down the hill, in the direction of Santiago! Enjoy!
 
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In 2022 I also stayed at this hostel and cannot recommend it enough. It was one of the best places I stayed. The next morning I walked to Ribadumia and stayed the night there leaving a comfortable 17k walk the next day.
 
I'm having trouble finding Ribadumia on a map. How far a walk is it beyond Armenteira on the way to Vilanova Arousa (or am I confused as to where this town is?)?
 
KCP said:
I'm having trouble finding Ribadumia on a map. How far a walk is it beyond Armenteira on the way to Vilanova Arousa (or am I confused as to where this town is?)?
Click to expand...
My understanding is:

Ribadumia is more of an broader municipality than a specific town.

From Armenteira Monastery, you walk northwest along the Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua for about 9-10 km. At that point you will be in Ribadumia, at approximately Os Castanos (https://maps.app.goo.gl/hZbpoGLx79qdeoQs7).

From Os Castanos, you proceed northeast through Ribadumia, basically towards Ponte Arnelas (https://maps.app.goo.gl/mWD9EFg4vTMxQEjo7), which is at the northwest border of the region. This stretch about 5-6km long.

From Ponte Arnelas, you turn and go northwest again, leaving Ribadumia, to end the stage at Vilanova de Arousa (https://maps.app.goo.gl/L8KhZ57ym4hbNDpRA). This stretch about 8km.

Total about 24km, though I've seen some maps estimate it at 26km.
 
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