Stage 31 - Comino Del Norte

[Rebecca39]

Hello - I’m looking at walking the last 122KM from Vilalba to Santiago this October, but I’d like to split the Baamonde - Sobrado dos Monxes section of the walk into 2 possibly 3 days. I’d be grateful if someone could tell me how they would split this section and where to stop etc. Also, I’m confused about how many stamps I need for the passport in order to qualify for the Compostela. Please advise. Many thanks

 

[andycohn]

It’s easily split by staying at Miraz, which is 15 k beyond Baamonde, leaving you 25 k to Sobrado. Neither of the 2 days is particulary difficult, or has long climbs. In Miraz, there is an albergue run by the English pilgrim association (CSJ), and also Albergue O Abrigo. We stayed at the latter, which was lovely. If you want to make the first day longer (or split this into 3 days), there is also an albergue in Roxica, which is 10 k beyond Miraz.
To get the compostela, you need to get 2 stamps per day in the last 100 kilometes before Santiago. Baamonde is the 100 k point, so every day after leaving Baamonde you need 2 sellos. All the bars and albergues will have them.
Finally, leaving Baamonde, I would strongly recommend the alternative route (labelled as a “Complementario”). It follows the river for a few kilometers rather than staying on the busy main road. At the roundabout in thhe middle of Baamonde, it splits off to the left.
Buen camino!

 

[intrepidtraveler]

When I walked this route I went Vilalba-Albergue Witericus(shortly after Baamonde); then Albergue Witericus-Sobrado. A lot depends on how far you are comfortable going each day. My recollection of this section is rolling hills but no significant climbs.

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

I walked to Casa Roxica that leaves only 15 km to Sobrado

 

[peregrino_tom]

I walked the Norte a few years back and don't recall much in the way of stamping opportunities between Baamonde, Miraz, Sobrado and Arzua, the places you are most likely to spend the night.
I'll express an opinion here, which I expect to be honed by subsequent posts!
It is that you don't need to stress about finding a sello on stretches where the opportunities are few or non-existent, such as between Miraz and Sobrado. If it is clear from your pilgrim record that you took four days to get to Arzua from Vilalba and just have the albergue stamps where you stayed, that should be OK but try and add a couple of others where these natuarally occur, such as in Baamonde and one from the bar/restaurants next to the monastery in Sobrado. Once you reach Arzua you can fill up with as many as you like.
Someone on this forum who volunteers in the pilgrim office should be able to confirm this rule-of-thumb will work..

 

[brian560]

It’s easily split by staying at Miraz, which is 15 k beyond Baamonde, leaving you 25 k to Sobrado. Neither of the 2 days is particulary difficult, or has long climbs. In Miraz, there is an albergue run by the English pilgrim association (CSJ), and also Albergue O Abrigo. We stayed at the latter, which was lovely. If you want to make the first day longer (or split this into 3 days), there is also an albergue in Roxica, which is 10 k beyond Miraz.
To get the compostela, you need to get 2 stamps per day in the last 100 kilometes before Santiago. Baamonde is the 100 k point, so every day after leaving Baamonde you need 2 sellos. All the bars and albergues will have them.
Finally, leaving Baamonde, I would strongly recommend the alternative route (labelled as a “Complementario”). It follows the river for a few kilometers rather than staying on the busy main road. At the roundabout in thhe middle of Baamonde, it splits off to the left.
Buen camino!

The CSJ Albergue doesn't open until 1400 or 1430. Albergue O Abrigo is private and is open earlier.

 

[backpack45scb]

Hello - I’m looking at walking the last 122KM from Vilalba to Santiago this October, but I’d like to split the Baamonde - Sobrado dos Monxes section of the walk into 2 possibly 3 days. I’d be grateful if someone could tell me how they would split this section and where to stop etc. Also, I’m confused about how many stamps I need for the passport in order to qualify for the Compostela. Please advise. Many thanks

We had two intermediate stages:
15km to Miraz and 11 km to A Roxia

 

[Pilger Gal]

My husband and I had the most amazing experience staying at the Hotel Restaurant Bi Terra in Friol. The owner Carlo? and his family have organized options for pick up and drop off service between those locations. The place is lovely and has a beautiful setting including breakfast dinner bar..... everything you would need. Worth the spurlge!! They have an excellent website which has a link to their Peregrino offers. Greetings from Denise and Brian. BTW this portion of walk was extremely beautiful.

 

[Rebecca39]

Many thanks for your comments! I’ll be walking this stretch of the Comino alone and very excited, but certainly takes some planning. I’m hoping there are plenty of markers on the way too!

 

[Trude]

Miraz is one of the best Albergues on the Norte. You should definately stay there.

 

[Bob Chambers]

We are planning the Primitivo next year, with a cross link to the Norte, using the Camino Verde. We've managed to reduce the distances on most of the stages, but the Lugo to Friol, leg seems a bit more than we'd like to walk. Anyone know of accommodation about halfway along?

 

[Northern Laurie]

I stayed at Roxica. It is a very small albergue and they do take reservations. I would recommend you make them. Very nice hosts and provided a home cooked meal.

That leaves a nice short day to sobrado dos monxes. The monastery is closed in the afternoon-you can choose to arrive early and stay inside or wait outside. I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet inside, and found the church incredibly beautiful and peaceful to rest. The monks are lovely-and so is the cat!

 

[Maggie Y]

This is a lovely post.Thankyoy so much. Hadn't thought of breaking it into three Maggie

 

[Rebecca39]

Can you recommend a nice place to stay in both Vilalba and Baamonde? I’ve now mastered my route it’s just planning where to stay!

 

[Maggie Y]

Many thanks for your comments! I’ll be walking this stretch of the Comino alone and very excited, but certainly takes some planning. I’m hoping there are plenty of markers on the way too!

Me too. I m doing quite a bit of planning i.e. reading posts like these and making notes on scraps of paper!!

 

[Maggie Y]

Many thanks for your comments! I’ll be walking this stretch of the Comino alone and very excited, but certainly takes some planning. I’m hoping there are plenty of markers on the way too!

When are you walking?

 

[Rebecca39]

I’m looking at walking between 19th October - 28th October.

 

[peregrina2000]

A couple of scattered comments — when I walked through Miraz last summer I saw a posted sign saying that the CSJ albergue in Miraz was opening early. I think the private albergue has drawn away lots of pilgrims, since they open early, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are trying to bring people back. Like others, I stayed in Roxica.

From Roxica, it is a very short day into Sobrado, but then you do have lots of time to visit the monastery. And the best place for a meal in town, IMO, is a little ways out of town. It’s the “restaurante de toda la vida,” the family owned place that has been there forever, whose name, I think, is Bar Real.

Someone on this thread asked for recommendations for Villalba. My recommendation would be not to stay in Villalba. The albergue is on the main road into town, and it is one of those black modern boxy constructions. I have slept there and it’s fine, but on my second time through, I walked from O Xistral to Baamonde. The town of Villalba IMO doesn’t have much in the way of charm or ambiente. Xistral to Baamonde is 35 km, which may be too much for some. There isn’t much elevation gain, and t is a day with a fair amount of asphalt, especially on the way into Baamonde. But O Xistral, which is located about 6 km after Abadín, is one of the best places on the norte, a polar opposite from the albergue in Villalba.

 

[Lucy Keenan]

I walked to Casa Roxica that leaves only 15 km to Sobrado

Casa Roxica and Witericus are fab

 

[as gaillimh]

Miriz albergue was open at 12noon in april lovely couple from wales in charge. Best albergue of any camino. 10km to 1st coffee. Monestery very good

 

[peregrino_tom]

when I walked through Miraz last summer I saw a posted sign saying that the CSJ albergue in Miraz was opening early. I think the private albergue has drawn away lots of pilgrims, since they open early, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are trying to bring people back

My understanding is that opening earlier than 2.30pm is at the discretion of the volunteer hospitaleros. There's no conscious attempt to try to lure more pilgrims in, as far as I'm aware! Just looking at recent reports from the hospitaleros, it looks like the nightly average pilgrims in July has been around 17 (for 25 beds), but full on a couple of nights. This suits Miraz nicely. Up until a couple of years ago it was the only albergue in the village and it caused a high degree of extra work and stress to have to turn people away and help find them other options almost every night in the high season. Now, if the albergue is full, pilgrims can go to other places nearby. Interestingly we are hearing that these are pretty full too, which suggests that very few people are choosing to take the new official route that bypasses Miraz. If there is a shift though, and fewer pilgrims come via Miraz, then I imagine it'll be tempting to start trying to lure in the passing traffic...