Stage

Gontán - Vilalba

24 km

This section starts again on the N-634 towards Abadín. Footpaths and tar roads alternate through Ponterroxal, O Rei and Candia until you cross the River Arnela, towards the village of Martiñán, where there is a nice bridge on the Camino and where you would have completed half of the day’s walk.

You continue until Goiriz and then on gravel roads, partly overlapping the main road until you reach the pilgrims’ hostel of Vilalba, 2 kilometres away from the town centre. This town is the capital of the Terra Cha, a district where cattle rearing is the main source of income. There you can visit the Torre dos Andrade, with an octagonal-shaped floor plan, erected in the 15th century. This is the only remaining part of the feudal castle that used to stand there, and it is nowadays a Parador.

Despite the fact that the area of A Terra Cha does not have much architectural heritage, it has plenty of restaurants and food festivals, its most important attraction.

Here you can enjoy a series of food festivals all year round (but mainly in the summer) – almost one every week.

There are, for example, the Capon Festival in Vilalba, cheese of San Simón and the Roscón de Améndoa (almond-based sweet). You can also enjoy free tapas if you have a drink in any bar or tavern and, depending on the time of the year, you can vote for the best “pincho” in town.

The area is also famous for its delicious grilled local meat and many visitors come from other areas to eat here.

Tips from our postmen and women

What to do and see in Vilalba?

Fidel Lamas Correos Vilalba

“For a long time now, the capital of the Terra Cha, Vilalba, has been famous for its nightlife, with many bars and clubs that attract people from the area and even other provinces”.