Stage

Caldas de Reis - Padrón

Pontevedra - Caldas de Reis Padrón - Santiago de Compostela

19 km

You leave Caldas de Reis through the viaduct, and across a mountainous stretch that leads to O Cruceiro. After 4 kilometres, you will reach the Church of Santa Mariña. The Camino runs parallel to the AP9 to O Pino and to the River Valga, of the same name as the municipality.

Valga is very close to Pontecesures, thus named because in Roman times a bridge was built here to cross the River Ulla. Mestre Mateo, the author of the Portico of Glory in Santiago’s Cathedral, rebuilt it in the 12th century.

After Pontecesures, you reach Padrón, already in the province of A Coruña, famous for its peppers (“os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non” is a common idiom describing these small but tasty peppers of capricious spiciness). Tradition has it that it was here that the boat coming from the Holy Land carrying the body of the Apostle was moored on the “pedrón”, a granite block still preserved under the altar of the church of Santiago. In Padrón, you can visit the Casa Museo de Rosalía de Castro (closed on Mondays), where the most important Galician writer lived. The house preserves its original structure and pictures and memorabilia belonging to this wonderful poet.

Tips from our postmen and women

What to do and see in Padron?

Pilar Martín Correos Padrón

“Every Sunday, Padrón hosts the largest street market in Galicia. Thousands of people come to see, buy and taste the best products in this district.

On the other side of the River Sar, across the bridge of Santiago, lies the 16th-century fountain of o Carme. Behind it, you can see the Carmelite monastery, the Convento do Carme, built on the bedrock. You have a nice view from here.

For all botany lovers, you have the Jardín Botánico-Artístico by the N550, a national monument with over 300 species from all over the world".