Stage 12 - Arzua - Santiago de Compostela

ByTravesía Pirenaica
French Way / Photo: Jynus_ (CC BY-SA 2.5)
French Way / Photo: Jynus_ (CC BY-SA 2.5)
  • Distance: 39 km
  • Maximum height: 422.34 m
  • Minimum height: 247.61 m
  • Positive difference in altitude: 710.16 m
  • Negative difference in altitude: 806.45 m

Way of Saint James twelfth stage

This is a trap stage, we only have 39 km left to finish our pilgrimage, and this is the maximum difficulty that we find, the desire to embrace the apostle can make this day endless, despite being a walk to the city of the apostle, once there a feeling of contradiction assaults us happy to have arrived but sad for what we leave behind (unless you continue to Fisterra) and knowing that tomorrow we do not expect to get back on our bike, but I let you experience this feeling for yourselves.

We leave Arzua and after descending to the river Brandeso we climb along a country road to preguntoño (km 2), we continue along a steep slope and through meadows and eucalyptus groves until we reach Taberna Vella (km 5) and Calzada (km 6) and calle (km 8).

We now take a network of tracks and paths until we reach Salceda (km 11) and from here to Oxén, where the Camino del Norte joins (via the Opino by-pass). We continue and ascend until we cross the road and enter O empalme (km 15) and from here, descending under eucalyptus trees, we reach Santa Irene (km 16.5). We continue under the eucalyptus trees until we reach A Rúa and then we go up to O Pedrouzo by asphalted track (km 19).

Through eucalyptus forests and asphalted tracks we ascend to Cimadevila (km 23), we continue climbing for 2 km but not as steeply and after passing close to the A-54 and crossing a secondary road we reach San Paio (km 27). After an ascent and descent we reach Lavacolla (km 28.5). From here and always ascending gently on tarmac tracks we reach Monte de Gozo (km 34), a place located 5 km from Santiago and where in the Middle Ages pilgrims saw the towers of the Cathedral for the first time.

Now we only have to go down an asphalted road, be aware that at the end there are some stairs, and we find ourselves at the entrance to the city of Santiago de Compostela on rua San Lazaro. We enter the old town through the rúa das Casas Reais, we go up to the praza de Cervantes. Finally we enter under the Arch of the Palace through a passageway, watch out for the stairs that are not visible, and we arrive at the Plaza del Obradoiro, where our journey ends? ....

I prefer not to comment any further at this point and let you feel and experience your own sensations.

Stages: