Stage 3, 28th august

STAGE 3, 28 AUGUST: VENTAS DE NARÓN-O COUTO

Total distance: 21,80 kilometres.

GROUP 1: COMPLETE STAGE
Starting point:
09:00 h.
Ventas de Narón (chapel)
Meeting point:
4:30 p.m.
O Couto (parking / behind Casa dos Somoza)

GROUP 2: SECTIONS
– Carry out a 3 km section from Ventas de Narón to Ligonde (crossing with LU-P-3305)
– Fulfil a 11.5 km section from A Brea to O Couto.
Meeting point:
4:30 p.m.
O Couto (parking / behind Casa dos Somoza)

GROUP 3: SECTIONS
– Carry out a 3 km section from Ventas de Narón to Ligonde (crossing with LU-P-3305)
– Fulfil a 4 km section from A Brea to the exit of Palas de Rei (Avda Compostela 109, Hostal Ponterroxán, on the N-547)
Meeting point:
4:30 p.m.
Ventas de Narón (chapel)

Our third stage takes us from Ventas de Narón to O Couto, near Melide.
We have a relatively comfortable day ahead, since, with the exception of some
steep slopes, the Camino is for the most part flat or in descent. Today we will change provinces
by crossing the region of A Ulloa, in the very heart of Galicia, the land of wolves
that Emilia Pardo Bazán describes in Los Pazos de Ulloa.

On our route, we will pass very close to two emblematic places in the history of Galician art and nobility. The Church of the Monastery of Vilar de Donas (12th century), a Romanesque example, and known for its mural paintings; and the Castle of Pambre (15th century), one of the few fortresses that remained standing after the irmandiñas wars, a social revolt against the aristocrats, possibly the most important in Europe in the 15th century. It is said that the anger of the irmandiños led them to destroy more than a hundred towers and castles. They managed to impose and govern for two years but ended up succumbing to the forces of Pedro Madruga, viscount of Tui, and the Archbishop of Santiago.

The road runs largely following the route of a secondary road with very little traffic, which has enabled a corridor for pilgrims. We will cross several villages and towns before reaching Palas de Rei, capital of the municipality, where the last of the thirteen stages described in the Calixtino Codex to reach Compostela began.

The landscape will not be unknown to us, although the autochthonous forest also begins to include some pine trees, and we will see more and more farms dedicated to the production of milk. In fact, Galicia generates almost 40% of the milk produced in Spain and we are also in the region of the Arzúa-Ulloa cheese, protected by a Designation of Origin.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28th. VENTAS DE NARÓN – O COUTO

8:30 a. m. Departure to Ventas de Narón (with luggage for hotel change)
9:00 a. m. Start of Stage 3
4:30 p. m. End of Stage. Departure to Arzúa Meeting point: O Couto
5:10 p. m. Arrival in Arzúa. Group distribution in hotels A Paínza, Pazo Santa María, Pazo Brandeso and Hotel Suiza.
7:15 p. m. Pick up at hotels (Pazo Santa María, Pazo Brandeso and Hotel Suiza)
7:30 p. m. Dinner at A Paínza
9:00 p. m. Distribution in hotels (Pazo Santa María, Pazo Brandeso and Hotel Suiza)