29th Stage: from Palas de Rey to Arzúa

The Route leaves Palas de Rei and continues towards La Coruña province. Not far away, Santiago de Compostela awaits pilgrims. The Route first crosses San Julián del Camino, a small village where stands a Romanesque church with an interesting transept, then it continues to Outeiro da Ponte, where is the Castle of Pambre, one of the best preserved fortresses in Galicia. Further on, pilgrims pass though Pontecampaña, Casanova Mato, Porto de Bois and Campanilla. On leaving this last village, the Route enters the province of La Coruña.

The first village to be crossed by the Route in La Coruña is Camino es Coto, then Leboreiro, where is an old Roman road that used to be followed by Medieval pilgrims.Visitors can view a Romanesque church from the 13 C and the emblazoned house of the Ulloa family, that once housed a hospital.

Shortly after, pilgrims encounter Disicabo; then Furelos, with its Parish Church from the 19 C; and a Medieval bridge from the 14 C that takes them to Melide. This town is crucial to the Route, because it is the place where the French and the Oviedo Routes converge. At the entrance to the town there is a crossroads from the 14 C, one of the oldest in Galicia.

The present Parish Church was the former church of the Monastery of Sancti Spiritus. It contains stately sepulchres. Worthy of note are also the small chapel of San Roque, with its transept from the 14 C, and the Romanesque church of Santa María. The Route passes through Carballal, Ponte das Peñas, Raído, Bonete and Castañeda, where used to be the lime ovens used during the construction of Santiago Cathedral.

As a penance, pilgrims used to carry in their packs a limestone from the mountains of Triacastela. A Medieval bridge leads pilgrims to Ribadiso, before arriving at Arzúa, the next halt on their journey. Surrounded by a beautiful scenery stands the Gothic Chapel of Magdalena, the only part of the old Augustinian monastery that has come down to us.