A Relaxed Walk To the Coast : O Cruceiro Vello to Villanova de Arousa

A Relaxed Walk Short Stage on the Camino

The Camino de Santiago is often a journey of reflection.  The Camino Portuguese is not a long-distance hike racing to the finish; instead, it is a pilgrimage of slow and steady progress.  Today's 16 km stage from O Cruceiro Vello to Villanova de Arousa was no different.  

With a small distance to cover and a short day ahead, we decided to take things easy, savouring each moment and soaking in the scenery. The relaxed pace meant we could enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the albergue, stop at every café, and bird watch as we made our way toward the coast.  Today would take us to Villanova de Arousa where tomorrow we will take a boat along the Mar de Santiago.

Breakfast and Backtracking

We were awake early at 6 AM with the heat already beginning to rise outside.  We brushed our teeth and retrieved our clothes from the makeshift “hanging rack” of hiking poles that we had hastily assembled last night.  We packed up our Merino wool hiking shirts and athletic shorts and made our way to the Albergue breakfast room. 

We shared the wonderful morning meal of toast, jam, yogurt and coffee with seven other pilgrims as we fueled up for the day’s journey.  Gathering our backpacks we thanked our gracious hostess and returned our room keys, before stepping out and following the village streets of O Cruceiro Vello back to the Camino.

Along the Rio Umia to Pontearnelas

Crossing the Rio Umia, we were delighted to spot trout swimming below the bridge, a peaceful moment in the quiet flow. We strolled past Café Nautico, located on the river's northern shore, and continued along the riverbank walking under the cool shade of alder trees. The path was quiet, with locals also out for a morning stroll and a quick jog. Tracing along regional vineyards we spotted Eurasian Blue Tits feeding their nestlings in a nearby cavity.  In this peaceful manner 3 kilometers quickly and easily passed by.

At the edge of Pontearnelas the Camino route came to a traffic circle and a bridge – both of which were closed due to construction.  Traditionally pilgrims would cross over the river on the cobblestone 'Godfather's Bridge', Ponte dos Padrinos, which has an interesting legend to it. 

Given the construction, however, we were forced to navigate the situation joining other pilgrims as we figured out the way forward.  In the end, we all gave up trying to find an elegant solution and simply walked through the construction site while workers sat looking at their phones – no one said a thing and it was possible they didn’t even notice the troop of us slogging through the ankle-deep mud.

Exploring Pontearnelas and Beyond

In Pontearnelas, we passed a shell-scalloped house and followed a quiet road that led to the Capela de Santa Marta which was tucked away under a canopy of huge old trees. Although the chapel was closed, we peeked inside, admiring its mahogany woodwork and depictions of the Virgin Mary and St. Francis. Afterward, we made a stop at a local café in the town of Ponte Arnelas for orange juice and tiny donuts, where we met other pilgrims from last night’s Albergue. With only 15 km or about 3 hours to cover today, we were all clearly trying to kill time before arriving at our destination far too early to check-in.

Some days are like this.   Some stages are long and take all day and see pilgrims slog exhausted in as night begins to fall, while other stages are short and mean you take your time en route.  No day on the Camino de Santiago is ever the same. 

Energized from large glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice the Camino continued along an un-shaded section of road leading us first into the town of Mouzo and soon after into the Galician village of San Bartolomeu.  Here we stopped at the Capilla de San Pedro de Mouzos, a beautiful white-washed chapel with two bells hung in the tower above the doorway.  Inside an excited elderly gentleman told us about the chapel in Spanish and gave us a pilgrim stamp.  In return, we offered a donation to support the maintenance of the church.    We were even invited to come back in the evening to attend mass, and while this wasn’t practical, it nonetheless felt like it was a missed opportunity.

Through the Vineyards to A Igrexa and San Roque

Leaving Mouzo behind, we ascended through small vineyards in the village of A Igrexa, past a large Cruceiro Gallego (stone cross) at the village intersection. We took a brief detour to visit the Igrexa de Santo Estevo de Tremoedo, a beautiful church with three crosses above its door and a large cemetery beside it.  

Returning to the Camino we passed gorgeous gardens being tended to by an older couple that included vines, flowers, vegetables and corn. 

Sauntering along, our route climbed through extensive vineyards before arriving at a stand of eucalyptus and cork trees. Walking along we spotted several White Italian Snails while above us a large buzzard circled amid the clear blue sky.   Traversing the forest path we soon ascended the hill and began our descent toward the village of San Roque de Monte, a lively crossroads. 

Here, after yet another long break at a local café, we pushed on passing a statue of a donkey we caught our first glimpses of the Arousa Estuary.   Leaving San Roque de Monte we walked through a neighborhood spotting Ocellated Lizards basking on stone walls while barn swallows sat in long lines on a utility wire above.   What followed was an hour of easy trekking down to the shore of the Ria de Arousa.

Approaching Vilanova de Arousa : Coastal Beauty and Birdwatching

As we approached the sandy beaches and islands the city of Vilanova de Arousa stretched out along the rocky coast. We stopped at the beach, Praia do Castelete, for an hour to simply sit, enjoy the scenery and of course watch birds.  

Among the many species we soon spotted were Little Egrets, flocks of Common Ringed Plovers, Carrion Crows, Sanderlines, Dunlin, Rock Pigeons and countless gulls. 

Warm on the beach we continued on, proceeding under the Punta do Castelete Bridge which spans the waterway to the Illa de Arousa.   From here we trekked northward along a beautiful pedestrian walkway shaded by trees and afterwards along more stretches of sandy beaches.

Surprising Encounters

With the tide out we stepped across the rocky outcropping from which we could see over long flat stretches to spot shorebirds.  As we ventured along the coastline we were fully immersed in bird watching, spotting turnstones, seagulls and other Portuguese species.  However in our excitement and focus on nature through the lenses of our binoculars and camera what we didn’t realize was that we had again wandered onto a nude beach!  It therefore came as a surprise to turn around and discover that we were being carefully watched by a buxom group of women who were naked and enjoying their time on the sandy shore. 

There is little that is more unnerving than to realize that you have stumbled into a group of naked people while rapidly taking pictures.  Thankfully, and to their credit, these people simply smiled and waved as we sheepishly continued our trek – now red-faced. It was an amusing reminder of the unexpected moments and surprises that come with pilgrimage. 

Following a local trail, we traced the coast amid a forest of tall fir trees continuing past Praia do Terron.   Much of this entire stretch was lined with hotels, beach villas, shops, restaurants and bars – making for a lively approach to Vilanova de Arousa.

Into Vilanova de Arousa

Crossing O Esteiro on the wooden pedestrian Pasarela de O Terron Bridge, we entered Vilanova de Arousa, a charming holiday town with large beaches and a vibrant waterfront.  

The most prominent structure for us was the tourism and information center situated at the edge of the coast with a large yellow arrow along its side.  This is the dock from which the boat leaves heading towards Padron and Santiago de Compostela.  Overall it was both a really exciting and somewhat cheesy site to see. 

With the local tourism building closed we stopped for a beer at the waterside patio Mason O Timon, where we enjoyed Padron peppers, a local favorite, and watched the boats pass by.  As the afternoon passed by we were soon surrounded by pilgrims – three of whom were from the UK and were birders excited to chat about sightings while on pilgrimage. 

Exploring Vilanova de Arousa

By 3 PM, the time that most places allow you to check in, we discovered that the Albergue was already full and that other residences had lineups. As such we once again scrambled to locate accommodations – an oddly fitting end to a stretch which has been difficult to find bunks along. 

Thankfully we soon found space at the Pension Mar DeRosa where we were given a top-floor room with a view of the riverway!  Adding to this splendor Maria, our kind hostess, offered to do our laundry, free of charge.  This meant that we had a small chance of walking into Santiago de Compostela tomorrow not smelling horrid after more than a month trekking the length of Portugal!

Checked in, cleaned up and laundered we set off to explore town.  As the afternoon turned into the evening on we were able to check out the Igrexa de San Cipriano and also wander through the Parque do Cabo, a beautiful park on the edge of a working harbour where we watched fishing and mussel boats head out to sea.

Vending Machines and Pilgrim Shells

Later on, we continued our leisurely walk around town and went to the grocery store to buy something for dinner.  Fascinatingly? Shockingly? Oddly?  On the way we found a number of vending machines which combined a unique mix of juice boxes, cola, band-aids and packets of crisps alongside a range of dildos, vibrators and lubes.  Perhaps most depressingly one machine had “Camino Condoms” alongside Camino Shells for pilgrims. While the next machine had cans of pop and beer as well as crisps beside Camino Shells. 

While I was tempted to take a picture of this odd sight there were other people walking up the street and I did not want to be seen standing there ogling or photographing dildos as hordes of faithful pilgrims streamed past.  As such the accompanying image is from another duo of pilgrims that we met this evening and who were equally shocked by the sight of shells and masturbators being equated together along the Way of St. James.

Evening Reflection on Camino Portuguese

With Santiago de Compostela in sight, we were too excited to head to bed and so as evening settled in we wandered back out.  Finding a place at a waterfront bar we shared a bottle of red wine and watched the sunset over the waterway.  It was a peaceful moment that we both enjoyed. 

By midnight we were in our room and in bed, as tomorrow to be up early to catch our boat to Padron from which we will walk to Santiago – marking the end of our Pilgrimage.

As we lay in bed that night, we thought about the journey so far – from Faro on the Rota Vicentina where we were closer to the Mediterranean and Africa than Santiago, through Lisbon and Porto on the Camino Portuguese, and most recently along the stunning Coastal Camino and Espiritual routes.

Yet despite the distances we had covered we had one final question to answer – What’s next? 

Tomorrow will, hopefully, bring the answers at the foot of St. James.

Accommodations: Pension Mar de Rosa