O Cebreiro → Triacastela

A spectacular mountain stage crossing the highest ridges of the Galician mountains before a long, steep descent to Triacastela. The route climbs initially to Alto do Poio (1,337m), one of the highest points on the Frances, before descending through increasingly lush Galician countryside.

The ridgeline walking offers extraordinary panoramic views on clear days. The descent is long and sustained, dropping nearly 2,000 metres across the stage. The landscape transitions from exposed mountain grassland to dense forests and green pastoral farmland characteristic of Galicia.

Triacastela is a small Galician town named for three now-vanished castles. It sits in a green valley and has adequate services including accommodation and restaurants. Pilgrims historically collected limestone here to carry to the kilns at Castaneda for building the cathedral at Santiago.