Arzúa

Arzua gives its name to one of Galicia's most famous cheeses, Queso de Arzua-Ulloa. This is a soft, creamy cow's milk cheese with a mild, buttery flavour and a thin rind. It is produced on small farms throughout the surrounding countryside and has Denominacion de Origen status. Order it at any bar in town, either on its own or with honey and walnuts as a dessert. Buy a small wheel from a local shop to carry for the last two days of walking.

Arzua is a working market town rather than a tourist destination, and that is part of its appeal. The main street has supermarkets, pharmacies, and hardware shops alongside the pilgrim bars. It feels like a real Galician town going about its daily business. The weekly market (Mondays) is worth visiting if your timing aligns.

A small chapel on the outskirts of town that once served as a pilgrim hospital. The building is modest but its history stretches back centuries. It sits at the point where the Camino del Norte (arriving from the coast via Sobrado dos Monxes) merges with the Camino Frances. Another junction of routes, another reminder that many paths converge on Santiago.

Arzua is two stages from Santiago. This is one of your last evenings in a small Galician town before reaching the city. Make the most of it. Order caldo gallego, empanada, pulpo, pimientos de Padron, and a bottle of Albarino. Eat slowly. Talk to the pilgrims around you. Some of them have been walking beside you for weeks. Some you met yesterday. Tomorrow you begin the final approach.

From Arzua, Santiago is approximately 39 km away, split over two stages. The walking from here is gentle, through eucalyptus groves, small hamlets, and quiet country lanes. The terrain is easy but the emotions are not. Some pilgrims feel excited. Others feel a growing sadness that the walk is ending. Both are normal. Let yourself feel whatever comes.