Triacastela

Triacastela sits in the province of Lugo, in Galicia, on the floor of the Oribio valley below the high passes of the Camino. The Camino enters the town from the east and runs through the heart of the old centre. Triacastela is the traditional end of stage 27 for pilgrims coming over O Cebreiro.

The town's name means Three Castles, a reference to three medieval fortifications that once stood in the surrounding hills to defend the Camino and the local trade routes. None of the three castles survives, but the name has stuck since the early Middle Ages. The Iglesia de Santiago has 12th-century Romanesque origins, much rebuilt across the centuries. The town's most distinctive Camino tradition is medieval: pilgrims passing through Triacastela were expected to pick up a piece of limestone from the local quarry and carry it for the next 100 kilometres of the route, depositing it at the lime kilns at Castaneda near Arzua. The lime fired in those kilns was used in the construction of the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. This labour tax on pilgrims is a distinctive historical Camino custom and persisted in some form for several centuries.

Triacastela has reasonable services. There are albergues including the municipal albergue and private albergues, hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, supermarkets, a pharmacy, and an ATM. The town has bus connections.

From Triacastela the Camino splits into two variants for the next stage to Sarria. The southern variant via Samos passes through the famous Benedictine monastery and adds about 6 kilometres to the day. The northern variant via San Xil is shorter and runs through quieter farming country. Both rejoin near Aguiada before reaching Sarria.