Caldas de Reis → Padrón

A moderate shared stage following river valleys through the Galician countryside towards Padron, a town of enormous significance in Camino history. The walking is pleasant with a mix of forest paths and quiet rural lanes, passing through small villages where Galician rural life continues at its own pace.

The approach to Padron follows the Sar and Ulla rivers through increasingly fertile farmland. The town sits at the head of a tidal estuary and is traditionally believed to be where the boat carrying the remains of Saint James arrived from the Holy Land, making it the origin point of the entire Camino pilgrimage tradition.

Padron is also famous for its peppers (pimientos de Padron), a tapa found throughout Spain. The town has good services and the church of Santiago contains the stone (pedron) to which the apostle's boat was reportedly moored. This is your last overnight stop before Santiago.