Alto do Poio

Alto do Poio sits at 1,335 metres altitude on the high pass between Padornelo and Fonfria, in the province of Lugo. It is the second-highest point of the entire Camino Frances, exceeded only by Cruz de Ferro further east in the Montes de Leon. The pass marks the watershed between the upper valleys of the Camino and the descent into the rolling hills of central Galicia.

The climb up to the Alto do Poio from Padornelo is short, about a kilometre and a half, but is among the steepest sustained climbs on the Galician section. The pass has been a critical waypoint on the Camino since the Middle Ages, and a chapel dedicated to Santa Maria del Poio once stood at the summit, where pilgrims gave thanks for surviving the climb. The chapel itself is gone, but the pass remains a major route landmark.

A small cluster of mountain albergues, hotels, and bar-restaurants now sits at the top of the pass. The Bar Restaurante O Puerto, sitting directly at the highest point, has been a Camino institution for decades and is where most pilgrims pause for a coffee or a beer after the climb. There is no shop, no pharmacy, and no ATM at the pass.