Palas de Rei → Arzúa

The longest stage in the final week and one that many pilgrims choose to split. The 28.5 km can feel relentless in the rain, which is common in Galicia, but the day has a natural midpoint and one unmissable culinary experience that makes the distance manageable.
The morning passes through deep Galician countryside on shaded paths, crossing small streams and winding between farms. The hamlets of San Xulian do Camino and Casanova slip past without ceremony. At roughly 15 km, the route drops into Melide, a proper town with a long history as a Camino crossroads. Melide is famous for one thing above all: pulpo a feira, Galician-style octopus, boiled and served on a wooden plate with olive oil, coarse salt, and pimenton. The pulperias on the main street have been serving pilgrims this dish for generations. Eating a plate of pulpo at one of the traditional pulperias is one of the essential Camino experiences. Do not skip it, even if you think you do not like octopus. Melide is also where the Camino Primitivo merges with the Frances, so the trail grows busier still.

After Melide, the route continues through Boente (where the church has a striking carved image of Santiago) and on to the beautiful riverside hamlet of Ribadiso. A medieval pilgrim hospital here has been converted into a municipal albergue right on the water, shaded by trees, with the river running past the front door. It is one of the most atmospheric albergues on the Camino and a popular alternative stopping point for those splitting the stage at 25 km rather than pushing on to Arzua.
Arzua is where the Camino del Norte also joins the Frances for the final two stages. The town is pleasant if unremarkable, with good services, a comfortable selection of albergues, and a local reputation for its queso de Arzua-Ulloa, a creamy cow's milk cheese with DOP protection. The trail is crowded now. Santiago is 40 km away. Two more days.