The Primitive Way

Stage: San Romao da Retorta-Melide

  • Length 28.4 Km
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Estimated Duration 7h 10min
  • Listen to the stage itinerary

San Romao da Retorta offers delightful examples of the Romanesque style. These include San Romao da Retorta Church, outside which there is a Roman milestone – evidence that the Primitive Route follows the path of an ancient road – and Santa Cruz da Retorta Church, with its stone cross.

San Romao da Retorta-Melide

San Romao da Retorta- Augas Santas

  • Length 11.5 Km
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Estimated Duration 2h 55min

Small villages take us in step: O Burgo, Vilacapide, Pacio, Pena da Galiña, Mosteiro e Ferreira. San Romao da Retorta offers delightful examples of the Romanesque style. These include San Romao da Retorta Church, outside which there is a Roman milestone – evidence that the Primitive Route follows the path of an ancient road – and Santa Cruz da Retorta Church, with its stone cross.

At medieval Ferreira Bridge, in Palas de Rei, there is also a Romanesque church dating from the late 12th century, which was part of Vilar de Donas. Palas de Rei is also home to the parish of Augas Santas, with its curative springs. There was a monastery here in the 9th century and San Salvador de Merlán Church still has lovely Romanesque elements.

San Romao da Retorta - Augas Santas

Clean Search
Close

Palas de Rei

Pazo de Ulloa manor house, Palas de Rei

The Way of St. James in Pambre

Augas Santas- Vilouriz

  • Length 8.5 Km
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Estimated Duration 2h 10min

From Augas Santas the route continues on to As Seixas, Casacamiño and the border between the provinces of Lugo and A Coruña. We cross the Careón Mountains, which span the Lugo–A Coruña border, an area of great ecological value where flora and fauna that have grown scarce in Galicia have been preserved. The highest peak, O Careón, rises to 798 m. We soon come to the municipality of Toques, where we pass through Santiago de Vilouriz.

 

Augas Santas - Vilouriz

Clean Search
Close

The Way of St. James in Melide

Vilouriz- Vilamor

  • Length 1.7 Km
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Estimated Duration 25min

After leaving Vilouriz behind, we continue through Arnade to Vilamor. Although this municipality is not on the Way of St. James, it is the location of Santo Antoniño de Toques, where there was once a Benedictine monastery. The magnificent 11th-century Romanesque church contains reused capitals and pieces from the Visigothic period (8th century).

 

Vilouriz - Vilamor

Santo Antoniño en Toques

Vilamor- Melide

  • Length 6.8 Km
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Estimated Duration 1h 40min

El Camino Primitivo confluye con el Camino Francés en la histórica villa jacobea de Melide. Continúa por este hasta la catedral de Santiago, a 53 kilómetros de distancia.

The Primitive Route converges with the French Route at the historic town of Melide, continuing on to Santiago Cathedral , 53 kilometres away.

Vilamor - Melide

Clean Search
Close

Landscape in Abeancos, Melide

Stage: Lugo-San Romao da Retorta
Stage: Melide - Arzúa