Camino Frances from Sarria – walking stages, GPX, PDF

The Camino Frances from Sarria is a perfect route for those who doesn’t have enough time to walk the entire Camino. It’s a good option if you want to try out if the Camino de Santiago is your thing before embracing a longer route.

The Sarria to Santiago route is one of the best Camino routes for first-time pilgrims. It has good infrastructure, plenty of places to stay, restaurants, and other facilities. The route is well-marked and can easily be planned and walked independently even by amateur pilgrims.

Camino Frances from Sarria PDFs

Download our free PDF files for the Camino Francés from Sarria with detailed walking stages and places to stay along the route.

• Walking stages of Camino Frances from Sarria PDF
• Places to stay on the Camino Frances from Sarria PDF

GPX files of the French Camino from Sarria

See our detailed guide on How to use Stingy Nomads GPX files to navigate with your phone.

• Stage 1. Sarria to Portomarin
• Stage 2. Portomarin to Palas de Rei
• Stage 3. Palas de Rei to Arzua
• Stage 4. Arzua to O Pedrouzo
• Stage 5. O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

Camino with a tour

If you’re concerned about planning the walk from Sarria yourself you can book your Camino through a company. They do all the planning and booking for you and provide you with a detailed itinerary. All you have to do is walk.

• 7-Day Tour of the French Way of Santiago from Sarria
• French Way of Saint James tour Sarria to Santiago 5 stages

The route overview

• Total distance – 116 km/72 mi
• Days required – 5-6 days
• Walking surface – 45 km/28 mi asphalt, 71 km/44 mi footpath/gravel road
• Total ascent (over 5 days) – 2373 m
• Total descent – 2587 m
• Average cost – 25-30 Euro per person per day (if staying in albergues), 40-50 Euro pp. per day (if staying in hotels).
• Accommodation – municipal and private albergues (hostels for pilgrims), hotels, and guest houses.
• Route marking – yellow arrows and shells painted on trees, walls, ground, etc., and distance poles that show how many kilometers are left to Santiago.

Travel insurance for the Camino

Read about suitable travel insurance for the pilgrimage in our Travel insurance for the Camino post or get an instant personalized insurance quote for your trip right now.

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Camino Frances from Sarria – walking stages

	Camino from Sarria walking stages
Stage 1 Sarria – Portomarin 22 km/13,6 mi	Stage 2 Portomarin – Palas de Rei 25 km/15,5 mi	Stage 3 Palas de Rei – Arzua 29 km/18 mi
Stage 4 Arzua – O Pedrouzo 20 km/12,4 mi	Stage 5 O Pedrouzo – Santiago 20 km/12,4 mi

Stage 1. Sarria to Portomarín, 22 km/13,6 mi

• Distance – 22 km/13,6 mi
• Time – 5-6 hours
• Walking on asphalt – 13 km/8 mi
• Walking on the road – 500m
• Ascent – 496m
• Descent – 570m
• Difficulty level – 2 out of 5

If it’s your first day on the Camino Frances I strongly recommend taking it easy. Make plenty of rest stops on the way, drinking enough water, and don’t try to chase after other pilgrims. There will be some people who have been walking for weeks and they are in better walking shape because they are already used to it.

On the stretch between Sarria and Portomarin, there will be a couple of places selling local homemade products like jam, bread, cheese, etc. Everything is very fresh and tasty. You need cash so make sure you have some.

Highlights

• A nice and peaceful countryside scenery; forest with chestnut and oak trees, small farms and villages, wheat fields.
• The beautiful town of Portomarín with its charming streets, inviting restaurants, a beautiful church, and stunning views of the Embalse de Belesar Lake. The town it completely flooded in 1963, and some historical buildings like San Nicolás Church or Chapel de la Nieves were moved uphill where you can find them nowadays.

Challenges

• An easy walking day with several short ascents and descents mostly in the first half.
• A rocky and steep descent just before Portomarín.

Places to stay in Portomarín*

• Budget | Municipal albergue de peregrinos | PortoSantiago | Ultreia |
• Middle price | Pensión Aqua Rooms Portomarin | A Fontana de Luxo |
• Luxury | Casona da Ponte | Guest House El Padrino |

*The complete list of accommodations along the route you can find in our free PDF file.

Stage 2. Portomarín to Palas de Rei, 25 km/15,5 mi

• Distance – 25 km/15,5 mi
• Time – 6-7 hours
• Walking on asphalt – 3 km/1,8 mi
• Walking on the road – not really walking on the road but quite a lot of walking on the gravel path next to the road
• Ascent – 580m
• Descent – 431m
• Difficulty level – 3 out of 5

It was a nice walking day a bit tougher and longer than the previous day. You’ll find many places to stop for lunch or coffee along the route. Most of the Camino goes through the forest and fields sometimes next to the road with very few cars.

Highlights

• Beautiful Galician forest.
• A couple of kiosks selling fruit, snacks and cool drinks for donation.

Challenges

• 350m ascent during the first half of the day.
• A couple of stretches of walking next to the road on the gravel path.

Places to stay in Palas de Rei

• Budget | Municipal albergue de Peregrinos | Albergue Outeiro | Albergue a Casina di Marcello| Pensión Restaurante Casa Camiño II |
• Middle price |Pensión Residencia Barcelona | O Castelo | Pensión Palas |
• Luxury | Casa Carla | Pensión As Hortas | A Casa do Avó |

Stage 3. Palas de Rei to Arzua, 29 km/18 mi

• Distance – 29 km/18 mi
• Time – 7-8 hours
• Walking on asphalt – 11 km/6,8 mi
• Walking on the road – 0 km
• Ascent – 588m
• Descent – 724m
• Difficulty level – 3 out of 5

It’s the longest day on the Camino Frances from Sarria to Santiago. If you don’t feel strong enough to walk 29 km you can split it into two days; walk 15 km/9,3 mi to Melide, stay there, eat pulpo (octopus), rest and the next day walk the rest 14 km/8,6 mi to Arzúa.

The Camino del Norte merges with the French Camino in Arzúa.

Highlights

• Melide is a pretty big town compared to the other places on the route from Sarria to Santiago. It’s famous for its pulpo a la Feira (cooked octopus tentacles served with olive oil and spices), a must-try here. The Camino Primitivo merges with the Camino Frances in Melide.
• Ribadiso de Baixo – a tiny village about 2 km/1,2 mi before Arzúa. It might be a good place to stop if you don’t want to stay in the busy Arzúa.

Challenges

• Many short ups and downs throughout the day.
• Quite a lot of walking on tar road, about 11 km/6,8 mi.

Places to stay in Arzúa

• Budget | Municipal albergue de peregrinos | O Albergue de Selmo | The Way Hostel Arzua | Abergue O Santo |
• Middle price | Albergue Pensión Cima do Lugar | Pensión Casa Frade | Pensión Begoña |
• Luxury | Pensión Luis | La Casona de Nené |

Stage 4. Arzúa to O Pedrouzo, 20 km/12,4 mi

• Distance – 20 km/12,4 mi
• Time – 4-5 hours
• Walking on asphalt – 7 km/4,3 mi
• Walking on the road – 2 km/1,2 mi next to the road
• Ascent – 341m
• Descent – 468m
• Difficulty level – 2 out of 5

I’ve walked the part from Arzúa to Santiago 3 times because the last stages of the Camino Frances, Camino Primitivo, and Northern Camino are the same.

At the exit of Arzúa, there is a split. The right route continues along the road, the left route goes into the forest. I always take the left one to be away from the busy road. A couple of kilometers after Arzúa the distance marking disappears you’ll see the word “Complementario” instead. Don’t worry about it you’re on the right way you’ll start seeing the distance again after 2 km or 3 km.

Most of the day you walk through the forest from time to time the Camino goes next to the road but not for long. There are plenty restaurants and cafes to stop.

If you want to walk a bit further to make your last day shorter I suggest walking to Lavacollas. It is 9 km/5,5 mi past O Pedrouzo. The total distance from Arzúa will be 29 km/18 mi. It makes your last walking stage to Santiago 11 km/6,8 mi.

Highlights

• Beautiful forest, small villages, fields.

Challenges

• Several ups and downs on the way but nothing very steep or long.

Places to stay in O Pedrouzo

• Budget | Municipal albergue de peregrinos | Albergue O Trisquel | Albergue O Burgo | Albergue Mirador de Pedrouzo |
• Middle price | PR Una Estrella Dorada|Pension 23-Vinte e Tres |
  Pensión LO |
• Luxury | CASA SANTAIA | Pensión Residencial Platas | Apartamento Cefas |

Stage 5. O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela, 20 km/12,4 mi

• Distance – 20 km/12,4 mi
• Time – 4-5 hours
• Walking on asphalt – 11 km/6,8 mi
• Walking on the road – 3 km/1,8 mi along a very quiet road with no cars
• Ascent – 368m
• Descent – 394m
• Difficulty level – 2 out of 5

Some pilgrims split the last stage. They walk from O Pedrouzo to Monto do Gozo which is 5 km/3,1 mi from the Cathedral, stay there for the night, and the next morning walk the last 5 km. We’ve never stayed at the albergue of Monto do Gozo but from what I’ve heard it isn’t a nice place to stop. People reported seeing cockroaches and mice there and it was kind of dirty.

Many people start the day very early to arrive in Santiago in time for the 12 pm Pilgrim’s Mass. If you start from O Pedrouzo at 7.00-7.30 am you have a good chance to make it. The very beginning of the walk is beautiful; lush-green forest, no cars, no houses, very quiet.

The second half from the airport of Santiago after Lavacollas is not my favorite part of the Camino Frances. There is one long stretch between Lavacollas and Monte do Gozo along the road that feels like it takes ages to walk. Once you’re at Monte do Gozo the last 5 km/3,1 mi go very fast, you start walking through the city and don’t even notice how you reach the Cathedral.

Highlights

• The beautiful forest in the first half.
• Arriving at the Cathedral usually accompanied by the sounds of the Galician bagpipe. From morning till evening (in the season) there is a musician playing at the Palace Arch.

Challenges

• There are a couple of ascents and descents at the end of the walk, some are quite steep but not long.
• A stretch between 10 km/6,2 mi and 15 km/9,3 mi is a bit monotonous, it always feels long but after Monte do Gozo you enter the city, and the last 5 km/3,1 mi go very fast.

Santiago de Compostela, the end of the route

The Camino Frances finishes at the Cathedral de Santiago on the Plaza Obradoiro.

You’re not allowed inside the cathedral with a backpack. If you want to attend the 12 pm mass you can leave it in your hotel or go to the luggage storage. It’s located on Rua das Carretas, in front of the Pilgrim’s Reception Office. You can leave your backpack there, they charge 3 euros for 24 hours.

Pilgrim’s Mass takes place every day at 12 pm in the Cathedral.

Places to stay in Santiago de Compostela

There are many amazing places to stay in Santiago de Compostela. Many of the cheaper places are located outside the historical center. When you book a place, make sure it’s not too far from the cathedral if you’re planning to do some sightseeing or go out at night.

• Budget | Albergue Seminario Menor | Albergue The Last Stamp | Pensión Mar Azul |
• Middle budget | Hotel Alda Algalia | PR Fornos | Casa Douro |
• Luxury | Hotel Praza Quintana | Hotel Altaïr | Parador de Santiago – Hostal Reis Catolicos |

Camino Frances planning resources

• Learn more about the Camino de Santiago | The Camino de Santiago – detailed guide |
• Carry only essentials in your backpack | What to pack for the Camino de Santiago? |
• Learn what you need to get the Compostela | Getting the Compostela in Santiago |
• The cultural heritage of Santiago de Compostela | The Old Town of Santiago de Compostela a UNESCO Heritage site |

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