Quick Facts
- Starting point: Sarria
- Destination: Portomarín
- Distance: 22 km (13.5 miles)
- Walking time: Around 5 hours
- Difficulty: Medium
- Special features: A town with a fascinating flood story!
Where to Stay in Portomarín
(Check our accommodation recommendations in our eBook – Link down below)
What You Need to Know About Stage 29
Your 29th stage on the Camino de Santiago covers 22 moderately easy kilometers, bringing you ever closer to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Today you’re walking from Sarria to Portomarín – hopefully without too many crowds!
About today’s terrain: The elevation profile shows some initial climbs that’ll get you sweating a bit, but then it’s downhill for the rest of the day on The French Way. Pretty manageable overall!
Portomarín’s crazy history: Here’s a wild fact – the old town of Portomarín is underwater! In the 1960s, a dam was built creating a reservoir that flooded the original medieval town. Before flooding it, they literally dismantled and moved the most important buildings (stone by stone!) to higher ground where the „new“ Portomarín now stands.
When the water level gets really low, you can actually see ruins of the old town emerging from the reservoir. How cool and eerie is that?
You’ll enter Portomarín by crossing a bridge over the reservoir – quite a dramatic arrival!
Real talk about these last stages: By now, nearly a month into your pilgrimage, you might be feeling a mix of emotions. Physical fatigue, nostalgia, spiritual reflection, excitement about finishing, sadness about it ending – it’s all totally normal. The Camino Francés has a way of bringing everything to the surface in these final days.
Navigating the emotional final week? Our eBook „Camino Francés for Beginners“ talks about the complex emotions many pilgrims experience as Santiago approaches and offers guidance on processing your journey and preparing for life after the Camino.
Bottom line: A solid day’s walk to a town with an incredible backstory. You’re getting so close now – less than 100km to go!
Buen Camino! 🥾🌊
Map of the Stage: