From A Cabana to Boimorto, Camino del Norte, Stage no. 29

Basic Details

• Starting point: A small peaceful hamlet of A Cabana, with a pilgrim albergue and nothing else. It is necessary that you bring your own food with you, unless you want to rely on generosity of other pilgrims or on some miracle performed by an apostle (such as turning stones to loafs of bread :))
• Ending point: Boimorto (A Gandara), a small town with all services and two pilgrim hostels, one of them fantastic. It is also a place where Camino del Norte splits, and you can either take the route down to Arzua and connect with the French camino, or continue over a little traversed route, eventually connecting with the Camino Frances much later, in O’ Pedrouzo. Following the second alternative, you will avoid the crowds that are always present on the French way.
• Availability of alternative routes: No. From A Cabana you have just one route to Boimorto (A Gandara). There aren’t any alternatives really.
• Distance:  26 km (download GPS here).
• Elevation difference: +411 m, – 538 m.
• Link to online map: here.
• Difficulty score: 3/5.
• Beauty score: 2/5.
• Terrain/asphalt: 25%/75% (Most of the time the paved roads you will walk on are quiet and with little traffic. However, for a few stretches–together roughly 8 kilometers, you will walk on the provincial road AC-934, or on the edge of it, and this road can be quite heavy with traffic).
• Next stage: Camino del Norte, stage no. 30, A Gandara – O Pedruozo.
• Previous stage: Camino del Norte, stage no. 28, Baamonde – A Cabana.

Elevation profile for the route

– Though you descend from the beautiful plain you walked on for a couple of days now, there are a few hills to overcome while gradually descending, especially in the first half of the stage. With 27 kilometers and the hills, today’s walk definitely isn’t as easy as it may seem.

Advanced info about the stage

• Trail marking: Spotless, Galicia knows very well what Camino means for the province and for the people in the small hamlets on this rural stretch of the way. That’s why they renew the marks often, and each year make sure all stone markers are in place. On the entire stage I have not discovered a single place where the marking wasn’t clear enough, or where it was absent.
  
• Natural places worth seeing:
  • Lagoa de Sobrado: A well preserved lagoon, right on the Camino, with active bird life, informational panels describing what fauna and flora one can observe in the zone, benches to sit at and relax. There is a nice non-circular path around roughly half of the lagoon, starting on the far edge of it (when walking the Camino). If you still have some time or perhaps want to spend a nice afternoon while sleeping in the albergue in Sobrado, this is a great place to visit.
  • Carballeira da Casa do Gado: One of the nicest forest in the entire province, with trees, flowers and mushrooms characteristic for Galicia. The entrance to the zone is only 100 meters away from the Monastery in Sobrado dos Monxes, and exploring the zone takes roughly 30 minutes to one hour (it isn’t big). Another place you can visit in the afternoon while sleeping in Sobrado, or you can even make a detour there and later continue to walk to Boimorto (A Gandara).
• Historical, architectural, artistic, and culinary places worth seeing: 
  • Monastery of Sobrado, open every day, both morning an afternoon, with a siesta time between 1:15pm and 4:30pm. A beautiful complex of monastic buildings, originally from 10th century, with 18 Benedict monks still living in the complex. Besides their other activities, the monks also run an albergue for pilgrims, for a symbolic price of 8 euro/night. The pilgrims can visit the monastery complex free of charge (general public pays 2.50 euro for admission).
  • Iglesia de San Lourenzo, a beautiful and well-preserved church from 16th century, right on the Camino.
• Camping/bivouac options on this stage: Little bit more tricky than tom previous stages, since the zone is both more touristic and agricultural (think fences, private properties, lots of cow sh*t). You can try your luck on the far edge of the lagoon before Sobrado (roughly here), where nice row of trees protects you from the eyes of people who just come to visit the lake, or pilgrims who walk on the other side of it. However, make sure to pitch your tent only when it’s getting dark already. In the zone of Boimorto (A Gandara), the suggested end point of today’s stage, you won’t find any good wild camping spots. And, unsurprisingly, there isn’t any organized camping place in the zone.
• Dog friendly score: 3/5. Worse than previous stages, with more road walking, and more traffic (especially a few kilometers before and after Sobrado dos Monxes), but still good enough to do it with your dog. You also have a lagoon and cross three creeks on today’s walk, which means your dog will have a chance to drink fresh water and cool down. What’s more, in Sobrado de Monxes you will find two places accepting pilgrims with dogs. One is called Albergue Lecer (a budget option), another one Pension Via Sacra (higher prices, more fitting if you walk as a couple with a dog). And in the final town of today’s stage, the best hostel in town, the Casa de Gandara, accepts pilgrims with dogs as well.
• Special remarks: Enjoy the last day of relative solitude, because tomorrow, earlier or later (depending on which way you take, since there are two alternatives), the Camino del Norte joins the Camino Frances, and the route will get crowded.

Accommodation options on today’s stage

* The infographic displays the number of pilgrim hostels (only pilgrims allowed), hostels (anyone allowed, shared rooms), and other accommodation options (hotels, pensions, etc, private rooms) in each point along the route, together with price range. For exact explanation of the pictograms we use check the explanations page. Below the infographic you will see our recommended picks (up to 3 pilgrim options and 1-2 “privacy” options, maximum five) for the stage, together with important information (but not too much info, just what you need :-)).

Recommended places to sleep along this stage

Pilgrim options:

1. Albergue de peregrinos del Monasterio de Sobrado dos Monxes, Sobrado dos Monxes (km 14). Location and reviews on Google maps here. 10 euro/ night, 98 beds. Beautifully renovated in 2021, the installations of the albergue has improved a lot, and the kitchen is now fully equipped, and great for cooking (can get a bit too small though, if many pilgrims decide to cook at the same time, but that’s a problem in all kitchens in pilgrim hostels). The place is run by volunteers and overall has a great vibe. For the 10 euro/night you cannot really go wrong. Check-in from 1pm, reservations are not accepted (but it isn’t a problem considering the number of beds).
2. Albergue Rural Abeiro da Loba, Madelos (km 21). Location and reviews on Google maps here. 16 beds in the dorms (4 beds in each of 4 rooms), 20 euro/night. Has some private rooms as well, starting from 35 euro/night. There is a communal dinner at extra cost of 12 euro. This hostel is definitely one of the hidden gems of the Camino. It is a beautifully renovated Galician country house, in a peaceful location. Almost a work of art. The facilities are new, clean, and there’s a lot of attention to detail. Of course, it is rather on an expensive end when we speak about pilgrim places (for night and dinner you will pay 32 euro at least), but if you can afford it, it is one of those places you do not want to miss, especially if you’re into architecture :). Highly recommended. Check-in from 4pm, recommended way of making a reservation: phone call, +34 680 690 989, or booking.com.
3. Albergue Casa da Gandara, Boimorto (km 26). Location and reviews on Google maps here. 16 beds in shared rooms, 15 euro/bed. A super nice albergue with a lot of attention to detail, run by a lady who tries her very best for the pilgrims. Another great albergue on this stage–it is almost hard to choose where one should stay :). The lady in charge of this one is super flexible–can accept any pets (even has a special place for them), can cook for you if you prefer so, and all other possibilities are open. Excellent reviews across all pilgrim platforms, highly recommended. Check-in from 1pm, recommended way of making a reservation: phone call, +34 630 067 975, or booking.com.

Privacy/luxury options:

1. Both pilgrim options no. 2 and no. 3 offer individual rooms, and they are definitely worth staying at, even if you are looking for a private room. Abeiro da Loba (no. 2 pilgrim option) is definitely more luxurious, but due to the wooden structure of the house sound-proofing can be an issue on some nights :). Casa Gandara is perhaps better for a real private rest, though not as spectacular in sight.
2. Hotel San Marcus, Sobrado dox Monxes (km 14). Location and reviews on Google maps here. 12 rooms, price starts from 50 euro/night (can change during the season). Excellent location right at the monastery and everything important in Sobrado, good reviews across all platforms. Frequented by pilgrims who want to stay at Sobrado and explore the monastery, but prefer a private place. Check-in from 3pm, recommended way of making a reservation: booking.com.

Pictures from the stage

– A typical panorama for any Camino close to Santiago de Compostela. The famous trees tunnels of Galicia :).

– Monastery “Sobrado dos Monxes“. There is a good albergue inside of the monastery, renovated a few years ago, with almost 100 beds. An interesting place for a sleep, but since we slept in A Cabana we will simply walk on today.

– Hostel A Gandara, one of the best hostels on the Camino del Norte. Even though it isn’t exclusively a pilgrim place, 90% of guests are pilgrims, and the lady running the place has an amazing attention to detail, which can be felt in any moment of your stay. The hostel is dog friendly too.

Few tips at the end

• If you’re deciding which way to take tomorrow, whether to go down to Arzua, or follow the less-traversed way to O Pedrouzo, you should know one thing: there are very few services and no albergues on the route which avoids Arzua, all the way until O Pedrouzo. On the other had, if you’re into a long walk, and do not mind lack of services, and want to avoid the CROWDS of the French Camino for as long as possible, the alternative route is a good choice. I once walked all the way from Boimorto to Santiago de Compostela in one day, arriving to Santiago at 6pm, and in this way I avoided the crowds altogether, since when I joined the Frances in O Pedrouzo, pilgrims and tourists doing the French camino were already enjoying the comfort of the albergues (while I kept walking towards the cathedral of Santiago).

Next stage/Previous stage

• Next stage: Camino del Norte, stage no. 30, A Gandara – O Pedruozo.
• Previous stage: Camino del Norte, stage no. 28, Baamonde – A Cabana.