From Vilalba to Baamonde, Camino del Norte, Stage no. 27

Basic Details

• Starting point: The center of Vilalba, a nice Galicean town of almost 15,000 inhabitants, with three pilgrim hostels and all services for pilgrims.
• Ending point: Baamonde, a small village with one big pilgrim hostel (close to 100 beds) and one other hostel, frequented mostly by pilgrims. It is a small town but has all the services (bars, restaurants, shop, pharmacy).
• Availability of alternative routes: Yes and No. There is a sign-posted alternative for pilgrims on bicycle, turning right from the official Camino, just about 5 kilometers from Baamonde, following later the national road N-634. However, I do not recommend this alternative for either cyclists or walking pilgrims. The only benefit of it that I can see is passing by a bakery with good reviews, called Panaderia Couso, and getting some nice fresh pastry there. I have to stress though that I’ve never passed by this bakery on my own, and the opening hours are rather mysterious :).
• Distance:  19 km (download GPS here).
• Elevation difference: +320 m, – 395 m.
• Link to online map: here.
• Difficulty score: 2/5.
• Beauty score: 3/5.
• Terrain/asphalt: 50%/50%.
• Next stage: Camino del Norte, stage no. 28, Baamonde – A Cabana.
• Previous stage: Camino del Norte, stage no. 26, Abadin – Vilalba.

Elevation profile for the route

– Again a relatively uneventful stage with one tougher climb at the beginning. But the gradient of either climbs or descends is very low (up to 4%), and hence it isn’t a difficult stage whatsoever. It belongs to the easiest stages on the entire Camino del Norte, and pilgrims in good shape often connect it with previous stage from Abadin to Vilalba.

Advanced info about the stage

• Trail marking: Excellent, with frequent stone markers and plenty of additional yellow arrows. Unless it is foggy, there is no way of getting lost on this stage.
  
• Natural places worth seeing: Nothing worth a special mention, however, as you will see in the next section, the places worth a visit for history, art, and architecture lovers are actually situated in wonderful natural surroundings. Hence you can combine the two today–learning a bit more about local history and art, while spending time in peaceful lush Galicean nature…
• Historical, architectural, artistic, and culinary places worth seeing: 
  • Paseo dos Sonos: In Galego (the local language of Galicia, a combination of Spanish and Portuguese), the name means the “walk of dreams“. The trail has about 2.5 kilometers and passes through nice lush nature, with several bridge crossing. It is characteristic for sculptures and other stone structures along the path (I loved the stone piano), that’s why I put into history/architecture/art section, and not the natural section, though it is actually a combination of the two :). A short 200 meters detour from the Camino, this path is definitely worth taking!
  • The ancient mills: in the protected natural area of the river Labrada, about 600 meters from the Camino. There are actually three mills as you follow the path along the river, and all of them are relatively well preserved. It is nice location too, frequented by local bird watchers.
  • The museum of Victor Corral Castro: This is the one place you want to visit while staying in Baamonde. Combination of beautiful art, sculpture, and music, the entrance is free of charge, and you can easily spend an hour or more marveling at the creative genius of Victor Corral Castro, who was born in this small Galicean village (that’s why the museum is there). What I really like about the place that it isn’t a typical museum, but more of an art exposition situated in the house where Victor lived, and in its beautiful surroundings.
• Camping/bivouac options on this stage: Today it is easier than the two days before, but you’ll have to be a bit creative and walk a bit away from the Camino… There aren’t any organized camping places in this zone, but for the wild camping places any of the following will do:
  • The ancient mills near the river of Labrada: Even ground, river, plenty of trees, typically no people around.
  • Ruta de aqua: It is a hiking trail that starts right at the Camino, three kilometers after Baamonde. Quite long with many trees and picnic table area, you will find a decent place to pitch a tent or even to bivouac. The place can sometimes get busy during the day, but for the night you won’t have any problem encountering there a good and protected spot to pitch a tent.
• Dog friendly score: 4/5. Another great stage for dogs, with water always nearby, and plenty of trees to protect your beloved companion from a strong sun (not that it is often sunny in Galicia :), but when it is sunny, the sun is pretty strong). The only minus is that once again, there aren’t any dog-friendly accommodation options in Baamonde. You need to walk extra 12 kilometers to reach the pilgrim hostel A Lagoa, a pilgrim place that accept dogs, or you can camp outside of course.
• Special remarks: Baamonde is 101 kilometers away from Santiago de Compostela, and the minimum distance one has to walk to get a certificate (the “Compostela”) in Santiago is 100 kilometers. Because of this, groups of Spanish students, who do the camino mostly for diverting themselves in summer and getting free credits at school, will often start their pilgrimage from here. Truth to be told, they prefer the French way and the Portuguese way, but some will start in Baamonde. That’s the reason why the local albergue has so many beds (94). Don’t be surprised if you encounter many new faces in this albergue–these are the people who do the last 100, and start with a night in Baamonde :).

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 de Baamonde, Baamonde (km 19). Location and reviews on Google maps here. A huge public albergue with 94 beds, 10 euro/bed. It has mixed reviews on various pilgrim platforms, which is mostly because of two reasons. First, when it gets full (which is rarely the case!) the number of toilets and showers etc just isn’t sufficient for so many pilgrims. And also because it is already on the last 100 km of the Camino, you can get unlucky on a group of Spanish students who don’t care about the rules and will make noise all night… However, if you’re not unlucky with any of these two things, it is a pretty nice albergue with facilities in good condition. Do not expect to cook anything in the kitchen though, but there are restaurants in town, hence it is not a big issue. Check-in from 1pm to 10pm, does not accept reservations.

Privacy/luxury options:

1. Km 101 Hotel, Baamonde (km 18). Location and reviews on Google maps here. From 70 euro/room, prices remain relatively stable all year long. There aren’t many private accommodation options in Baamonde, but Km 101 is definitely a decent option for anyone who wants to avoid the public albergue. The place has good reviews across all platforms, staff speaks some basic English, the rooms are clean and big enough for the price, and there is a good restaurant onsite. Check-in from 2pm, recommended way of making a reservation: booking.com.
2. A Casina do Camino, Baamonde (km 18). Location and reviews on Google maps here. It is a small vacation house one of the locals is renting out. 90% of guests are pilgrims. The price starts from 80 euro/night, but becomes much more affordable when you take a few more pilgrims with you. For example for 4 people (the maximum capacity, and due to the size it is already a bit stretched out with 4 people :)), you can get it for 110 euro. It isn’t a spectacular place by any means, but very good for a couple or three pilgrims walking together, who seek some privacy in Baamonde. Check-in from noon to 10:30 pm, recommended way of making a reservation: booking.com.

Pictures from the stage

– the always green Galicia 🙂

– Random flowers in the forested part of today’s walk.

– Another one of Spanish graffiti that made me think a bit about my life on this cloudy day 😉

– The charming church of Baamonde.

– The museum of Victor Coral Castro, a must visit if you spend a night in Baamonde. Free entrance for everyone.

– Another picture form the museum, you can see some of Victor’s sculptures on the picture.

Few tips at the end

• There is one special place to stay while doing  this part of the Camino del Norte, and that’s a monastery Sobrado de los Monjes. A beautiful complex of monastic buildings has renovated the section devoted to pilgrims a few years ago. Now combining modern facilities with the charm and spirituality of a monastery, it makes for an almost unforgettable stay. The pilgrims have a free entry to the monastery complex, and the place is very economical as well (just 8 euro/night). The only problem is that it is 40 kilometers away (a slightly shorter but more hilly alternative was sign-posted recently), and hence if you decide that you want to walk to the monastery the next day, it is important going to bed early and starting the next day early.

Next stage/Previous stage

• Next stage: Camino del Norte, stage no. 28, Baamonde – A Cabana.
• Previous stage: Camino del Norte, stage no. 26, Abadin – Vilalba.