Day: June 20, 2025

Day 37 – Pintin to Barbadelo

Walked: 7.3 mi. Camino2025: 218 mi.

It was foggy when we left Pintin at 7:45.
We picked up the Camino as it morphed from the farm road to the dirt path through the forest.
We emerged from the forest after a mile or so and walked on a dirt path along the road on the way to Sarria.
We walked a couple more miles parallel to the road until making a brief breakfast stop just outside of Sarria.
A relatively newly renovated bridge in Sarria and picturesque view of town center along the Rio Sarria.

We continued through Sarria taking an alternate route, discovered several Caminos ago. Rather than climb up the steps on the traditionally marked route and reaching the peak where several important churches were disappointedly inaccessible (locked) and then descending to the opposite side of town to the Roman bridge…

The beginning of the steps and incline of the Camino through Sarria center.

… we merely walked around the base of the hill and joined panting pilgrims at the Roman bridge on the way out of town.

walking around around the base of the hill through Sarria town center.
Arriving at the Roman bridge to exit Sarria.
The Camino went through some pretty corn fields and along the railroad track.
Newly planted corn was an interesting change for our first spring Camino. When we’ve walked previous Caminos, these fields had corn 6-8 ft tall!
The Camino headed into a chestnut forest. Here Linda is crossing a pretty stream at the base of a steep climb up the side of the mountain.
A steep grade
Huge chestnut trees
… ” one foot in front of the other” to make it up the steep climb.
Finally, reaching the top and a welcome switchback onto relatively level ground again.
We walked another half mile through some recently mowed fields and into the hamlet of Barbadelo.

There is not much to Barbadelo. We’re staying at Casa das Airas, an extension of the only albergue and only available restaurant in the hamlet.

We waited until 1:30 to be checked-in, had a light lunch from the breakfast menu and crashed in our rather bizarre private 4 bedroom accommodation with a private, unattached bathroom. The bathroom water was not drinkable, according to the posted warning sign in the bathroom and the electric sockets were difficult to access… among other issues.

We made the best of it, looking forward to the much nicer accommodation reserved for tomorrow.