English Way from Ferrol

Stages

• day 1

  Arrival at Ferrol

  Today begins your adventure on the English Way! If you are reading this, you have chosen this itinerary to live this wonderful adventure. Well, the story begins in Ferrol. As soon as you arrive in this historic city, we want you to do one thing: leave your things in your accommodation, make yourself comfortable and get to know the city. Stroll to the magical Ferrol Vello and dive through its cobbled streets to the Curuxeiras quay. Contemplate the sea and let yourself be invaded by the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean. Congratulations, because just starting from this pier, you relive the steps of the first pilgrims from the north who inaugurated this route, which disembarked right there. Now that you’ve recharged your intrepid batteries, enjoy getting to know the rest of the city and treat yourself to a gastronomic feast.
• day 2

  Stage 1. Ferrol - Pontedeume (28.9 km)

  We begin our English Way with a pleasant walk through Ferrol, and we start from the Curuxeiras dock, where a stone monolith located in front of the pharmacy marks the starting point where we head to Pontedeume. We head towards the church of San Francisco and a little further on we come across the Co-cathedral of San Xulián. We will go through most of the tourist and historical places to leave the city towards the industrial area of A Gándara.
  We do not get to enter the industrial estate, we follow the signs and take two streets to the right to continue along a promenade parallel to the Ferrol estuary. We leave the asphalt behind us by an overpass and take a path parallel to the train tracks, arriving at O Couto, where the Romanesque church of San Martiño de Xubia is located. Visiting hours are quite restricted but we can take advantage of the garden to make a short stop.
  We cross asphalted tracks with dirt tracks until we pass a Fenosa's turret, where we turn right, meeting again the blue of the Ferrol's estuary. We go down to the mill of As Aceñas and the place of O Ponto. We continue on a pleasant walk, except for the Megasa sidelurgical plant, which is totally out of tune with the surroundings. We go down to the Paseo da Ribeira de Xubia and continue parallel to the shore.
  After crossing a park with grass and dirt roads, we have two options to cross the estuary: The most direct is to use a pedestrian bridge that will leave us in front of the hostel of Neda, or follow the indications of the official milestones that take a short detour over an old bridge for vehicles.
  We recommend taking the first option and continue from the hostel along a pleasant coastal walk along the estuary, along wooden walkways that border the marshes. After 1 km we return to the official route, finding the church of Santa María de Neda, at the halfway point of the stage.

  We leave Neda behind to continue through Regueiro, O Puntal de Arriba and Conces, until we enter Fene, a town known for its shipyards and which has all the services.

  We follow the signs and take the opportunity to stock up, if necessary, in a bar or supermarket. We drive away from the urban centre along an asphalted road, we reach the Mundín washhouse and, after a turn to the left, we take the Camiño Real. Here we can visit the Chapel of Santa Ana.
  We go through a motorway tunnel and continue to Rego da Moa. Parallel to the national road, we see a dirt road that we follow until we reach the industrial estate.
  Once in the business area, we follow the indications marked by the arrows. We cross over the AP-9 motorway and arrive at Pena do Pico. We go past an area of mills and a stream, we reach the main road to Cabanas, which we cross. We take the detour on the right that takes us to the mill Sucursal de Priorato and the Church of San Martiño do Porto, which we can visit.
  Back on the path, we descend towards the railway tunnel. The beach of A Magdalena and the fabulous pine forest of Cabanas appear, an idyllic place for refreshment. The last steps of this stage border the pine forest until reaching the bridge over the river Eume, built in the 14th century. We arrive, at last, to Pontedeume.

  To consider

  Some pilgrims cut 11 km of the route to Pontedeume crossing the bridge of the N-651 road that connects Ferrol with Fene. The viaduct has a pedestrian lane separated from traffic. We do not recommend this alternative as we would miss the coastal section of Xubia and Neda.

  Places of interest

  • Fortress of San Felipe - Ferrol

   

  • Magdalena neighbourhood - Ferrol

   

  • Co-cathedral of San Julián - Ferrol

   

  • Cantón de Molíns - Ferrol

   

  • Church of Santa María -Neda

   

  • Church of San Martiño do Porto - Fene

   

  • Tower of the Andrade family - Pontedeume

   

  • Wall of the town - Pontedeume

   

  • Church of Santiago - Pontedeume

   

  • Fragas del Eume - Pontedeume

  Typical dishes

  • Marraxo

   

  • Octopus mugardesa style

   

  • Clams

   

  • Bread, pies and sweets from Neda

   

  • Fish and seafood

   

  • Castiñeira cake (typical dessert from Ferrol)

   

  • Bread, pies and sweets from Neda

   

  • Toffee and almonds

   

  • Pontedeume Cake

   

• day 3

  Stage 2. Pontedeume - Betanzos (19.9 km)

  We bid farewell to Pontedeume by ascending Rúa Real and, upon reaching Plaza de San Roque, we turn left towards Betanzos. During the first 2 km, we face a very steep incline that in some places reaches 25%, so we recommend pacing ourselves. We ascend through cobbled streets until we take a detour to the right that becomes asphalt, leaving the urban area for a flat stretch with beautiful views.

  We continue the route following the official signs until we find a dirt path on the left. After crossing the road and passing three bridges, we skirt around the Club de Golf Miño and cross a passage over the highway. The trail then enters a eucalyptus forest with a steep slope that leads us to the village of Outeiro, from where we continuously descend towards Ponte Baxoi.

  Through a comfortable path parallel to the road, we pass under the highway viaduct and cross the Baxoi marshes to enter the town of Miño. Following the signs near the Tourist Office, we traverse the town enjoying the landscape of the estuary, its beaches, and the mouth of the Lambre River before crossing a footbridge over the railway.

  The route continues alongside the beach of Alameda and crosses the river via Ponte do Porco. A ramp leads us to the village of Montecelo and to the Romanesque church of San Pantaleón das Viñas. After passing through Porto de Abaixo —where the last bar before Betanzos is located— we re-enter the forest to tackle the "Costa de Matacabalos," a slope with a 100-meter elevation gain in just 1.6 km.

  Finally, we cross the villages of Chantada, Souto, Gas, and San Paio until we reach the church of San Martiño de Tiobre (12th century). The final descent along an asphalted track leads us to the municipal cemetery and the church of Nosa Señora do Camiño, entering the historic center of Betanzos via the Ponte Vella over the Mandeo River.

  Things to consider

  The departure from Pontedeume is the most demanding section of the stage; those two kilometers of initial ascent require calm to avoid arriving exhausted at the destination. Although there are services along the way, there are long stretches without provisions, so it is essential to carry enough water.

  If the weather is favorable, do not forget your swimsuit to enjoy a refreshing dip at the beaches of Miño before continuing towards the city of knights.

  Places of interest

  • Playa Grande – Miño
  • Church of San Martín de Tiobre – Tiobre
  • Church of Santiago – Betanzos
  • Church of Santa María del Azogue – Betanzos
  • Church of San Francisco – Betanzos

  Typical dishes

  • The famous tortilla from Betanzos (lightly cooked)
  • Octopus, seafood, and fish from the estuary
  • Repollo from Betanzos
  • Viño da Terra from Betanzos
• day 4

  Stage 3. Betanzos - Hospital de Bruma (23.4 km)

  We leave Betanzos from Rúa do Rollo and head towards the old bridge of As Cascas, taking our first steps in the direction of Hospital de Bruma. We cross the Mendo river and turn left. On an asphalted track we cross a bridge over the railway tracks, and another one further on over the A6 motorway. We continue until we reach the village of Xanrozo.

  Shortly after reaching the CP-0105 road, we take a path on the right. After passing a football field with a big bend, we return to the road again, which we follow until we cross a bridge over the river Mendo. A sign indicates that we are in the parish of Cos. We leave the road on the left, pass a water treatment plant and after a steep slope we reach the Church of Santo Estevo de Cos, with a stone cross in the middle of the road.

  We leave the church behind us and come to a crossroads. We continue to the left along the side of the road. At 150 meters, next to some containers, we find two possibilities:

  • A) Continue straight on following the official route, which is always along the road towards Presedo, with very narrow and dangerous stretches without a hard shoulder.
  • B) Turn right and follow the old itinerary, much more pleasant and safe, which goes along asphalt tracks and dirt roads. This route is only 600 metres further and is well signposted.

  Both routes join after 3 km, just before entering the parish of Presedo.

  We continue on our way and after 500 metres we pass next to the Mesón Museo Xente no Camiño we alternate asphalted tracks with dirt tracks, paying attention to the signposting.

  We arrive at Santa Baia de Leiro, in front of the church we turn right and we reach the road again. We leave the asphalt to take a dirt track on the right that runs between eucalyptus forests.

  We arrive at the Beche reservoir, which has a recreational area with tables, grills and toilets. An ideal place to stop, have a bite to eat and enjoy the views. We continue and, when we reach a stop sign, we turn left following the asphalt and crossing the AP-9 motorway by an underpass.

  At the next crossroads, we turn right up to the houses of O Vao. After passing a farm with a small granary, we turn right to take a steeply sloping track. We continue paying attention to the signs and start a steep ascent for almost 2 km. We reach the highest point of the English Way, at 460 metres above sea level. If the day is clear we can see the sea and the city of A Coruña in the distance. The Way leads to an asphalted track that takes us to the AC-542 road, with quite a lot of traffic. Here the English Way from Ferrol and the English Way from A Coruña meet.

  We continue along the hard shoulder until we get to the Casa Avelina bar, in As Travesas. From here the path goes along the road for 1.2 km, a very dangerous stretch where extreme caution should be taken as cars pass at high speed.

  We pass an electricity station and an abandoned petrol station, turn left along a dirt road until we reach the small village of Hospital de Bruma, where there is a hostel, a chapel and a restaurant called Casa Graña.

  

  Important Note

  Because Hospital de Bruma has few services and the hostel is often full during the summer season. We can extend the stage 3 km more by road to Mesón do Vento, where there is a hotel, several guesthouses, restaurants, pharmacies and shops. However, the next day we must retrace our steps to resume the Camino again.

  To get to Mesón do Vento from Hospital de Bruma we must follow the asphalted track straight on until we reach the village of O Seixo. We cross the village until we reach a crossroads where we see a sign indicating Mesón do Vento. Turn right and continue for 3 km until you reach your destination.

  To consider

  As it is a long stage, we recommend that you rest well the day before, start the walk very early and, above all, take it easy.

  It is very important to leave Betanzos well provided with food and water, as you will not find many services where you can stock up until you get to Hospital de Bruma.

  Places of interest

  • Church of San Esteban - Cos.
  • Church of Santa Eulalia - Leiro.

  Typical dishes

  • Octopus á feira
  • Mussels
  • Galician Empanada
  • Lacón with turnip tops
  • Barbecued meat
• day 5

  Stage 4. Hospital de Bruma - Sigüeiro (25 km)

  Today you are heading for Sigüeiro and Santiago is getting closer and closer. This stage is dotted with small villages dependent on the largest in the area: your end of the stage, Sigüeiro. Sigüeiro is a small village in the orbit of Santiago de Compostela, its origin probably dates back to the period of the castreña culture, so you can visit some of its forts. Today, the best thing to do is to get to know the town, have dinner and go to bed early, to get ready for your last stage.
• day 6

  Stage 5. Sigüeiro - Santiago de Compostela (20 km)

  Last day of your English Way from Ferrol! As we always say the ideal is to get up early to make the most of the day in Santiago de Compostela. Today’s stage will pass super fast between nerves and excitement of the imminent arrival. You are in Santiago! Feel happy and proud to have completed your English Way from Ferrol. Now you just need to rest and get ready to get to know the city. We recommend that upon arrival, you pick up your Compostela certificate and then enjoy our guided tour of the majestic Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
• day 7

  End of the Camino

  After arriving... End of the Camino