Stage 2. Pontedeume – Betanzos (21 km)

We leave Pontedeume going up the Rúa Real and when we get to the Plaza de San Roque we turn left towards Betanzos. For 2 km we climb a very hard slope, which at some point reaches 25%, so we recommend dosing it. We ascend through cobbled streets until we take a street on the right that turns into asphalt. We leave the town centre along a flat stretch with beautiful views. We ignore the arrows on the asphalt and follow the official signs.

We continue until we find a blue and yellow house, where we turn left onto a dirt road. We cross the road and return to the path, cross three bridges and reach the vicinity of the Miño Golf Club, which we border until we cross a bridge over the motorway.

We continue following the signs until we find a track on the left that goes into a forest of eucalyptus trees, on a steep slope. We reach the village of Outeiro by the main street and we go to Ponte Baxoi, going downhill until we reach the bridge.

Along a comfortable path parallel to the road, we pass under the motorway viaduct, cross the Baxoi marshes and cross the motorway again to enter the town of Miño.

We follow the signs until we arrive near the Tourist Office, we take the rúa Barrosa and walk through the town enjoying the landscape of the estuary, its beaches and the mouth of the river Lambre.
We pass a footbridge over the railway and turn right.

We continue our route close to the Alameda beach and we say goodbye to the Miño from Ponte do Porco, where we cross the river. We go up a ramp that takes us to the village of Montecelo and the Romanesque church of San Pantaleón das Viñas, with its beautiful façade. We arrive at the houses of Porto de Abaixo, where we find a bakery and café Navedo, the last bar until Betanzos.

We follow the national road and leave it to the left on an asphalt track that goes into the forest. We face a new steep slope called Costa de Matacabalos, with a drop of 100 meters in 1.6 km. We go down and cross the villages of Chantada, Souto, Gas and San Paio until we reach the church of San Martiño de Tiobre from the XIIth century.

We descend along an asphalted track, passing Barral and Caraña. We follow the signs until we arrive next to the municipal cemetery, pass by the church of Nosa Señora do Camiño and go down to the town centre along a cobbled street. We cross Ponte Vella over the river Mandeo and enter the historic centre of Betanzos through the medieval gate.

To consider

The exit of Pontedeume is possibly the hardest part of this stage, since two kilometers of strong ascent that become eternal, reason why it is advisable to take it with calm and to dose it making stops to not arrive exhausted to Betanzos.

Although we will find bars along the way, the truth is that there are stretches of several kilometers in which we will not find anything. We recommend taking advantage of the stops to buy water or fill our canteen.

If the weather is good, you can wear your swimsuit and take a refreshing dip in the beaches of Miño. I’m sure you’ll appreciate it!

Places of interest:

• Praia Grande – Minho.
• Church of San Martiño de Tiobre – Tiobre.
• Church of Santiago – Betanzos.
• Church of Santa María del Azogue – Betanzos.
• Church of San Francisco – Betanzos

Typical dishes

• The famous Betanzos omelette
• Octopus, seafood and fish from the area
• Cabbage from Betanzos.
• Viño da Terra de Betanzos