From O Cádavo to Lugo - Camino Primitivo - Viajes Camino de Santiago

Information

Although it may seem like a long stage, the truth is that these 32 kilometers that separate O Cádavo of the capital of Lugo will be a piece of cake compared to everything we have left behind, since the high mountains and the steep slopes characteristic of the province of Lugo are finally over.

The desire to reach the walled city will be latent throughout the stage, in which we will enjoy the beauty of the purest Galician countryside, with a multitude of small villages and archaeological remains with a thousand stories to show us.

We cross O Cádavo following the same direction as on arrival and leaving the village square on the left, we go down an asphalted track to Pradela and start the gentle ascent along dirt tracks until we reach the Alto da Vacariza, last ascent until reaching Lugo, already in the council of Castroverde.

We enter Castroverde by the LU-530 road. Shortly after we leave the road to take a street on the left hand side until we come out next to the town hall and the church. Castroverde is the last place before Lugo where there are bars and shops, not to mention the 4 vending machines for drinks and food that we will find on the roadside.

Without crossing the road we find the fork between the official road to Vilalle and the old road to Vilabade, signposted as “Complementary Road”. The latter is 500 meters longer, but it will be worth it to be able to visit the church of Santa María de Vilabade, known as the “Castroverde Cathedral”. We enter Castroverde on the LU-530 road, which we leave shortly afterwards to take a street on the left that leads to the town hall and the church.

This is the last village before Lugo where there are bars and shops, not counting the vending machines that we will find along the way.

We leave Castroverde through a beautiful forest, pass by a fountain and cross the road and a ring road. We always ride in the same direction, alternating asphalt and dirt in a placid rural environment.

From Gondar we go up the same road until we reach a quarry and take a path to the right, which leads back to the road. We walk along the shoulder for 1 km, which takes forever. We leave the LU-530 road, crossing it with caution and following the road to Manzoi for 250 metres, until we turn left onto a pleasant path.

We arrive at As Casas da Viña and continue along a dirt road, crossing a bridge over the A-6 motorway and, shortly afterwards, another bridge.

We go around the village of O Carqueixo and reach Castelo, from where we descend to the neighbourhood of A Chanca, the entrance to the city of Lugo. We cross the bridge over the river Rato, from where we go up to the town centre, passing under the railway tracks and going up the stairs of Fontiñas Street and Carril das Flores, until we reach the Roman wall.

We enter the old town through the Puerta de San Pedro until we reach the Plaza Mayor and the Cathedral of Santa Maria.

To consider

The official route from O Cádavo has been modified and does not go through Vilabade, but through Vilalle, saving 500 metres but avoiding the church of Santa María de Vilabade, although in any case, the old route is still signposted as a “complementary route” at the milestones until reaching Lugo.

Of interest

Church of Santa María de Vilavade – Castroverde
Roman Wall – Lugo
Santa María Cathedral – Lugo
Historic centre – Lugo
House of Mosaics – Lugo
Domus del Mitreo – Lugo
Rosalía de Castro Park – Lugo
Roman Bridge – Lugo

Typical dishes

Although it is a complex statement, Lugo is one of the cities with the best food in Galicia. All drinks are accompanied by a cold pincho and a hot tapa, plus in any bar or restaurant you can taste typical dishes at very cheap prices.