Camino de Santiago from O Cebreiro

Start at the top and walk down towards Santiago. Six stages through Galicia that skip the hardest climb on the Francés and take in the whole Galician section, Sarria and the final 100 km included.

Distance

153 km

Duration

6 days

Route

Camino Francés

Starts in 2025

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Figure checked Pilgrim Office, January–July 2026.

How the stages are usually split

There is no official split. These are the ones actually used, depending on the days you have.

In 6 stages, the usual split

Stage distances are general references. We have not recalculated them against the official track yet, which is why they are underlined.

The start for people who know what they want

It is an unusual choice and a fairly clever one. Starting at O Cebreiro means having the climb behind you — or rather, avoided — and taking in the whole Galician section of the Camino Francés.

You gain a beautiful stretch that anyone starting at Sarria misses: the descent from O Cebreiro over the Alto do Poio and down through San Xil to Triacastela, the best mountain scenery in Galicia on the whole route.

And you keep everything else: Portomarín, Melide, Arzúa and the walk into Santiago.

The catch: getting up there

This is why few people start here. O Cebreiro is a mountain hamlet with no railway station and no direct bus from any large town.

The real options are three: a taxi from Lugo or Ponferrada, a bus to Pedrafita do Cebreiro and then a taxi or four kilometres on foot, or your own car left in Pedrafita.

Book the taxi in advance. There is no permanent rank and off season there may be none available late in the day.

Sleeping at the top is worth it

O Cebreiro still has pallozas, circular stone buildings with thatched roofs of pre-Roman origin. It is one of the few places on the Camino where the accommodation itself is part of the experience.

Capacity is limited and it fills up in high season, so book. The weather changes fast: at 1,300 metres it is considerably colder than below, and fog is common even in summer.