Planning for the Geira — GO FOR IT!!!

[peregrina2000]

When I got to Braga on the Torres, I switched over to the Geira. I relied a lot on @jungleboy’s thread to figure out my stages. His thread and the notes about distances that I had copied down from the guidebook (which I did not bring) were really all I needed. Calling a day in advance was all that was necessary.

No albergues, except for the albergue in Caldelas, on the first day from Braga. I had planned to stay there, but as I walked into town, I saw on the left a very pleasant garden with tables in front of the Corredoura Garden hostal. There was a room, so I just took it. I was glad I hadn’t called ahead to the albergue.

One website that has info on the several camino options from Braga, debragaasantiago.com has an over the top warning that they do not recommend walking this camino now because of issues with marking. NONSENSE, at least if you have a GPS. Just as I did on the Torres, I had offline tracks and maps on wikiloc. I had my phone in my waist pack. The app beeps at you if you take a wrong turn. That’s all you need.

This is a great combination to consider with the Torres, but you have to be prepared for no albergues (except Caldelas) and no peregrinos. I spend two weeks in Lisbon every year teaching a course (in English), and I found I had enough Portuguese to intereact with people. I had some really wonderful encounters.

My FindPenguins site has more info, but I would be very happy to give opinions, answer questions, etc.

Camino 2022 , Torres and Geira | FindPenguins

About 640 km, starting in Salamanca, heading over to Portugal, and north from Braga to Santiago. I am combining two different caminos, the Camino de Torres and the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros.

findpenguins.com

It’s a great caminho, I would walk it again happily, but there are no peregrinos. You will find people/walkers/ramblers in the area around the Peneda Geres park, so that’s a nice occasional break from the solitude, but I found I was very happy to just walk with me and my unwinding brain.

Edited to add - here is a link to my 2022 comments on the Torres. I know many people walk them as a combo, but they are different caminos, so I think it’s best to keep each in its own subforum.

 

[The Yukon]

When I got to Braga on the Torres, I switched over to the Geira. I relied a lot on @jungleboy’s thread to figure out my stages. His thread and the notes about distances that I had copied down from the guidebook (which I did not bring) were really all I needed. Calling a day in advance was all that was necessary.

No albergues, except for the albergue in Caldelas, on the first day from Braga. I had planned to stay there, but as I walked into town, I saw on the left a very pleasant garden with tables in front of the Corredoura Garden hostal. There was a room, so I just took it. I was glad I hadn’t called ahead to the albergue.

One website that has info on the several camino options from Braga, debragaasantiago.com has an over the top warning that they do not recommend walking this camino now because of issues with marking. NONSENSE, at least if you have a GPS. Just as I did on the Torres, I had offline tracks and maps on wikiloc. I had my phone in my waist pack. The app beeps at you if you take a wrong turn. That’s all you need.

This is a great combination to consider with the Torres, but you have to be prepared for no albergues (except Caldelas) and no peregrinos. I spend two weeks in Lisbon every year teaching a course (in English), and I found I had enough Portuguese to intereact with people. I had some really wonderful encounters.

My FindPenguins site has more info, but I would be very happy to give opinions, answer questions, etc.

Camino 2022 , Torres and Geira | FindPenguins

About 640 km, starting in Salamanca, heading over to Portugal, and north from Braga to Santiago. I am combining two different caminos, the Camino de Torres and the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros.

findpenguins.com

It’s a great caminho, I would walk it again happily, but there are no peregrinos. You will find people/walkers/ramblers in the area around the Peneda Geres park, so that’s a nice occasional break from the solitude, but I found I was very happy to just walk with me and my unwinding brain.

What a fabulous walk! There are so many beautiful paths of solitude in Europe, despite a relatively dense population. Sure appreciate you (and jungleboy earlier) for taking us along. There's a December ticket to Lisbon with my name on it and you've put this smile of anticipation on my face with your presentation. Thank you!

 

[Lynn C O'Hara]

When I got to Braga on the Torres, I switched over to the Geira. I relied a lot on @jungleboy’s thread to figure out my stages. His thread and the notes about distances that I had copied down from the guidebook (which I did not bring) were really all I needed. Calling a day in advance was all that was necessary.

No albergues, except for the albergue in Caldelas, on the first day from Braga. I had planned to stay there, but as I walked into town, I saw on the left a very pleasant garden with tables in front of the Corredoura Garden hostal. There was a room, so I just took it. I was glad I hadn’t called ahead to the albergue.

One website that has info on the several camino options from Braga, debragaasantiago.com has an over the top warning that they do not recommend walking this camino now because of issues with marking. NONSENSE, at least if you have a GPS. Just as I did on the Torres, I had offline tracks and maps on wikiloc. I had my phone in my waist pack. The app beeps at you if you take a wrong turn. That’s all you need.

This is a great combination to consider with the Torres, but you have to be prepared for no albergues (except Caldelas) and no peregrinos. I spend two weeks in Lisbon every year teaching a course (in English), and I found I had enough Portuguese to intereact with people. I had some really wonderful encounters.

My FindPenguins site has more info, but I would be very happy to give opinions, answer questions, etc.

Camino 2022 , Torres and Geira | FindPenguins

About 640 km, starting in Salamanca, heading over to Portugal, and north from Braga to Santiago. I am combining two different caminos, the Camino de Torres and the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros.

findpenguins.com

It’s a great caminho, I would walk it again happily, but there are no peregrinos. You will find people/walkers/ramblers in the area around the Peneda Geres park, so that’s a nice occasional break from the solitude, but I found I was very happy to just walk with me and my unwinding brain.

So happy everything worked out well this time! Your photos were wonderful!

 

[HeidiL]

Just a quick question: How hilly is it?

 

[peregrina2000]

Just a quick question: How hilly is it?

Oops, nothing like answering a question 15 months after it is asked. SORRY! I would say it’s on the hilly side. A quick calculation of my wikiloc stages totals 5800 m elevation and that’s in 10 days, so 580 m a day, approximately. Not the toughest, but I think that meets the definition of hilly. I have all my stages on wikiloc, with distances and elevation profile. First stage here.

I am going to add my stages and random info on this thread, because there are a few forum members who are planning to walk the Geira this fall. So stay tuned if you are interested. And again, sorry for the delay. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[jungleboy]

Just a quick question: How hilly is it?

Almost all the locals we met talked about how hilly and difficult it was, but we didn’t find it difficult. @peregrina2000 has given the elevation numbers above, which makes it more hilly than I remembered. But by that point we’d been on camino for about 45 days already, so I guess we were in decent shape when we started the Geira.

 

[alansykes]

by that point we’d been on camino for about 45 days already, so I guess we were in decent shape when we started the Geira

I'd only been walking for 37 days when I started the Geira, but also didn't find it over-taxing. There were some energetic climbs, but nothing excessive - I don't think I ever had to use my hands to scramble up or down. Quite spectacularly beautiful and gloriously solitary - I may have to rip up my plans for this autumn's camino and go back there instead.

 

[peregrina2000]

I may have to rip up my plans for this autumn's camino and go back there instead.

So many months for your fan club to wait!

 

[peregrina2000]

I never did a write-up for the forum with distances, accommodations, etc, but I know several forum members are going to start out on the Geira soon, and I thought I’d add my two cents. Since Nick and Wendy were my guiding star, my info might not have much that is different from theirs, but as someone who walks a lot of untraveled caminos, having different perspectives always rounds out the picture in a nice way. So here goes.

Day 1 — Braga to Caldelas (19 km). There is an albergue here, (José at +351 914 893 253) but I saw the beautiful little garden outside the Corredoura Garden Alojamiento — I popped my head inside the door and the slightly crusty owner became quite friendly upon hearing I was a peregrina and offered me a good price in a nice single room. The termas there are extremely interesting and worth wandering around. I was there during covid-masking but even so it was fascinating. I learned about which water spouts had water for kidneys, etc. and I saw that no water would be given out without a prescription! All very interesting.

And to back up a bit — on the way out of Braga, you will pass a 7th C Visigothic chapel, but if you want to visit it, I would recommend the short walk from the center the day before.

The church is São Frutuoso (google tells me hours are 12-3 and 7-10:30 p.m., closed Monday). But the official Braga City website tells me the hours are 2-4:30 from Tuesday to Sunday. (Thanks to @Charrito for the tip that google may not be right). I would definitely recommend checking with the tourism office in Braga when you arrive. My memory is that I definitely went out in the mid-afternoon to visit the church on the day I walked into Braga and ended my Camino Torres.


It was definitely worth a visit, and there is a story involving the remains of the saint, spirited away by (I think) Gelmirez to Santiago, and then returned centuries later.

Edited to add my GPS tracks - I added a lot of pictures to the track as I walked, so I think they are good for checking distance, an approximation of elevation gain, and what the stage looks like.

Braga - Caldelas

Braga - Caldelas Hiking trail in Braga, Braga (Portugal). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Despite the many warnings I have received, I got on the wrong Caminho leaving town. You’ll be able to see it clearly on my tracks.

www.wikiloc.com

 

[Charrito]

I'd only been walking for 37 days when I started the Geira, but also didn't find it over-taxing. There were some energetic climbs, but nothing excessive - I don't think I ever had to use my hands to scramble up or down. Quite spectacularly beautiful and gloriously solitary - I may have to rip up my plans for this autumn's camino and go back there instead.

View attachment 173289

I was back on the Geira last month (my third time from Braga, and I've done the stages from Ribadavia to Santiago five times). As you say, Alan, it is a stunning walk, particulary in the Geres area.

As far as difficulty is concerned, there are some long stages (with nowhere to stop) and some parts which can be a bit complicated when you have to scramble over rocks and tree roots. If it's rained recently you can easily come across some waterlogged sections.

Sometimes, the downhill parts can be worse. Walking down from Portela do Homem to Os Baños I have twice ended up with problems. Last September I sprained my ankle, and this time I twisted my knee pretty badly.

 

[peregrina2000]

Ok, I am going to try to finish a day-by-day, but it may take me a while!

Day 2 - Caldelas to Campo de Gerês (30)
The camino leaves Caldelas on a lightly traveled road, and when you get to a hamlet and go through the porte cochere of an abandoned estate, BAM, you are on an unpaved road. Lots of Roman Road, milarios, forests, just a very pleasant day. I had a very touching personal encounter with a local woman walking to church. I had already gone past the church, and by my estimate it would be about a 40 minute walk for her each way at her speed. I confess I had a hard time understanding her, but her devotion was very obvious.

Braga - Caldelas

Braga - Caldelas Hiking trail in Braga, Braga (Portugal). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Despite the many warnings I have received, I got on the wrong Caminho leaving town. You’ll be able to see it clearly on my tracks.

www.wikiloc.com

Albergaria Stop in Campo de Gerês is the only game in town. Fine and they serve dinner.

 

[David Tallan]

Ok, I am going to try to finish a day-by-day, but it may take me a while!

I am confident you will complete it before I start walking this Camino in mid-November.

 

[Charrito]

I never did a write-up for the forum with distances, accommodations, etc, but I know several forum members are going to start out on the Geira soon, and I thought I’d add my two cents. Since Nick and Wendy were my guiding star, my info might not have much that is different from theirs, but as someone who walks a lot of untraveled caminos, having different perspectives always rounds out the picture in a nice way. So here goes.

Day 1 — Braga to Caldelas (19 km). There is an albergue here, (José at +351 914 893 253) but I saw the beautiful little garden outside the Corredoura Garden Alojamiento — I popped my head inside the door and the slightly crusty owner became quite friendly upon hearing I was a peregrina and offered me a good price in a nice single room. The termas there are extremely interesting and worth wandering around. I was there during covid-masking but even so it was fascinating. I learned about which water spouts had water for kidneys, etc. and I saw that no water would be given out without a prescription! All very interesting. And to back up a bit — on the way out of Braga, you will pass a 7th C Visigothic chapel, but if you want to visit it, I would recommend the short walk from the center the day before. The church is São Frutuoso (google tells me hours are 12-3 and 7-10:30 p.m., closed Monday). It was definitely worth a visit, and there is a story involving the remains of the saint, spirited away by (I think) Gelmirez to Santiago, and then returned centuries later.

Edited to add my GPS tracks - I added a lot of pictures to the track as I walked, so I think they are good for checking distance, an approximation of elevation gain, and what the stage looks like.

Braga - Caldelas

Braga - Caldelas Hiking trail in Braga, Braga (Portugal). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Despite the many warnings I have received, I got on the wrong Caminho leaving town. You’ll be able to see it clearly on my tracks.

www.wikiloc.com

View attachment 173385View attachment 173386View attachment 173393

View attachment 173394 a

A couple of pieces of extra information to add to yours, Laurie.

I would suggest checking out the opening times for the Sao Frutuoso chapel; don't trust Google!

In Caldelas, whether you've stayed in the albergue or in the Corredoura Garden Hotel next door, you have the excellent Café Avenida just up the road for lunch, dinner and/or breakfast. Great value, and they have a lovely terrace.

There are a few more bars and restaurants in the town, as well as the balneario and a nice park. If you need to stock up on provisions for the following day you'll find a couple of small grocery stores too.

 

[peregrina2000]

A couple of pieces of extra information to add to yours, Laurie.

Oh, this is great! How about if we become a tag team? When I post a stage, I will wait to post the next one till you check it out and see if you have any info to add. I think that is a good way to make sure that the information is all in the right place — one of the hard things about using our detailed planning threads (done during Covid) is that there’s a lot of jumping back and forth. Which is fine for those of us who have walked already, but makes it much harder for someone who wants to use our info to plan. And you’ve been there so recently, which is a great benefit for @gracethepilgrim and @David Tallan and any other forum members who might venture out.

And p.s. I edited my post #9 to add what I found about Sao Frutuoso thanks to your tip. The hours are SO different, that I think a good check in the tourist office is the way to go.

 

[Charrito]

Ok, I am going to try to finish a day-by-day, but it may take me a while!

Day 2 - Caldelas to Campo de Gerês (30)
The camino leaves Caldelas on a lightly traveled road, and when you get to a hamlet and go through the porte cochere of an abandoned estate, BAM, you are on an unpaved road. Lots of Roman Road, milarios, forests, just a very pleasant day. I had a very touching personal encounter with a local woman walking to church. I had already gone past the church, and by my estimate it would be about a 40 minute walk for her each way at her speed. I confess I had a hard time understanding her, but her devotion was very obvious.

Braga - Caldelas

Braga - Caldelas Hiking trail in Braga, Braga (Portugal). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Despite the many warnings I have received, I got on the wrong Caminho leaving town. You’ll be able to see it clearly on my tracks.

www.wikiloc.com

Albergaria Stop in Campo de Gerês is the only game in town. Fine and they serve dinner.

View attachment 173760View attachment 173761View attachment 173762View attachment 173763View attachment 173764View attachment 173765

There's a small bar (the sign says 'Mercearia Cafe') in Paranhos just before you hit the Geira in Santa Cruz. It looks a bit dingy, but it's always open and the lady has a stamp! Very cheap, and if you're going all the way to Campo do Geres it's the only place before Covide.

You do have the alternative to break up the stage and head down to the small town of Terras de Bouro (Pensao Rio Homem), but the following morning you have a nasty steep climb back up to Moimenta to rejoin the Geira.

I love the walk up there; there are stunning views down to the valley way below you. Eventually you come out on the road and then have a short two or three kilometre walk to Covide, with the welcoming María at Café Eiras.

A few possibilities for a meal around Covide before heading up to Campo do Geres: before Café Eiras you'll see a sign down to the Cantinho do Antigamente (great local dishes and fantastic service from Gustavo). After Café Eiras, you can carry on up the road for a few hundred metres and then head left up towards Campo do Geres; you'll come across Restaurante Turismo (upmarket and pricey) and - just in front - Café Bosk (full of locals), with superb value meals. You then rejoin the camino a short while after leaving Café Bosk.

Most pilgrims tend to stay in the Pousada de Juventude, quite a way out to the south-west of the small village, but Albergaria Stop is much more central and very nice (swimming pool!), although more expensive. Great food, and Carla will prepare a picnic bag for you if you're setting off early the following morning.

If you venture into the small village in the evening you can get food in the Adega Regional, and there's a great liitle bar (Chamadouro), with good music, a cozy terrace, and a very friendly welcome from Alayse and Gustavo (the waiter from the cantinho en Covide!), as well as Rita, who runs a travel company and speaks perfect English.

 

[Charrito]

Oh, this is great! How about if we become a tag team? When I post a stage, I will wait to post the next one till you check it out and see if you have any info to add. I think that is a good way to make sure that the information is all in the right place — one of the hard things about using our detailed planning threads (done during Covid) is that there’s a lot of jumping back and forth. Which is fine for those of us who have walked already, but makes it much harder for someone who wants to use our info to plan. And you’ve been there so recently, which is a great benefit for @gracethepilgrim and @David Tallan and any other forum members who might venture out.

And p.s. I edited my post #9 to add what I found about Sao Frutuoso thanks to your tip. The hours are SO different, that I think a good check in the tourist office is the way to go.

That sounds perfect to me, Laurie! I can't remember the last time I was in a tag team! Probably when I was back at school in the 100 metres relay!!

 

[peregrina2000]

To future Geira pilgrims - Charrito is the expert when it comes to keeping track of places of business and people on the Camino. If you want to know where the next café, store, bar, or restaurant on this route is, pay attention to his posts!

 

[peregrina2000]

Day 3 — Campo de Gerês to Lobios (24.5 km).

Surely this day meets the standard of “etapa reina.” The rising sun around the reservoir was beautiful. I sat there for a long while, which is possible because the stage is a gentle one, less than 25 km and about 350 m elevation.

No cars, no people, just water, forests, Roman milestones, and some horses! I remember stopping at a very nice picnic spot near some old mills.

Campo do Geres - Lobios

Campo do Geres - Lobios Hiking trail in Campo do Gerez, Braga (Portugal). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. 5***** day. Around the reservoir and then alongside the river through a forest. Once in Spain the dissent is largely through a scrub forest, but after Baños it gets...

www.wikiloc.com

I stayed at a little hotel right on the main drag in Lobios - I think the name was Hotel Lusitano Lobios. This little town has bars and supermarkets. A very good place to eat is the bar across the street from the hotel. I met a group of girlfriends from Miami tooling around the area, and spent a nice couple of hours with them for a big meal and lots of gabbing. Based on googlemaps, I think the name is Grill Luma, but I’ve added some pics to see if Charrito’s memory is better than mine. There are more than a few dining options here, so I may have missed a standout, but I was drawn there by the friendly women who insisted I sit and stay. The place was jammed with “locals,” and I had some excellent padrón peppers (which is the standard by which I judge places in Galicia).

 

[jungleboy]

Can I join the thread? I'll paste in the descriptions I wrote for Wise Pilgrim in 2021. They're a bit guidebook-y but hopefully they'll be helpful! There's more flowery prose on the Geira on my live thread.

Day 1 — Braga to Caldelas (19 km).

Braga

Braga is a large, historic town with many sites to explore and it’s worth allowing a day or two for tourism before starting the camino.

Additionally, Henrique Malheiro, one of the co-authors of the Geira guidebook, lives in Braga, is a wealth of information on the route and is happy to share this knowledge with pilgrims before they set out. He can be contacted on: +351 963 934 583.

One site to single out is São Frutuoso, a funerary chapel built in AD 660 by the eponymous bishop of Braga. It was later modified in the high Middle Ages and experts debate whether the dominant architectural features date from the original Visigothic building or the Mozarabic modification. In any case, the remaining original aspects make it the most important pre-Romanesque Christian building in Portugal and it’s a very atmospheric place to visit. São Frutuoso is on the camino about 25 minutes’ walk from the Braga cathedral, but it’s only open 2pm-4:30pm Tue-Sun so it’s best visited the day before setting out.

Way-finding directly after São Frutuoso can be tricky because there are two sets of yellow arrows - one for the Geira and one for the continuation of the Camino Torres towards Ponte de Lima. To continue on the Geira, look for the purple CMR (Caminho Minhoto Ribeiro) arrows complementing the yellow arrows for the Geira, both of which head towards the IKEA. Way-finding to Caldelas is otherwise straightforward, with arrows pointing the way.

Caldelas

There is a 16-bed albergue behind the post office near the entrance to the village. Call José, who speaks English, in advance on +351 914 893 243 to arrange your stay as there’s no on-site reception. The albergue has a basic kitchen for self-caterers, and there’s a grocery store in town but it’s closed on Sundays.

Leaving Caldelas, turn off the main road at the camino information board, then turn right at the church and continue straight. The exit out of Caldelas is not signed but soon the arrows restart. Apart from a short trail through a lovely forest about 2km out of Caldelas, the camino is asphalt for the 6km to Santa Cruz.

 

[jungleboy]

Day 2 - Caldelas to Campo de Gerês (30)

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz contains the first of many Roman milestones on the Geira. Turn left shortly after the milestone and the asphalt ends, giving way to dirt paths interspersed with Roman stones that continue through beautiful forest all the way to Covide.

About 2.2km after Santa Cruz, there is a fork in the road. The left path is for Terras de Bouro, as indicated by the yellow TB painted on a tree.

This is the official track but if you’re not staying overnight in Terras de Bouro, there’s no reason to take it. The right path has less elevation change, follows the Geira (passing Roman milestones) and is way-marked. After 6.5km, it rejoins the Terras de Bouro route.

Covide

There is a basic store on the right side of the road at the entrance to town and a café a bit further on. As there’s no store in Campo do Gerês except at the camp ground past the village, stock up in Covide if you can.

Campo do Gerês

Campo do Gerês is the gateway to Portugal’s only national park, Peneda-Gerês. It’s a quaint stone village with several accommodation options. There’s an HI youth hostel that offers a 15 per cent pilgrim discount but it’s inconveniently located south of the village and away from food options, and not as cheap as it could be. Albergaria Stop is better located, has a restaurant and doesn’t cost much more than the hostel for a twin/double room.

 

[jungleboy]

Day 3 — Campo de Gerês to Lobios (24.5 km).

We stayed in Os Baños (19km) on day three, but I'll include my info all the way to Lobios here for consistency:

There are no arrows between Campo de Gerês and the border. Walk past the campsite north of town (Parque Cerdeira), and turn right a couple of hundred metres later on a path that soon reaches the dam, with beautiful views. After the first bridge, turn left. Cross the second bridge to admire (and perhaps swim in) some beautiful pools with small waterfalls. To continue on the camino, recross the bridge, go straight on the rocky path for just a few metres until a smaller path becomes visible on the left. Take it and continue north to the border.

Portela do Homem (the Portuguese-Spanish border)

Go straight through the border post, turn right on the main road but after 100 metres or so, turn left off the road (there’s a small arrow), and then right shortly after. Geira signposts and arrows guide the way north towards the Roman baths (Mansio Romana de Aquis Originis), 8.5km from the border.

Os Baños

Shortly after the Roman baths, the camino continues straight while a left turn leads to Os Baños. The town, which has public hot spring rock pools in the Río Caldo that runs through it, contains a restaurant and a bar but no shop. PR As Termas is a camino-friendly budget hotel on the main road between the bar and the restaurant.

Leaving Os Baños, the quickest way is to continue on the road past the restaurant, rejoining the tracks at Vilameá about one kilometre later. The more atmospheric way is to return to the tracks where you left them and walk through the forest on stretches of Roman road and past a moss-covered cruzeiro.

Shortly after Vilameá, take the left (dirt) road at the fork to the mill and bridge. Cross the bridge and soon afterwards take the left fork away from the river and not the right one that follows the course of the river.

The small arrow pointing left is easy to miss while the X for another hiking route complicates matters.

Lobios

Lobios has two small supermarkets: a Spar and an Aliprox. After the modern part of town, there is a more picturesque older section with stone houses and groupings of hórreos.

 

[Charrito]

Welcome to the tag team, @jungleboy! And thanks for your input.

One thing about the albergue in Caldelas. If you've spoken to José Manuel, the president of the Junta UFSCP, he'll make sure that they are expecting you. You can check in at the Correos office (the actual entrance to the albergue is round the back), where you will find Nuno. José Manuel is charming. He was actually born in Canada and speaks fluent English. He works in Braga (a chemical engineer), but lives in Paranhos. He came into Caldelas to meet me a few weeks ago, and we had an extremely convivial chat (over a carafe of the local wine, and a plate of cheese in Café Avenida).

In case anyone is interested, José Manuel has a beautiful casa rural just outside Paranhos and very close to the camino, but I think he only rents it out to groups. Here's the link: https://www.casadeferrapilhe.pt/

 

[Charrito]

The walk from Campo do Geres along the Rio Homem is lovely. There is, as I think @jungleboy is implying, a path down to the shore, but then there's a steep ascent to get back onto the road. Great views.

After 6 or 7 kilometres you'll find quite a few bridges, small rockpools and waterfalls. Stunning. You then have a climb up through a wooded area (a few tricky stretches, especially if it's been raining) until you eventually come out at the top. The Bar Fronteira may be open (fingers crossed!), and they have a nice little mini-museum inside with lots of Roman milestones.

It's then all downhill for a good 7 kilometres towards Os Baños. After spraining my ankle and twisting my knee on two of my caminos, I think that next time I might walk down the road!

I've stayed in Lobios twice (more later), but last month I decided to stop for the night in Os Baños. A good idea, as there was an incredible electrical storm in the afternoon!

It's definitely worth a short detour into Os Baños. Walk past the flash balneario and you'll find Bar Os Cazadores (Marga speaks great English, and they'll make you a bocadillo) in front of the free hot springs pool (the water was scalding when I attempted to soak my legs!).

The Pensión As Termas is comfortable (35 euros for a single room). Just along the road you have the Restaurante Rio Caldo, where I had an enormous and gorgeous merluza a la marineira for lunch. There was no way I could finish it all, but the friendly barman stored it in a tupperware container and told me I could come back to eat it in the evening! I did! He also reserved the half bottle of local wine that I hadn't drunk, and it was waiting for me later with 'reservado' written on the label!

Lobios is another 5 or 6 kilometres further on. If you're staying there the Hotel Lusitano is fine, and they do an excellent menú del día. Just opposite the hotel is the smallish Luma Grill: cheap, huge portions, but it's nearly always packed out with locals. There are a few other bars along the road, all with stamps, and a couple of supermarkets.

There's a massive street market in Lobios on Sundays and the town is packed out.

Last month I stayed in Entrimo instead of Lobios. If you've spent the night in Os Baños, it's a relatively short stage of around 14 or so kilometres, mainly uphill, but it means that the hike up to Castro Laboreiro the following day is less demanding.

The Hotel Entrimeña 2 was a great discovery. A huge suite and a large bathroom. The best thing, though, was the amazing breakfast I had the following morning: ham and cheese, coffee or tea, as much toast as you wanted, fried eggs or an omelette (both if you want!), honey, a selection of fruit, two massive slices of different sponge cakes. I think that was all! Bed and breakfast for just 35 euros, and Esperanza is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable.

In Entrimo you have a couple of supermarkets (early closing on Saturdays!) and enough bars. Sandra, in Bar La Entrimeña, will give you two different stamps. In the summer months you have the lovely O Chiringuito bar in the small park, just in front of the Café Bar Porta de Entrimo. Mesón Beny is a marvellous restaurant in a beautiful restored Galician house. A lovely patio and garden round the back, and excellent food.

Check out the Iglesia de Santa María La Real, just outside town. You'll see it (it's huge!) on the way out of Entrimo towards Castro Laboreiro, but it's always been closed when I've passed it.

 

[andycohn]

Thanks for this great thread. Filing it away for the ever-growing bucket list. Echoing @peregrina2000 from another thread -- that the best gps app is the one you're used to - - I note that the Geira shows up on mapy.cz as a dark blue line denoted as GRA. (No knock whatsoever on Wikiloc, just a heads-up for mapy.cz fans).

 

[jungleboy]

Thanks for this great thread.

Time to rename it as some kind of Geira planning thread to better reflect what it has become?

 

[peregrina2000]

I note that the Geira shows up on mapy.cz as a dark blue line denoted as GRA. (No knock whatsoever on Wikiloc, just a heads-up for mapy.cz fans).

I am going to have to get mapy.cz on my phone! I know that some people much prefer to have just one set of tracks available, and this app seems to have a very complete set of camino tracks.

When I walked the Torres/Geira there were what had obviously been some recent changes to the routes. Arrows pointing in several ways, some maybe having been crossed out, etc. I rememnber one spot in particular, maybe coming into Lamego on the Torres, which was very major and involved a total re-routing of a several km stretch. I was very happy to have some recently recorded wikiloc tracks on my phone so that I could make a more intelligent decision on which set of arrows to follow.

I know that the labor-intensivity of my approach is more than some can tolerate. But it’s now a standard part of my night — go to wikiloc and download three or four of the more recently recorded tracks of the stage I am planning to walk the next day. You can have them available for offline use, which is great. This takes a total of 5-10 minutes. Next day, I always try to walk with a set of tracks that has been recorded in the last three months, which is a filter you can put on the wikiloc search option. Then I put the phone in my fanny pack and follow the arrows till there is some confusion or until wikiloc beeps at me. Having several tracks available to flip back and forth between means I can quickly see what is going on. Maybe that’s overkill, but since I am almost always alone on these untraveled caminos, it’s great back-up.

 

[Charrito]

Thanks for this great thread. Filing it away for the ever-growing bucket list. Echoing @peregrina2000 from another thread -- that the best gps app is the one you're used to - - I note that the Geira shows up on mapy.cz as a dark blue line denoted as GRA. (No knock whatsoever on Wikiloc, just a heads-up for mapy.cz fans).

Mapy rules! I never leave the house without it!

 

[Charrito]

I am going to have to get mapy.cz on my phone! I know that some people much prefer to have just one set of tracks available, and this app seems to have a very complete set of camino tracks.

When I walked the Torres/Geira there were what had obviously been some recent changes to the routes. Arrows pointing in several ways, some maybe having been crossed out, etc. I rememnber one spot in particular, maybe coming into Lamego on the Torres, which was very major and involved a total re-routing of a several km stretch. I was very happy to have some recently recorded wikiloc tracks on my phone so that I could make a more intelligent decision on which set of arrows to follow.

I know that the labor-intensivity of my approach is more than some can tolerate. But it’s now a standard part of my night — go to wikiloc and download three or four of the more recently recorded tracks of the stage I am planning to walk the next day. You can have them available for offline use, which is great. This takes a total of 5-10 minutes. Next day, I always try to walk with a set of tracks that has been recorded in the last three months, which is a filter you can put on the wikiloc search option. Then I put the phone in my fanny pack and follow the arrows till there is some confusion or until wikiloc beeps at me. Having several tracks available to flip back and forth between means I can quickly see what is going on. Maybe that’s overkill, but since I am almost always alone on these untraveled caminos, it’s great back-up.

Since I discovered Mapy I have discarded every other app. Forget them and use Mapy. It's perfect.

 

[gracethepilgrim]

Oh wow, Saturday morning and I’ve just discovered the rejuvenation of this thread,
So a general huge thankyou to all who are contributing.

I’ll be tackling the Geira (body and soul/souls still willing) around the end of Sept or start of Oct after walking the Torres from Salamanca to Braga.

The planning stage is such fun. I can see myself updating my growing table of notes with all this additional info.

I hope I’ll have some more nuggets to share when I return
Thanks again everyone

 

[alansykes]

I think the stage between Lobios and Castro Laboreiro is possibly the favourite of my 600-odd days on the camino. Just astonishingly beautiful:

Lobios to Castro Laboreiro

Running out of superlatives. Jaw-dropping, breath-taking, mind-bending beauty. The 70km between Candelas and Castro Laboreiro must be amongst the loveliest of anywhere in Europe.

Today started badly, which doesn't usually translate into a 5* day. Drizzle, the first rain to fall on me in Spain since setting off in late September. It was nice to have my first tostada con tomate for breakfast, but sad about the lack of pastéis de nata. The camino moves off the GR which it has been following from the border and which concludes at the visigothic church of Santa Comba de Bamba. Only 16km. Some other day, dv.

Enforced tarmac takes you across the Limia reservoir. Then off road. The cloud was mostly low, with occasional tantalising flashes of sunlight, and the drizzle stopped very soon after setting off. Mostly off tarmac, moving steadily uphill on golden forest tracks, mostly strewn with oak leaves, but a few chestnut, and (very few) pine.

A coffee break after about 8km was welcome. But the greatest pleasure came very suddenly. The woods came to an end and simultaneously the clouds lifted. I found myself on an immense empty boulder-strewn heath with a ring of beautiful jagged mountains emerging from and disappearing into cloud. Underfoot was flowering heather - a surprise to me, as at home mine is all done by early August - as well as gorse and those pretty autumn crocuses.

View attachment 136361

There was no perceptible border with Portugal, except that an old gadgy in an apparently otherwise deserted hamlet said bom día and I noticed my watch had gone back an hour.

The caminho quickly joined the beautiful silvery green rushing noisy waters of the río Castro Laboreiro, a very enjoyable companion. A couple of impressive bridges. One was flat, of huge flagstones crossing at a wide point, and presumably completely underwater during flooding. The other was a glorious soaring mediaeval single arch.

View attachment 136362

And all with the ever-changing surrounding mountains. One peak in particular seemed to get an unfair ration of sun, and turned out to be the Castelo itself of Castro Laboreiro.

A sharp climb takes you finally up to the village - 1 in 7 incline, at one point - but the extra hour changing into Portugal meant I was enjoying some roast kid by 1.30pm. And then a really lovely hour ratching around the deserted castle - mostly cut from the surrounding rock, with a few strategically placed walls to help the natural defenses and apparently deliberately made not to be prominent from a distance. The clouds had dropped down a bit, but the surrounding hills were still spectacular in the ever changing light.

Back over 1000m as well, for the second and last time on this camino/caminho. Not as often as usual - this day last year I was heading up over the 2000m puerta del Reventón in knee-deep snow. Today was different, but just as beautiful, just as satisfying - just as hard work.

What a day. Wow. It can't carry on.

View attachment 136363

 

[peregrina2000]

Day 4 - Lobios to Castro Laboreiro (21 km, 900 m)

I consider myself a very grateful pilgrim — I am often gobsmacked by the natural beauty or historical sites around me and am constantly remembering how much I am indebted to others for being able to do this (both at home and on the Camino). But I don’t think I’ve ever looked back at my pictures and blogs on other caminos and had that same sense of awe rekindled. Looking back on the day’s walk from September 27, 2022 left me with that same sense. This was an absolutely gorgeous, challenging, awe-inspiring day, topped off by a walk up to a castle with a view that other castles may match, but none in recent memory can top. (NB: I wrote this before I saw Alan Sykes’ comment above, honest!)

Lobios to Castro Laboreiro (Caminho da Geira)

Lobios to Castro Laboreiro (Caminho da Geira) Hiking trail in Ríocaldo, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the route on a map. Record your own itinerary from the Wikiloc app, upload the trail and share it with the community.

www.wikiloc.com

The town of Castro Laboreiro is kind of a walking hub, so I met several groups and enjoyed some nice interaction and a meal with others. But I have to say I was so glad that I was not going to be herded off on a bus tomorrow to the start of another guided walk. There are several hotels and places to eat, and a little grocery. I stayed in Miradouro do Castelo and got a cheap pilgrim price, maybe € 27?

I am so envious of those forum members who will be able to walk this route soon! But envious in a good way, what the Spanish language dubs as “envidia sana.”

 

[peregrina2000]

I think the stage between Lobios and Castro Laboreiro is possibly the favourite of my 600-odd days on the camino. Just astonishingly beautiful:

Alan, I wrote my gushy prose in the last post without seeing what you had written. When I flipped over to wikiloc to get my tracks and came back, I saw it. Uncanny.

 

[jungleboy]

Day 4 - Lobios to Castro Laboreiro (21 km, 900 m)

My 'guidebook' entry is below. I'll come back tomorrow with more personal reflections!

After crossing the Limia river soon after Lobios, look behind the petrol station for a hard-to-find trail. There’s a camino sign but it’s hidden from view until you locate the path.

Entrimo

Entrimo has the same two supermarkets as Lobios and several establishments that will stamp credentials (indicated by a sticker on the door). A stone rococo church is the highlight of the town.After recrossing the border back into Portugal, way-marking is poor and GPS tracks are needed. After passing (but not crossing) a medieval bridge and joining a paved road about 3km from Castro Laboreiro, there are two options: the more direct route on the road or a 5.7km alternative on a path, the beginning of which is signposted on the other side of the road.

Castro Laboreiro

There is a mini-market inside the bakery on the main road, the last chance to buy food until Cortegada.

Hotel Castrum Villae is an economical three-star hotel at the end of the village. The included breakfast doesn’t start until 8am but it can be brought to your room the evening before if you want to get an early start.

Restaurante Miradouro do Castelo comes as advertised: the main dining hall has a beautiful view over the castle and mountains.

Considering the location, prices are quite reasonable.

 

[andycohn]

I am going to have to get mapy.cz on my phone! I know that some people much prefer to have just one set of tracks available, and this app seems to have a very complete set of camino tracks.

Forget the Camino! Mapy will undoubtedly show you hiking trails you never even knew existed in the wilds of Champaign.