Variante Espiritual - Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa Duration

[rainswift]

Buen camino and thank you for your time.

I am planning to walk the Coastal Camino Portugues including the Variante Espiritual in June 2024. I'm taking a gentle, reflective approach, so many of the stages I have split to get days closer to 15-20 km. The stage from Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa (24km) will be one of my longest days.

I'm having a hard time evaluating how long it will take me to walk that particular stage. I looked on AllTrails and it said the Ruta de le Piedra y del Agua, while only 5-7km long, will itself take 3 hours and is rated at a moderate difficulty. It wasn't clear if that means 3 hours one-way, or if it meant 3 hours out-and-back (so 1.5 hours one-way).

If you have walked the Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa stage, would you be able to give me a sense of how long that day was for you?

Thanks!

 

[kenwilltravel]

Buen camino and thank you for your time.

I am planning to walk the Coastal Camino Portugues including the Variante Espiritual in June 2024. I'm taking a gentle, reflective approach, so many of the stages I have split to get days closer to 15-20 km. The stage from Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa (24km) will be one of my longest days.

I'm having a hard time evaluating how long it will take me to walk that particular stage. I looked on AllTrails and it said the Ruta de le Piedra y del Agua, while only 5-7km long, will itself take 3 hours and is rated at a moderate difficulty. It wasn't clear if that means 3 hours one-way, or if it meant 3 hours out-and-back (so 1.5 hours one-way).

If you have walked the Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa stage, would you be able to give me a sense of how long that day was for you?

Thanks!

You're going to get a lot of commentary on this. A lot of people do this segment from Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa in one day. Others (like me and my wife) in two. You can get a lot of info by looking at some of the previous Variante Espirtual threads. We decided to take two days because the Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua is kind of special and worth a slow saunter. So, we spent all morning walking the 8.5 km from the Armenteira monastery to Ribadumia, arriving there around 2, where we spent the night at the Os Castaños Taberna. The next morning we started walking the remaining 18 km to Vilanova, arriving in the late afternoon. That made a comfortable trip for us. But lots of other people do the trip in one day and enjoy that too so it's all a matter of personal preference (and how much time you have). Buen Camino.

 

[rainswift]

You're going to get a lot of commentary on this. A lot of people do this segment from Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa in one day. Others (like me and my wife) in two. You can get a lot of info by looking at some of the previous Variante Espirtual threads. We decided to take two days because the Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua is kind of special and worth a slow saunter. So, we spent all morning walking the 8.5 km from the Armenteira monastery to Ribadumia, arriving there around 2, where we spent the night at the Os Castaños Taberna. The next morning we started walking the remaining 18 km to Vilanova, arriving in the late afternoon. That made a comfortable trip for us. But lots of other people do the trip in one day and enjoy that too so it's all a matter of personal preference (and how much time you have). Buen Camino.

Thank you for the timeline. It is indeed important to me to enjoy the Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua. I had actually planned to stay at Armenteira for two days just so I could take one entire day to walk the Route of Stone and Water out and back, then repeat it and continue onwards to Vilanova de Arousa the next day. (It would have been one night at the Carballo de Prado 1900, and one night in the Armenteira Monastery).

Based on your recall, looks like the 8.5km to Ribadumia/ Os Castanos Taberna might be 4 hours at a casual pace. Then, the next day, maybe 6-7 hours (18km) from Ribadumia to Vilanova de Arousa. I like that timeline a lot better and I think I will try to split the stage from Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa the same way.

Buen camino, thank you!

 

[rainswift]

@kenwilltravel Sorry about the ping - follow up question: how much was it to stay at Os Castanos Taberna, if you recall?

Thanks again.

 

[kenwilltravel]

@kenwilltravel Sorry about the ping - follow up question: how much was it to stay at Os Castanos Taberna, if you recall?

Thanks again.

Hi rainswift. I don't actually recall the cost of that lodging but it didn't strike us as unreasonable at the time. That was back in 2019 anyway so prices have surely gone up. Here's their lodging page which contains both a phone number and email so you can ask them directly: https://www.oscastaños.es/hotel-rural-ribadumia.aspx
The rooms were simple but comfortable and the restaurant downstairs quite good. One piece of advice: plan to get there before they close the kitchen for lunch, which is around 3 as I recall. Otherwise you'll have a hard time finding something to eat in the vicinity.

 

[kenwilltravel]

Thank you for the timeline. It is indeed important to me to enjoy the Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua. I had actually planned to stay at Armenteira for two days just so I could take one entire day to walk the Route of Stone and Water out and back, then repeat it and continue onwards to Vilanova de Arousa the next day. (It would have been one night at the Carballo de Prado 1900, and one night in the Armenteira Monastery).

Based on your recall, looks like the 8.5km to Ribadumia/ Os Castanos Taberna might be 4 hours at a casual pace. Then, the next day, maybe 6-7 hours (18km) from Ribadumia to Vilanova de Arousa. I like that timeline a lot better and I think I will try to split the stage from Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa the same way.

Buen camino, thank you!

Glad to hear you're staying in the monastery, which my wife and I consider the highlight of our Spiritual Variant experience. Be sure you take in the Vespers service at 7 p.m., which ends with a special blessing for pilgrims. Spending some quiet time in the church and cloisters is also very worthwhile. Armenteira is a special place.

 

[rainswift]

Thank you very much! The Spiritual Variant is the part I most look forward to of the whole Camino.

 

[Yoyo]

I walked that route in September 2022 and, just like you, wanted to keep my daily distances moderate. Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa would have been the longest stage for me, too.
The walk from Combarro, where I had spent the night, up to Armenteira took me about 3 hours. I had planned to stay at the albergue municipal there. But after visiting the monastery and having lunch in a bar I felt I could walk on. So I called Os Castaños to reserve a bed and took the Ruta del Agua y de la Piedra at around 1 p.m. It was a pleasant downhill walk in the shade along the creek, on soft soil and with beautiful views. (But I don't think any pilgrim would want to walk it back up again and do it all over the next day!) Deducing from the time stamps on my photos, I must have arrived at Os Castaños at around 4:45 p.m.
The next day I was so glad I didn't have such a long stage to Vilanova, especially as it was pouring with rain that day! It still took me over five hours to get there as I had to shelter from the elements several times.
Buen camino to you, it's a beautiful walk!

 

[TashH]

I walked this segment last week and broke it up by staying in Combarro, a beautiful seaside town that is worth an overnight stop, so that the hill up to Armenteira was at the beginning of my days walk. I then had a coffee at Armenteira and walked on to Barrantes. I stayed at Os Castanos and it was €38 including breakfast which was plentiful and a lovely way to start the day.
The walk along the path of stone and water is beautiful but it did not take 3hours. It can be a bit slow going as it’s not flat and there are lots of tree roots, my poles came in very handy for this segment.

 

[FLEUR]

We did the same. 4 pilgrims in two bedrooms meant the hotel wasn't too pricey.

 

[rainswift]

I walked that route in September 2022 and, just like you, wanted to keep my daily distances moderate. Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa would have been the longest stage for me, too.
The walk from Combarro, where I had spent the night, up to Armenteira took me about 3 hours. I had planned to stay at the albergue municipal there. But after visiting the monastery and having lunch in a bar I felt I could walk on. So I called Os Castaños to reserve a bed and took the Ruta del Agua y de la Piedra at around 1 p.m. It was a pleasant downhill walk in the shade along the creek, on soft soil and with beautiful views. (But I don't think any pilgrim would want to walk it back up again and do it all over the next day!) Deducing from the time stamps on my photos, I must have arrived at Os Castaños at around 4:45 p.m.
The next day I was so glad I didn't have such a long stage to Vilanova, especially as it was pouring with rain that day! It still took me over five hours to get there as I had to shelter from the elements several times.
Buen camino to you, it's a beautiful walk!

This is really valuable information, thank you! I am also planning on staying in Combarro and taking the day to walk up to Armenteira (because it's a long ascent).

Good to know I wouldn't want to re-walk it on my "rest day"! XD

And knowing that the stage from Os Castanos/Ribadumia to Vilanova de Arousa will be closer to 5-6 hours is good too. I really do want to take the time to enjoy this reportedly most beautiful part of the Camino Portugues.

 

[rainswift]

I walked this segment last week and broke it up by staying in Combarro, a beautiful seaside town that is worth an overnight stop, so that the hill up to Armenteira was at the beginning of my days walk. I then had a coffee at Armenteira and walked on to Barrantes. I stayed at Os Castanos and it was €38 including breakfast which was plentiful and a lovely way to start the day.
The walk along the path of stone and water is beautiful but it did not take 3hours. It can be a bit slow going as it’s not flat and there are lots of tree roots, my poles came in very handy for this segment.

Thank you for this info. It's a little hard to gauge how long the route from Armenteira to Os Castanos will be, so maybe guessing 2 hours on the Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua and 1 hour onwards to Os Castanos would be a compromise of the others' estimates.

Thank you also for the price estimate.

Did everyone like Os Castanos? It's not very well reviewed on TripAdvisor, but maybe that's just the restaurant. A little further on is the better-reviewed Hostal Santa Baia, but it's about 20 euro more to stay so unless I hear the Os Castanos is horrible, I'll probably opt for the Os Castanos.

Buen camino!

 

[FLEUR]

We liked OS Castanos. 2022
We thought dinner there would be pricey but as we ordered the waitress advised that the portions were huge so we shared dishes and discovered waitress was correct.
We were leaving before breakfast service on Sunday so they left us a really generous packed breakfast to eat there or take with us.
I'd recommend it.

 

[FLEUR]

Do stop and take a lunch break at Armenteira.
The Bar restaurant will stamp your credential if you ask.

 

[rainswift]

Do stop and take a lunch break at Armenteira.
The Bar restaurant will stamp your credential if you ask.

Thank you for the info on Os Castanos. Looking like I'll have a short day from Armenteira to Os Castanos.

I will overnight at the Armenteira Monastery, if they will permit me to stay. I want to really take my time on the Variante Espiritual.

 

[kenwilltravel]

Do stop and take a lunch break at Armenteira.
The Bar restaurant will stamp your credential if you ask.

Yes, but you can also get a stamp in the monastery itself. There's a little gift shop to the right of the entrance to the Cloisters.

 

[kenwilltravel]

Thank you for the info on Os Castanos. Looking like I'll have a short day from Armenteira to Os Castanos.

I will overnight at the Armenteira Monastery, if they will permit me to stay. I want to really take my time on the Variante Espiritual.

Be sure you reserve in advance at the monastery: https://www.monasteriodearmenteira.es/peregrinos/
These rooms are in high demand.

 

[FLEUR]

We found the Monastery unhelpful.
One of our group phoned in Spanish the night before and asked for accommodation. Was straightaway told NO and that was it.

 

[rainswift]

Yes, I've heard the Monastery is very much in demand. I intend to book about 3 months in advance and send a further message about a week before arrival to confirm. If I cannot stay at the Monastery, I will stay at the Carballo de Prado 1900, which looks really lovely as well.

 

[kenwilltravel]

We found the Monastery unhelpful.
One of our group phoned in Spanish the night before and asked for accommodation. Was straightaway told NO and that was it.

We stayed there twice, in 2019 and 2022, and always reserved a week or so ahead of time. The second time, we stayed two days and got to know the administrative nun and a visiting priest pretty well. From the conversations we had with them I can tell you that catering to visiting peregrinos is a real challenge for them when their main mission is to maintain a quiet place conducive to contemplation and worship. Dealing with pilgrims can be stressful for them but they do their best.

 

[derosierkj]

Buen camino and thank you for your time.

I am planning to walk the Coastal Camino Portugues including the Variante Espiritual in June 2024. I'm taking a gentle, reflective approach, so many of the stages I have split to get days closer to 15-20 km. The stage from Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa (24km) will be one of my longest days.

I'm having a hard time evaluating how long it will take me to walk that particular stage. I looked on AllTrails and it said the Ruta de le Piedra y del Agua, while only 5-7km long, will itself take 3 hours and is rated at a moderate difficulty. It wasn't clear if that means 3 hours one-way, or if it meant 3 hours out-and-back (so 1.5 hours one-way).

If you have walked the Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa stage, would you be able to give me a sense of how long that day was for you?

Thanks!

I walked it today and what you really need to look at is the elevation. We started at 8 and walked until 3 pm - coming down from the monastery is very steep. The day before from Pontevedra to Armenteira is a very steep uphill from Combarro - and added 2 hours to our day. The elevation and descent is what will slow you down.

 

[FLEUR]

Really advise
Day 1
Pontevedra to Combarro.
Day 2
Combarro-Armenteira- (lunch break) - then Os Castanos .
Day 3
To Vilanova de Arousa
Day 4
Ferry to Padron etc

 

[rainswift]

I walked it today and what you really need to look at is the elevation. We started at 8 and walked until 3 pm - coming down from the monastery is very steep. The day before from Pontevedra to Armenteira is a very steep uphill from Combarro - and added 2 hours to our day. The elevation and descent is what will slow you down.

Yes, I am worried about the elevation causing a long day. So the plan is:

Day 1: Pontevedra to Combarro (11km)
Day 2: Combarro to Armenteira (9 km)
Day 3: Armenteira to Ribadumia (13 km, stay at Os Castanos)
Day 4: Ribadumia to Vilanova de Arousa (17 km)
Day 5: Ferry to Padron

I'm aware that this is quite spread out, and that other people manage to do it in 2 days, but as I mentioned I intend to thoroughly enjoy the Variante.

 

[FLEUR]

Sounds good and if you've the time take as long as you need.

 

[Yoyo]

Did everyone like Os Castanos? It's not very well reviewed on TripAdvisor, but maybe that's just the restaurant.

My room at Os Castaños was quite dated and the adjacent road was busy, but the food was nice and I was happy to have a place to rest there that day.

 

[rainswift]

My room at Os Castaños was quite dated and the adjacent road was busy, but the food was nice and I was happy to have a place to rest there that day.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Elle Bieling]

@kenwilltravel Sorry about the ping - follow up question: how much was it to stay at Os Castanos Taberna, if you recall?

Thanks again.

Was just there! 60 euros for a double with a huge breakfast included! A single peregrina told us it was 38 euros for her.

 

[Elle Bieling]

I walked this segment last week and broke it up by staying in Combarro, a beautiful seaside town that is worth an overnight stop, so that the hill up to Armenteira was at the beginning of my days walk. I then had a coffee at Armenteira and walked on to Barrantes. I stayed at Os Castanos and it was €38 including breakfast which was plentiful and a lovely way to start the day.
The walk along the path of stone and water is beautiful but it did not take 3hours. It can be a bit slow going as it’s not flat and there are lots of tree roots, my poles came in very handy for this segment.

This is exactly what we did and I recommend. Combarro is a fascinating, historic place, with medieval narrow streets, crosses and places to eat by the sea. We loved it!

 

[dougfitz]

Yes, I am worried about the elevation causing a long day. So the plan is:

Day 1: Pontevedra to Combarro (11km)
Day 2: Combarro to Armenteira (9 km)
Day 3: Armenteira to Ribadumia (13 km, stay at Os Castanos)
Day 4: Ribadumia to Vilanova de Arousa (17 km)
Day 5: Ferry to Padron

I'm aware that this is quite spread out, and that other people manage to do it in 2 days, but as I mentioned I intend to thoroughly enjoy the Variante.

My distances earlier this year:

Pontevedra to Combarro 16.5 km, ascent 320 m but I did a couple of extra bits, so perhaps a km or so less
Combarro to Armenteira 10 km, ascent 430 m
Armenteira to Os Castanos 7.8 km
Os Cantanos to Vilanove de Arousa 18.5 km ascent 250 m

Note ascent rounded up. There appears to be some confusion about the ascent to reach Armenteira, depending on the source you use, which might reflect that different paths have been taken.

 

[kenwilltravel]

This is exactly what we did and I recommend. Combarro is a fascinating, historic place, with medieval narrow streets, crosses and places to eat by the sea. We loved it!

One of Combarro's claims to fame is that it possesses more horreos (granaries), about 60, than any town in Galicia. Back in the day, the local fishermen used these to store dried fish, as well as grain. The town is also packed with cruceiros, another distinctive feature of Galician architecture. These are stone crosses placed at crossroads or near chapels, churches and cemeteries, typically featuring images of either the Virgin Mary with child or Christ crucified.

 

[rainswift]

My distances earlier this year:

Pontevedra to Combarro 16.5 km, ascent 320 m but I did a couple of extra bits, so perhaps a km or so less
Combarro to Armenteira 10 km, ascent 430 m
Armenteira to Os Castanos 7.8 km
Os Cantanos to Vilanove de Arousa 18.5 km ascent 250 m

Note ascent rounded up. There appears to be some confusion about the ascent to reach Armenteira, depending on the source you use, which might reflect that different paths have been taken.

Thank you for the distances! Appreciate it a lot.

 

[rainswift]

Was just there! 60 euros for a double with a huge breakfast included! A single peregrina told us it was 38 euros for her.

Thanks! 38 euros is a lot cheaper than going onwards to Hostal Santa Baia (booking.com says 58 euros).

 

[auburnfive]

Yes, I am worried about the elevation causing a long day. So the plan is:

Day 1: Pontevedra to Combarro (11km)
Day 2: Combarro to Armenteira (9 km)
Day 3: Armenteira to Ribadumia (13 km, stay at Os Castanos)
Day 4: Ribadumia to Vilanova de Arousa (17 km)
Day 5: Ferry to Padron

I'm aware that this is quite spread out, and that other people manage to do it in 2 days, but as I mentioned I intend to thoroughly enjoy the Variante.

We are doing this exact itinerary next week, I will let you know how it goes. We were able to book at the monastery, earlier it was closed to pilgrims as retreats were going on, but when I checked back it had opened up.

 

[rainswift]

We are doing this exact itinerary next week, I will let you know how it goes. We were able to book at the monastery, earlier it was closed to pilgrims as retreats were going on, but when I checked back it had opened up.

Appreciate you circling back to provide info!

 

[auburnfive]

We are doing this exact itinerary next week, I will let you know how it goes. We were able to book at the monastery, earlier it was closed to pilgrims as retreats were going on, but when I checked back it had opened up.

We catch the ferry tomorrow, and it’s been a delightful walk. Combarro was an interesting town, there are 5 of us, we stayed in Casa Rualiera, a typical stone house, enjoyed a meal overlooking the harbour and wandered through the market area. The next night at the monastery, then onto Os Castanos, the town is much larger than I had thought, our walk was short, but we enjoyed sitting out on the shared balcony. Tonight in Vila de Arousa. The walks have been very manageable, especially if you enjoy a leisurely pace. Breaking up the first day really helped with the vertical gain.

 

[FLEUR]

We catch the ferry tomorrow, and it’s been a delightful walk. Combarro was an interesting town, there are 5 of us, we stayed in Casa Rualiera, a typical stone house, enjoyed a meal overlooking the harbour and wandered through the market area. The next night at the monastery, then onto Os Castanos, the town is much larger than I had thought, our walk was short, but we enjoyed sitting out on the shared balcony. Tonight in Vila de Arousa. The walks have been very manageable, especially if you enjoy a leisurely pace. Breaking up the first day really helped with the vertical gain.

Good to hear from you Auburn 5.

 

[rainswift]

We catch the ferry tomorrow, and it’s been a delightful walk. Combarro was an interesting town, there are 5 of us, we stayed in Casa Rualiera, a typical stone house, enjoyed a meal overlooking the harbour and wandered through the market area. The next night at the monastery, then onto Os Castanos, the town is much larger than I had thought, our walk was short, but we enjoyed sitting out on the shared balcony. Tonight in Vila de Arousa. The walks have been very manageable, especially if you enjoy a leisurely pace. Breaking up the first day really helped with the vertical gain.

This sounds so lovely. Thank you for letting me know about your experience.

 

[katpet]

Has anyone walked from Combarro to vilanova de arousa in one day? Not the best I know, but I'm getting short on time and would really like to spend the night in combarro.

 

[katpet]

Also wondering if there is any public transport from Ponte Arnelas to Vilanova de Arousa?

 

[rainswift]

Has anyone walked from Combarro to vilanova de arousa in one day? Not the best I know, but I'm getting short on time and would really like to spend the night in combarro.

That's like 37 km including a hard uphill for 10km from Combarro to Armenteira though... is there no way you can at least split it in two?

Combarro --> Ribadumia (stay at Os Castanos) - approx 18km
Ribadumia --> Vilanova de Arousa - approx 19km

 

[dougfitz]

Has anyone walked from Combarro to vilanova de arousa in one day? Not the best I know, but I'm getting short on time and would really like to spend the night in combarro.

Based on my distances/climb from earlier this year, that is about 37km and 600m of climb, the flat equivalent of nearly 42km. Unless you have been training for a marathon, that will be one long, hard day. It would probably be a long, hard day even if you have trained for that distance!

 

[FLEUR]

We did this in two days as suggested. Worked for us four older walkers.

 

[katpet]

Thanks for the feedback. Clearly it's too much for one day

 

[katpet]

That's like 37 km including a hard uphill for 10km from Combarro to Armenteira though... is there no way you can at least split it in two?

Combarro --> Ribadumia (stay at Os Castanos) - approx 18km
Ribadumia --> Vilanova de Arousa - approx 19km

Great suggestion. I'll do a little adjusting earlier in the camino to make sure I have this time for armenteira.

 

[richardb]

I stayed for two nights at Armenteira monastery as a guest and had a good rest. Then I then walked to Vilanova de Arousa in one day. It was 25km and just about OK. Great lunch at A Mucho Peregrino just beyond Ponte Arnelas, which carried me over the dull section to the coast.