Vigo → Redondela

Out of Vigo on city streets, then the level Senda da Auga forest water-channel trail high above the Ría de Vigo, with views to the Rande bridge, before a descent on tracks and tarmac into Redondela; modest climbing, mostly on good surfaces.

Stage map & GPX track

Distance and difficulty

The stage is about 16.6 km with roughly 310 m of ascent — short by Camino standards, with one real but gradual climb out of Vigo and an easy descent into Redondela. It is a good day to recover after the long, hard-to-navigate Baiona stage. Surfaces are mixed: city streets at the start, a long stretch of smooth forest trail in the middle, and tracks and tarmac at the end. Most walkers finish in four hours or less.

Route and variants

Leaving central Vigo the waymarks climb through the upper city and into the woods to pick up the Senda da Auga, the level path that defines this stage. There is no significant variant — once on the Senda da Auga the route is clear and well used by local walkers and cyclists — but pay attention at the start, where the city waymarking is thin, the same problem that dogs the approach into Vigo from the south.

The stage, section by section

From the centre you climb past the modernist Igrexa da Inmaculada Concepción (completed 1968) to reach the Senda da Auga, a scenic trail that runs along an old water channel through eucalyptus and pine, level and shaded, with repeated views down to the ría and across to the Rande bridge. Roughly midway a small waterfall and picnic area at Rego Fondón make a natural break, and there are cafés along the way. The trail eventually descends past the Iglesia de San Andrés (1743) and into Redondela.

Arriving in Redondela

Redondela is the historic meeting point of the two main Portuguese routes: pilgrims who walked the Coastal Route and those who came inland on the Central Camino from Tui converge here, so from this stage on the path is busier all the way to Santiago. The town is known for its two great railway viaducts striding over the rooftops. It has a full set of services and a strong choice of pilgrim beds, making it a natural and popular overnight.

Where to sleep and eat

Redondela has several pilgrim albergues. The municipal Albergue de Peregrinos Casa da Torre occupies a 16th-century tower house in the centre; the Albergue Parroquial Santiago Apóstol offers bunks, a kitchen and a garden; and there are private options such as A Marisma, which is highly rated and books up quickly. Hostales and guesthouses fill out the range. The town has plenty of bars and restaurants — and because the route is busier from here, it is worth booking a bed ahead in season rather than arriving late.

Stage logistics at a glance

Distance about 16.6 km; difficulty moderate but short, with one gradual climb; four hours or less for most. Cafés and the Rego Fondón picnic spot break the trail, so resupply is easy. From Redondela the Coastal and Central routes are one; the next stage to Pontevedra (about 19.6 km) crosses the historic Ponte Sampaio. Book ahead from here on, as pilgrim numbers rise sharply after the junction.

Frequently asked questions