Day twelve on the Camino Portugués between Caldas de Reis and Padrón can only mean one thing – my Camino is almost over. It’s been a very different experience to my first one – more rain and a lot more pilgrims on the way but a nice change to walk with a friend rather than solo.
Day Twelve: Caldas de Reis and Padrón
Date: Thursday 10 October 2024
Start Point: Campo da Torre, Caldas de Reis
End Point: Apartamento Salomé, Padrón
Distance Walked: 11.93 miles (19.20 kms)
Time Taken: 4hours 41 minutes (including rest stops)
Weather: Cloudy but dry
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Leaving Caldas de Reis
The rain had stopped overnight so I was looking forward to a dry walk on our penultimate day.
We left Caldas de Reis around 8.30am and, as we left the town, the sun was just starting to come up. As I’d walked the Spiritual Variant last time, this part of the way as far as Pontecesures was all new to me and was lovely with a low hanging mist over the fields.
It reminded me of the early stages of the Central route where much of the way is on forest tracks through woodlands which, now, were bursting with autumn colour.
The rain had given everything a real vibrancy – the bright green moss growing on the tree trunks contrasting with the golden browns of the fern and bracken. There were also loads of horse chestnuts which must have been dislodged by the storms – anyone wanting a game of conkers would have been able to take their pick here!
There were a few sections where you could see the damage caused by Storm Kirk – trees were down, and streams that had broken their banks had left large puddles in the path that we had to skirt around to keep our feet dry, but at least we were able to walk the whole way on the official Camino path today!
There were quite a few pilgrims on the path but they tended to be quite spaced out for long stretches and then we’d reach a coffee shop or a small church and suddenly there’d be a crowd again. You can tell Santiago is getting closer!
At one point, as we walked behind a line of pilgrims, we overtook three who had stopped right in the middle of the path. We soon figured out why they’d stopped when both Christine and I were stung – we’d inadvertently walked into a swarm of hornets. Several others in front of us had also been stung so someone must have disturbed the nest and the hornets were just stinging anyone and everyone who passed.
Luckily I just had one sting on my leg but Christine had two. They were so painful and were still throbbing hours later. What a great Camino souvenir!
We reached Pontecesures about noon and, although it’s not far from there to Padrón, we decided to stop by the side of the river for a picnic lunch as we knew we were too early to check in to our accommodation.
Arriving in Padrón
It was early afternoon by the time we reached Padrón. I’d booked an apartment, Apartamento Salomé, just off the route. It was a bit of a palaver when we checked in as we wanted separate rooms but the owner was trying to get us to share a room (which had three beds in it). Eventually he did unlock another room but didn’t seem happy about it even though the booking that we had clearly stated that we’d booked two rooms. I guess we could have shared but both Christine and I like our own space after a day’s walking and we had paid for two separate rooms.
You can read about all my accommodation choices on the Coastal route of the Camino Portugués here.
Exploring Padrón
I’d done a little bit of sightseeing in Padrón on my first visit but I was only passing through on that occasion. This time we had plenty of time to look around so went out for a wander later in the afternoon.
There are quite a few interesting statues dotted around town plus a few key sights that are worth checking out.
Igrexa de Santiago Apostolo de Padrón
The church in Padrón is dedicated to St James. When his body was brought back to Spain by boat it was moored to a Roman altar stone called a pedrón which gave the town its name. You can see the pedrón underneath the main altar of the church.
Capilla de San Antón
A pretty little church in the heart of Padrón. It’s only small but we went in for a look around and got a stamp for our credencial.
Fuente del Carmen
This is a 16th century fountain that you’ll see as you cross the bridge from the main church. There’s a carving of Queen Lupa being baptised by St James at the top, while you can see the boat transporting his body at the bottom.
Convento do Carme
If you follow the hill behind the fountain you’ll come to the Convento do Carme, an 18th century convent. Each time I’ve been in Padrón it’s been closed so I haven’t been able to check out its interior. After a bit of research it appears it only opens for daily mass. If you want to visit you can check the mass times here.
If you’ve got the energy for climbing some steep steps (125 to be precise) then you might want to check out this next place.
Santiaguiño do Monte
The Santiaguiño do Monte is where St James would preach from the rocks. There’s a statue of St James here as well as a hermitage and fountain. In the 16th century pilgrims would climb the rocks on their knees praying on each of the steps.
I didn’t visit this time but if you want to see some photos I took on my first visit to Padrón you’ll find some in this post.
Exploration over we stopped for a beer in the sun at A Parada do Camiño (which is also an albergue) and then set off in search of food or, more precisely, the local delicacy, Padrón peppers.
Padrón Peppers
Padrón peppers or pimientos de Padrón to give them their official name are green peppers that have been fried in olive oil until their skins blister and then seasoned with salt.
Most of the peppers are very mild but there’s an occasional hot one which is why eating a serving of them is likened to playing Russian roulette with your tastebuds.
We enjoyed ours in Pulpería Rial on Praza Traviesas which seems to be a popular pilgrim gathering spot.
We then stopped off at the artisan bakery Dulcinea on Rúa Longa for a chocolate brownie – if you’re passing then definitely pop in for a sweet treat.
Pedronía Certificate
The Pedronía is a certificate that is given out by the Town Council in Padrón to show that you’ve followed the route to where the body of St James was brought before it was carried through to Santiago.
To get the Pedronía you need to get your credencial stamped in the main church and then head to the Tourist Information Office on Avenida de Compostela and show them your credencial. Pedronía certificates were free when I got mine in 2022 but there’s now a charge of €2 if you want one.
Today’s Credencial Sellos
A busy day with four sellos today – from Bar Pardal where we’d stopped for a mid-morning coffee, A Parada do Camiño where we’d had our al fresco beers, the Capilla de San Antón, and Pulpería Rial where we’d enjoyed our Padrón peppers.
If you want to walk the Camino but don’t know where to begin I’ve written this Camino Portugués planning guide which tells you everything you need to know and outlines all the steps you need to take to get you on your way.
Highlights of Day Twelve
After the previous day’s escapades where Storm Kirk had closed most of the route and forced us to trudge along the hard shoulder of the N-550 for most of the way it was good to be back walking through the countryside on forest paths.
Lowlights of Day Twelve
Apart from being stung by an enraged hornet, the other lowlight of this stage is that it means that, come tomorrow, it’ll all be over.
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Bom Caminho/Buen Camino
Follow my Camino Portugués Coastal adventure:
Day 1 – Porto to Praia de Angeiras
Day 2 – Praia de Angeiras to Póvoa de Varzim
Day 3 – Póvoa de Varzim to Esposende
Day 4 – Esposende to Viana do Castelo
Day 5 – Viana do Castelo to Caminha
Day 6 – Caminha to Oia
Day 7 – Oia to Baiona
Day 8 – Baiona to Vigo
Day 9 – Vigo to Redondela
Day 10 – Redondela to Pontevedra
Day 11 – Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis
Day 12 – Caldas de Reis to Padrón
Day 13 – Padrón to Santiago de Compostela
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