Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis. Day Eleven on the Camino Portugués Coastal Route

Day eleven on the Camino Portugués already and if you’re here to find out what it’s like to walk from Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis and what you can expect in terms of terrain, scenery, and places to stop and have a rest then you’re out of luck.

If, however, you want to know what it was like to trudge along the side of a motorway for most of the day as Storm Kirk was battering the region and the official path was mostly closed then read on!!

Day Eleven: Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis
Date: Wednesday 9 October 2024
Start Point: Hotel Madrid, Pontevedra
End Point: Campo da Torre, Caldas de Reis
Distance Walked: 15.57 miles (25.06 kms)
Time Taken: 6 hours 13 minutes (including rest stops)
Weather: Rainstorms becoming dry later

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Leaving Pontevedra

When I walked the Central route back in 2022 I’d missed out this section as I’d taken the Spiritual Variant instead so I’d been looking forward to seeing what I’d missed. However, we woke up to news reports that Storm Kirk was wreaking havoc in northern Spain – torrential rain, high winds, not to mention thunder and lightning in some areas – and suggestions that pilgrims shouldn’t walk today if they didn’t have to.

After checking out of our hotel we headed into the centre of the old town for breakfast at a great little place called Misto. As we tucked into our avocado on toast we decided that we’d see what the weather was like by 11am and check for any pilgrim updates at that time too.

By 11am the rain and wind were dying down slightly so we decided to go ahead and set off. If the weather worsened we knew we could always call a cab to skip ahead. It would be disappointing but it’s obviously better to be safe than sorry and the emergency services had bigger fish to fry than dealing with pilgrims who didn’t put their safety first.

The way out of Pontevedra crosses the Río Lérez and, as we crossed the Ponte do Burgo, it was clear just how much rain had fallen overnight – the water level was alarmingly high and the river was flowing quickly carrying debris downstream.

Once on the other side of the river we followed the yellow arrows for a short while until a woman out walking her dog stopped to tell us that we needed to make a detour. We weren’t sure where we needed to turn away from the official path so we carried on and just before the road leads into a wooded area a woman shouted to us from her bedroom window and came down into her garden to tell us that the official path was closed and we had to walk up the hill to the main road.

As we backtracked we passed on her warning to some other pilgrims who were also setting out late and soon a small group of us were walking up the hill in the rain.

At the top of the hill we got talking to some English women who had just been notified by the local police that we had to walk alongside the main road. I have to say it was pretty hair raising in a few places as we walked along the side of the N-550 but there were plenty of other pilgrims doing the same so at least we weren’t alone. We must have looked a sorry sight to passing motorists as we marched along head down to keep the rain from our faces and battled to keep our ponchos from blowing up in the wind.

On a few occasions we did manage to get away from the motorway and walk briefly on the official path but, each time, we’d have to return to the main road as the way would be blocked by fallen branches, landslides, or rivers that had burst their banks.

More than once we had to retrace our steps too so our distance for this stage was further than we’d anticipated.

When we were walking on the official route it was lovely, particularly once the rain stopped and we had bursts of blue skies. We walked under grape vines and past fields of corn which, thanks to the swollen rivers, were waterlogged.

There’s a detour on the way to Caldas de Reis to the waterfalls at Parque Natural Ria Barosa but we felt like we’d done enough detouring already and there was no guarantee it was even safe to visit so we just kept on walking along the main road!

Arriving in Caldas de Reis

The sun was out by the time we arrived in Caldas de Reis but it was clear just how much damage had been caused by Storm Kirk. The river that runs through the town had broken its banks and the bar on the riverbank was semi submerged.

We were staying in Campo da Torre which was a fabulous two-bedroom apartment right on the Camino and stocked with everything we could need.

You can read about all my accommodation choices on the Coastal route of the Camino Portugués here.

The terrace of the bar underneath the apartment was strewn with fallen branches – Galicia had definitely taken a battering from Storm Kirk.

Exploring Caldas de Reis

As we arrived quite late we didn’t really have any time to go exploring by the time we’d had a shower and a rest but, from the brief wander around the town, I could tell it was somewhere I’d like to return to under better conditions.

There was a restaurant that I’d been keen to try, Restaurante Roquiño, but unfortunately we were in town on the one day of the week that it was closed. Instead, we found a supermarket and bought some groceries so that we could eat in the apartment. It was such a lovely apartment that we figured we might as well make the most of it.

I did manage to find a bit of street art as we walked around town though – it’s one of my favourite things to do so I was happy to spot some here.

Today’s Credencial Sellos

Just two sellos today – one from Misto where we’d had our breakfast and the other from a small bar where we’d stopped for a break and been given a big portion of some delicious chocolate cake to enjoy with our coffee.

One drawback of staying in apartments not specifically for pilgrims, and where the owners aren’t on site, is that there isn’t always a stamp. That’s something to bear in mind as you must have a minimum of two stamps per day.

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 Eleven

When we set off I thought it was going to be hard to find anything positive about this day but, actually, once it did stop raining in the afternoon and we were able to walk on some sections of the Camino it was pretty good. Yes, it was muddy and we had to make a few detours back onto the main road but it could have been worse and at least we have a good story to tell!

Lowlights of Day Eleven

Obviously we spent a lot of time walking along the hard shoulder of the N-550 which was no fun at all. We were just unlucky with the weather and it means there’s a reason to head back in the future and walk the official route!

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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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