Day thirteen on the Camino Portugués took me from Vilanova de Arousa to Cruces, a grand total of 25.40 miles (40.87 kms)! However, much as I love a good walk, a big chunk of that distance (17.04 miles or 27.42 kms to be precise) was by boat so today was actually my shortest day of walking since I left Porto at just 8.36 miles (13.45 kms).
Day Thirteen: Vilanova de Arousa to Cruces
Date: Tuesday 3 May 2022
Start Point: Hotel Bradomin
End Point: Camiño da Vieira
Distance Walked: 8.36 miles (13.45 kms)
Time Taken: 3 hours 59 minutes (including rest stops)
Weather: Sunny
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click a link and purchase something that I have recommended I may receive a commission. While clicking these links won’t cost you any money, it will help to keep this site going. Thank you for your support, I really appreciate it.
Leaving Vilanova de Arousa
Departing Vilanova was definitely a change, not just because it was by boat rather than on foot but also because it was my earliest start of any day on the Camino so far. The boat left from the harbour at 7am but watching the sunrise along the way made up for me not really being an early bird.
If you’re not planning on walking from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecesures (and most pilgrims don’t) you’ll need to book the boat.
There are several companies who cover the journey upriver – I chose La Barca del Peregrino and booked my ticket via their website a few days in advance. The cost was €25 for the journey which takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes.
When updating this post in June 2026 the price is now €30 per person.
The timings of the boats are dependent on the tides so this potentially will affect how far you plan to walk.
The route that the boat follows is called the Translatio and it’s believed that this is the route which carried the body of St James and his disciples in AD44.
Along the way the captain pointed out various things of interest including the mussel farms and the many stone crosses that we sailed past. Although it was still dark there were already boats out on the river collecting mussels.
At one point during the journey one of the crew came round and gave everyone a sello for their credencial, plus hot drinks.
As the sun came up we passed the ruins of Torres de Oeste, all that remains of a 12th century castle.
Reaching our final destination of Pontecesures, just south of Padron, we’d covered a total of 17 miles (27 kms) in less than 90 minutes. If only every day was this easy!
As it had been an early start and there’d been no time for breakfast, Susan and I headed straight to a café for something to eat.
After coffee and a croissant I said goodbye to Susan and set off as my plan had been to walk to Herbón to visit the monastery. Apparently there are red arrows to follow from Pontecesures to Herbón as it’s slightly off the Camino path.
From the beginning of April through to the end of October it’s possible to stay overnight in Herbón as they have a 20-bed pilgrim’s hostel within the monastery, along with mass and a pilgrim blessing every evening at 8pm. Booking isn’t possible and doors don’t open until 4pm.
Unfortunately I couldn’t spot any red arrows but there were plenty of yellow ones pointing me in the direction of Padrón so I decided to abandon my original idea and just go with the flow to Padrón which was a short walk through farmland and then along the Rio Sar before walking along Paseo do Espolón, a wide, tree-lined avenue with the Igrexa de Santiago at one end.
Exploring Padrón
As I’d arrived in Padrón early and only had a few miles to walk to Cruces, where I had accommodation booked for the night, I took some time to explore the town.
If you’re a foodie you’ll know that Padrón is home to the famous Padrón peppers. Pimientos de Padrón are simply peppers that have been fried in olive oil until their skin blisters and then seasoned with salt. While most of the peppers are very mild, there’s always the chance that you’ll encounter a hot one so it’s like playing Russian roulette with your tapas.
As it was just after 9am when I arrived in Padrón it was far too early to treat myself to a plate, so I got straight on with seeing the sights.
Igrexa de Santiago Apostolo de Padrón
The church in Padrón is another which 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, not only gave Padrón its name, but is now located under the main altar of the church.
Santiaguiño do Monte
Up some steep steps (125 in total) is the Santiaguiño do Monte 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 so I couldn’t really grumble about simply walking up them with my pack on my back.
Fuente del Carmen
Just across the Santiago bridge from the church is a 16th century fountain. At the top is a carving of Queen Lupa being baptised by St James, while underneath you can see the boat transporting his body.
Convento do Carme
On the hill behind this fountain is the Convento do Carme, an 18th century convent which, unfortunately, was closed when I was there.
Pedronía Certificate
Most pilgrims are walking in order to get their Compostela certificate when they reach Santiago but it seems that not many pilgrims know that there is another certificate that you can pick up in Padron.
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 just need to call into the Tourist Information Office on Avenida de Compostela and show them your credencial stamped at the Parish Church. They also gave me another sello in the Tourist Info Office, along with the certificate.
Although it was free when I obtained mine in 2022, there is now a charge of €2 for the Pedronía.
Want to learn more about the Camino Portugués?
Come and join the Camino Portugués Planning Facebook group, a supportive and friendly community, where you can connect with fellow pilgrims, ask questions, share tips, advice and recommendations, and find inspiration for your upcoming adventure.
Leaving Padrón
Padrón would make a great place to spend the night but I was keen to walk a bit further today so that I would have a shorter walk on my last day into Santiago.
Although this part of the Camino runs close to the main highway there are some pretty parts as the path goes through small country lanes. However, walking out of Padrón I seemed to lose my mojo somewhere along the way. I can only liken it to hitting the wall when you’re running a marathon. I think this was partly due to the fact that there’s a lot of walking near to the busy main road but also because I couldn’t help thinking that I only had one more day left until my journey would be over.
Along the way I bumped into Florian who had been my Camino angel as I climbed from Combarro to Armenteira on day eleven and we chatted as we walked which did make the last part of my day’s walk much more bearable.
Reaching Cruces
I’d booked to stay in Cruces which is about four miles (six kms) outside of Padrón. Camiño da Vieira is a short distance from the Camino but is well signposted so I said farewell to Florian and made my way there. I was earlier than the check-in time I’d been given but the host, Roberto, was very gracious and there were no issues with me arriving ahead of schedule.
You can read about all my accommodation choices on the Central route of the Camino Portugués here.
Susan was also staying here and had arrived ahead of me and, for the rest of the afternoon, we were the only two guests until a few others started arriving.
The hostel has a mix of private rooms and dorms, and I was going to be spending the night in a dorm. If you’ve read my other posts you’ll know that I’m not a fan of communal sleeping but this one was small (only five beds) and not full (only three of us in this particular room).
While I was worried about snoring, what I didn’t bank on was having a very funny dream and laughing so hard that I woke myself up. Obviously I also woke the others up too and, while one girl had already left very early when I got up the next morning, the other woman gave me a very frosty reception. I knew there was a good reason to stick to private rooms!
Today’s Credencial Sellos
A busy day of collecting sellos with five to add to my credencial.
Are you planning to walk the Camino Portugués?
If you want to walk the Camino Portugués but don’t know where to begin I’ve written a step-by-step planning guide which gives you all the information you need to know and outlines all the steps to follow to get you on your way.
Highlights of Day Thirteen
The boat journey was my highlight today but I also enjoyed exploring Padrón and could have happily spent longer in this pretty town.
Lowlights of Day Thirteen
The route from Padrón to Cruces wasn’t particularly inspiring so, even though this was my shortest day of walking, at times it felt as though I was never going to get to Cruces so that I could kick off my shoes.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and it’s inspired you to walk the Camino yourself. If you have any questions you can pop a comment below or, even better, why not come and join the Camino Portugués Planning Facebook group where you can chat to others who are planning, or have already walked, the Camino.
Buen Camino
Follow my Camino Portugués Central route adventure:
Day 1 – Porto to Vila Chã
Day 2 – Vila Chã to São Pedro de Rates
Day 3 – São Pedro de Rates to Barcelos
Day 4 – Barcelos to Balugães
Day 5 – Balugães to Ponte de Lima
Day 6 – Ponte de Lima to Rubiães
Day 7 – Rubiães to Tui
Day 8 – Tui to O Porriño
Day 9 – O Porriño to Redondela
Day 10 – Redondela to Pontevedra
Day 11 – Pontevedra to Armenteira
Day 12 – Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa
Day 13 – Vilanova de Arousa to Cruces
Day 14 – Cruces to Santiago de Compostela
Read more Camino posts
Check out the Camino Portugués hub, where all the posts I’ve written are saved in one place to make it easier for you to find the information you need for your journey.
You can access it here: Complete Guide to Walking the Camino Portugués
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post and would like to support my work you can buy me a coffee. Each coffee is very much appreciated and your support means I can keep blogging and bringing the best of my travel stories to you.
Why not pin this for later and follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more inspiration, photos and updates?
Looks like I jumped in towards the end of your pilgrimage, but I hope you enjoyed it all! The boat ride in the morning sounds like it was very nice. How many passengers were on it? It doesn’t look like it could have been many. Padron has some interesting religious sites that I’d like to see someday.
Thanks Paul. The boat ride was a great way to arrive in Pontecesures and it was good to have a day of very little walking! The boat only takes about 25 to 30 passengers so not a big boat by any means.