Stage 10 / 11 · Camino Portugués · Galicia
Caldas de Reis to Padrón
The stage from Caldas de Reis to Padrón is 18.8 km, about 4 h 45 min on foot, with 190 m of total ascent and 210 m of descent.
| Distance | 18.8 km |
|---|---|
| Estimated time | 4 h 45 min |
| Elevation gain / loss | +190 m / −210 m |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Highest point | 162 m |
| Lowest point | 3 m |
| Villages with services | 4: Caldas de Reis, Carracedo, Pontecesures, Padrón |
| Longest stretch without services | 10.1 km |
| Updated |
Reviewed:
We organise it for you: bed, luggage and support Plan my Camino
Travelling as a group? Rooms close together, one quote.
Today on the Camino
Finding where you are…
Next village—
To Padrón—
You’ve arrived: log the stage
Log stageBeds nearby
Need a taxi or luggage transfer? We’ll arrange it
Where to stay in Padrón
You pay at the property.
Where to stay in Caldas de Reis
A Fragua
HotelAlfonso VII
HotelAltamira
HotelApartamento Terra de Augas 1
House / apartmentWhere to stay in Padrón
A Casa de Teo
House / apartmentA Casiña de Arretén
HotelA de Marcelino
House / apartmentApartamento Anova
House / apartmentApartamento El Parque
House / apartmentPilgrim hostels in Padrón(3)
No reservations: beds go first come, first served. A guaranteed bed every night? Plan your Camino
Elevation profile
100 m200 m300 m ▲ 162 m Caldas de ReisPadrón
Official route and distance by the Xunta de Galicia; elevations from a digital terrain model.
Map
Zoom in to see more places to stay
What you will see on the way
The Valga forest and the chapel of Santa Mariña de Carracedo. Padrón peppers and the house of Rosalía de Castro. It is 18.8 km with 190 m of climbing, mostly up to Carracedo, and a high point of 162 m; then it is all downhill to the Ulla, crossed into the province of A Coruña.
History of Padrón
Padrón is the town where, according to Camino tradition, the boat carrying the body of Saint James landed around the year 44. Beneath the high altar of its church of Santiago lies the Pedrón, the Roman altar stone to which the boat was said to be moored.
This is where the story behind Compostela begins, and the stone of the Apostle's boat can still be seen.
What not to miss in Padrón
- Church of Santiago
- Santiaguiño do Monte
- Collegiate church of Iria Flavia
Origins and the Camino
Next to Padrón lies Iria Flavia, a Roman town and a bishop's seat before Santiago. Its collegiate church of Santa María has been a protected monument since 1975.
In 1164 King Fernando II granted Padrón a charter because it was the place where the Apostle's body arrived. The present church of Santiago was completed in 1867.
Anecdotes, curiosities and legends
Legend has it that the Apostle preached on the hill above the town and, striking the rock with his staff, made a spring gush forth. The hermitage of Santiaguiño do Monte stands there today.
Padrón is also the land of Rosalía de Castro, Galicia's great poet. She spent her last years in the house at A Matanza, where she died on 15 July 1885, and which is now a museum.
Pilgrim tip
Ask to see the Pedrón under the altar of the church of Santiago, and try Padrón peppers before moving on.
Legends & tradition
Some are hot, some are not
Padrón peppers come from the Franciscan friary at Herbón, where tradition says the friars adapted them after returning from the Americas in the 16th century. Their designation of origin is Pemento de Herbón, and roughly one in ten to one in four turns out hot.
Source: es.wikipedia.org
Villages along the way
| Village | km | Altitude | Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldas de Reis · Places to stay | 0 | 30 m | BarShopPharmacyATMDoctorWater fountain |
| Carracedo | 6.1 | 150 m | BarPharmacyWater fountain |
| Pontecesures | 16.2 | 10 m | BarShopPharmacyATMDoctorWater fountain |
| Padrón · Places to stay | 18.8 | 10 m | BarShopPharmacyATMDoctorWater fountain |
© OpenStreetMap
Services on this stage
Pura VidaSignature cocktails and specialty coffee in central Padrón, with a terrace. No meals served.
Order: featured places pay for their position and have a minimum rating. How we rank
Related guides
Your Camino organized, nothing to worry about
Free, no obligation · Reply within 24 h
Xacobeo 2027 Holy Year: dates and when to book
Do you run a business on this stage?Advertise here
