Pontevedra to Armenteira 23.5 km

https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/pontevedra-armenteira-237550178

After leaving Pontevedra over the once-Roman bridge we continue through the suburbs and into the countryside until we reach the parting of the ways at around 4 km  – right for the Portuguese central route and left for the Variante Espiritual. We bear off to the left. 

After walking nearly 6.5 km, we are on a delightful narrow woodland track albeit rising quite steeply in places. But the incline pales  into insignificance compared with what’s to come. 

We eventually pass into a eucalyptus forest – a lovely soft path to walk on but with lots of the waste these trees produce just waiting to trip us up. 

The massive monastery at Poio impressed us at almost 10km and we have a lovely grassy walk above the inlet between Poio and Combarro.

We stop in Combarro to buy supplies for tonight and a munch along the way and then call into a café and order hot chocolate for me and a smoothie for Mikey

And then the serious climb begins. Up, up, up and up some more, and then some more after that.

After the ridiculously steep climb from Combarro we continue ever upwards through a eucalyptus forest walking on a road initially (I don’t remember any vehicles passing). We come to a mirador overlooking the bay far below.

We continue on the road until 17 km when we are very happy to be diverted onto a lovely soft forest path, where we remain until we start our descent, first continuing on the soft path and then much more steeply on a narrow rocky track where the earth has been washed away leaving slippery boulders to navigate. I failed in my navigation skills and slipped on some mossy rock and landed very delicately on my backside. Luckily my backpack took most of the brunt and I didn’t jolt my back or hurt my legs or feet, but my left arm got rather scraged and bloodied. But arms aren’t crucial to walking so no big deal. 

We arrive at the tiny hamlet of Armenteira at around 15:30 having covered 23.5 km with 577 metres of elevation gain. It was a challenging climb but incredibly the higher we climbed, the easier it got. We actually became acclimatised to the incline. 

Mikey was an absolute star – not a single whinge – stoically climbing ever higher as though he’d been walking caminos forever. 

We’re staying at the Junta albergue which is a ten minute walk out of the village, €10, very basic but good bathrooms and really nice dining area. 

Mikey has joined me in the village, at the bar, where the local hombres are enjoying their Saturday afternoon with much lubrication, lots of smoking and incredibly loud voices. 

We cross the road to the monastery and the lovely nun serving in the shop where they sell trinkets and homemade soap gives us a stamp in our credenciales and a lovely chat.

The cloister is beautiful and we join the 19:00 Pilgrim blessing service. I’m not at all religious and find the service rather long. Mikey stays for quite a while but decides to leave before the end. I stay on but it’s quite hard going. 

Back at the albergue we eat the food we bought earlier and Mikey finds himself a comfortable spot to do a bit of scrolling.