Three ways to get to know Sarria depending on the days you have: as the starting point of the Camino de Santiago, as a base for exploring the Ribeira Sacra, or on a relaxed weekend. All three combine heritage, walking routes and good food.
Sarria as a pilgrim: 5 stages to Santiago
The option most visitors choose: from Sarria there are a little over 100 km of the French Way left, the minimum distance to earn the Compostela certificate, usually walked in 5 stages. A tip: arrive a day early and spend the afternoon getting to know the town — the medieval old town, the Monastery of A Magdalena, the Homage Tower of the old castle, Rúa Maior and the Malecón riverside walk all deserve that time.
- Stage 1 · Sarria – Portomarín (about 22 km). The classic first stage: gentle climbs among oaks and chestnut trees, the hermitage of San Lázaro, and the descent to the Miño river to cross into Portomarín — a village that was moved, stone by stone, when the reservoir swallowed the old one.
- Stage 2 · Portomarín – Palas de Rei (about 25 km). A climb up from Portomarín and a landscape of commons and postcard villages all the way into the heart of Terra de Compostela.
- Stage 3 · Palas de Rei – Arzúa (about 29 km), via Melide. The pulpo stage: Melide serves the best octopus “á feira” on the Camino. Then Arzúa, home of the PDO cheese.
- Stage 4 · Arzúa – O Pedrouzo (about 19 km). A short, gentle stage among eucalyptus and riverside woods, so you arrive with energy to spare.
- Stage 5 · O Pedrouzo – Santiago de Compostela (about 20 km). The last one: Monte do Gozo, the first view of the cathedral towers, and the arrival at Praza do Obradoiro.
The complete guide, with maps and tips: Camino de Santiago from Sarria.
Sarria in 3 days (no Camino): town and Ribeira Sacra
Sarria also works as a base for exploring inland Galicia at an easy pace — no backpack, no stages.
- Day 1 · Historic Sarria. The medieval old town on foot: the Homage Tower, the collegiate church of Santa María a Maior and its Romanesque portal, the Monastery of A Magdalena, and the Malecón walk along the Sarria river. In the afternoon, coffee in one of the historic cafés or a short Romanesque churches route around the county.
- Day 2 · Ribeira Sacra. Less than an hour by car: viewpoints over the Sil canyon, heroic vineyards on terraced slopes, and a catamaran ride on the river. If you want a preview of that landscape from home, the nearest public webcam streams it live from Cristosende (A Teixeira): see webcams.
- Day 3 · A walking route. Pick according to your fitness: the Ruta da Foz das Aceas along the Miño or the Monte de Santa Cristina route. In the afternoon, a long coffee and a last stroll along Rúa Maior.
Sarria on a family weekend
- Saturday. The old town on foot, unhurried: the castle, Santa María a Maior, Rúa Maior and the Malecón walk. A snack in the centre and — if your visit coincides — the flower carpets of Corpus Christi or the antiques fair.
- Sunday. A short walk — the gentlest stretch of the Foz das Aceas — and a leisurely lunch before heading home. If your weekend falls on a festival, check the calendar: events and festivals in Sarria.
Practical tips
- Comfortable shoes: Sarria is hilly, and the Camino enters and leaves the town through stone lanes.
- A rain jacket in your daypack in any season: check the weather in Sarria before setting out.
- Tourist office: Antiga Prisión (Rúa da Mercé 8) · +34 982 53 06 68 · turismo@sarria.gal.
- Sarria is a Tourist Municipality of Galicia and part of the Ribeira Sacra e Serras do Oribio e Courel Biosphere Reserve.
- Where to sleep: accommodation in Sarria. What to eat: local food.
