Baamonde to Sobrado dos Monxes
The longest day, the oldest monastery
- Distance
- 39.8 km
- Climb
- 760 m up, 680 m down
- Ground
- 380 to 710 m
- Time
- 9 to 12 hours
- Difficulty
- hard
- Underfoot
- forest, dirt, paved, mountain
Where this day sits on the Camino del Norte
Above, the highest and lowest ground of each of its 34 stages. Below, the word each day is given.
From open-pilgrimages: each stage's highest and lowest ground and its interior theme.
The day
40 kilometres is a lot on day 33 of a pilgrimage. Most pilgrims split the stage at Miraz, where the Albergue San Martín — housed in the old parsonage and staffed by the UK Confraternity of Saint James since 2005 — is known for its kindness. Those who continue the full distance reach Sobrado dos Monxes in the late afternoon — and the reward is the monastery itself. Santa María de Sobrado was founded in 952 AD and joined the Cistercian order in 1142, making it the first Cistercian house in Spain. The monastery is still an active community of about ten monks. The pilgrim albergue is inside the monastery walls. Compline is sung at 20:00 and pilgrims are welcome to attend. The great baroque church (rebuilt in the 17th century after a fire) has a cloister and a chapter room that feel heavy with age.
What pilgrims often meet here
- The decision at Baamonde: 15 km to Miraz or 40 km to Sobrado
- Albergue San Martín at Miraz with its UK-Confraternity volunteers — one of the best on the Camino
- The climb to the Serra do Careón high point at 710 m
- First sight of Sobrado's church towers above the trees
- Compline with the Cistercian community at 20:00
- Sleeping inside the monastery walls
You are staying in a house that has welcomed pilgrims for a thousand years. What do you bring to it, and what does it give back?
The ground
The longest single stage of the Norte — 39.8 km from Baamonde to Sobrado dos Monxes. Crosses rolling plateau through Miraz, Lagoa, and Roxica. Many pilgrims split this stage at Miraz (~15 km, Albergue San Martín in the old parsonage) or avoid it entirely by taking the 35A variant via Sobrado. The climb to ~710 m on the Serra do Careón is the highest point of the whole Norte. Carry food and water — services are sparse.
The light
Sunrise and sunset in Baamonde depend on the day you walk.
Walk it with Pilgrim
In Pilgrim's Honor mode you can walk this stage as it is drawn here, and save its maps for days with no signal. The morning opens with this day's word, The longest day, the oldest monastery, and its story. When you arrive, it asks the question above, and you can answer out loud. Your walk stays on your phone.
With Pilgrim on your phone, this opens the stage, ready to begin. Without it, you'll see the stage and where to get the app.