Camino Sanabrés: The Quiet Road to Santiago

 Walking from the End of the Via de la Plata into Galicia

The Camino Sanabrés is the final, wilder branch of the Via de la Plata, a path that winds from the plains of Castile through the green mountains of Galicia, ending at Santiago de Compostela.  It’s shorter than the full Via, but no less rich in history, scenery, and personal reflection. As such, the Sanabrian Way is, without a doubt, a Camino route that stands on its own as well.

When we walked it, mornings began with mist curling over the hills, and evenings ended in tiny stone villages where the smell of wood smoke clung to the air. This is a Camino for those who seek quiet time in nature, and the deep rhythm of Galicia’s rural life.

Why Walk the Camino Sanabrés?

Walking the Camino Sanabrés offers a quiet continuation toward Santiago de Compostela, branching northwest from Granja de Moreruela at the end of the Via de la Plata. Covering approximately 370 kilometres over 14-17 days, this route carries significantly fewer pilgrims than the more frequented Camino Francés. 
 
Crossing Galicia along the way, pilgrims encounter small villages and market towns that reflect the distinct culture, language, and traditions of northwestern Spain before reaching Santiago. The Sanabres is best walked in the temperate months of April–June or September–October, and provides a fitting and peaceful conclusion to a longer pilgrimage from Seville. 

Camino Sanabres Itinerary and Stages

About the Camino Sanabrés and Sanabrian Way

Where Does One Camino End and Another Begin?

Beginning the Camino Sanabrés : Granja de la Moreruela  to Tabara

Natural Regeneration: Tabara to Camazana de Tera

Race for the Beds: Camazana de Tera to Rionegro del Puente

Double Stage: Rionegro del Puente to Puebla de Sanabria

Climbing the Camino: Puebla de Sanabria to Padornelo

Into Galicia: Padornelo to A Gudina

Galicia the Unexpected: A Gudina to Laza

Camino Perspectives: Laza to Xunqueira de Ambia

Last 100 km on the Camino: Xunqueira de Ambia to Ourense

Heat Wave on the Camino Sanabrés: Ourense to Cea

Contemplating on the Camino: Cea to Oseira Monastery

Tourist Trap: Oseira Monastery to Lalin

50 KM to Santiago de Compostela: Lalin to Bandeira

Completing Via de la Plata and Camino Sanabrés: To Santiago de Compostela

Camino Compostela and a Day in Santiago de Compostela

Via de la Plata and Camino Sanabrés: Long Distance Hike or Spiritual Pilgrimage?

The Quiet Way or the Pilgrim Highway: Comparing the Via de la Plata and the Camino Francés

Reflections from the Way: Via de la Plata & Camino Sanabrés

Continuing Our Pilgrimage Journeys

Arriving in Santiago de Compostela after walking the Camino Sanabrés brought another long pilgrimage across Spain to its conclusion. Over fourteen days, we followed the route northwest from Granja de Moreruela through the landscapes of Zamora, the mountains around Sanabria, and the increasingly green countryside of Galicia. Along the way, we encountered historic villages, monasteries, forests, agricultural landscapes, and opportunities to appreciate the birds and wildlife that have always been such an important part of our travels.

The Camino Sanabrés was also a continuation of a journey that had begun much farther south. After arriving unexpectedly in Cádiz aboard Wind Surf, we followed the Via Augusta to Seville before beginning the much longer Via de la Plata. That pilgrimage carried us north through western Spain, following historic Roman roads and crossing landscapes that were beautiful and fascinating but frequently demanding. By the time we reached Granja de Moreruela, we had already experienced weeks of challenging walking, uncertainty, and circumstances that had tested our expectations of pilgrimage.

Turning northwest onto the Camino Sanabrés introduced another chapter of the journey. The landscapes gradually changed as we climbed toward Galicia, while the historic communities, monasteries, and quieter rural pathways offered new opportunities for observation and reflection. Yet the route was not without its own difficulties. Long stages, accommodation pressures, climbing, and increasingly warm weather continued to influence our daily experience. Even as we approached Santiago, the practical realities of walking remained as important as the anticipation of reaching our destination.

Completing this pilgrimage also reminded us that arriving in Santiago does not always mark the end of the walking. On earlier journeys, we had continued west along the Camino Finisterre and Muxía, following the route from Santiago toward the Atlantic Ocean. Returning to these familiar destinations over the years has given us opportunities to reconsider what pilgrimage means, how our expectations change, and why the experience of travelling on foot continues to draw us back.

Looking back, the Camino Sanabrés remains an important part of our journey across Spain, both for its own landscapes and experiences and for the perspective it offered after so many weeks on the road. It did not erase the difficulties of the Via de la Plata, nor did reaching Santiago provide simple answers to everything we had encountered. Instead, it allowed us to complete the pilgrimage while continuing to appreciate the natural world, the history of the places we passed through, and the ordinary discoveries that make travelling slowly worthwhile.

For readers interested in our other Caminos, long-distance hiking adventures, ocean voyages, and railway journeys, we invite you to explore the wider Come Walk With Us travel collection.

Buen Camino, and see you on the Way!